Queen for a Day!

Spent a lovely day aboard the Aqualink AND the Queen Mary yesterday. The price to ride the Aqualink is now $5 one way, but I had two 2-for-1 coupons for me and my son. My other son brought his bike on board and then rode home from downtown. Three other people had bikes too. Sounds like a good premise for a travel article. A thoroughly eco weekend. A thoroughly modern beachfront. Look mom no sand! Hmm, needs some tweaking.

I got half price tickets from Goldstar for the Ghosts and Legends tour. The entrance for the tour is different from the general entrance, which made for a lot of wasted time wandering around. Once we did get to the tour entrance, we waited on the gang plank with about 15 people for about 5 minutes. Our tour guide was great with just the perfect amount of knowingness as he delivered the sometimes over-the-top references to ghosts and gore and grizzliness. It was fun going to places that are usually off limits like the swimming pool and the hull at the bow of the ship, but it was too dark to really get a feel of what the locations looked like and the piped-in screams and moans and gurgles were way too loud.

We strolled around the deck a little while and had some coffee with a great view of the Long Beach skyline and the undivided attention of a gaggle of pigeons. We didn't pick up the earphones for the audio tour just walked around and read placards here and there. We walked over to the Queen Mary Gateway and all the the shops are empty. I would have thought they could fill that place to cater to the cruise ship passengers. Maybe they should start a new ghost tour in that little prefab ghost town.

On the cruise back to Alamitos Bay, we noticed a lot of wildlife-- pelicans, seagulls, and even some seals sunning themselves on the buoys. I tried to get a picture, but I was so excited I didn't wait for the camera to focus. Something in the effort to clean up the harbor area is working.

Can't Quit Quilting

I came across a flyer for Quilters by the Sea, the Quilt Guild of Long Beach. What a coincidence coming so soon after my post about the quilting convention. This group has a great website with newletters, photo albums and lots of colorful graphics of quilt patterns. Meetings are held the second Thursday of each month at the First Baptist Church of Lakewood at 7 pm. There's a calendar with information on other meetings and workshops.

New bike social network

Check out Pedal Movement, a social site for Long Beach area bicyclists. It doesn't appear to have anything to do with CSULB Cyclists or Long Beach Cyclists, which seems kind of odd. After all, why not capitalize al the work those two active and activating groups have already done? No sense in reinventing the bicycle wheel!

I signed up but I haven't posted anything there yet. They've started a project where people are posting their favorite bike routes. Some of them measure 19 miles. Whoa! That's way out of my league

Rose Writers Rise Again

I just got notice from Desiree Kannel that Rose Writers have more 8-week sessions scheduled for this fall, from August 4 to September 22 and from October 6 to November 24. There's also an advanced workshop too on Thursdays, from July 30 to September 17. That will give me something to work toward. I have definitely run aground with the first draft of my novel, so I hope being in the company of supportive writers will recharge my creativity.

This rosey little rose comes from kimmunism at Flickr.

Did someone say free pancakes?

I love Long Beach and I love pancakes, so I was delighted to learn that the group We Love Long Beach is serving up breakfast this Saturday, August 1 in Livingston Park from 9am to 12 noon. Donations are welcomed but if you just can't scrape together any change, you can get pancakes and eggs for free and meet some very generous and friendly people who love this city

Tying up some gardening loose ends

My last few tomatoes don't want to ripen, so I'm going to try this old-time Southern favorite.

Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
Ingredients
3 medium, firm green tomatoes 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup milk 2 beaten eggs 2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Method
1. Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until brown. As you cook the rest of the tomatoes, add olive oil as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(From http://elise.com/recipes/archives/001506fried_green_tomatoes.php)

Also, I got a yummy Reed avocado at the farmer's market last week so I'm going to try to grow one from the seed

The avocado tree (Persea americana), when grown by a hobby gardener is normally grown from seeds removed from ripened fruit. There are two acceptable methods of doing this, either by sprouting the seed in water or by actually planting the seed in soil.
Many people start avocado trees as novelty house plants by piercing the seed with its pointed end up, partially through with toothpicks on three or four sides to hold it on the top of a jar or vase partly with water and few pieces of charcoal (to keep the water sweet) just covering the base. In 2 to 6 weeks, when roots and leaves are well formed the plant is set in potting soil. Unless they're moved into soil within a few weeks or months after germination, they'll begin to deteriorate.
They are also easily sprouted in a well-drained 4- or 5-inch pot of porous, fertile soil. The top of the seed should just barely peek above the surface of the soil. If the soil is kept fairly moist and the temperature is between 60 and 70 degrees, the seed will begin to sprout and a pretty, leafy plant will develop.
When the seedling reaches 12 inches, it should be pinched back to about 6-8 inches to produce a rounder, fuller plant. Avocados grown inside thrive in sun or in a good, lighted location. Once they've filled their pots up with healthy roots, they should be potted in larger ones. Repotting should be done in the spring. Well-rooted plants should be given a dilute liquid fertilizer every week or two. Watering should be done so that the soil never becomes really dry but isn't ever soggy and waterlogged. They should be fertilized with a balanced houseplant food every two or three weeks in the summer and about every six weeks during the winter. It's also a good idea to mist the leaves of your Avocado if the air in your home is very dry. Indoor trees need low night temperatures to induce bloom. Transplanting should be done in early spring. Potted plants should be moved outdoors gradually, so they can acclimatize themselves, and adjust to the new elements.

(From www,thegardenhelper.com)

Pull up your marketing skills by the boot straps

The Small Business Development Center of Northern California is presenting an Online Marketing Boot Camp Tuesday July 28 from 1 to 5:30 pm. E-mail, marketing, Web site desing, and keyword advertising will be covered with real-time demonstrations of the concepts. At only $45, this looks like a bargain for small businesses looking to optimize their presence on the Web.

Downtown Gets Fresh and Easy

A new outlet of the Fresh & Easy grocery chain is scheduled to open in the CityPlace Shoping Center downtown. Fresh & Easy has a smaller, friendlier vibe than the bigger stores, along the lines of Trader Joe's. This one will be awfully close to the Albertson's on Long Beach Boulevard, so we'll see if the town's big enough for the two of them. There's already a Fresh & Easy at 6436 Spring Street which seems to be holding its own against the big boys. The more food the better is what I say.

Intriguing Business

I've been intrigued by the add that's been running in the Grunion for the last month or so for Semsible Space Organizing Services. It's run by Ann Degendank, who's worked in this area for 20 year and won awards for her innovative programs. She now has others on her staff. Hmm, wonder if she has need of any part-timers.

Library has new Encore

Long Beach Public Library has a completely new online catalog called Encore. It shows book covers so, if you've reached that age as I have where you can only remember a book by its cover, you can recall whether you've read the thing before or not. You can also leave reviews, add to tag clouds, or just rate books. You can search databases for articles at the same time as you search for books. It's a definite step up from the old online catalog. LBPL also has a library Facebook page, so if you want to socialize with library types, that's the place to go.

Yoga in Church

Here's a new possibility for low cost yoga class. Grace United Methodist at 2325 E. 3rd St. offers yoga classes on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday-Sunday. There's nothing on the websites but a contact number of 310-994-LOVE.

Last Day for Quilts

The International Quilt Festival will run through today Sunday, July 26 until 3 pm. I won't be able to make it down there but the website has a cool Quilt Festival @ Home feature with photos to show me what I missed. There are some mind-boggling designs that go far beyond the log cabin pattern I once attempted. The festival comes to Long Beach every year. The dates for 2010 are July 23-25. The closest quilt shop that sells tickets is Bunney Hutch Quilt N’ Sew, 4478 Cerritos Ave., Los Alamitos, CA 90720, 714-226-9647. Hop on in!

A Funky Favorite Bites the Dust

Union War Surplus Store is going out of business after over 60 years. This place rivals Acres of Books in its longevity and funkiness. The motto was "If you need a battleship or a hunting knife, we have it or will get it." Don't laugh, there's enough junk in there to conceal a battleship, but it's always great to visit because you never know what unknown treasure you might.

Make Merry at Merry's

Merry's, a dress shop at 2747 Broadway with men's and women's clothing from around the world, got a great write-up in the Grunion Gazette this week. Besides a great selection of hip scarves, harem pants, kurtas and sarongs, Merry's has programs to heighten cultural awareness and support humanitarian causes. There's a regular belly dance class called the Sunday Shimmy and products which benefit workers in Tibet, India, Egypt, and other countries. I'm working on July 25th so I won't be able to go to the third anniversary celebration, but I'm going to check out the meditation for peace guided by Irene on Sundays at 11 am.

Phone for information 987-4363.

Health Care Reform: Maybe We Should All Just Die

As much as I endorse a day at the beach for everyone, I was VERY sorry to hear that the esteemed members of Congress are happily packing their sunblock and flippers even as we speak without taking action on health care reform. People are dying without the aid of medical care and these so-called leaders are going on vacation. I am writing yet another letter to Dana Rohrabacher that no one in his office will read. When are we going to vote this bloated bond-holder out of office?

Here's my letter and his address. Write him, call him, email him. Let him know that people care about his carefully choreographed tip-toe routine concealing his determination to let the leaches in the pharmaceutical and insurance industries continue to make millions on Americans' illnesses.

Representative Dana Rohrabacher
101 Main Street, Suite 380

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

To the Honorable Mr. Rohrabacher:

After reviewing the statement on your website regarding your opinions about the need for expanding access to high quality health care, I was glad to see your note at the end of your statement that you have not endorsed any proposal.

You have stated that you are reaching out to all sides to achieve affordable, accessible, doctor-patient-centered health care, so I urge you to seriously consider HR 3200 America’s Affordable Health Choices Act. I strongly endorse it and so do my family, friends, and, yes, even my doctors in Long Beach. As our representative, I hope you will vote in our interest rather than waste time devising a new bill that perpetuates the stranglehold of the pharmaceutical and insurance conglomerates.

Elements I particularly like about the bill are:

--Essential benefits package created by an independent committee

--Caps on an individual’s annual out-of-pocket medical expenses

--Simplification of paperwork for patients and businesses

Please be a leader in the GOP and work with the existing bill. Please provide much-needed access to health care for your constituents in Long Beach.

Simply mouth watering

Biked down to the Farmers' Market next to Marine Stadium yesterday. It's a scaled down version of the Sunday morning extravaganza by Alamitos Bay Marina, but it gets the job done. Very family friendly and an excellent place for a cheap but romantic date with lots of ethnic food choices and located right by the water. I got a gargantuan "Reed" avocado, some green beans for dinner tonight, and very juicy "July surprise" peaches.

It great to see that attendance has grown since that last time I visited in March.

The KJAZZ Hollywood (and Highland) Connection

If all goes as planned (when does that happen?), I may actually make it to one of the many events I scribble on my calendar. Every Tuesday during the summer KJAZZ is sponsoring free concerts which they call the Wine, Jazz and Moonlight series. From 7 to 9 pm in the central courtyard of the Hollywood and Highland Center, KJAZZ deejays hosts top jazz performers. Tonight, Helen Borgers will host the Ernie Watts Quartet. Upcoming appearances include the John Daversa Big Band and the Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band. Here's hoping I can keep it together and actually make the scene.

Darn! Missed this one too!

CSULB Cyclists hold a traffic safety class at the Pyramid Annex Training Room on the third Wednesday of every month from 6 to 9 pm. Somehow, I got my Wednesdays mixed up, so I missed this event too. For my future reference, the class is led by a League Cycling-certified instructor and covers riding safely and legally. The second part of the class is held on the third Saturday of every month (missed that too!) from 9 am to 3 pm in Parking Lot 20 and gives you hands on experience with safety practices. Here's hoping I don't get my wires crossed next month too

Sorry I missed it

So many things were going on last weekend while I was tied up with a yard sale. The sale went well by the way and all the neighbors on my block who got involved made a few bucks by the end of Sunday.

But, for the record, if I could have cloned myself, I would also have made the scene at:
Adopt a Wetland Clean Up at Golden Shore Marine Reserve July 18

Home Garden and Green Expo July 18 and 19 (although the name includes "Green" it looked more home and garden-y from the website info)

Tour de France conclusion on the big screen at the Art Theater on July 19 (with valet bike parking)

Wrigley Area Neighborhood Aliance LA River Walk along the Willow Estuary at Deforest Avenue south of Willow Street at the bike path on July 19 (it cost $10 but it was part of the Friends of the Los Angeles River project)

Bird Walk in Gum Grove Park at 8 am on July 19 off PCH near Orange County Line (another piece in the Los Cerritos Wetlands puzzle)

Talk by Russ Roca, the eco friendly bicycling photographer, on planning a bicycle touring adventure at {open} bookstore on July 18

Acoustic Tidal Artwalk at Colorado Lagoon from 5 to 10 pm with music, artists, food and those irrepressible bike valets (actually, I would have gone to this if I had heard about it in time)

NIghtlife at El Dorado

The volunteers at the El Dorado Nature Center will keep the gates open late this Tuesday evening for a Nightlife Walk. The tour takes you off the beaten path in search of bats, owls, foxes, and other nocturnal critters. Bugs, turtles, and birds of every feather that have settled in the Nature Center's 100 acre wood will also be discussed. The tour costs $5 and runs from 7 to 9 pm. Wear sturdy shoes and bring a long sleeved jackets. Flashlights are not required but may come in handy

Stop the presses

Tom Hennessey will be speaking on the CSULB campus next Tuesday, July 28, at 10 am in Room 101 of the Health Science and Design Building. The event is free and there is also free parking in the Palo Verde parking deck. Sponsored by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Mr. Hennessey will talk about his career writing for the Press-Telegram and Long Beach history

Get me to the churches on time

Now that Long Beach Heritage has its downtown walking tour up and running again, they're adding a new event to their repertoire. On Sunday July 26 at 2 pm, Stan Poe, a native of Long Beach and avid researcher of the city's historyas well as an entertaining story-teller, will lead a bus tour of historic churches. He'll point out highlights of architecture and stained glass window design along with interesting tidbits of history.

The churches featured in the tour are First Congregational Church, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, the Little Brown Church, First United Presbyterian Church, St. Anthony's Catholic Church, and St.John Missionary Baptist Church. Tickets cost $25 for non-members and can be purchased through the website

Gone to the Beach

BEACHIFIED!

That Darned Mouse

AARP Bulletin had an interesting feature that listed the most popular tourist attractions in each state based on the annual number of visitors. Disneyland won out in California with 14,721,000 visitors. Other eight digit attractions areDisney World in Florida, Boston's Faneuil Hall, Minnesota's Mall of America (the winner with 40 million), the Las Vegas Strip, Times Square, Myrtle Beach, Seattle's Pike Place Market. The only one I have questions about is North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway with 10,943,831 visitors compared to Virginia's Blue Ridge Parkway with 5,365,474 visitors. More than twice as popular? I don't think so.

Murals under the Stars Fiesta

Can it be that the Museum of Latin American Art is ten years old? The answer is yes and it's proud of it, especially director Gregorio Luke. He'll be presiding over the Murals Under the Stars events to be held on the next 3 Saturday evenings at 8 pm. Oversized images of murals will be projected on the walls of the museum's courtyard to accompany Luke's lecture on the artists and their work. This year, he'll talk about David Alfaro Siqueiros (July 18), Frida Kahlo (July 25), and Jose Clemente Orozco (August 1).

Before the lecture, starting at 5 pm, there's a fiesta with live music and dancers, a tequila tasting, and a raffle for a cruise to Puerto Vallarta. For non-museum members, tickets start at $30, but $10 for students and seniors.

The Massage is the Message

A spa massage has long been at the top of my list of indulgent fantasies. Next Wednesday, Certified Massage Therapist Mollie Tobin will explain why massage is a necessity not a luxury. She will speak at Community Hospital of Long Beach on July 22 from 6:30 to 8:30 about "What Type of Massage is Right for You," addressing such questions as: Why do I hurt after a massage? Why do I have to drink water after a massage? and Should I get a massage before a surgical procedure? The lecture, presented in honor of International Massage Week, if free and parking is free too! Call 494-0532 to reserve a seat.

Rancho Roundup

I'd heard that there was a herd of Cliff May designed rancho homes in Long Beach, but I was never clear on where they were. Thanks to an article by Theo Douglas in the District Weekly, I now know they're corralled up in the area northeast of Spring Street and Studebaker Road. From the pictures I've seen, I like the spare lines and airy feel. I'll definitely have to mosey up there sometime and take a gander. In the meantime, Doug Kramer's Rancho Style has a gallery of photos of homes in Long Beach and elsewhere.

Counting My Shoestrings Before They Hatch

I heard an interesting interview on the Thom Hartmann radio show with the author of Shoestring Venture. His book encourages start-up businesses to use online sources (often outside the USA) for human resources, accounting, etc. Sounds like outsourcing for the little guy. The website promises that the book can be used as a consultant for making important decisions "from business concept to product development to web marketing. Now if I could just get down to the business of starting a business.

Being Mindful

I'm now into my second week of using Guided Mindfulness Meditiation CDs by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I got Series 1 (there appears to be a Series 2 and 3 also, but they're not readily available) as a Christmas present a couple of years ago and I've listened to each of the 4 CDs sporadically. Now I've listened and practices each one twice. I particularly like the Body Scan Meditation and the two Mindful Yoga routines use very simple and restful stretches. The most challenging for me is the Sitting Meditation which starts by focusing on the breath and then expands consciousness to awareness of touch, hearing, thoughts, and then . . . being fully in the present. Well, I'll get back to you in a couple of weeks with a mindfulness progress report

Just found this website with reading suggestions to go along with the CDs plus ordering information for Series 2 and 3.

Have you read this one?

My son, The Daily Reeder, posted a great blog about the book God's Politics by Jim Wallis. This book challenges both right-wing and left-wing Christians to re-evaluate the use of religion in social reform. I haven't read the book yet, but Daily Reeder's analysis has definitely gotten me to thinking about my knee jerk assumptions that Christian politics are predominantly conservative and prohibitive. Peace, grace and love, all Christian ideals, can be very liberal and liberating.

Blame it on the Internet

Two more websites I just don't want to forget.

Make BeliefsComix allows you to create your own comic strip. Bill Zimmerman is a professional cartoonist who has designed nine characters with different emotions and talk balloons and lots of buttons to manipulate the image. You can email a link to your comic or print out your comic, but you can't copy your own comic. I've pasted an example of what the strips look like. The home page has a link asking for donations.

For $9.95 a month, Sunnygram will convert emails and digital photos into a 4 weekly newsletters that are delivered to a mailing address for people who don't have email addresses.

13 is 31 backwards

Another landmark for my blog. I've posted a month's worth of blogs in less than a month. In other words, I've posted 31 blogs (one for each day of July) and it's only the 13th. Hooray for Beachify!

Penny Pinchers Alert!

A few websites aimed at cutting costs:

Habitat for Humanity ReStores sell new or used home repair/refurbishing items that have been donated by relatilers, contractors and demolition crews. There are 550 outlets around the country, including one in Gardena (17700 s. Figueroa St.) and one in Garden Grove (12827 Harbor Boulevard) and one in Santa Ana ( 2200 S.Ritchey St.). You save money and donate to Habitat's efforts to build or rehabilitate housing for low-income families.

Goldstar lets you sign up for email alerts for half-price or even free admission for plays, concerts, exhibits or sporting events in the Los Angeles area. There were tons of Dodger tickets, a few Hollywood Bowl events, and an Edgar Allan Poe-inspired one-man show at the Steve Allen Theatre for $5. Looks like Long Beach Playhouse and the Queen Mary discount their shows there too.

Two websites offer lists of fee-free ATMs: Allpoint and MoneyPass. Looks like Vons, CVS, and Target are good bets.

Maybe it won't save money, but it could prevent a lot of aggravation. The Federal Trade Commission requires all prerecorded telemarketing calls to include a "quick and easy" opt-out system to stop future calls by that company. For calls you answer, that means saying a certain word or pressing a number. Messages left on your voice mail must have a toll-free number that connects to an automated oup-out system. To file a complaint on any calls that do not follow this regulation. for to FTC Complaint Assistant.

more Volunteering portals

Halfway into the year and it finally dawns on me that this blog is little more than a glorified favorites lists. Well, so be it. What do you want for nothing? In the spirit of that realization, I'm posting two more great websites with volunteer openings. I previously listed VolunteerMatch and L.A. Works.

The Obama administration has designated June 11 to September 11 as United We Serve and has also designed a site to encourage volunteers called Serve.gov. There's a ton of stuff in Monterey Park, but not too many convenient to Long Beach. Maybe I could volunteer to post some local listings. Create the Good is a site created by AARP to inspire older Americans to lend a hand. There's a support group and lots of stories about the good that volunteers can do, but I only came up with four volunteer opportunities in California. I'll check again. Maybe it just an off day.

New place to rummage

Just saw an ad for a new Society of St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store. It's at 2750 Pacific Coast Highway, the former site of Al Greenwood's Bredspread Kingdom. Hours are 9:30 to 6:30 Monday to Saturday and 10 to 6:30 on Sunday. Plus they offer 10% discounts for those of us over 55 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
See you there.

Liberty and Peace

This Sunday in Houghton Park at 7 p.m., Lady Liberty, also known as Mary Hath Spokane, will lead a singalong and discusions as part of her Great American Peace March. She began in Seattle on July and plans to visit 40 cities over 40 days to collect signed petitions in support of peace which she will present to the General Assembly of the United Nations on August 14. Her website lists an impressive roster of dignitaries she's invited to appear with her but there's no indication anyone else will be on hand besides her in Long Beach

All Aboard the Tall Ship

Long Beach's official tallship, American Pride, a 13o-foot, three-masted schooner, has two scrumptious sailing opportunities this month. On July 25 for 10 am to 1 pm, there's the BBQ Sail and on July 26 there's a Sunday Brunch. No details on the menu, but it better be ample because the price tag for adults is around $40. Some of the proceeds will go to the Children's Maritime Foundation.

Stroll and Shop Update

The Belmont Shore Business Association has more info about the July 11 Stroll and Shop event on its website. There are lots of 10 to 25% discounts being offered and some fun events. Polly's is going to have a coffee roasting demonstration at 3 p.m. La Strada invites kids to make their own pizzas all afternoon. Fern's Garden is hosting the Yard Farmer, who'll give gardening tips.

Music? Let me hear an Amen!

Lots of free music this weekend. On Saturday, July 11, at 2 p.m. at Recreation Park, Shoreline Symphonic Winds will present the first of a series of performances. Formerly known as Long Beach Community Band, the 61 year old volunteer group changed its name to avoid confusion with the Long Beach Municipal Band. The repertoire includes contemporary concert favorites such as big band classics.

Meanwhile on Sunday on Pine Avenue downtown, The Long Beach Gospel Fest will take to the streets from 11 am to 4 pm. The street will be closed down from 1st Street to Broadway. Local choirs and invited soloists will perform all afternoon and some restaurants will offer special brunch menus. A percentage of the proceeds will be donatd to the 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Peace and Unity Celebration.

So many ways to volunteer, so little time

In the next two weekends, two wonderful groups are inviting people to join or at least get to know about what they have to offer. Long Beach Heritage is holding a membership meet at Rancho Los Alamitos on July 12 at 1:30. This group has refurbished the Bainbridge House in Drake Park and leads downtown walking tours. Membership costs $45. Reservations are requested because of limited parking.

On Saturday, July 18, The Sierra Club is hosting a summer social at the Unitarian Church at 1 p.m. The event will feature 50 recreational groups as well as information about its efforts on behalf of the environment. Groups involved in kayaking, mountain bikes, mountain hiking, and photography will be on hand, and there will be a screening of the documentary "Flow: For the Love of Water" at 3 p.m. I've heard that new members can join for $25, but that website doesn't have price information

Better View than Signal HIll?

I've been hearing good things about the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, part of Hahn State Recreation Area. In addition to the view, it has hiking trails in a restored native habitat, a visitors center, and parking. The 50-acre park is open from 8 am to sunset with 360-degree views of the Los Angeles Basin from the mountains to the ocean. But the deal-maker for me is proposed full moon hikes. Nothing like roaming around under the moon with the big city lights in the distance promising all kinds of excitement and adventure.

Someday Sedona

One of these fine days, I'm going to get myself to beautiful Sedona--maybe set up a prefab house there. Here's a few websites that will come in handy for planning the trip. Montezuma Castle National Monument is an ancient 20 room dwelling built high on a limestone cliff. Eleven miles away, Montezuma Well forms a clear blue mirror oasis from a limestone sinkhole. Oak Creek Canyon is a scenic drive with hiking trails and camping nearby. Slide Rock State Park is a historic apple farm with a natural water shute so popular that the parking lot often fills up in summer. Grasshopper Point is a cliffside swimming hole in Coconino National Forest.

Summer temperatures hover around the 80s with thunderstorms at Sunset Crater Volcano, which has a Lava Flow Trail. You can actually walk around the Wupatki Pueblo, built 800 years ago in the midst of a desert wasteland, and there's a blowhole where cold air comes up from the ground. Wildflowers of the high desert are showcased at the Arboretum of Flagstaff. Nearby in the Coconino National Forest, the Around the Peaks Loop has great mountain views. From U.S. 89, take Forest Road 418 west, then head west on Forest Road 151, and south on U.S. 180.

Amtrak's Southwest Chief costs about $60 from Los Angeles to Flagstaff. From Flagstaff, take Interstate 17 to State 89A. Then, follow 89A through Oak Creek Canyon to State 179 and back to Interstate 17 to Phoenix.

Fabulous Prefab

Ever since my sister bought a roomy, open space prefab home a couple of years ago, I've been itching to find a plot of land somewhere and setting up a brand new house to call my own. For my own convenience, here's some prefab manufacturers. Flatpak has a couple of "scrapbooks" on Flickr showing boxy homes with loads of windows. Michelle Kaufmann emphasizes green construction and offers 2-story and attached multi-residence units. Modern Cabana offers freestanding (presumably without plumbing or electricity) rooms for guest houses or home offices (be still my heart) for about $18,000 and a "new studio" with kitchen and bath for $67,000. The Office of Mobile Design, headed by Jennifer Siegal, has a lot of prefab home developments in California, including Desert Hot Springs, Encinitas, Joshua Tree, Manhattan Beach, Venice, Pacific Palisades, and Santa Monica. Rocio Romero is based in Missouri, but does have models in California

I Can Dream, Can't I?

Ahh, summer's here and my feet are itching to wander. Since I have no visible means of income at the moment, my thoughts stray to Home Exchange, where you can join for as little at $50 and set up a home swap between you and some other bold vagabonds who want to forego the cost of lodging and car rentals and possibly augment their vacation with the comforts of home. There's also HomeAway, where property owners, usually homes or condos, rent their places for rates below the average hotel (no bed taxes). There's also a new one out there called Fractional Exchange for trading vacation homes, condos, fractional homes (is this different from a timeshare?) and residence club shares. In case you haven't heard of fractional homes (I hadn't until two days ago) the ownership is shared by a small, set number of people whereas timeshares are often owned by a larger corporation and include lots of redtape to buy sell. Redweek lists timeshares for sale, rent or exchange. With all these choices, it starts to become work just taking a vacation.

Author! Author!

What Long Beach needs is a good author series. Am I the one destined to organize it? First step would be to look around out there and see what's happening already. Skylight Books in Los Feliz seems to pull in some name authors as well as first time published ones. There's a series called Tongue and Groove at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood that features singers and authors, and they get funding from Poets and Writers. Ah yes funding . . . that's the real beginning. To be continued.

What's Echo Park Got that We Ain't Got?

They've got that cool lake with lotus blossoms, but we've got a Japanese garden with a koi pond. They've got Echo Curio but we've got the Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse. They've got Stories, but we've got {open}.
They've got a go-get-em historical society, but we've got Historical Society of Long Beach and Long Beach Heritage. Sometimes, it seems like the greater L.A. area can't see the forest of great things that Long Beach has to offer for the trees.

More Pedal Power

Here's a nifty website to use when planning a vacation. Rent a Bike Now is a directory of places to rent bikes around the country with a few out of the US too. You enter a state and then cities are listed to choose from. Next a list of rental places comes up with types, sizes and even brands of bicycles with corresponding rates. The actual address of the store doesn't come up until you've paid a deposit, but with a name and the price information, you could soon track them down. I've often wanted to get a bike to tool around a lakefront or park but been to lazy to wade through the Google swamp to find a local bike rental (or just had my connection hijacked, like right now). This looks like a perfect one stop spot to locate some temporary wheels.

Also in Sunset this month, Pedal Bike Tours out of Portland offers 9 different regularly scheduled tours of the area plus other one-time-only tours designed for special events. For instance, the Coffee Crawl goes to 3 different coffee roasts and lasts about 3 hours. They also offer a guided trip up the Columbia Gorge and a cruise through historic neighborhoods. Prices range from $50 to $100. Okay, who will step up and start a Long Beach bike tour?

Please, sir, may I deposit a minute of your time?

Another bright idea featured in Sunset Magazine, timebanks are popping up around the country. Basically, members sign up and pay a small fee and then contribute time doing something they're good at or enjoy doing (or, ideally, both). That time is recorded into the member's account so that the member can withdraw it as hours of work being done for him or her. In other words, if I spend 4 fours weeding your garden, I can then ask for 4 hours of window washing from someone else.

The website has a directory of timebanks, but none have been set up in the Long Beach area yet. There's a start-up kit for $65. Maybe something to talk about at the block-wide yard sale next week. Next week! I better start with the price tags!

Help! My Connectivity's been hijacked!

Sat down to browse around the Internet this morning and come to find out I can't even get into AOL. Now that's scary. Oddly enough all the Google sites work just fine. Hmmm, do I smell a conspiracy brewing? Anyway, I'll go ahead and enter some URL's without testing them first and come back and revise as needed.

Step Lively Californians

Walkabout California got a great write up in the July Sunset Magazine. A father and daughter have devised 2 to 4 day hikes that cover scenic areas in Northern California and conveniently end each evening at a comfortable inn. I'm not sure how posh the lodgings are. Each of the 5 hikes listed (Marin coast, Mendocino coast, Monterey Bay area, Mount Lassen, and crossing Sierra Nevada) cost $4.99 apiece to get full details. I'm definitely intrigued and will start lobbying some of my hiking buddies to see if we can put together a trip. There's also a great resource page with books and links to other walking inn-to-inn groups. Makes me wonder if there are some good excursions in the L.A.area.

Hey Kids! Let's have a convention!

Long Beach Business Journal just released a calendar of upcoming conventions. Here's some of my favorites.

Darkness Radio Psience Fair--I just love it when people monkey around with spelling don't you? This one's scheduled for Sept 10-13.

Pyrate Daze on the Queen Mary--I guess they made all the dictionaries walk the plank. Get your parrots and eye patches ready for September 19 and 20.

The Women's Conference--This event has become harder to get into than Literary Women, if such a thing is possible. Tickets go on sale next Monday for the October 19 to 23 conference.

Digital Library Federation--This group appears to address the perplexing issue of what to do with all those books that nobody reads. Get out your virtual library card by November 10 to 15.

TED--Yes, those super coll nerds will be back again next year from February 5 to 14. Imagine an innovative valentine.

Homes Away from Home

Don't look now, but Long Beach is stepping up a notch in the tourist trade. This summer 3 new hotels are adding hip and classy vibes to downtown. The Hotel Maya just finished renovations to create a resort like setting on the old Coast Hotel grounds. I've always liked that location right on the water. It's close to the harbor but manages to create a cozy hideaway feel. I'll have to check out the other two since I can't quite visualize their locations. The AVIA hotel , opening in July, is a new building in the Pike at Rainbow Harbor. It boasts a roof top pool with views of downtown and the marina. Both of theses have a low end of about $180 a night.

My pick would be the Residence Inn by Marriott which opened May 22. For a slightly lower price, you get a small kitchen on top of the usual bed and living area. It appears to be pretty close to the Hotel Maya and about 10 stories tall. I'm not sure if the views are of the 18-wheelers lumbering onto the harbor loading area or not. But the best fun of all is reading the promotional copy these hotels have produced to sell Long Beach. After you read it, you'll feel so cool, you'll snub all your friends up and down the coast from Malibu to Laguna.

Downtown Walking Tours are Back

Long Beach Heritage has reinstated its downtown walking tour in June. The tour begins at 3rd and The Promenade near the historic mural taken from the old Civic Auditorium at 10 am, and is held on the last Saturday of the month. The tour features both Art Deco and modern classics and lasts about an hour and a half for a cost of $10.

EV Mall coming to Long Beach?

Cit planners are thinking big by courting electric vehicle manufacturers to sign on to an EV Mall to fill the open space at 2800 Bellflower Boulevard, formerly the home of Champion Chevrolet Long Beach. Possible dealers could include Aptera, BYD, ECS, Fisker,, Polaris and Tesla. The idea was reported in the June 23 Long Beach Business Journal, which quotes Robert Swayze, Long Beach manager of economic development and cultural affairs, as on of the promoters of this concept.

A Click Away from the Great Outdoors

A complimentary copy of the Oh Ranger guide to Yosemite came my way during a recent Amtrak trip to San Luis Obispo. As well as providing a great overview of the queen of national parks with stunning photos, this publication calls itself carbon-free because it offsets 100% of is paper, printing and distribution expenses by donating to the National Forest Foundation. Bravo! This guide, along 10 other guides, is updated annually and goes for $2.95. Other parks covered are Acadia, Death Valley, Alaska, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Sequoi, Mountain States, and Yellowstone.

Oh Ranger! also created a website with easy to navigate "where to go" and "what to do" options. All federally supported wilderness areas including national forests and reservoirs are covered.

Save Our Salt Marsh!

Los Cerritos Wetlands Stewards has recently received close to $30,000 to involve the public in restoration efforts. They plan to build a volunteer database of 5,000 over the next year. A big clean-up is planned for September 19 to remove non-native plants and nurture the native plants as well as remove the flotilla of trash that washes down on the wildlife habitat from the San Gabriel River. The website does not have much information on how to sign up yet, but it does have a great projects page which highlights the oases of wilderness in the area and explains how they are connected.

Take note, all you singers of the female persuasion

Women of Note, a choral ensemble that performs in the greater Long Beach area, is scheduling auditions for experience singers. The group maintains a broad repertoire of differing styles and periods and is open to women of all ages and backgrounds. A new season of performanaces starts in September.

The Going has definitely gotten tough--time to go shopping?

In these trying economic times, the good merchants of Belmont Shore have devised a perfect excuse for us patriotic shoppers to dig out our reusable bags and dig deep into our change purses and do some shopping! Long known for their Stroll and Savor event where restaurants take to the sidewalks and offer tasty tidbits to ticket holders who wander up and down Second Street in search of the perfect knosh. Upcoming Stroll & Savor opportunities will be July 22 and 23 and August 19 and 20.

This Saturday, July 11, will be the first Stroll and Shop event. Balloons in front of a store will indicate special promotions and discounts inside. Other activities are promised but no details yets. Don't forget you can now cruise Second Street on your bike on the sharrow. Green and thrifty! That's a win-win I can get behind.

Oh Those Baby Blues!

Blue whale watching season is in full swing. Of course, there's never any guarantees of actually spotting one of those gigantic beauties or a bouncing baby calf, but some of the experts over at the Aquarium of the Pacific feel that the pods that migrate off the shores of Long Beach between June and September are growing larger. In case you have trouble keeping your whales straight, the blue whale is the biggest of the bunch, measuring as long as 108 feet, dwarfing your average dinosaur. A baby blue whale matches a small bus.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is sponsoring daily cruises in search of the blue whale with naturalists on board to give information about these endangered marine mammals. Be alert for sightings of dolphins, seals, and sea lions on this 3 1/2 hour cruise. Tickets, which include aquarium admission, go for $62.50. Harbor Breeze Cruises charges $45 for its 3 to 3 1/2 hour whale watching cruise and documents an 85% chance of spotting a blue whale based on whale sightings logged for the last month.

Admittedly a little pricey but a great way to beat the heat and get a eye-opening perspective on the grandeur of the natural world.

Oh, Say, Can You See?

There'll be fireworks tonight at Blair Field after the Armada's baseball game against the Yuma Scorpions. Gates open at 5:35 pm and the game has been moved up to 6:35 pm. General admission tickets are a steal at $8. So play ball!

Long Beach Arts Council Gets Organizized

The Long Beach Arts Council has just launched the Long Beach Arts & Culture Registry to feature local groups and individuals involved in the arts. Not only visual artists either, the list of about 100 so far includes dancers, musicians, writers, actors, comedians, and many organizations that support artists as well. The registry was begun as a way to encourage local businesses to employ artists for their creative projects. It's great to see such a trove of creative people out there.

Come Fly with Me! (I wish)

Airship Ventures has tethered the world's largest zeppelin at Long Beach Airport this very minute. From now through Tuesday, tickets are available to glide aboard the Eureka for two-hour sightseeing tours, including one night flight on the evening of July 4th. Sounds pretty mind-blowing, but unfortunately, so is the price--$495 for the sightseeing and $1200 for the fireworks. That's some expensive firecrackers. I've heard of people reaching 100 and getting a free ride on the Goodyear blimp. I'll just have to keep up on my healthy diet.

The Sharrows Are Here!

I was away in San Luis Obispo last weekend so I missed the opening day for the sharrows on Second Street in Belmont Shore. BikeLongBeach has links to some videos which is almost as fun as being there. They've also got a Q & A page that explains the advantages of sharrows. I'll have to pedal down there over the Fourth of July weekend and check it out.