I made a trip up to Lake Arrowhead yesterday. It was the first time I'd been there and I was really disappointed. It could be that I simply needed someone there to show me around but the picture above is as close as I got to the lake. I drove around the entire lake and never found a place where I could get down to it. I had packed a little lunch and everything, convinced that I would find a nice place near the lake to chill, take some pics and enjoy the beautiful day.
I went to visit a friend last year and it was my first time to Vacaville and Sacramento. I'm not going to get into a lot about this area, just post some of the pics I took and say that when I was there, there was a music festival taking place in Vacaville that took place all over a certain area of the city and I really liked it! For example, one of the locations was inside a Borders near the coffee station area so you could sit and enjoy some coffee while you listened to a little jazz. Another location was in a small park. You had your choice of where to go and who to listen to at different times of the day. What a way to do a jazz festival and see some of the city while you're at it!
My friend took me to Old Sacramento, down by the river. I found this piece of history on Legends of America.com.
"When modernization came to the city in the 21st century, the commercial district gradually moved east and the area of Old Sacramento became a virtual slum. However, in the mid 1960s the city began to redevelop and refurbish the area. The 28 acres encompassing the location today has more historic buildings condensed in one area than any other in the west. Moreover, it has become a National Landmark, with a portion designated as a California State Historic Park."
"Today, Old Sacramento, with its wood plank sidewalks and picturesque three-story buildings, caters to more than 5 million annual visitors. The National Registered landmark provides a Public Market, two museums, excursion cruises along the water front, a hotel, and numerous restaurants and boutique like shops."
I love places that are known as "tourist traps". I'm a tourist and I'm also a crafter and do-it-yourselfer so I love and can appreciate some of the handcrafted items that are often sold in tourist traps. Besides, where else but tourist traps can you find the best variety of things to shop for and take pictures of?
The last stop on the Smooth Jazz Cruise I went on was Ensenada, Mexico. My sister and I started not to go because we'd been there before but she wanted to shop and I wanted to take pictures. Listening to the tour guide we both decided that La Bufadora, The Blowhole, would give us both what we were looking for. Man, I'm glad I went because I'd forgotten how beautiful is was driving up to the Blowhole and how beautiful the area around the Blowhole was. There are pictures of that area in the post before this one.
If you'll notice the flag in the picture above, the Mexican flag can be seen from anywhere in Ensenada. The tour guide pointed out that if we happened to get lost to just look for the flag which is at the port where our ship was docked.
This is a composite video clip I took from the bus as we travelled to La Bufadora. I actually find it rather interesting that here in America most of our coast is taken up by rich homes. Notice in the clip how little there is blocking this view of the coast and that part of it is upscale. Don't quote me on this though because this is the only part of Ensenada I saw.
Part of the attraction at La Bufadora, The Blowhole, is the shopping that lines the street as you walk from where the bus leaves you to The Blowhole. It's supposed to be at least 30% less than the downtown shopping because of the rent. I've got to say it's a little overwhelming especially if, like for us, you're the first tour bus and the vendors are all standing along the street waiting for customers. You're the fresh meat for the day and all the way down the street they are ALL trying to get your attention and giving you discount coupons. I think my favorite term that day was when one of them called me and my sisters "Chocolate Chicas". LOL!
I personally appreciated that the tour guides warn you about those who are out to rip off tourists and proceed to tell you how to tell real silver from fake and what not to pay for certain designer knock-offs. Let's see, my sister and I picked up a couple of purses, some sunglass, a very nice tile domino set for my nephew, a beautiful cross on a sterling silver chain, a nice cotton jogging set with a beautiful design with Ensenada on it. I'm not much of a shopper but I did have some fun. I wish I'd had more money to spend because there were several ceramic vases and plates that I would have loved to haul back home.
Visiting Pearl Harbor was a soulful, solemn experiences I will never forget. The USS Arizon Memorial is set upon one of the sunken ships where over 1,000 men were entombed when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. There are parts of the ship that you can still see above water and you can see parts of the ship below the water. Looking at the wall of names... well, that was a lot of lost lives. It is difficult not to be touched as you stand giving honor to those who lost their lives fighting for our country.
This picture shows part of the ship that is above water while the one I will post below, if you look closely, shows part of the ship that can be seen beneath the water. I don't know that anyone can stand above this ship, think about the thousand men that were unable to escape below your feet, and not be moved.
Around the harbor and not pictured here are markers of the other ships that sank that day.
There were 1.4 million gallons of fuel on the USS Arizona when she sank. Over 60 years later, approximately two quarts a day still surfaces from the ship. Pearl Harbor survivors refer to the oil droplets as "Black Tears."
I also found this bit of information from Wikipedia:
The battleship "USS Arizona" was hit with an armor piercing bomb which penetrated the forward ammunition compartment, blowing the ship apart and sinking it within seconds. Overall, nine ships of the U.S. Pacific fleet were sunk and twenty-one ships were severely damaged. Three of the twenty-one would be unrepairable. The overall death toll reached 2,350, including 68 civilians, and 1,178 injured. Of the military personnel lost at Pearl Harbor, 1,177 were from the Arizona. The following day, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared Dec. 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy."
My friend took me to Old Sacramento, down by the river. I found this piece of history on Legends of America.com.
This picture shows part of the ship that is above water while the one I will post below, if you look closely, shows part of the ship that can be seen beneath the water. I don't know that anyone can stand above this ship, think about the thousand men that were unable to escape below your feet, and not be moved.
