We are posting stuff constantly so in lieu of feeds or fees, we offer these promos to help our writers get the needed “exposure”. Not all get credit. Some request only to be published so they get their clips for their membership groups. That’s groovy. We can accommodate:
Todays postings for May 3 include a story about Suzen Brasile, executive director of the Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau. Suzen tells us why Pismo Beach is a classic California beach town. It’s mostly common sense stuff, but it rings true and sounds like the perfect spot for a vacation when you want to relax. Another story posted today was about Anaheim’s renaissance. The city has made amazing changes and transitions that are helping to improve the Disneyland experience as well as options for local residents. Other stories that got posted were about Coronado’s Lamb’s Players Theatre, part of a San Diego getaway that Jim and Mary from L.A. took, staying at the Hotel del Coronado. That story Mary submitted spiraled into additional adventures in San Diego such as the Casa del Prado building in Balboa Park, and San Diego boat museums, excursions and rides. This isn’t all that’s in the pike. Chris MacDonald from Huntington Beach went to a Classic Car Show and plans to hit the AVP Crocs beach volleyball game. Way to go, Chris! And thanks to our other writers…Mary, Connie, Barbara, Christi, Craig and many more who take the time to put it down for distribution on the WWW. Happy surfing from our beaches to your home!
With baby boomers who grew up with Gidget now heading to surfing concerts featuring old school surf bands, Eliminators, Dick Dale and the like, surf schools have amped up their marketing techniques to capture this elite, “time on your hands” audience. But by the numbers the babes still win out over the baby boomers in who signs up for surf lessons and camps. Local California residents who make up over 85 percent of the state’s travel, pretty much know how to access a surfboard and take a lesson. You just show up in beaches in San Diego–Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Del Mar and Encinitas; Orange County beaches San Clemente, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Sunset Beach and Seal Beach; Los Angeles Beaches such as Redondo, Hermosa, Manhattan and Santa Monica; Ventura’s Oxnard & Ventura Beaches; Santa Barbara beaches; San Luis Obispo County’s Pismo or Avila Beach; Monterey County; Santa Cruz County’s Capitola, Aptos and Santa Cruz; San Mateo County’s Half Moon Bay…and on. You get the picture. There are hundreds upon hundreds of surfing lessons shops and companies offering simply the lesson, or a package with wetsuit and board thrown in the fee. San Diego 4 hour Surf Culture Safari is one example of an experience aimed at older folks…> More
Esotouric and City Lights Books present “Haunts of A Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski’s LA” bus tour on Saturday May 31, 2008. 5pm-9pm, departs from Arnie Morton’s Steakhouse, 735 South Figueroa St., Downtown LA. COST: $55/person, snacks included. Call 323-223-2767
Are you thinking of taking a California vacation? Millions do it routinely. Our vacation guide on Beach California offers some great events attractions. Here are some new postings. Maxine Sommers just sent us a story about her vacation to Morongo Casino and Palm Springs. She flew from Texas to California and had a ball watching the Palm Springs Follies. Back at the beach where most vacationers like to go, the Island Hotel is having a Tacos & Tequila special on Thursdays. While it may not seem like a big deal to some, the hotel chef is well known, and this provides an opportunity to sample gourmet cuisine at affordable rates.
This morning in Solana Beach around 7 a.m., a 60+ year young swimmer, Dave Martin, was attacked and killed by a great white shark off the Southern California coast at Solana Beach. Swimming at the tale end of a group practicing for an upcoming athletic event, the shark attacked and killed Martin. He bled to death before the paramedics could airlift him out of the area.
We have been covering reports of recent shark sightings on our beaches blog, and must state that this man did everything right. He swam with a group, which is recommended. The shark reportedly came up from underneath the swimmer and attacked him in the same manner it would attack a seal or sea lion as a chosen meal.
Our hearts go out to his family. Sightings of sharks have been frequent recently in Southern California. Reports of sightings have come from Huntington Beach to San Clemente. While a newspaper article in the Orange County Register questioned the credibility of recent claims of sightings, there is no reason to doubt that this unprovoked attack was real this morning. And now a Southern California ocean swimmer is dead. Swimmers and surfers have been ordered out of the water in and around Solana Beach for 72 hours. A spokesman from Scripps Institute stated in a news conference that he’s hoping they will find tooth fragments in the victim’s body so they can identify the shark and hopefully tag it or see if it has previously been tagged. Great white sharks are skilled ocean swimmers that can travel long distances between Hawaii and the mainland West Coast USA.
Are you traveling to the Beaches of California? Here’s a primer for your trip. First, the traffic and parking is fine most days right now. But in no more than a few weeks and a heat spell, the traffic will back up and parking will be at a premium. It happened recently when California saw a coastal inversion, pushing temperatures up near 100 degrees. We’ve actually seen several of these weather systems recently, and the traffic at the beaches we visited was impossible for parking. Some options for beating the traffic are to take the public buses. What a novel concept! People don’t typically take buses but during the summer months there are some special lines that run to the sea. Check out your destination’s bus (or Amtrak train) system before going and see if that’s an option for your beach travels.
Be on the safe side. Whether traveling to the beach from a local spot or visiting from far away, do check with the lifeguards for water conditions before entering the ocean. Recent sewage spills would be one example or reason to stay out of the water. Jellyfish stings in the summer may be another. Rip currents would also be a harbinger of danger for those unfamiliar with the ocean’s perils. Ask a lifeguard or look for postings when you arrive at the beach.
Bring money, shirts to cover yourself fully, sunglasses and sunblock. One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming that they can just park. Sometimes a meter requires quarters. Living at the beach, I always keep quarters in my car and am prepared for any beach parking situation. Bring cover-up clothing because it only takes 15-20 minutes to burn. Why ruin your first day out with a painful lesson that you can tan faster in places with bright, reflection objects such as sand and water. And finally, people don’t realize the accumulative effect of the sun on their eyes. Cataracts are common among beach-goers and it’s possible to get a sunburn on your eyes, as well as your skin. Finally, the sun block isn’t a sure bet against burning, but it usually helps quite a bit. So with a few items planned on a check list, you’ve given yourself more of an opportunity to make the beach vacation a success, minus the stress.
Out in the Pacific Ocean halfway between California and Hawaii is a water-world trash dump the size of Texas. Swirling round and round and barely decomposing, the ocean’s currents create a sort of vortex where plastic migrates, then gets caught in the North Pacific Gyre, or Pacific trash vortex. Buoyant trash from around the world slowly drifts in circles for decades once trapped there. In some spots the plastic outnumbers plankton six to one, in fact. And for those of us proudly collecting plastic on the beach during beach clean ups or Earth Day celebrations, our efforts are clearly dwarfed by this monster swirling problem off coast. Plastic resins that revolutionized countless industries on which we all depend, have become a concern as recent data shows that humans absorb some of the chemicals from these plastics when drinking bottled water, juice, and many products wrapped contained and shipped in plastic. A typical beach clean up yields more collection of plastics than any other item. And some of the things collected are gross. Blood bags, syringes, shoes, dolls, bottles, toys and everything under the sun reaches its way to the beach. In western nations, each individual uses close to 250 pounds of plastic per year. Up to 50 percent of the plastic is used once, then thrown away without recycling.
It’s National Tourism Week coming up. But does anybody care? Most people we talked to said they could care less about this event- or non-event. What concerns them most is the price of gas, the hassles of travel and hotel rooms don’t seem to be lowering their prices, even though incomes have not met inflation. But for those who give a hoot, here are some California Travel Industry facts: California tops any other U.S. state for out-of-state visitors, hosting 53.3 million annually. That’s why your favorite road or beach is getting crowded, perhaps. Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Oregon, Washington, New York and Illinois are where they come from most. Think about why. Arizona gets freaking hot in the summer, and that’s when the visit California. Same for Nevada. Texans Oregonians and Washingtonians all originated from California. They moved to these states to get away from the crowds and buy a cheaper house. But they didn’t realize they were trading down in weather (Texas, especially). They come back to see their families and sigh about how they can’t buy back in. Many of these visitors stay with relatives. International visitors come from Mexico (no surprise), Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The beauty of the international crowd is that they often come in California’s shoulder season when things are slow and hotels are abundant. If you’re visiting California from some other place, the weather is great right now. The top visitor destination in California is Anaheim, home to Disneyland. Book it fast!! Book a vacation!
An overweight Arab passenger who was required to pay extra cost to ride on a flight has been refunded his money after complaining. Booking a trip from Dubai to Zurich and ticket via Belgrade back to Dubai, he experienced no problems boarding the plane from Dubai, but the passenger next to him complained that he was not comfortable. Fortunately a seat was available in the business class and the passenger who complained got bumped up. The overweight gent was charged an extra fee for his return flight because he exceeded the weight limitations. The passenger argued that the airline did not inform him in advance and he was only told about the extra amount when checking in, to which the airline replied that their staff have been instructed to assess the size of passengers upon check-in to see if their size would cause a problem. He won his case this tiime around.
Back from a girlfriend getaway to Palm Springs, we couldn’t have planned it better. With the temperatures hovering around 84, it was a bit warm–but not as hot as what arrived at the Southern California beach. If you think it’s hot in Palm Springs, it’s probably not as hot as you think today, Sunday, April 13, 2008. Why? Southern California beaches are socked in a heat spell that has it reeling, and there are barely enough lifeguards available to handle the massive crowds lined up along PCH trying to get into the parking lots of the beaches. Temps in LA = 95 degrees. Temps in Palm Springs = 96. Santa Ana = 98, Disneyland = 98.
What time do the beaches fill up this Sunday? Time: 1 p.m. the crowds intensify on the roads entering the beach. The offshore flow that blows air from the desert and traps it on the coast is making the temperature in Riverside actually cooler at 94, and Corona 98. You could stay at home if you live “inland” but many feel the beach just offers a nice diversion and way to forget the heat. But, oh, the crowds! As we attempted to drive PCH between Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, we sat at Magnolia stoplight backed up. People are waiting in lines to get into the beach parking lots. Current water temperatures range from 62 degrees in San Diego to 58 in Los Angeles.
Autry Museum has some big boots to fill in a new exhibit, Cowboys & Presidents. It’s pretty cool! You many not be a president but if you grew up in California, you hopefully had a fascination for the West, and the lifestyle of cowboys. I new exhibit at the Autry Museum takes a look at the role the West has played in presidential campaigns and in government relations. Filled with memorabilia and artifiacts, it’s timely appearance makes it a worthwhile stop in Los Angeles. The museum is across the street from the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park.
Among the items are movie clips, at test of your presidential knowledge, gifts given to presidents, photos, posters and even the Barry Doll, for Barry Goldwater.
I’m staring at the melted remains of an iced venti latte. So when I sorted through today’s press releases (about 100), I found this item that caught my interest. Starbucks Java Giant Unveils an Everyday Brew - Just as McDonalds was seen giving away free samples of its iced coffee (costs less than $2 and tastes like artificial creamers, yuck!), Starbucks starts serving a new everyday brew this week, a strategy to shore up slumping sales of $4-5 lattees and espressos. Declining sales and revenue in the U.S., rising prices on health insurance for part time employees, expanding too much and too fast, and rising prices in general, have all lead to the re-strategizing effort at the corporate headquarters in Seattle. Hopes are pinned on creating a new market (knowing full well that they may capture additional sales in muffins and cookies) for those taking a cheaper coffee break. To celebrate the launch of a new Pike Place Roast which was taste tested by over 1,000 people and decided as the best bet for a morning jolt, Starbucks will host a 30 minute free coffee tasting throughout the United States, giving away 8 oz. cups of the blend which was named after its first store in Seattle. More than 7,000 stores will have free samples.
Master coffee blender Andrew Linnemann, said that consumers have repeatedly asked for a coffee to count on. Starbucks features different blends on a daily basis and the new effort will focus on one blend served all the time, and made within 30 minutes of delivery, or it will be thrown away. A buttery finish combines with a bold, robust
flavor to create the best of the best, according Chairman and chief
executive Howard Schultz. Shipped directly to stores after fresh roasting, hand–scooped, freshly ground and brewed in small batches, baristas will serve it up much like the custom, designer drinks made fresh on demand.
Over 30 roasts and 30 blends were sampled and tested to come up with this CocaCola of the coffee industry. Like Pepsi is to Coke, McDonald’s and Peet’s Coffee have taken on Starbucks and captured a market share of those who either hope to save money or simply don’t like Starbucks and its presence, sometimes offering three shops within blocks. Schultz said too much on growth in recent years is one of the main contributors to lower company earnings. The reaction to Starbucks initial announcement are certainly mixed. Loyal clients feel that Starbucks has already reduced its options to consumers and they feel this move is one more step toward homogenized coffee drinks. Speaking of homogenized, Starbucks switched to an automatic delivery of 2% milk in its drinks and I, for one, have had to re-order my drinks with whole milk as I keep forgetting that after 6 years of whole milk, their policy suddenly changed.
While the number of shark attacks and deaths is still much lower than car wrecks, attacks have been climbing steadily, according to curator of the International Shark Attack File, George Burgess. He said that shark attacks continue to rise, decade to decade, mostly because the human population and interest in water activities has grown. Attacks are more frequent in summer months because the feeding grounds of sharks can be spots where human interest in recreational activities increases. To put your mind at ease, go to a beach that has lifeguards constantly on the watch for dangers.
March 26, 2008 On the south side of Huntington Beach Pier surfer Jeff Duncan saw a shark while surfing there, he said. 20 to 30 feet distance away, the creature slowly surfaced and he observed its dorsal fin. “It seemed to be swimming north toward the pier and not toward me, but I was the only surfer near the animal at the moment.”
Sharks are abundant along the California coast and always have been. I have stood on the Huntington Beach Pier many times and watched fishermen fight and fight, yielding a baby shark with gnarly teeth and a healthy, stout body. I’ve also seen them caught from Seal Beach, Redondo Beach and even Imperial Beach piers. Each time I visit Avila Beach on the Central Coast and watch the sea lions from my vantage point on Port San Luis Wharf, I think of the woman several years ago who was killed by a shark in the bay.
So what’s the deal with sharks? We know our waters are changing, as are the feeding habits and migrations of many sea creatures. According to one California researcher, Peter Kimley of the University of California, Davis (there are no sharks in Davis), only ten species of sharks are a real threat to humans and as a rule, sharks don’t hunt humans. Bad timing, bad luck and passing for a seal are a few reasons people have been attacked by sharks. But if you are bit by one, a shark will carry you underwater a ways. And because their eyesight isn’t very good, they need to feel objects over with their mouths to decide whether they want to eat them or not. Humans are most often spit out by sharks, according to Kimley, but unfortunately, by that time they’ve either drowned or have bled to death.
Why do sharks seem to pick on surfers and wetsuit-clad individuals? In general, sharks don’t have very good vision so objects like people in wetsuits or surfers on boards look similar to a seal – a shark’s favorite meal. The fat content of seals make them preferred over humans, who lack nutritional value with their bony structures and lower fat content.
AVP, Inc, professional beach volleyball organization has acquired an additional five-year contract with volleyball sponsor, Wilson through the 2012 season of the AVP Crocs Tour. Co-branding, AVP.com programming, DiG magazine advertising, product packaging, and onsite use of AVP marks (name, logos, photos), net systems license, AVP-branded Beach Game Ball, AVP.com benefits, inclusion in AVP.com marketing materials, onsite signage, onsite retail sales, tickets and hospitality are some of the items that are included in the deal. The AVP organization sought last year to enhance its earnings and begin charging ticket admissions for events such as the California beach volleyball portion of the tour. With beach locations, however, California Coastal regulations don’t allow for this practice, but the L.A.-based group did remain loyal to its roots by keeping several events in California cities such as Long Beach, Huntington Beach and Hermosa Beach. AVP Crocs Tour has a summer season with 18 outdoor events throughout the United States, followed by AVP Crocs Hot Winter Nights Tour.
If you live in or are visiting California this month or the upcoming months ahead, you’ll find a full schedule of events to enjoy at nearly every location in the state. We began featuring these events submissions in a what’s new column, but they simply began to overwhelm as events arrived at the inbox, sometimes five or ten in arriving in minutes. So here’s just one more way to spread the word about the fun to be had in sunny California. And trust us when we say that we’re posting as many as possible (always include the consumer facts so they can come to your great event.) Earth Day is increasing in size and importance this year, and the Central Coast really loves to celebrate. Did you know that Santa Barbara was where the Earth Day movement began? An annual South
Coast Earth Day event occurs on the Courthouse lawns. Nearby San Luis Obispo County, knows about the earth. Home to farm fresh produce and wines, they will host Earth Day Food & Wine Festival. Further north in the Bay Area, Petaluma is hosting an annual heritage festival, Butter and
Eggs Days Parade & Celebration. In Southern California, Cutthroats
of Corona 2008 launches the annual Renaissance Faire season.
That’s just starters. In May, we’re looking forward to Ballet San Jose’s version of The Firebird with ground-breaking choreography by Dennis Nahat. May will also bring a Duck-a-thon in Huntington Beach (following on the heels of a Duck Derby in Santa Cruz,) Jumping Frog Jubilee in Calaveras County, and Latin sizzle with the north of the border event that rocks the streets of San Diego’s Gaslmap Quarter, Cinco de Mayo’s 5 on 5.
Art From Scrap is calling for art from Santa Barbara’s tri-counties area for its 7th Annual Assemblage Event. Here are the details:
- Art must be made from selection of fabric and other recycled items.
- The entry fee is $10.
- Location: Art From Scrap, 302 East Cota Street, Santa Barbara, California
- For more information about
Art From Scrap’s Annual Assemblage Event, contact Holly Mackay at (805)
884-0459, X15 or devo@artfromscrap.org.
- The art will be sold through a silent auction. Artists have the option of retaining 25% of the proceeds of their work. An independent panel of judges will award cash prizes–$200, $100 & $50.
- The AFS Gallery will hold the 2008 Assemblage Art Show from June 14 to July 19, 2008.
I’ve heard every request one can possibly get from people and businesses asking for free stuff. It doesn’t hurt to ask, I guess. And for every person who says “no” there could be someone who says “yes”. The latest trend comes from huge corporations and big budget entities that would like creative work supplied for free or a minimal, no-strings-attached fee.
As a member of the National Press Photographers Association, I subscribe to the notion of getting paid. Recent negotiations with a giant media corporation, Tribune Company, were at odds with professional standards the news publications have professed in years past. I have freelanced and been paid by some of its news holdings such as Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. So when I began receiving requests from editors and special departments reps at Orlando Sentinel and Chicago Tribune (both part of Chief Executive Sam Zell’s holdings), I was surprised to learn that they wanted my original content–including photos and stories about California–for FREE. In exchange for being part of their major effort to take on the New York Times (ABOUT.com), I would get EXPOSURE! Wow! I told them that the editors of community columns on ABOUT.com were paid commissions for clicks, or other such incentives for hours of work, including fact checking. In reply, I was told that invited community experts in the 2.0 web environment can express opinions and there’s no commitment to anything by anybody. What? No fact checking? No integrity? No pay? I began wondering if journalists working at these companies have any idea where their jobs are heading, and how many of us professionals have fought to help them keep their jobs by just saying “no”.
Aloha Airlines is shutting down passenger operations today after 61 years of service to Hawaii. Flights from Hawaii to the West Coast and flights from Orange County to Reno and Sacramento, and Oakland to Las Vegas have been discontinued. Code-share partner United Airlines 1-800-UNITED1 or united.com, will accommodate flight schedules, or you can contact Aloha Airlines for a refund of your flight. Effective immediately, Aloha will stop selling tickets for travel beyond March 31, 2008. The shutdown of Alohas passenger operations will affect about 1,900 employees as proceedings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court will handle claims and settlements. David A. Banmiller, Alohas president and chief executive officer said the company simply ran out of time to find a qualified buyer or secure continued financing for Aloha’s passenger business. “Unfair competition has succeeded in driving us out of business, bringing to an end a 61-year-old company with a proud legacy of serving millions of travelers in the true spirit of Aloha,” he said.
There are approx. 100 destination management organizations (DMO) in California helping to provide information to tourists, and boost revenues for cities and regions. While chambers of commerce are usually designed to promote a healthy business environment, they may additionally take on the duties of serving the tourist community. In fact, a typical chamber office receives as many calls as a vistors bureau from local residents and tourists seeking information, or voicing complaints. Supported by memberships that range from $50 to several thousand dollars for corporations, chambers of commerce are rarely supplied grant money to promote hotels and regional assets. On the other hand, DMOs are occasionally solely funded by direct memberships, but are more commonly funded by city grants and special assessments in the form of business improvement districts (BID). DMOs sometimes form PACs (political action committees) and hire lobbyists to promote issues affecting tourism such as government funding of destination marketing, as well.
In California, the state government formerly had a California tourism and commerce department staffed with specialists in public relations and marketing. This sort of structure still exists in many states, including Arkansas. But the California tourism department was closed some years ago and the travel industry restructured its promotions through a commission funded by a state grant, but to a larger degree by memberships. Tourism-related partners have included Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, SeaWorld, and the DMO’s throughout the state that all pay the commission a fee to become members. The largest funding sources for the current $50 million budget come from assessments of BIDs such as the California car rental business, theme parks, hotels, etc. With decreases in government spending the trend, these forms of funding are becoming increasingly popular.
While this form of funding seems to make sense, the newly-formed car rental BID of the California Travel and Tourism Commission (CTTC) was questioned by a nonprofit watchdog group in San Diego, as it instituted its program to charge additional fees to everyone who rents a car in California. When you rent a car, pay your hotel bill, buy theme park tickets, and a variety of tour-related products, a percentage of your purchase goes to CTTC to promote California as a destination.
In a study performed several years ago by an independent firm, a reduction of funding to California tourism suggested that a drop in tourism was tied directly to the lack of spending on advertising, trade show presence and other efforts. We previously compiled a chart of reported tourism budgets in the 50 U.S. states. The numbers have changed quite a bit in just a year or two.
And we previously reported on our blog that Florida’s tourism arm believes it is getting some difficult competition from California that could impact its bottom line. Both states have Disney theme parks, both states have Universal Studios attractions, both have Pirates Dinner Adventures, and both offer beaches as well. The similarities are astounding.
In part two we provided an example of a non-profit California watchdog group, California Aware, voicing concerns over secrecy and how tax dollars are spent by destination management organizations such as Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau. Should the public have a right to determine how government funded organizations spend their grants, or at least be able to find out what the terms of these entities’ lawsuits, settlements and commerce procedures are?
In 2000 it was a question that Long Beach examined and dealt with. Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau Convention president Linda Howell-DiMario and sales vice president Tom Dorsett were paid $23,500 in sales bonuses, a significant portion of which was attributable to erroneously reported numbers, according to City Auditor Gary Burroughs, who worked with independent auditor Ernst & Young. The audit alleged that the CVB staff reported 50,000 more bookings than actually occurred from Oct 1, 1998 through June 2000. Both employees left their jobs, though no conclusion was made as to whether the mistake was accidental or not.
Generally things seem to run smoothly in these destination management organizations–until glaring problems or red flags appear. Often, there have been complaints filed, but without oversight committees, a watchdog group or individual must bring forward a lawsuit to open the books and practices of these quasi-government agencies. Why wouldn’t a board of directors of a non-profit, or city government provide the needed oversight? There are a number of reasons cities and boards don’t provide checks and balances. One reason is that a president or CEO of a DMO can hand-pick his or her board members. The chosen business leaders and volunteers selected for boards are happy to add another title to their community service resumes in exchange for monthly two-hour meetings, special grand opening receptions and connections that can help their firms benefit. Occasionally the abuse can include sexual favors and special interest expenditures directed toward beneficiary board members and their companies. Believe it or not, by-laws may not prohibit such activities, making the system ripe for misuse and abuse. It’s just business, as Richard P. McKee stated.
In part four we’ll discuss the merits of this type of government funding (there are some, indeed), and again, its downfalls.