I amuse myself all day long with my own mind chatter. But there is a big difference between the art of mind chatter and the art of conversation. My son tells me I am great at texting, emailing and messaging, but in conversation I often ramble on with no point. I hate to admit it but he may be right.
I’ve found myself recently zoning out of the endless conversations I have with my women friends and then observing them like an anthropologist. My conclusion? We women have multi-tasked ourselves to oblivion. One task gets sidelined for a new emergency which requires two or three extra steps. Until that new crisis is solved, the old task gets pushed down lower on the priority list. Whoops -- here comes a new crisis. That now takes first priority…… And eventually, our conversations become manifestations of the same haywire daily multi-tasking. One thought branches out into another whole mini-conversation, from which two more (senseless) mini-conversations stem. Does this sound about right? I know this because I am guilty of it, too!
Unlike the guys, women don't really care about what we talk about -- we bond just by talking. But if we really want to be heard by men in a conversation, we need to get to the point.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Top Ten Things To Do in San Diego - After Seeing the Zoos and Theme Parks!
San Diego is a destination you must revisit many times. First-time visitors will, of course, want to visit our world-famous San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, Sea World, Legoland (if you have small kids), and at least one day at any one of our beautiful beaches. And probably not all in one trip!
So when it is time to come back again to San Diego, whether for a weekend or a week, here is my top ten or so list of things to see and do here. They will keep you coming back for more.
La Jolla by the Sea
Wedged in a little peninsula of its own just north of San Diego, La Jolla by the Sea is a true “Jewel.” Park your car in a parking garage and then stroll the regal streets and enjoy the beautiful ocean views. Fine art galleries here rival those in Carmel. The boutiques are posh. Restaurants are pricey but hey -- it’s La Jolla! La Jolla Cove is one of the most photographed beaches anywhere, and its nearby “Children’s Pool” is a favorite resting spot for sea lions and seals. http://lajollabythesea.com
Torrey Pines Glider Port, Salk Institute and Birch Aquarium (one full day)
This gorgeous area just north of the village of La Jolla is a full-day destination. Start by watching the most extreme daredevils in San Diego (and we have a lot of them!) soar off the runway overlooking Black’s Beach and the cliffs of the Torrey Pines State Park. You will be mesmerized by the gliders and the view. A bit of history: the Lindberghs practiced here! http://flytorrey.com
Going south just a block, you must stop and walk around the Salk Institute, an architectural wonder and research center for renowned biomedical scientists, including the late Jonas Salk, who developed the polio vaccine. Salk chose architect Louis. I. Kahn to "create a facility worthy of a visit by Picasso." Free tours are available. www.salk.edu/about/salk_campus.html
After lunch, have a stroll through the nearby Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, with over 60 beautiful habitat/exhibits. http://aquarium.ucsd.edu
Old Town and the Whaley House
If you missed it on your first trip or two, you must spend a day at Old Town, the “Birthplace of California.” This open-air museum of the original town founded in 1820 is about the most fun way I know to get a dose of history. Surrounding these old building museums are shops exploding with colorful Mexican gifts and souvenirs, bustling restaurants and plazas where you can listen to musicians.
And right in the heart of Old Town sits America’s number one most haunted place: The Whaley House. Go if you dare. www.oldtownsandiegoguide.com
Maritime Museum and USS Midway
Like ships? San Diego does! Spend a full half day browsing the Star Of India and other vessels at the Maritime Museum at the bay in downtown San Diego. And if after lunch you haven’t gotten your fill, hop aboard the enormous USS Midway for another kind of nautical adventure. www.sdmaritime.org and www.midway.org
Moonlight State Beach and Old Encinitas
From downtown San Diego all the way north to Oceanside, the coastline is embraced by adorable seaside towns, all preserving their history and charm. My favorite seaside town is Encinitas, accessible by the Coaster train. A self-contained walking town, Encinitas offers eclectic shops, great restaurants of all types, Moonlight State Beach (the quintessential San Diego surfing beach), and the beautiful Yogananda Center founded in 1920. www.encinitas101.com
Coronado Island and the Del Coronado Hotel
Just getting to this island community is breathtaking. Once you’ve exited the Coronado Bridge, head for the Del Coronado Hotel, a grand Victorian wonder, built in 1888 and one of California’s oldest and largest wooden structures. “The Del” has a history of Who’s Who guests including The Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Marilyn Monroe. The village of Coronado is fine for exploring and rounding out a full day.
www.hoteldel.com
Gaslamp Quarter (at night) and Horton Plaza
Spend a late afternoon and evening here, where modern meets Victorian. Horton Plaza, the shopping heart of San Diego, is an architectural feast for the eyes. The adjacent Gas Lamp District, nicely renovated, is best visited by night when the bars and restaurants are hopping. http://gaslamp.org
Balboa Park
You will have probably meandered Balboa Park during a day at the San Diego Zoo. But it is well worth a trip back, and then back again. Balboa Park is a beautiful historic complex of museums to suit all interests, and the Prado is beautiful for strolling. www.balboapark.org
San Elijo Lagoon Guided Nature Walk
Just north of the town of Del Mar, the San Elijo Lagoon is one of San Diego’s largest coastal wetlands - 1,000 acres of reserve -- and one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Explore on your own or take one of their guided nature walks. It’s a bird lover’s paradise with over 300 species relying on the wetlands here. Plenty of critters, too! San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy just opened a nice nature center. www.sanelijo.org
Oh, and as I am writing this, it is a sunny, clear, and 70-degree February day here in San Diego.
So when it is time to come back again to San Diego, whether for a weekend or a week, here is my top ten or so list of things to see and do here. They will keep you coming back for more.
La Jolla by the Sea
Wedged in a little peninsula of its own just north of San Diego, La Jolla by the Sea is a true “Jewel.” Park your car in a parking garage and then stroll the regal streets and enjoy the beautiful ocean views. Fine art galleries here rival those in Carmel. The boutiques are posh. Restaurants are pricey but hey -- it’s La Jolla! La Jolla Cove is one of the most photographed beaches anywhere, and its nearby “Children’s Pool” is a favorite resting spot for sea lions and seals. http://lajollabythesea.com
Torrey Pines Glider Port, Salk Institute and Birch Aquarium (one full day)
This gorgeous area just north of the village of La Jolla is a full-day destination. Start by watching the most extreme daredevils in San Diego (and we have a lot of them!) soar off the runway overlooking Black’s Beach and the cliffs of the Torrey Pines State Park. You will be mesmerized by the gliders and the view. A bit of history: the Lindberghs practiced here! http://flytorrey.com
Going south just a block, you must stop and walk around the Salk Institute, an architectural wonder and research center for renowned biomedical scientists, including the late Jonas Salk, who developed the polio vaccine. Salk chose architect Louis. I. Kahn to "create a facility worthy of a visit by Picasso." Free tours are available. www.salk.edu/about/salk_campus.html
After lunch, have a stroll through the nearby Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, with over 60 beautiful habitat/exhibits. http://aquarium.ucsd.edu
Old Town and the Whaley House
If you missed it on your first trip or two, you must spend a day at Old Town, the “Birthplace of California.” This open-air museum of the original town founded in 1820 is about the most fun way I know to get a dose of history. Surrounding these old building museums are shops exploding with colorful Mexican gifts and souvenirs, bustling restaurants and plazas where you can listen to musicians.
And right in the heart of Old Town sits America’s number one most haunted place: The Whaley House. Go if you dare. www.oldtownsandiegoguide.com
Maritime Museum and USS Midway
Like ships? San Diego does! Spend a full half day browsing the Star Of India and other vessels at the Maritime Museum at the bay in downtown San Diego. And if after lunch you haven’t gotten your fill, hop aboard the enormous USS Midway for another kind of nautical adventure. www.sdmaritime.org and www.midway.org
Moonlight State Beach and Old Encinitas
From downtown San Diego all the way north to Oceanside, the coastline is embraced by adorable seaside towns, all preserving their history and charm. My favorite seaside town is Encinitas, accessible by the Coaster train. A self-contained walking town, Encinitas offers eclectic shops, great restaurants of all types, Moonlight State Beach (the quintessential San Diego surfing beach), and the beautiful Yogananda Center founded in 1920. www.encinitas101.com
Coronado Island and the Del Coronado Hotel
Just getting to this island community is breathtaking. Once you’ve exited the Coronado Bridge, head for the Del Coronado Hotel, a grand Victorian wonder, built in 1888 and one of California’s oldest and largest wooden structures. “The Del” has a history of Who’s Who guests including The Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Marilyn Monroe. The village of Coronado is fine for exploring and rounding out a full day.
www.hoteldel.com
Gaslamp Quarter (at night) and Horton Plaza
Spend a late afternoon and evening here, where modern meets Victorian. Horton Plaza, the shopping heart of San Diego, is an architectural feast for the eyes. The adjacent Gas Lamp District, nicely renovated, is best visited by night when the bars and restaurants are hopping. http://gaslamp.org
Balboa Park
You will have probably meandered Balboa Park during a day at the San Diego Zoo. But it is well worth a trip back, and then back again. Balboa Park is a beautiful historic complex of museums to suit all interests, and the Prado is beautiful for strolling. www.balboapark.org
San Elijo Lagoon Guided Nature Walk
Just north of the town of Del Mar, the San Elijo Lagoon is one of San Diego’s largest coastal wetlands - 1,000 acres of reserve -- and one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Explore on your own or take one of their guided nature walks. It’s a bird lover’s paradise with over 300 species relying on the wetlands here. Plenty of critters, too! San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy just opened a nice nature center. www.sanelijo.org
Oh, and as I am writing this, it is a sunny, clear, and 70-degree February day here in San Diego.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Travel Tips Learned the Hard Way
I like to consider myself a seasoned traveler, but I’ve made my share of mistakes while traveling, and after reading Anderson Cooper’s "28 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Traveling" (http://bit.ly/m8I8a), I thought I should impart my own wisdom. Here is one of the many learning experiences I've had while traveling:
St. Pierre, Newfoundland
This quaint little island was settled by pirates who are proud to document their heritage with a pirate museum. I was amused by the many photos of all the ships they lured to shore with “moving” lighthouses (lanterns on cows); the ships would crash on the rocks and the pirates would pillage the wreckage. It was also known as a way station for rum runners like Al Capone, and his hat and cane are there in a glass case. You reach this island by cruise ship tenders IF you can find a cruise line that calls on this port.
I noticed this rocky island had one, maybe two paved streets, but no cars. Instead there were tractor lawnmowers. Dozens of them. I figured it was because the island was so small and the terrain so harsh. Come to find out at the museum that the most recent conquest by the band of marauders was a German freighter Transpacific in 1971 carrying jukeboxes and tractor lawnmowers.
The tiny French restaurants were open and the proprietors stood guard outside, arms folded, eyeing every one of us from the cruise ship, expecting our tourist dollars to be spent on a long meal here in no man’s land. I think, like me, the tourists were so uncomfortable on this crazy island we couldn’t wait to get back to our ship!
As the first tender came to shore to take us back, we charged to the dock. I made it back on the last of three tenders and we were finally able to set sail to another more civilized Canadian port -- until I realized I had left my purse, passport and all, right there in the museum on that pirate island. A special tender took me back to shore and with my heart in my throat I tore back to the museum, only to find my purse still there, untouched.
Lesson: When you travel, don’t judge people, even if they are proud pirates going back generations. And don’t forget your purse.
St. Pierre, Newfoundland
This quaint little island was settled by pirates who are proud to document their heritage with a pirate museum. I was amused by the many photos of all the ships they lured to shore with “moving” lighthouses (lanterns on cows); the ships would crash on the rocks and the pirates would pillage the wreckage. It was also known as a way station for rum runners like Al Capone, and his hat and cane are there in a glass case. You reach this island by cruise ship tenders IF you can find a cruise line that calls on this port.
I noticed this rocky island had one, maybe two paved streets, but no cars. Instead there were tractor lawnmowers. Dozens of them. I figured it was because the island was so small and the terrain so harsh. Come to find out at the museum that the most recent conquest by the band of marauders was a German freighter Transpacific in 1971 carrying jukeboxes and tractor lawnmowers.
The tiny French restaurants were open and the proprietors stood guard outside, arms folded, eyeing every one of us from the cruise ship, expecting our tourist dollars to be spent on a long meal here in no man’s land. I think, like me, the tourists were so uncomfortable on this crazy island we couldn’t wait to get back to our ship!
As the first tender came to shore to take us back, we charged to the dock. I made it back on the last of three tenders and we were finally able to set sail to another more civilized Canadian port -- until I realized I had left my purse, passport and all, right there in the museum on that pirate island. A special tender took me back to shore and with my heart in my throat I tore back to the museum, only to find my purse still there, untouched.
Lesson: When you travel, don’t judge people, even if they are proud pirates going back generations. And don’t forget your purse.
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