So, I'm In Temecula, CA, on a Wednesday Night in Early November

My new boss runs a business based in Temecula, CA, and I'm here for a few days.  Flew out from Cincinnati, OH, Monday morning, spent Monday in the office I manage in Culver City, CA, then drove down here Tuesday morning.  For those few of you who haven't made it to beautiful Temecula, it is an old desert city, probably 60-70 miles west of Palm Springs, 80 miles or so southeast of Los Angeles, and about 50 miles northeast of San Diego.  Hard-pressed against I-15, Temecula has all the popular big-box stores, national restaurant chains, and an Indian (think American Indian, not Bollywood Indian) Casino.  There is an old town, which is kind of cute, and some wineries near by (won't see any of them and am suspect of California wineries in the middle of the desert).  Temecula boomed in the early and mid-2000's as the California/American dream of home ownership spread, and people were willing to pay $400-$700K for houses here so they could own one and drive an hour or two to their jobs in San Diego, Los Angeles, etc.  Now the houses are worth about half, and the chance you can sell one is slim.  Nice weather though, mostly sunny, hot in the summer, but nice most of the rest of the year.

Went out to dinner tonight with a 10-12 colleagues, restaurant was named Harry's Pacific Grill.  Nice place, large, next to a very big mall here in Temecula.  Walked up to the bar, bartender asks me what I'd like, I ask what kind of boubon they have, he says what do you like/want, I say Blanton's, he says never heard of it, I say how about Woodford Reserve, again a blank stare, so I say what do you have and he says Maker's, at which point I want to say you don't have any bourbon, but I order a gin and tonic instead.  Don't act like you know something when you don't!

Later, the waitress takes my order, I order a steak, she asks what sides I'd like (2 come with the dinner), I say I'll have a caesar salad, she says is it okay if the salad comes with the dinner or else she will have to charge me extra.  I said no, don't bother bringing me the salad!  How stupid is that!  Classless, shows they don't really have a clue. 


Food was fine, wine was good, but will never go back there on my own!

Wanted/needed a decent bourbon before going to bed so went to "Old Town" Temecula.  A bar named "The Edge" was recommended by the young lady at the front desk.  Pretty cool place, but we repeated the bourbon quest there.  Nice, attractive bar tender had no clue about real bourbon but the did have Gentleman Jack, a fancy Jack Daniels, so drank that.  Didn't know the bar was also a comedy club, but found out after listening to a couple of the "comics" that it really wasn't!  Pretty pathetic.

So, one more day night here, then heading home Friday out of San Diego.  At least there is some real bourbon waiting for me at home in Loveland, OH.  

Dave

On My Way Home From Los Angeles This Friday Afternoon

So, I'm flying home from Los Angeles today.  At this moment the plane is 35,000 feet or so above Missouri, as far as I can tell.  Flight was delayed at LAX for an hour this morning (after boarding) due to an electrical problem on plane.  Apparently it was one of those "non-essential" lighting issues.  After doing a "CTRL-ALT-DELETE" on the 77 on-board computer systems this Airbus 320 has, everything was okay for a minute but not for good.  We had to wait for paperwork saying the plane isn't functioning perfectly but good enough to get us to Cincinnati.  Seems as though all is well so far!

Interesting that this Airbus has 77 computers but no entertainment system of any kind on it.  Suppose there are music channels (I'm listening to the shuffle of Dave Shaut's iPod) but no video, no movie, no live, satellite TV, nada, zip, nothing!  Clearly it is a plane designed for long hauls.  Amazing, 2010, I want my live TV when I fly coast-to-coast (actually anywhere).

Got me a 1st class (free upgrade) window seat.  Love the window seat flying out of LA, or any West Coast city.  Scenery is beautiful, first out over the Pacific Ocean--and it was pacific today--very calm, then as we take the left hand turn, Southern California is before and below.  The coast line, then Palm Springs, then the huge expanse of the desert.  About an hour into the flight, Las Vegas, Arizona, The Grand Canyon--all very nice.  Saw the snow-capped mountain near Flagstaff today.  The southern desert of Nevada and Utah is adorned in red rocks and canyons--very pretty, spectacular actually.  This flight crosses southern Colorado/Northern New Mexico.  There was some snow on the mountains but not as much as normal. 

Once you leave Colorado, the Great Plains extend almost all the way to Ohio!  Flatland, dotted with green fields, some of them round due to the circular irrigation systems.  Not as dramatic as the far West, but amazing for the scale.  It is where we all get a lot of our food from, so there is that!

Have flown this route many times, hundreds in the last twenty plus years.  Still enjoy a window seat to take in our great country.  If you haven't had a chance, do it sometime, fly coast-to-coast in a window seat on a sunny day.  Worth the price of admission!

Hope y'all have a good weekend! 

Dave

Paris, Beaune, Megeve, and Chamonix, France, and Courmayeur, Italy

Kathy and I traveled to Paris, France, and a few other cities there in late August and early September.  Despite all the domestic travel Kathy and I have done over the years, we had never been overseas (sounds like an old-fashioned term) before this year.  We have been to Hawaii, the Carribean, Canada, and Mexico, but never to Europe.  One of my friends lives part of the year in Megeve, France, about an hour from Geneva, Switzerland, and has invited us to visit him and his wife for years.  We decided 2010 was the year to go.

We left Cincinnati Wednesday, August 25th.  Direct flight to Paris, about 8 hours.  Good flight, had a good meal an hour or so after take off, all the red (or white) wine we wanted, a couple of Benadryl, goodnight for a few hours!  We arrived around 6:30 in the morning Paris time.  Made our way through customs, got our bags, got a train from the airport downtown, we were on our way.  Pissed off my first Parisian by not putting my bag on the overhead rack on the train, even though there were plenty of seats.  Young lady gave me a dirty look!  Oh well, old, ugly American!  Got to the main train station, switched to the Metro (subway), got to our station, walked up to the Champs Elysee, two blocks to the Marriott, and checked into our room around 9:00 AM.  All good so far!

Everyone told us to not go to sleep--stay up, push through, etc.  Well, we did.  Unpacked, left hotel, walked toward Arc de Triomphe, had a little breakfast on a sidewalk cafe.  Best part of Paris, watching the people walk by.  Great people watching.  Sidewalk cafes/restaurant chairs all face the street, so you can see and be seen.  Really cool!  

Okay, a confession, we walked to the Arc de Triomphe, looked around, went back to hotel and took a knap for a couple of hours!  But, we got up, went to Notre Dame Cathedral, spent the rest of the day there, as well as walking around the neighborhoods nearby.  Was really cool.  Had a little rain, but nothing too bad.  Went back to hotel, rested, changed, then went out to dinner. 

More entries to come--I'll make this a serial. 

Here are some links to pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/dshaut/BeauneFranceHeartOfBurgundyWineCentral?feat=email#

http://picasaweb.google.com/dshaut/ParisPicturesAugust2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCNj3zOuyvfDQjwE&feat=email#

http://picasaweb.google.com/dshaut/VersaillesFranceAugust2010?feat=email#

http://picasaweb.google.com/dshaut/MtBlancAndChamonixFrance?feat=email#

Dave

Full Body Scanners--Really Efficient

Haven't been traveling much lately.  Cincinnati International Airport has full body scanners.  Pity the fool who gets to look at my body!  Anyway, went through the line today, was so backed up that TSA sent me through the old fashioned metal detector, and I passed with flying colors!  Witnessed someone in the full body scanner standing there for what seemed to be 45 seconds to a minute--guess the TSA person viewing the scan was enjoying what he/she saw!  Very slow, not very efficient.  Also saw a young man and woman who chose the pat down instead of the scan.  The young woman was wearing a very skimpy sun dress--not sure what she was concerned about--not much left to the imagination.  But, I feel so much safer now!

Since 911, feel like everyone should be wearing a speedo/bikini, get through security, then get dressed.

Let's see how Atlanta security/ goes Friday.  

Some Miscellaneous Thoughts On Recent travel

Haven't posted anything here for a long time.  Mostly because I haven't been traveling much.  So, here goes, a few things I remember from trips I've taken the last few months.

Delta:  Anyone who has flown in the last year or so knows there are fewer flights to choose from and most flights are full.  Forget the concept of changing flights, and be ready for healthy change fees.  I will say Delta has treated me pretty well.  Though I've lost my Gold status, and am now a mere Silver Medallion, my Million Miler status helps a bit.  Delta (www.delta.com) has gone back to putting a priority tag on my bag, so they don't throw  it on the ground and step on it as many times as they do those bags with no bright yellow tags.  My new "upgrade" is getting to sit in an exit row, preferably the last exit row so I can recline my seat.  Feels like First Class to me!  Oh, except that last night on the way to Denver, I asked to buy two Woodford Reserve (www.woodfordreserve.com)  bourbons but the flight attendant told me in no uncertain terms he could only sell me one at a time!  Okay, so it isn't like 1st class!  Delta flights are more competitively priced out of Cincinnati now, which is also an improvement. 

February Ski Trip with Son Dave:  My son Dave (he lives in Portland, OR) and I flew to Denver in early February then drove up to Breckenridge, CO, to ski for a few days.  We stopped in Dillon so I could rent skis and buy lift tickets at our favorite ski shop in the world, Virgin Islands Ski and Snowboard Rental (www.virginislandsski.com) .  We love this store and have been renting/buying things there for years.  The crew in the store is an eclectic group of ski bums and they provide fast, friendly service every time.  If you ever ski in Summit County, Colorado, stop at Virgin Island Ski Rental to get your equipment, or just to say hi.  They also have a clean restroom!

Next stop was at City Market, owned by Kroger, so my Kroger card works there, which is nice.  We picked up some groceries, then made at the liquor store next door for some other necessities.  Finally, properly provisioned, we headed up the road to toward Keystone and Breckenridge.  You turn off the main road just before getting to Keystone to cut over the hill to Breckenridge.  Got to meet a very nice Summit County Sheriff who noticed I was going around 50 in a 35 MPH zone.  Fortunately, he gave me a warning and let me go on my way.  Very friendly of him.

We checked into our condo, a one bedroom about two blocks from the main business street of Breckenridge.  Nice, clean, affordable, meeting all our expectations.

We had four great days of skiing, two at Keystone, one at Beaver Creek, and one at Breckenridge.  Keystone (www.keystoneresort.com) is our family's favorite ski resort.  Dave and Nina learned to ski there in the early 1990's, 1991 or 1992, we have stayed at many of the Keystone rental properties, and had a great time every time we've been there.  Keystone offers a wide variety of terrain, from very easy to very difficult.  And, as part of Vail Resorts, lift tickets are good at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, A-Basin, and Beaver Creek.  Our day at Beaver Creek was really good.  Beaver Creek is a really high-end ski mountain and resort.  The terrain is fairly demanding, but there is plenty for folks who don't want to ski steep stuff.  There is a Ritz Carlton resort hotel at the base of one of the mountains.  Always nice to get Ritz Carlton service, even if you are only using their bathroom!  Breckenridge (the ski area) was not our favorite.  Nice enough, but seemed you had to navigate to the bottom of the mountain a lot, which meant dealing with the largest crowds (it was Saturday) we have seen anywhere in a long time.  We enjoyed the day, and were able to ski right back to our condo which was nice.

Was really good to be with Dave for a few days, doing something we both love to do.  We are already looking forward to next year's ski trip to.....not sure yet.  Was also nice that Kathy and her mom came up for a couple of days just to hang with us before and after skiing.   

Stuart, Florida:  Kathy and I visited our Loveland, OH, neighbors, Walt and Ann Wurster at their beach-side condo on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, Florida, the last week in February.  Though the weather wasn't great by typical Florida standards, it was a welcome relief from the record-setting snowfall's we left behind in Ohio.  Walt and Ann's condo is right on the beach, and one can sit all day long in their living room or on their deck watching the ocean.  We spotted dolphins each day, not far from shore, which is always fun for us landlubbers!  We also played golf two days, one day well, one day not so well, but fun anyway.  One night we went to a nearby Benihana Steak House, had a great meal with our friends and the two other couples sitting at our table.  Thanks Walt and Ann for letting us share your paradise for a few days!

Beverly Hills:  Two weeks ago I was in Los Angeles visiting the office I manage there.  The office used to be in Beverly Hills but we moved it a year and a half ago to Culver City, not too far from LAX.  When the office was in Beverly Hills, I always stayed at a very cool, small hotel, The Avalon Hotel (www.avalonbeverlyhills.com).  Over the years I got to know the staff really well, and, as they do for all guests, they treated me very well, like I was actually somebody, if you know what I mean.  Now that our office is 8 miles away, I've been staying at a Courtyard by Marriott in Culver City, right next door to the office.  On this last trip, I chose to stay at The Avalon, to renew some relationships, and because I was able to get a pretty good rate.  Suffice it to say, I had a great time, mostly due to the hospitality of the best mixologist in  Beverly Hills, and probably in Southern California, oh what the hell, the world, Ian Porter.  Ian is a great guy, loved by all his customers, and is the master of the bar!  The entire staff is great, and if you ever have a chance to spoil yourself when in the LA area, stay at The Avalon for a couple of nights.

One night I ate at my favorite Mexican restaurant in the world, Frida's (www.fridarestaurant.com), on Beverly in Beverly Hills.  They have great food, good service, and the people watching is as good as it gets, for lunch or dinner.  Beverly is the main street of Beverly Hills, with many restaurants and shops, and only a couple of blocks away from Rodeo Drive.  When the weather is good, you can sit outside at Frida's, and many other restaurants on Beverly, enhancing the people watching part of the experience.

Another night, back at The Avalon, in Oliverio, the hotel gourmet restaurant (and bar), I had an octopus appetizer that was to die for.  If you've never had octopus, I highly recommend it.  Have had it twice, both as appetizers, and have loved it both times.  Not talking sushi here, talking cooked, and it doesn't taste like chicken!  Very flavorful, just delicious.

Was really nice to spend three nights in Beverly Hills, walking around in the evening, reconnecting with some locals at The Avalon bar, and the commute to the office wasn't bad, only took about 25 minutes.

And That Leads To Denver, Where I Am Now:  We are here for Easter, visiting my mother-in-law, for a few days.  Weather is good, nothing else to report at this time.  I will make more frequent post, for those two or three of you who read any of my blogs.

Dave