ladycascadia

Well, I didn’t go inside of the Graumann’s chinese theatre, but I did get the courage to take my guitar and busk in front of it! yeah, for three hours I sang and played guitar near Elton John’s star on the Walk of Fame!

Made just enough for a cup of coffee, but that wasn’t the point…I just wanted the experience of what it would be like to perform in the Entertainment Capitol of the World…and now I know! Not giving up the day job, but not giving up street performing either! It’s a rush like no other…especially when folks stop to actually listen to your songs!

I’ve wanted to see Malibu for a very long time, and this year I finally got my chance. During April 2007, I went to L.A./Hollywood for a conference and decided to kick off the week by staying overnight in Malibu. I found a lovely and cozy hotel by the beach…in fact this place rakes its stretch of private beach everyday! It didn’t feel like a hotel, it seemed more like your own private beach house.

I did get out and about to explore Malibu. First I walked to the historic Pier and then went to the Malibu Country Mart. It’s a simple shopping center with a LOT of upscale shops and opportunities to possibly see celebrities. I took the city bus through the entire route from the library, past the famed Malibu colony, all the way out to Trancas/Broad Beach. On the way back, the bus went through the fancy neighborhoods there. It’s just like I read about, big ole pretty McMansions complete with gates and private property/private beach signs. Yes, there really are a lot of private beaches there, but as long as you stay below mean high tide those beaches by law are PUBLIC! The trick is finding the access points which are clearly marked along the PCH. To avoid the hassle, I recommend going to two very good public beaches there with easy access: Zuma and Surfriders beach near the Pier.

Later that day, I visited several surf shops and conversed about surf history with the folks in the stores. Boy was I shocked when they told me that the real Gidget never surfed. Sure didn’t seem that way from the books lol.

I fell asleep that night to the sound of the birds and the ocean, and I got up early in the morning to the same sound. Very relaxing and good for the body, soul and spirit. I decided to take a walk along the famed “billionaires” beach and I saw dealmaker’s rock. Had the run of the place since it was around 7 a.m. I collected several seashells, and later on when I was back at the hotel enjoying a continental breakfast on the patio overlooking the beach, I saw several dolphins in the ocean. That was a real treat! I think the thing that surprised me most about Malibu was seeing so much nature in the town. When going through the campus of Pepperdine University I saw at least 5 deer grazing amongst the students. They didn’t seem to fear people at all!

I had heard that unless you look like you “fit in” no one would talk to you, but I found that to not be true. Your mileage may vary, but most of the people I met there there were very friendly and very helpful when I asked questions about their town. The other pleasant surprise about Malibu? So many guys both younger and older flirting with this middle age broad! I was very pleased to find out that one does NOT have to look like Pamela Anderson to get male attention there. A girl could get very spoiled here…

To me, starting my week off this low key way before going to the hustle and bustle of a busy conference in Los Angeles was perfect. It was so idyllic, I almost didn’t want to leave Malibu. I know one thing’s for certain. it was my first time in the “Bu” but it will NOT be my last time. I have to go back to retrieve my heart which I left there :)

I was born and raised in Cleveland, and have no real desire to go back unless it’s to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cleveland has some pretty cool museums there. As a child, I always enjoyed going to the Art museum and the Health Museum. If you have a chance to go see a concert for Cleveland Orchestra, I recommend that, too, but there are other parts of Ohio that are more interesting IMO…especially if you are into history.

I recommend Hale Farm and Village in Bath, Ohio…and I also recommend Millersburg if you’re interested in Amish culture (although there’s much more in PA). Cedar Point in Sandusky is a really cool amusement park.

I had been fascinated with California since childhood…and would dream of going there to see movie stars while shivering through cold Ohio winters!

My very first trip there was at age 16. I stayed in So. Cal for two weeks courtesy of the Girl Scout Wider Opportunity program…did all the typical stuff: Disneyland, TV shows, movie studios, Malibu beach, etc. Was pretty disappointed when I first saw “Hollyweird”...but I hear it’s cleaned up its act lately at least according to the June 2006 issue of Los Angeles magazine :)

I lived in San Diego County, California from 1979 to 1988…was stationed there at Camp Pendleton, so I traveled all over from Ventura to the Mexican Border on my weekends, and more regularly after I got out of the Corps and was a military wife. San Diego is probably one of my favorite cities in the whole world…and shopping at Horton Plaza is the BEST! If you get a chance to go to the Hotel Del Coronado, I recommend it…it’s spendy, but you can always just walk through the lobby and shops. that hotel is supposedly the inspiration for the city of Oz in the Frank Baum books, and it’s also the original setting in the time travel book-turned-movie “Somewhere In Time.”

It’s also fun to go to La Jolla, Del Mar and the rest of North County, too. As a history buff, I also recommend visiting Olvera Street in Los Angeles as well as the various California missions, too. They’re all spaced a days ride by horseback (or so the legend says.)

In 1988, I moved to Oregon, so now I’ve been going to different parts of Northern California for weekends…and I’ve learned it’s not just about sun and movie stars. There’s a lot of cool things in No. California, too.

The redwoods on Hwy 199 are beautiful…and I’ve “left my heart in San Francisco” many, many times over the past 17 or so years…sure, leave your heart but don’t leave your wallet at home…it is VERY expensive there…and while you DO need a car in So. Cal…don’t bother driving in San Francisco (esp.if you can’t negotiate the hills and you have a stick shift as I learned the hard way)...the mass transit system is excellent, and the cable cars are the REAL San Francisco treat!

The last time I was in Cali was in 2003. I went to a town called Oroville…saw a concert there. There’s not much to do there unless you’re an outdoorsy tpe, but if you like history, the museums are fun.

It’s my goal to go back and take that Napa Valley Wine train ride some day…and visit some of the wineries.