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Summer Bucket List #2: Firsts

24 Sep

Summer Bucket List #2: Go to Catalina Island

Summer Bucket List #2: Go to Catalina Island

Summer Bucket List #2: Go to Catalina Island

Summer Bucket List #2: Go to Catalina Island

 

I was starting to think I might give in to this whole, “it’s technically fall now” idea, but it seems at least in Southern California, Mother Nature isn’t quite ready to accept that idea either. Summer is still here, my friends – and so is my Summer Bucket List.

My latest adventure (Summer Bucket List item No. 2) took me for the first time to the shores of Catalina Island. While I’ve spent many a lazy beach day staring at the island from afar and even taken several SCUBA diving trips to waters just off of its coastline, in my 10 years as a SoCal resident, I’d never actually set foot on shore.

Being that it was the boy’s and my anniversary, we opted for the quieter Two Harbors side of the island and spent the day kayaking (which I’m happy to report went swimmingly despite my tendency to be overbearing in kayaks), checking out the scenery and eating at the only restaurant in the town.

At dusk, we hiked up to a viewpoint above the back side of Two Harbors’ two harbors. The sun began setting over the mountains and I whipped out every camera in my possession while the boy tried to usher me up another hill to a second lookout area. After two dozen photos and many more urgings from the boy that we climb to the higher lookout, I relented. We climbed to the top – me singing “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria” the whole way (this isn’t as weird as it sounds if you consider that the epic scenery pretty much forces you to go straight to “Sound of Music” references) — and then this happened :)

I said yes.

Summer Bucket List #2: Go to Catalina Island

Summer Bucket List #23: Disneyland Daze

10 Sep

Summer Bucket List #23: Disneyland

 

The last time I went to Disneyland, I was 16. I was on a trip with my high school orchestra and justifiably (I think) confused about why we weren’t visiting the beach during our short reprieve from the Arizona desert.

I’ve never really been Disneyland’s No. 1 fan. I think it’s an amazing place full of fun rides and inventive lands, but when the cost easily competes with what I’d pay to go on a trip to one of the real places depicted in “small world,” I have to draw the line.

But despite my ambivalence toward “The happiest place on Earth,” my interest was recently piqued when I remembered I still had this on my Summer Bucket List: “23. Indulge in a local tourist trap.” Even more enticing, my best friend and favorite theme-park companion was in town and my fabulous “cast member” roommate was able to get us in for free! Sold.

Arriving late (for Disneyland standards), we were thrilled to discover it was actually a pretty quiet day at the park and quickly bebopped around from the new Cars Land in California Adventure to Disneyland classics like Splash Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean. We also discovered, after seeing several people dressed in swanky retro attire, that it was “Dapper Day” at the park and spent a good amount of time drooling over the various ensembles. (I was smarting a bit about that one since I love to take any excuse to dawn a retro outfit.) We ended the day with a bang, first watching the fireworks display and then the spectacular World of Color show.

While I don’t think I’ll ever become an annual-pass-holder, I was completely and utterly smitten with my day at the park. I didn’t realize what a treat it would be to experience Disneyland as an adult. Taking moments to consider all the amazing ingenuity and creativity that has gone into the place, I appreciated it that much more. In its own small way, Disneyland may have made a No. 1 fan out of me after all.

Summer Bucket List #5: Beach Blanket Bingo

29 Aug

The best ladies ever!

Me and the boy

Jimmy, Stephanie and Mason with a "vintage blur" via the Photojojo Scuba Suit for iPhone

Keith (Tony) ("Skipper")

Utterly Smitten ladies with an utterly smitten friend Mary

Jimmy and the boy with more of the "vintage blur" :)

The group!

Last weekend, for one of the first times in my life, I threw myself a proper birthday party. Generally, I have some grand idea for a party that after a couple failed attempts at organizing turns into a quiet dinner with the boy or something similar. Last year, I pawned off the planning on the boy and I must say he did a bang-up job – with a Twitter account and everything! But this year, given the theme I had in mind, I knew I had to make things happen for myself.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved the beach. And I’ve loved vintage clothing for just about as long as that. I can still remember pining for one of those silly retro swim caps adorned with brightly colored daisies throughout most of my childhood. So when I started to see retro swimwear popping up, even at pretty mainstream stores, I knew it was time. I had to throw a retro beach party.

As usual, I had grander plans in mind that what panned out (i.e., renting a beach house in Malibu with a semi-private beach), but plan B just out front of Crystal Cove’s Beachcomber Café turned out to be a good one. Equipped with some games, towels, umbrellas and, of course, vintage swimsuits, the boy, me, and some amazing friends – including our very own Celeste — frolicked on the sand all day long. We got lots of compliments on our suits and the party theme. But the best part was all the great photos we got to take (highlights above).

So that does it for Summer Bucket List item No. 5 – but not for retro beach parties altogether. I’ve still got my eye on one of those Malibu beach rentals for next summer ;)

Summer Bucket List #9: U.S. Open of Surfing Safari

10 Aug

U.S. Open of Surfing 2012

I may have had a wheezy cough and I may have only stayed for a little more than an hour, but I finally made it to the U.S. Open of Surfing! I’ve been several times in years past and while it can be a bit hectic, it’s always a good time. This year, the sponsors – which included Hurley, Converse and Nike — and the always hilarious commentators really upped the ante. The waves even put on a decent show (which isn’t always the case) and the boy and I saw a couple surfers do some amazing aerials and 360 turns. And of course, I couldn’t leave without getting a little swag on the way out – free Hurley hat included!

That does it for Summer Bucket List item No. 9, but I still have a long way to go before the summer is officially over. Perhaps, I’ll just have to make summer last just a little bit longer …

Underwater Photo Exhibit

9 Aug

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How cool is this? Photographer Andreas Frankes constructed his latest exhibit entirely underwater, within the remains of a shipwreck. And the best part is you get to go underwater yourself to experience it. Dive off the coast of Key West and swim down to see his collection of photographs, all depicting normal people doing everyday activities, from laundry to watching television–except they’re doing all of these things on the very ship you’re diving down to.  Crazy and awesome? Yess.

Tonight A Rover Lands on Mars

5 Aug

NASA's Mars Rover Curiosity is scheduled to land on Mars Aug. 5, 2012 at 10:31 p.m. PDT
Update:  Curiosity landed safely (and beautifully, I might add) on the surface of Mars at 10:32 p.m. PDT! Read more here. Check out the amazing team who got her to the surface, here.

Tonight’s a big night for one amazing little lady who also happens to be my coworker. Her name is Curiosity. Eight years in the making, Curiosity is NASA’s most technically advanced Mars rover ever and she’ll be only the fourth rover to ever explore the Red Planet. Essentially a laboratory on wheels, Curiosity’s mission is to explore her landing site in Mars’ Gale Crater to determine whether Mars has or ever had the ingredients for life. Since November, she’s been making her way to Mars and tonight is the defining moment when she makes a treacherous descent to the Martian surface using methods never before attempted. In a way, she’s competing in her own Olympic sport and like proud parents, we’re all biting our nails in the stands hoping she sticks the landing.

Even though we can’t watch the events of her landing (scheduled for 10:31 PDT) unfold on Mars, there will be plenty to see from the mission control room at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which will be featured in live landing night broadcasts on USTREAM and NASA TV starting at 8:30 p.m. PDT. (I won’t be in mission control, but I’ll be watching the live events from my cubicle and posting updates to the NASA website – including Curiosity’s first images from on the ground!) Here’s how to follow the excitement and geek out with Curiosity – and me — tonight:

  1. Mars Program website
  2. NASA Mars website 
  3. USTREAM Live Broadcast
  4. NASA TV Live Broadcast (also check your cable channels to see if you get NASA TV)
  5. Eyes on the Solar System – Curiosity Experience

Here’s to wishing Curiosity a safe landing and an amazing adventure on Mars!

Summer Bucket List #1: Paddling Pretty

30 Jul

Summer Bucket List #1: Go Paddleboarding

On Sunday, the boy and I ventured out to Newport Harbor to try our hands (and feet) for the first time at paddleboarding (Summer Bucket List item No. 1!). Thanks to a paddleboarding Groupon, which seem to pop up almost daily, I bought us each a $20 2-hour session at Wayward Captain Paddleboards, headquartered in a small stand easily missed among a giant trampoline bungee apparatus, the iconic Balboa Ferris Wheel and dozens of shops and pizza joints at the Balboa Fun Zone. We were told the best time to rent the boards is between 9 and 10 a.m. before the tourists are out in full, so we arrived promptly at 11:30. As such, it was a bit of a wait for some boards to become available, but the beach is right across the street and Wayward Captain will text you when your turn is up. Perfect.

After a short, five-minute lesson on the rules of the road and some paddleboarding essentials, we were off! And it was pretty awesome. And definitely not as difficult or taxing as I imagined. In fact, it was quite relaxing. With a nice sea breeze on our faces and the mostly calm waters of the Harbor gently rolling by, we were zipping around, from the Peninsula to Linda Island to the mouth of the Back Bay and back again. The hardest part for me was picking up enough speed to not get a little anxiety at crossing the busy harbor turning point to get from here to there. But we made it in-tact — with only one fall in the water. (My lips are sealed on who that was :) .)

If you’re thinking of venturing out yourself, I highly recommend it. Unless you’re planing on getting barreled during your outing, no need for a lesson either. The five-minute spiel was plenty. Wayward Captain charges $20 per hour and offers a punch card with a free rental on the fifth visit! And, of course, you can always find a deal by pursuing Groupon.

(Also, for those of you wondering, I found out I just may have a free moment to visit the U.S. Open of Surfing during my favorite time next Saturday morning, so I held off for this weekend. Report to follow next week!)

Whirlwind Weekend Ahead

25 Jul

U.S. Open of Surfing from Nikeblog.com

You guys, there are just too many fun things happening this weekend, especially outdoors. As much as I would love to get to them all, I just don’t think it’s physically possible!

Since my Summer Bucket List says so – and I must abide – I’ll definitely be making my way to Huntington Beach (probably via bike) to see the start of the U.S. Open of Surfing. While I prefer to catch the tail end of the event next weekend when all the pros are out in full, I have something ultra important to attend to for work: our rover Curiosity is landing on Mars! (If you’re not privy to all the excitement with THAT little chestnut, watch this. And I’ll post more on how to watch all the landing excitement next week.)

Here are some of the other fun, outdoorsy things happening this weekend – and beckoning me to do some major multitasking/commuting.

  1. Renegade Craft Fair – July 28-29, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Los Angeles Historic Park, free
  2. Cinespia presents The Big Lebowski – July 28, gates: 7:30 p.m., movie: 9 p.m., Hollywood Forever Cemetery, presale reservations sold out
  3. Eat | See | Hear presents The Princess Bride and band State to State – July 28, doors: 5:30 p.m., movie: 8:30 p.m., Brentwood’s Paul Revere Charter Middle School, $10-$20
  4. Downtown Grand Park partial grand opening and National Dance Day Celebration – July 28, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,  Between Grand Avenue and Hill Street along 1st Street, free
  5. Shakespeare Under the Stars presents As You Like It – July 25-29, 8 p.m., VA West Los Angeles Healthcare Center Campus, $12.50-$20 on Goldstar

Sounds fun, right? Which one of these events or others will you be attending this weekend?
{Photo via Nikeblog.com}

Two Weeks in Guatemala

10 Jul

Well guys, I can finally share some photos with you today from my trip to Guatemala!

I was lucky enough to spend two weeks filming two documentary shorts for Good Neighbors USA, a humanitarian non-profit based in Los Angeles, CA, where I work as their social media and editorial coordinator. The trip was a whirlwind of back-to-back filming and photography assignments, and one of the very best parts of the experience was that I got to work with two amazing girls– videographer Kylie Turley and photographer Mimi Yip. Together, the three of us spent every day traveling to film the stories of children and families, from the heart of the city to the hills of the countryside. We witnessed the extreme poverty that some of these people live in, but we also met the wonderful staff of Good Neighbors Guatemala (our affiliate field office) and saw firsthand how hard they’re working to bring education, health care, and safe living standards to communities. The Los Angeles office I work in focuses on fundraising and marketing, so this was my first venture out to the community projects where I could truly see donors’ money being put to action. The kids, the schools, the families, and their everyday living conditions…it was eye-opening in every aspect.

But it wasn’t all about work! We got a weekend off in between shooting and headed out to Lake Atitlan to ride horses and cruise around the volcanoes, and then to Antigua to shop all of the handmade goods at the marketplace. It was an amazing, amazing trip overall and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to go and for the incredible people I got to spend all of that time with. I’m still pinching myself that all of that was considered “work”–wouldn’t mind doing this for a long, long time. :)

Here are some highlights from the trip…

Traveled with two of the coolest girls out there–videographer Kylie, left, and photographer Mimi, center.

Kylie & Mimi filming and taking photos of 8-year-old Maria as she made fresh tortillas in her home with her mother.

Kylie filming some adorable kids at an elementary school in Patzicia, Guatemala.

Students attending class at a Good Neighbors school in Patzicia, Guatemala.

Antigua

The volcanoes at Lake Atitlan…I could’ve stood from that point and just stared at them forever!

Horseback riding in San Pedro around Lake Atitlan

Some of the very sweet kids we met in Acatenango, a village about 1 hour away from Guatemala City

Kylie and Mimi back in action at a school in Patzicia

Filming an interview with the Capul Sian family in Loma Blanca

Bringing cookies and bread to a family in La Fragua

Beautiful Antigua

Two little boys play on a hill in Acatenango

Couldn’t have spent 24 hours/day with two cooler girls

Cutting cake for our last day of work…so many thanks to the staff at Good Neighbors Guatemala!

To see all of the photos from the trip (and learn more about the non-profit I work for, go here.

Have you guys been to Guatemala? Or done any traveling elsewhere lately? Now that I’m back, I’m already itching for another trip!

Summer Bucket List #8: Back in the Newport Groove

9 Jul

Back Bay bike ride: Northside

I’d never really understood the appeal of Newport’s Back Bay. I’d always driven by the swampy grasslands staring  at the multimillion dollar houses up on the cliffs and wondered, “Why would anyone buy an outrageous house overlooking a swamp when the beach is right there?!”

So I decided to kill two birds with one stone and cross off Summer Bucket List item No. 8 (ride my bike someplace new) while also finally give the Back Bay the chance it deserves.

I must admit, I’m still a little stumped about why people buy multimillion dollar homes overlooking the bay, but I do think – for the first time – I finally started to understand why people visit it at all. There’s actually quite a bit of beauty to be had there. Lots of birds and grasslands. It almost feels as if you’re taking a jaunt through the bayou rather than opulent Newport Beach – that is until you reach a clearing with a perfect view of Fletcher Jones Motorcars (said with an affected British accent) and its fleet of Mercedes. Still the Southern end of the bay is a quiet refuge with only the occasional reminders of civilization. During my 15-mile bike ride (making the loop from my house in Corona del Mar), I came across joggers, couples and their newborns out for a stroll, bikers both accomplished and amateur and a cute little group of ducks. I finished my ride at an RV park beach that seemed straight out of a movie – complete with giant water slides, a plastic whale, all kinds of rentals and a swing set.

All in all, it was the perfect afternoon adventure – and I think I’ll look at the Back Bay with just a little more admiration from now on.

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