CALIFORNIA!

[Breezymtns]

Finally got a chance to hit the beach not too long ago.





Trip in early November '06 to Bishop, Lake Sabrina

[angelwolf326]

WOW great pics!!!!!

[MojaveSidecar]

Is that the town that Barbra Streisand founded?

Barbara...Oopps...... Thanks hillokie!

Strangely enough, I think she spells it "Barbra"

[Breezymtns]

tyvm Angelwolf

[Forest 1]

Stunning photos Breezymts.  Gypsywolf, this is a year overdue but your pictures are outstanding.  Love the sand dollar. 

  So many things that define California, hard to pick those things that I appreciate the most...........

The Rose Parade
Diversity (beach, desert, mountains)
Wine 
Weather
Palm trees
Orange blossoms
Avacados
popies

[Hillbillies]

Here is a link to Mrs. Hillbilly's quick travel video we did last weekend while over in Catalina.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzTuZOtI0Fg

I had no idea, but there is a surf break on the west side of the island where people surf!  (Surfer_Dude have you ever surfed over there?)  We went to Catalina years ago for a turn around day trip and we were not too impressed.  The ocean was really rough that day and the boat ride took it's tole on on many of the passengers.....    This trip we stayed two nights which allowed more time to soak it in a bit.  We thought is was a great place for a quick get away....

[Wrightwood]

Nicely done Mrs. Hillbilly.
How much burn damage did you see near Avalon?

Having made plenty of trips to Two Harbors by boat it's also a great place on the island to visit. Fishing, scuba & skin diving are also major attractions to the island that are highly recommended.

[Mrs. Hillbilly]

Nicely done Mrs. Hillbilly.
How much burn damage did you see near Avalon?

Having made plenty of trips to Two Harbors by boat it's also a great place on the island to visit. Fishing, scuba & skin diving are also major attractions to the island that are highly recommended.

Thanks! I'm hard on myself, so I'm not really happy with the videos.

But to answer your question, there was quite a bit of burn damage that I noticed just as we began our drive above Avalon. Many native plants and cacti were destroyed, but some were already coming back. I really enjoyed the Inland Motor Tour. It showed a side of Catalina that most Avalon day-trippers don't get to see.

I'd really like to spend a weekend at Two Harbors. Did you camp  or stay Banning House?

[gus]

We got a mooring and stayed on the boat. Took a water taxi to shore to go to the restaurant to eat then another to go back to the boat.

[Hillbillies]

Here is a quick history about the sleeping beauty castle at Disneyland.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhL4Su-feBM

[Wrightwood]

Very cool information!

[kreustaoe]

thank you so much for the link about the information on Sleeping Beauty's Castle.  My daughter and I go to Disneyland all the time and there was a bit of stuff in there that neither of us knew/realized.  We are usually just walking threw it and not really paying attention.  We are definitely going to have to slow down and just soak everything in.

[Hillbillies]

thank you so much for the link about the information on Sleeping Beauty's Castle.  My daughter and I go to Disneyland all the time and there was a bit of stuff in there that neither of us knew/realized.  We are usually just walking threw it and not really paying attention.  We are definitely going to have to slow down and just soak everything in.

You're welcome.  Glad you enjoyed the video.  Thanks!

[Hillbillies]

Here is a short video we did on Redondo Beach.  This was my first time to the Redondo Pier/Beach.  We had a great time checking out the sites. 

If I am not mistaken, Redondon is BostonBob's old stomping grounds! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16gxu9WKAHo

[Chesslike]

True enough HB, that is where I met my bride and we spent many a times in most of the places you show in your video. My mom even use to have a shop in the Riviera Village and we both still have family there. Though I preferred the less crowded, less hectic and lower building density of the 70's in Redondo, thats probably just because I am an old fart now. I also just found your travel video of my hotel in Redondo today and I am glad you gave it such a nice review.

You guys are doing great work with your travel and cooking videos and they keeping improving with each one you have under your belts. Keep up the good work!

[Hillbillies]

Thanks Bob!  We really had a great weekend down there.  The Hotel "Fino" was great! lol....  Veronica is working on the next video that focuses strictly on the pier. 

One of the store owners from the Riviera Village gave us a tour.  He mentioned that a lot of the high rise apartments were built in the '70s.... I thought he mentioned that they are not allowed to build them anymore...

[Hillbillies]

Here are two videos we did while in San Diego last weekend.  Right now Sea World is a ghost town!  If you hate fighting the crowds, get there before spring break!

Sea World

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_PM_l-zzvQ

San Diego Zoo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2Eard_prNY

[Hobbes]

The last time I went to Sea World, I payed an extra $7.00 per ticket to have my family go on the guided tour.  The tour included reserve seating at all the major stadium shows, including Shamu, the dolphin show, penquin show etc.  The tour  allowed my son to be picked to sit on top of Shamu's back-Wow!  The tour also included other sights that we got into without having to wait in line.

I'm sure it is more costly now, but even still, I would highly recommend it.  We saw most of the major Sea World event in well under two hours, and still had time to roam around without feeling so worn out standing in long lines.

[Hillbillies]

For all of you Disney junkies out there, here is a quick look inside the Disney Dream Suite.  The only way a guest can stay here is if they are the lucky winner while visiting the Disneyland theme park.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jphjG3ATkto

[Hillbillies]

California coast trip! 
Can't say enough about the beauty we have seen driving up the coast this past week.  Seen a lot of great sites and shooting lots of video.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium is something to see!  We spent 4 hours there, and easily could have spent 2 days there.  There is a lot of interactive things for the kids to do.  We spent some time in San Francisco.  After that it was up to Napa.  I decided we should cross over the Golden Gate bridge and then head up to wine country.  Once we crossed the bridge we stopped at the vista to gaze at one of mans greatest engineneering feats.  During our stop, Mrs. Hillbilly looked at one of our crude road maps (tip: never go on a road trip without a good map) and decided we needed to go back across the bridge and head up through Oakland to get to wine country.  We stopped at the toll booth after crossing the bridge a second time and the nice man in the booth told us it would be faster to back over the bridge and head up to wine country!  So being the typical lost tourist in our station wagon with the luggage compartment on the roof rack, we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge a THIRD time.... "Hey kids look!  There it is again... THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE!" 

We finally made it to wine country.  I was never able to find my favorite winery.  Does anyone know where they make Boons Farm