Photo of the Day (3/24/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on


When I used to work on 2nd Street just off of the Santa Monica Third Street Promenade, I used to dread going to work some days. It was too crowded. There were too may people -too many tourists with their heads in the clouds and not focusing their attention on where they are going. Grrr! Anyhow, those days have passed and now a trip to the promenade isn’t so bad. If anything it is a great place to people watch. I suppose Bernard -SD could have been taking the time to photograph his friends rather than perfect strangers engulfed in the perfect magazine on a perfect California night, but just maybe he scored this shot of two very unsuspecting guys enthralled by their glossies.

Thanks for placing this one in the Gadling Flickr pool!

Photo of the Day (2/17/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on


When I saw this picture I thought I was going to find one of those motivational notes attached about success, following a dream or achieving some enormous goal, which by the sound of the caption it looks as if the photographer was very pleased with the results. This photo titled “Lonely Oak Leaf” was taken by Stormygirl while exploring one of California’s national parks. Great shot!

Hiking in Big Sur

by Willy Volk on

Hiking in Big Sur is a new site that details — you guessed it — hiking in Big Sur. Featuring detailed descriptions of the area’s glorious hikes, some great maps to help you get in and around the parks, and some absolutely stunning images that’ll inspire even the laziest couch potatoes to tie their shoes, the site is a bonanza for the California hiker.

Details for the Partington Cove Trail, for example, include length, difficulty, type of terrain, things to look for along the way, and links to aerial photos so you can understand precisely where you are. If you’re headed out that way, be certain to check out the area’s hazards first. And for those with limited time, prepare to celebrate: the site also includes some one-day must-see hikes.

Kwanzaa Parade

by Adrienne Wilson on

A friend of mine just shot me an email telling me to tune into KPFK 90.7 fm radio out of Los Angeles to chill out to some very soothing music and he was right. Thanks to his thinking of me I found yet another cool holiday event that seems worth all your attention. The 5th Annual Kwanzaa Heritage Parade and Festival kicks off December 30, 2006 from 10am-7pm in Leimert Park Village. For those who aren’t quite hip to the African American holiday which takes place every year from December 26th to January 1st, it was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga and is derived from the Swahili word KWANZA, meaning first fruit. Though the roots of the holiday are African an extra ‘A’ was added by Dr. Maulana Karenga to distinguish differences between African and Afro-Americans.

Having never gone to a Kwanzaa parade or any event for that matter in my past it sounds like a great cultural learning experience if all else. They break down the meaning behind each day. The first is Umoja or Unity where individuals strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race. Find out what the other six days represent and make plans to attend if you’re around So. Cal.

USA Today on San Diego

by Adrienne Wilson on

San Diego – I’ve only been there twice. Once when I was 8 years-old on a family vacation to see Shamu at Sea World and the only memorable moment of the entire trip was my crying at the bottom of a speed boat when my father let me 6 year-old brother take control of the steering. I thought I was going to die that day in San Diego. The second time was several years later and I had taken a quick day trip down from LA to visit a friend at Pendleton who’d just returned from Iraq. We noshed on Thai food and talked about war and he stopped me from jay walking (apparently they shell out tickets for illegal pedestrian crossing), but again nothing too stellar. Is it safe to say I have to go back for a real look at the city? Absolutely.

USA Today recently featured San Diego in one of their destination guides and I decided to give it a read. From the sound of things the Gaslamp Quarter is getting a facelift. They’re changing the chilled out surfer scene to velvet ropes and a more upscale sort of destination for those that desire cocktail culture. With new boutique hotels and clubs that require the approval of a bouncer to get in, I suppose they are trying to bring the sophistication while remaining more relaxed than cities like LA and NYC. I’m really not going to go on about this particular read. Quite honestly hearing velvet rope so many times didn’t turn me on to want to book a ticket that way anytime soon. On the flipside those who do wish to see this new San Diego sooner than later should take a look at this story.

If there are any San Diego natives reading I’d love to hear your comments or just tell us some of your favorite places to go if you don’t mind a tourist or two showing up.