Every city has centers of activity. The action serves as a magnet that attracts even more people to them. In San Francisco, Union Square is one of those hubs.

Tourists come to board the trolley that takes them to Fisherman’s Wharf. Shoppers are in heaven, with hundreds of name brand stores jammed together within a few square blocks. Locals come for the open space that swings between lively and peaceful, depending upon the time of day, eating lunch, meeting friends and enjoying the free entertainment taking place on the stage. Great restaurants are everywhere, including some that are hidden away down narrow alleys.

Union Square is just a few blocks from San Francisco’s famous Chinatown. A 20-30 minute walk through Chinatown will take you to the North Beach neighborhood for an authentic Italian meal in a lively sidewalk café. Another 20-30 minutes and you’ll be at Fisherman’s Wharf. Take a cab or stroll back through North Beach, stopping wherever suits you on the way for a drink or snack or shopping.

There are several historic boutique hotels, notably The Handley and the Sir Francis Drake, to choose from with a block or two of the Square, as well as a few upscale chains like Marriot and Westin. Shop around-you can usually find a good deal at one of them. If you want to be near the center of the action in San Francisco, then book a room near Union Square, put on your walking shoes and start enjoying the City by the Bay.

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Located just about 7 miles south of Los Angeles International Airport is Redondo Beach, California.  Redondo Beach is a family-oriented beach town that offers the California lifestyle at its’ best.  Being so close yet just far enough away to LA has its’ priviledges for visiting guests of Redondo Beach.

Since LA is so close one can enjoy the entertainment value of Hollywood’s Universal Studios, Hollywood Walk of Fame and Mann’s Chinese Theatre.  Of the 18 boutique Mann Theatres located in the greater LA area, the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is the most famous opening its’ doors in 1927 to show movies on the big screen for the people.  The opening of Grauman’s Theatre sparked the beginning of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame where famous movie stars are denoted as to have “made it” in show biz.

Dining options in Redondo Beach are varied and very good!  One must check out the Redondo Beach Pier and Fisherman’s Wharf when visiting this beach town.  Old Tony’s is a must when dining on the pier.  Ranging from shrimp, oysters and calamari for appetizers and sea bass, scallops, halibut, lobster, mahi mahi and shark for dinner, one can get their fill of fresh seafood from Old Tony’s.  Another landmark for the pier is Polly’s on the Pier which serves a hearty breakfast and lunch and with seating outside one can see the fresh catch coming into harbor.  Bluewater Grill is just another great example of California seafood dining.  Located right on the water, Bluewater Grill serves up charbroiled seafood, chowders and pastas and has an oyster bar.  In operation for over 7 years now, they have an impressive 100 + item menu of which they print out twice a day to reflect new and fresh seafood coming that day.

Hangin’ on the beach is probably the most favorite activity in Redondo Beach.  When visitors come to Redondo Beach they can stay in lodging very close to the beach.  Other beaches close to Redondo are Hermosa, Manhattan, and Venice Beach.  Hermosa and Manhattan Beaches are only 10 to 15 minutes away while Venice Beach is more like a 30 minute drive.  From surfing and boogie boarding to biking on the paved trails and fishing, the beach is alive and well with the people that call Southern California home.  

Redondo Beach & Pier by Kevin

Grauman’s Chinese Theatre by bfurlong

Redondo Beach - Tony’s Fish Market by Madrigal Photography

Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to visit all of the State Beaches in California-there are 63 of them at last count. However, I’ve been very impressed with those along the central California coast between San Francisco and Monterrey.

If you take this incredibly scenic drive on Route 1, you’ll enjoy an have the chance to stop at numerous state beaches along the way. My favorites were both rugged and lonesome, even during the dog days of August, and the only company were flocks of shore birds and frolicking sea lions.

Others attracted surfers or surf fisherfolk and at one was chocked full of families camping in their RVs not 100 feet across the sand from the Pacific ocean. So, as you can see, there’s a beach to suit anyone’s taste along this stretch.

Now, I’m anxiously awaiting my next trip to the coast so that I can explore some of the more than 50 others I missed.

The boardwalk in Santa Cruz is a festival of overstimulation. Noise, lights, action, commotion, junk food and kids everywhere-and it’s been that way for 101 Years!

No visit to Santa Cruz, California is complete without a stroll down the boardwalk with soft serve ice cream or cotton candy or some other nutritionally outlawed yummy that you’d never eat anywhere else. But, hey, how often do you get here? Live it up!

They have some great free shows on the beach stage. This summer (2008), it was the Amazing Chinese Acrobats performing at least a couple of times a day, occasional visits by skydivers landing on the beach and thrilling high divers plunging from an 80 foot tower.

On Friday evenings during the summer, they have free concerts on the beach with lovable old timers, like Herman’s Hermits and Blue Oyster Cult, and more modern groups, like the Gin Blossoms. Other special events include fireworks, local’s nights, kite festivals and beach soccer tournaments.

Many of the rides are kid-sized versions, which is awesome, especially when they allow adults to accompany the really little ones.

The Santa Cruz Boardwalk is one of the last great seaside amusement parks and is designated as a California Historic Landmark. Two of the nostalgic rides, a wooden roller coaster built in 1924 and a classic 1911 carousel, are National Historic Landmarks. So, consider a visit here as an educational field trip and let the fun begin!

I had so much fun on the boardwalk, that I never even made it down onto the beach, but maybe that’s a good thing, since it looks like there’s no fun allowed.

Once you escape the ritz and glitz of the South Shore, you begin to catch glimpses of the opulence ingrained in the historic fabric of Lake Tahoe.

In 1880, a visionary entrepreneur built a luxurious resort, with an elegant hotel and a gambling casino, on the shores of this deep blue lake hidden in the Sierra Mountains. By the turn of the century, Lake Tahoe had become a summer playground for the rich and famous families of Sacramento, San Francisco and Virginia City. A railroad spur was built in the late 1890’s making travel to the Lake easier, so more people came and more plush hotels sprang up to accommodate them.

Wealthy families began building their own stately mansions along the shore. They cruised the Lake in yachts as ostentatious as their homes and lavish parties became commonplace. When you travel to Tahoe you can visit some of these impressively restored estates.

The 12,000 square foot Erhman Mansion, built in 1903, is the centerpiece of Sugar Pine Point State Park on the western side of the Lake. It’s open daily for tours during the summer and is a fantastic setting for weddings and other special events.

The 74 acre Tallac Historic Site is home to the Valhalla, Pope and Baldwin Estates. You may view the interior and art exhibits of the Pope Estate, built in 1894, on a guided tour. Valhalla is home to a summer arts and music festival and other seasonal events that are open to the public.

One of the oddest mansions is really a Scandinavian themed medieval castle dubbed Vikingsholm, complete with a sod roof and beams carved into dragons. It can be toured daily during the summer months, but is most striking when viewed from the water. Steamboats chug visitors across the Lake to Emerald Bay and around Tahoe’s only island several times a day to see it.

For a glimpse into the yachting life, visit the Tahoe Maritime Museum in Homewood, on the California side. You’ll be amazed at the painstakingly cared for gleaming wooden boats, many of which are still lakeworthy and see use during the summers.

While the opulent era phased out in the early 1950’s, there are still many luxurious Lake Tahoe vacation homes, estates and lodges tucked in amongst the towering pines along the lakeshore. Keep your eyes open for a glimpse of them as you pass by.