Laguna Beach, California

On our recent vacation in Southern California, we spent three days and two nights in beautiful Laguna Beach.  I’ve been to Laguna Beach a number of times - on business trips or to visit my sister, Nancy, who used to live there – and I always enjoy going back.  The town of Laguna Beach is a quaint little village filled with many art galleries, specialty shops, and restaurants sitting right on the Pacific Ocean.  The town is adjacent to Main Beach – a wide, beautiful beach with surfing, volleyball, basketball, and a small boardwalk for strolling.  The most famous structure on the beach is the landmark lifeguard tower, which has become the symbol of Laguna Beach.

What I like most about the area are the spectacular views from the hills overlooking the beach and ocean.  Heisler Park runs along the top of the cliff behind the Las Brisas restaurant and has the best views of Main Beach and the rugged coastline to the north.  The park is also a popular place for locals – jogging, dog walking, picnics and barbecues, or just spending the day.  Unfortunately for us it was cloudy and overcast most of the time we were there, so I wasn’t able to get too many good pictures.  I guess we’ll have to go back again soon when the sun is shining.

While in Laguna Beach we stayed two nights at the Casa Laguna Inn & Spa, a wonderful bed & breakfast.  The inn is located on the side of a hill right on the Pacific Coast Highway overlooking the ocean in South Laguna Beach.  I was impressed by the online recommendation given by TripAdvisor and the great reviews from those who have stayed there in the past, and we weren’t disappointed.  Once inside the confines of the inn you’re in a different world.  The grounds contain a pool and a number of peaceful courtyards, featuring lush vegetation and palm trees.  The rooms are nice but a little on the small side - we stayed in a deluxe room with an ocean view patio - but the highlight of the stay has to be the gourmet breakfasts served in the beautiful Palm Court.  Besides the usual coffee, tea, juices, and fruit, you can order from a menu of lavish gourmet entrees and side dishes.  My favorite dish was the “Just Peachy Waffles”. The inn also has a daily wine, cheese, and appetizer reception in the evening. 

  

San Diego Zoo

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A couple of weeks ago we spent eight days vacationing in Southern California.  One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to the San Diego Zoo. This was our second visit to the zoo – the first was back in 2006 – so we knew what to expect this time.  One thing we didn’t expect on our first visit was the terrain of the zoo – we thought it would be very flat.  There are a lot of uphill and downhill slopes, which is fine if you need a good workout, but if you’re older, like us, you may want to plan a route through the zoo that includes many more downhill walks than uphill.  Using the express buses and Skyfari Aerial Tram can be a big help in getting around the park.

We got to the zoo shortly after it opened in the morning and headed directly to the guided bus tour, which is included with a regular admission ticket.  It’s best to take the tour as early as possible for two reasons:  there are much shorter waiting times in the morning; and, the animals tend to be out and about more in the cooler morning air, especially on a cloudy morning like we had. The tour is 35-40 minutes long on a double-decker bus and gives you a great overview of about 70% of the zoo to help your planning for the day.

With 100 acres to cover, we knew we couldn’t see everything on our one-day visit, but the two exhibits we definitely wanted to see were the Polar Bear Plunge and the Pandas.  So after the bus tour we visited a few exhibits near the zoo entrance, like the koalas, the flamingos, and the hummingbird house, and then hopped on the aerial tram to go up to the top of the hill at the far end of the park.  From there we could head downhill and see the Polar Rim, Panda Canyon, the Asian Passage, Elephant Odyssey, Africa Rocks, the Urban Jungle, and the Outback.

The polar bears put on quite a show while we were there.  At first one of the large bears was having a good time playing in the water with one of his toys. Then one of the smaller polar bears came over and they spent a lot of time roughhousing in the water.  Sometimes it was hard to tell if they were fighting or just playing.

On our visit to the zoo five years ago the pandas weren’t active at all – they spent the whole time sleeping up in the trees. This time they were very active and I was able to get a few good photos.

The new Elephant Odyssey is amazing – eight elephants roaming in a vast 2½-acre exhibit. Pretty remarkable considering our famous Philadelphia Zoo no longer has any elephants due to lack of space and lack of funding.

Baltimore Inner Harbor

We wanted to get away for a few days, so this past weekend we decided to spend two nights in Baltimore, Maryland.  We always enjoyed taking day-trips with the kids to the Inner Harbor, but haven’t been there for a number of years, so this was a good opportunity to get back, enjoy the harbor, and take some pictures.

The main selling point for the Inner Harbor is that there is plenty to do for every member of the family.  If you’re into shopping you can browse the shops at Harborplace right on the water, or take in the Gallery Mall just across the street.  When it’s time to eat, there are no shortage of dining spots.  The main cuisine of the area is seafood at restaurants like Phillips, McCormick & Schmick’s, and the Rusty Scupper, but you can find any type of food at any price level within walking distance, since every restaurant chain is represented.

Harborplace

Gallery Mall

Phillips Seafood (Express)

There are also many activities to keep the whole family occupied.  The main attraction of the Inner Harbor is the National Aquarium.  We spent most of the day on Saturday exploring the many exhibits – I’ll concentrate on the aquarium in my next blog entry.

National Aquarium

In addition to the aquarium, there are many other things to do:  visit the Maryland Science Center; tour the Civil War era USS Constellation tall ship as well as other ships and a submarine; plus tour the harbor area on various types of vessels and dining cruises.  If you’re into baseball and football, the Orioles and Ravens stadiums are just a couple of blocks from the Inner Harbor.

USS Constellation

Seadog Harbor Cruiser

Since our anniversary was last weekend, we wanted to stay at a nice hotel, so we stayed at the Intercontinental, directly across the street from the harbor.  The hotel was very elegant, the rooms large, and the breakfasts were very well prepared.  On Saturday night we dined at McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood restaurant.  The seafood was outstanding.

Intercontinental Hotel

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant

Another Step Back in Time

Observing Amish life around Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, certainly takes you back to a time when everything was much simpler. You can experience another step back in time by visiting the very popular Strasburg Railroad in Strasburg, PA. The railroad has been in operation since the mid-1800’s, currently running a number of authentic, turn-of-the-century steam locomotives and passenger cars and is a Mecca for railroad enthusiasts and photographers.

Old 475 (Click on photo for info)

A ride on the Strasburg Railroad through the scenic farmlands of Lancaster County is enjoyed by young and old alike. It’s a leisurely, 45-minute narrated roundtrip between the towns of Strasburg and Paradise. The train makes one stop along the way at Groff’s Picnic Grove where you can hop off for a picnic and return to the station on a later train, if you like. You have the option of riding in a coach car, dining in a dining car, or living in luxury in the President’s Car or First-Class Parlor Car. There are also many special events during the year like Wine and Cheese Trains, Victorian Teas, Veteran’s Day military specials, Easter Bunny Trains, and the always popular Santa’s Paradise Express.

The Trip (Click on photo for info)

On a Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago I went over to the railroad to take a few pictures – it turned out to be one of the “Day out with Thomas” days. Thomas the Tank Engine was there, along with hundreds and hundreds of his closest friends. It was a madhouse, but I was fortunate enough to get a good parking space. Because of the crowds, there weren’t too many good photo opportunities, but I did manage to get a few shots of the train coming into the station. I’m not that familiar with Thomas the Tank Engine since he became popular in this country after our kids were older, but watching the kids and their parents turned out to be very interesting. I’ve never seen so many small children so excited – they were riding on a train pulled by their hero, Thomas. It was pure joy. If you have children who like Thomas, I would highly recommend catching one of his visits to Strasburg. His next scheduled visit is Dec. 4 – 6, 2009.

Speaking of railroad enthusiasts, if you’re really into railroading, you also can’t miss the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, right across the road from the Strasburg Railroad. The museum displays over 100 locomotives and cars from the mid-19th and 20th centuries, including the priceless Pennsylvania Railroad Historical Collection.

The Arrival (Click on photo for info)

Through the Fields (Click on photo for info)

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NEXT POST: Monterey, California

Living in Amish Country

After living most of my life in and around the city of Philadelphia, PA, we moved out to the Amish farmlands of Chester and Lancaster counties in May, 2008. What a change from the hustle and bustle of the big city and suburbs. The slower pace and beautiful scenery of the country is a welcome change. From the wonderful farms to the interesting scenes of Amish life, the opportunities for photographs are endless… although I have to admit I haven’t been taking full advantage of it.

Fall in Amish Country (Click photo for info)

The thing that has impressed me the most about the Amish people over the last year is how hard they work. Not just the men, but the women and the children of all ages. It’s not unusual to be driving along a country road and see a young woman or a 12-year old boy working the fields behind a team of six plow-horses.

I always try to keep my eyes open for good photo-opportunities, but I have to admit that I’ve missed a number of good shots for one or more of the following reasons:

• I didn’t have my camera with me at the time (I know – a cardinal sin for a photographer).

• I couldn’t stop the car because the location or traffic made it impossible. Driving in Amish country is generally easy and peaceful, but at certain times you get a strange mix of traffic on some of the roads. You start with the slow-moving horse-and-buggies and farm equipment, add in a bunch of big-rigs flying up and down the country roads to avoid the turnpike tolls, and mix in hordes of impatient tourists on sunny weekends… I’ve seen many dangerous situations unfold.

• I didn’t want to violate the beliefs of the Amish regarding having their picture taken. The reason generally given for their aversion to pictures is the second commandment in Exodus 20, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” I’m not sure how many Amish actually apply that commandment to picture taking – however, I think the reason has more to do with vanity and humility. I think they feel that a picture of a person is a way of glorifying the outward man, not strengthening the inner man, which would lead them away from their goal of true humility. Being a photographer, I obviously don’t share their beliefs about picture taking, but I certainly respect them. I have taken a few pictures with Amish people in them, but usually from a distance where they are not very recognizable.

Amish Farmer (Click photo for info)

Off the topic of photography a little... I always knew a little about the Amish with their buggies and lack of electricity, but in the short time we’ve lived here I've learned a few additional things I didn’t know before:

• They have church services every other Sunday, with services held in homes or farms.

• When two young people want to get married, they usually “publish” their engagement in October. All weddings are usually held on Tuesdays or Thursdays in November or December.

• Some Amish groups practice “Rumspringa”, meaning “running around”, where boys and girls in their late teens are allowed to experience the ways of the world before they decide to leave or stay in the Amish church. Despite the spotlight of the media on the few who get into rebellious behavior, the vast majority (80 – 90%) of Amish youth decide to stay.

• Under no circumstances would an Amish farm be connected into the power grid – it’s too much of a direct link to the outside world. However, they can use off-line sources of power like batteries and gas generators for things like refrigeration, welding farm equipment, and certain businesses, like carpentry. They also are allowed to have phones, but not in the main house – only in outbuildings, where it won’t interfere with family life.

Baling the Hay (Click photo for info)

Working the Fields (Click photo for info)

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NEXT POST: Another Step Back in Time