When I was 5 years old, the first state other than New Jersey I ever heard of, was California. That's because Disneyland, featured every afternoon on the Mickey Mouse Show, was in California. I had no idea where California was; but I wanted to go to Disneyland.

It was many years later, with my grandson Zach, that I finally got to go to Disneyland. And it was amazing. But so is, as it turns out, the whole state. And now that I live in Arizona, it's almost convenient to visit!

Death Valley

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Hashtags: #DeathValley #California
A few photos of Death Valley, California.
Estimated reading time: 1 minute(s) (136 words)

Hot? In summer, yes. (But it's a dry heat!) Desolate? Certainly. A terrific place to tan? You betcha! When you are tired of visiting the usual places, a trip to Death Valley is the closest thing to visiting another planet most of us will ever experience.

Hooray for Hollywood!

By: Paul S Cilwa	Occurred: 1/8/2008		Page Views: 1,744
Hashtags: #Places #California #Hollywood #Cruise #RoyalCaribbean
All about our visit to Hollywood.
Estimated reading time: 6 minute(s) (1200 words)

Our cruise over, and Magic Mountain closed, we packed the rented van for the last time and headed back south for Hollywood. Mary wanted to see the homes of the stars, so Karen had spent an hour on the computer copying down addresses. With the GPS, all I had to do was enter in the destination address—the GPS "knew" our current position—and tell it to go. Almost instantly, it would display a map and recite directions, turn by turn. If I made a mistake, it would say, "Recalculating!" without a trace of frustration and gently prod us back onto the correct route.

Malibu, California

By: Paul S Cilwa			Page Views: 1,285
Hashtags: #Places #USA #California #Malibu
My adventures and photos in Malibu, California.
Estimated reading time: 1 minute(s) (118 words)

One of California's gems, Malibu is relatively isolated, even today, as access is primarily via the Pacific Coast Highway rather than an Interstate. It is separated from the rest of California by a chain of mountains; and not until 1929 was the Pacific Coast Highway even built. On the other hand, it is relatively close to Hollywood; and so became a refuge of sorts for crowd-weary celebrities who wanted to frolic in the sun and surf in private. However, today, as an off-the-beaten-path yet well-known tourist destination, the towns and beaches are filled with visitors, with wealthy foreign tourists in prominent display. However, I would go for the spectacular scenery and awesome hiking.

Santa Catalina Island

By: Paul S Cilwa			Page Views: 1,193
Hashtags: #SantaCatalinaIsland #California
Only 26 miles across the sea…
Estimated reading time: 1 minute(s) (47 words)

Santa Catalina Island lies 26 miles off the California coast, more-or-less west of Newport Beach. One flies there on a helicopter, or sails on a pedestrian ferry.

Yosemite

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Hashtags: #YosemiteNationalPark #California
A visit to Yosemite National Park in California. Photos and text.
Estimated reading time: 1 minute(s) (52 words)

Yosemite is such a popular park that much of it is too crowded…almost as bad as Disney World. Fortunately, there are less-traveled spots. The high country in the eastern part of the park is exquisite and lonely, especially if you are willing to leave your car and hike a little.