Add Some Diversity to Your Summer Travel

I’d like to make a suggestion for a vacation destination where you can find a great deal of variety in the type of local attractions offered.  Everybody has different goals for their summer travel.  Some of us want to visit Disneyland and some just want to relax on the beach.  Others love to see historical sites and still others love to play golf.

Summer California actually offers activities in all of these categories.  There are many golf courses between the Pacific Ocean and Palm Desert.  And, of course, you’ll find plenty of beach action for sun worshipping.

Another obvious destination is the Disneyland Resort, which includes Downtown Disney and Disney’s California Adventure (by the way, Disney is spending like a billion dollars on a major renovation of California Adventure over the next several years).

If you haven’t been to Anaheim in several years, you’ll be amazed at the changes.  California Adventure exhibits the diversity of California culture, from citrus orchards to downtown Los Angeles to the northern California Wine Country.  You will observe an international blend of cultures in the visitors at the parks and at Downtown Disney.  It is a great place for people watching—a veritable cultural melting pot.

Speaking of a cultural melting pot, Southern California is a concoction of people and cultures from around the world.  There is a particularly strong presence from Pacific Rim countries, but Europe, Asia and Africa are likewise well represented (not so many folks from Antarctica).

You’ll find quite a number of ethnic communities scattered throughout Southern California, and worth a visit in your summer travel activities.  The first community that comes to mind is Chinatown, just north of the Los Angeles central business district.  Just to the east of downtown is Little Tokyo.  Koreatown lies on the west side of the 110 Freeway.

Take time out of your schedule to drive down to Orange County to visit downtown Santa Ana, portions of which will remind you of a medium-sized city in Mexico.  Nearby Little Saigon offers shopping and dining with a Vietnamese and Southeast Asia influence.  There are no-doubt many other ethnic area in the Southern California melting pot.

You Can Find Your Favorite Cartoon Characters in Southern California

Recently I’ve had the chance to visit some of the great theme parks in Southern California. Between them all, you can immerse yourself in the world of a bunch of your favorite TV and movie characters.

We know where to find Mickey Mouse and all his Disney friends—in Anaheim. If you’d like some good information about planning a trip to the Disneyland Resort, check out the SoCal Vacation Guru. Disney has no-doubt done the most effective job of bringing imaginary characters to life, much to the delight of us all.

A few miles down the road at Knott’s Berry Farm you’ll find all the Peanuts gang at Camp Snoopy. Knott’s has done a nice job of absorbing Charlie Brown, his faithful pet and their friends into their culture. Do they still have the Camp Snoopy at the Mall of America in Minnesota?

Hit Universal Studios Hollywood and you can find Spiderman, Betty Boop, the Flintstones, Woody Woodpecker and a squadron of other beloved Universal characters; Universal has been at the heart of many television shows as well as famous movies. You can find some good details about Universal Studios Hollywood at the SoCal Vacation Guru.

Before leaving Universal I have four words for you: Homer Simpson. Yes, The Simpsons have been immortalized in their own attraction at this great theme park. That includes Krusty the clown and many other residents of Springfield.

Lastly, we drive up north a ways and stop at Six Flags Magic Mountain. According to the SoCal Vacation Guru, this park is best known for its roller coasters and other thrill rides. But skulking around the place are the nutty characters of Warner Brothers cartoons, notably the Loony Toons guys.

Porky is there, along with Daffy, Yosemite Sam, Tweety and the others. Beep Beep! There’s a nice area for small children; the park management has figured out that not everyone is a teen-age or twenty-something thrill ride fanatic. The characters are very charming and are pretty easy to find around the mountain. This joint may be my favorite.