Christmas at the beach is gone. It was my favorite season. I really love remembering the traditions I grew up with as a kid. But now, thanks to so many event planners, public relations specialists, marketers and community volunteers, I am swamped with 2009 events coming at me faster than that Easter Bunny just around the bend (April 12). I seldom receive events from convention and visitors bureaus anymore (with the exception of Oxnard and Santa Cruz). There’s a lot more grass roots work going on, and I really feel encouraged by the events I’ve seen upcoming for the 2009 year.
Some events seem to have disappeared.
- Tomato Festival in Carmel - For instance, the gent who hosted the Tomato Festival in Carmel ended a 17 year stint, according to his web announcement. He got me roped in by sending me his events listings. I am a sucker for tomatoes so each year I told myself I’d go to Carmel to sample his goodies. I’m sorry to see him leave.
- Hello Kitty Boardfest - Last year the boardfest for girls got cancelled just as it was time to happen. This Huntington Beach event, some say, was usurped by a similar effort at the US Open of Surfing. I’m not sure if it’s coming back in 2009.
- Cinco de Mayo at Gaslamp. One of the hottest events in San Diego must have been a bit too hot. It was called off last year. I don’t see it on the list just yet for 2009.
- Grapefruit Festival. I can’t find any evidence of this event. It was hosted in northern California. I am still looking.
- There are many whale festivals and celebrations, but one that really pops out is the Dana Point Festival of Whales. This event is like a month of activities rolled into two weekends. And it’s mostly done by volunteers. They rock! The event in 2009 is on March 7,8,14 & 15.
- Easter Egg Hunts are plentiful in California. Along with the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in December, every city hosts an egg hunt. But here’s a twist. In Yorba Linda, the adults have a flashlight egg hunt for themselves. Now isn’t that fun? I think so.
- What about Valentine’s Day? Finally, the single people are fighting back. They’re coming up with events that make statements about being along. In Newport Beach, there’s the un4seenproductions boat cruise for singles who love to be single…and have fun. And in Los Angeles, Esotouric Tours is taking you on a trip to the haunts where love went wrong, and somebody murdered their lover, plus other strange tales based on true events in the big city.
- Summer events will be plentiful and include lots of fishing derbies, car shows, sports, beach festivals, hundreds of farmers markets each week, free outdoor concerts, and countless themed festivals with food, drinks and parades. Stay posted. Our little elves are hand-picking the cream of events and putting them on the BeachCalifornia.com web site.
We read this op-ed piece in the Desert Valley newspaper. No attribution to an author was supplied so I can’t give credit till I find the author source. If this belongs to you, let me know and I will credit the piece. The reason I am publishing excerpts is because it expresses the frustration many Californians feel about their government in Sacramento. Arnold Schwarzenneger, himself, chose to threaten to close state parks and other highly visible public projects, knowing that the public would respond. Californians are tired of the waste in Sacramento, and they are tired of their legislators who nod their heads and do very little to provide a vision. This year promises to be one of disappointment, at minimum.
In the opinion page article titled, “Sweating the real budget”, the author mentions a headline in the Sacramento Bee: “Warnings of budget ‘Armageddon’ don’t rouse ordinary Californians. Democratic and Republican lawmakers battle in a state budget quagmire, trading charges of obstruction or constitutional end runs. The fed-up governor warns of a financial ‘Armageddon.’ “
Once the California lawmakers make their devastating budget cuts, they may be terrified that few will notice. That’s why the governor’s budget proposal included closing state parks. How much of the budget cuts included reduction of the government’s 200,000-plus employees? Californians realize they can live without government’s behemoth apparatus, with its unlimited appetite for their tax money.
The article provided the story of a Huntington Beach woman who owns a surfboard company. She can’t compete with offshore manufacters, she said, thanks to the rules and regulations she must adhere to, making her boards more expensive. She also stated that the value of her Roth IRA is so low now, that she worries about just surviving.
With the feeling that this budget woe will be a redux of years past, there’s nothing bright on the horizon, and no leadership to put our hopes in providing Californians with a plan. Our current legacy to pass onto younger generations offers a huge sum of debt.
When Yahoo posted their list of best companies to work for in 2009, I had to laugh, thinking maybe they were kidding. Who wrote this stuff? Surely they can’t be serious. On their top 10 picks were: 1. Kaiser Permanente. You click on the “search for jobs” at that site and get a notice that they are migrating their system. If you’re a senior business analyst and live in Oakland, Alameda or East Bay San Francisco, by all means apply. The number 2. top company was the Army National Guard. All you displaced middle age moms are looking for a career in the National Guard, aren’t you? Oops, there’s just a few problems about qualifying. It’s never too late jump out of helicopters and learn other such skills for close to minimum wage, if you pass the tests. 3. Lab Corp of America has one job in California in Los Angeles as a Lab Technician. That’s quite promising– if you’re a lab technician. An employee of a company confided in us that their online application process gets up to 1000 applicants for most jobs, and in general, you’re lucky to get a rejection email if the company uses the current mail software to let you know they didn’t really look at your application. They selected a friend they knew, but they had to post the job on these boards. 4. UPS offers two jobs in California–in Inglewood. 5. Johnson & Johnson has a job in Irvine, Calif. You only need a degree in engineering, 8 years experience, and 3 years experience in project management. Our favorite is AT&T (#12). How many friends do I have in California that just received their 60 day notice to find another job at AT&T? Quite a few, sadly. As I looked to see if their jobs were being replaced, I noticed that there weren’t any jobs in California on this list. So there you have it.
Yahoo has some great writers who are creative, at minimum. Advertising driven, perhaps. Beyond that, buyers or job hunters, you know the truth about the job market right now.
You wake up to the sound of the hot wind blowing off the Palm Desert, the swoosh of the palms blowing aimlessly, and you notice it’s hot…and it’s January.
It could have been the subtle headache when I awoke that might have tipped me off to a change in the weather. Hearing the windows banging in their frames was yet another clue. And finding that my blanket had been pushed off during my sleep because of the heat, I surmised I was in for another warm day at the California Beaches…and this is just January! The beaches have been quite busy this January, more than any other year. And the piers, well they are packed. Even that poor Queen Mary ship with its decaying life boats that hang suspended in testament to the ship’s many needs, were being scrutinized by hundreds of locals “tourists” getting in free. If you’re looking for warmth and heat, Los Angeles and Orange County beaches are your best bet this week. Why? Santa Ana winds that whip the heat off the desert floor and throw that warmth onto the coast can be blamed for this summeresque climate. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the ocean temp hovers around 57-59 degrees…a bit too cold for casual swimmers to dive in. But if you are looking for an early tan, get yourself on a plane, in a car or on a train and head for Southern California’s beach cities such as Redondo, Manhattan, Venice, Santa Monica, Long Beach, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Dana Point, San Clemente and Laguna Beach. These will be our top beach picks of the week for sun & fun.
You probably think nothing is going on today. Wrong! California has lots to do. We make it our point to find out about the activities and events around the state. In Southern California, it was warm after of Santa Ana winds off the desert heated things up. The piers were packed, beaches were busy, and people were out in the millions, looking for cheap activities and entertainment. Notice the people on the Seal Beach pier in the photo above. They are wearing sleeveless shirts or short sleeve tops. That’s how warm it was.
We say goodby to Seaside Ice today, after its seasonal run. Redondo Beach has given them a five year contract to continue the ice rink overlooking the ocean. Congratulations all of you hard working friends who made this dream a reality! It was totally cool. Below is a list of events going on this Sunday, January 11, 2009
BRENTWOOD - Holiday on Ice.
IRVINE - Orange County Wedding & Event Center.
LA JOLLA - La Jolla Motor Car Classic.
LANCASTER - A Few Good Men, musical.
LOS ANGELES - Downtown on Ice.
REDONDO BEACH - Seaside Ice Rink.
SAN DIEGO - San Diego Boat Show
SAN JOSE - Downtown Ice
SANTA ROSA - Santa Rosa Concert with Philippe Quint, Violinist.
THOUSAND OAKS - Breaking Up is Hard to Do, a Neil Sedaka Musical.
WALNUT CREEK - Downtown Walnut Creek on Ice
More information on Jan. 11 events is available
Southern California Getaways for the New Year 2009 Surfing the Pacific. As travelers seek cheap accommodations and free or low cost trips to SoCal this winter and spring, we’ve discovered that the joys of road trips are especially nice when you take a drive down PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). Fly into LAX (Los Angeles International Airport), rent a car, then begin your journey of exploring. The gas is below $2 / gallon so it’s the ideal time to get going. Highlights and Places worth exploring include:
Carlsbad - Home to Legoland and the new Aquarium, this beachside community exudes family values, yet offers plenty of surf, nightlife and believe it or not, tons of fun for adults even, in Legoland. You can catch a train to San Diego from the Carlsbad Amtrak stop and see our favorite attractions such as the zoo, Balboa Park, Gas Lamp, Seaport Village and Sea World. From San Diego, head back north toward Los Angeles with a cool surfer’s hang-out, Swami’s. Only in California would you see an enlightment center next to a beach where surfers dig the vibe and tourists like the views of the Pacific Ocean accessed from the cliffs above. This stretch of coast faces eroding beaches, but the surfing is always fine.
For more ideas, let us know what you’ve seen or done on your Southern California journeys.