A Change of Scenery

Hello and thank you for joining me once again on my varied 'adventures'. Since my last visit to Barbados in 1990, I had returned to my island paradise in 1991 where I stayed at the Rainbow Reef Beach Hotel situated in the St. Lawrence Gap on the south coast; 1992 for a 3 week stay at the Palm Beach Hotel now known as the Golden Palms along the west coast of the island; 1993 where I stayed at the St. Lawrence Beach Apartments, affordable apartments in the St. Lawrence Gap; and 1994 at the Southern Palms Beach Club known as the "Pink Palace" or the "Pink Pearl."  You guessed it - the resort is painted entirely pink.  A really pretty sight, especially when out on the water.  Makes for a perfect photograph with the beautiful blue skies and towering palms as a back drop. 

Each year it would get harder and harder to leave at the end of each vacation.  Especially since I became very good friends with Barbara and Nicholas, with whom I remain in regular contact to this day.  They are very gracious hosts every time I visit Barbados, making time in their schedules for me, taking me out to dinner, an evening of entertainment or visiting local sites.  They are a beautiful couple and I truly cherish their friendship. 

There is something to be said about the comfort level you gain over the years of visiting the same place knowing that you have an overall guaranteed vacation.  Of course, like most people, I also had the desire to visit new places no matter how much I love Barbados.

So there came a time when I was fortunate enough to become friends with Joy, with whom I had worked at a law firm in St. Catharines, Ontario.  Joy had since moved back to Santa Ana, California in 1993 and welcomed me for a visit.  So I took the opportunity to visit my friend in 1994 and had my first taste of California!  Loved it!  If there is one place I would love to live in the U.S., it is California.  Santa Ana (which is right in Orange County) is approximately 1 and 1/2 hours south of Los Angeles and approximately 2 hours north of San Diego.  Given it's close proximity, the weather in Orange County is pretty consistent with that of San Diego which is 72 degrees and sunny everyday.  Of course, their summer months are definitely hot, perfect for sunning or sporting at one of their many beautiful beaches.

Having your own personal tour guide is a definite plus.  Who wouldn't want to check out Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and "window shop"; walk along the sidewalk of the stars and see the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre; have lunch in Pasadena; dinner in Malibu at a really cool little out of the way restaurant right on the beach where you might catch a glimpse of a celebrity?  Unfortunately, that wasn't the night for the "stars" to come out and play but I did get to hear some really cool stories from the wait staff at the restaurant.  I heard that Al Pacino is a very generous person and a great tipper having left the waitress a $100 tip for a cup of coffee!  Pretty nice!

For all those fashion aficionados like me, you'll never get your fill of all the shopping that is at your disposal; from the mega malls to quaint little boutiques.  I still can't believe that I shopped at the likes of Bloomingdale's, Nieman Marcus and Nordstroms!  Every girl's dream!



A really cool day trip I enjoyed was that into Tijuana, Mexico.  Given it's close proximity to San Diego, you can actually leave your car in California and walk across the border into Mexico.  That was definitely a trip worth taking, experiencing the authentic Mexican way of life and local fare.  I cannot forget the tasty lobster thermidor I had at a quaint 'lil restaurant.  It's always fun walking along the narrow streets and stopping along to take a peak at some of the local handmade crafts and jewelry.

I must not forget to mention a day at the famous Disneyland.  It was so much fun being a kid for a day.  Another road trip that I took was to Las Vegas for a weekend where I stayed at the Imperial Palace.  It was only approximately a 4 hour drive from Santa Ana and definitely worth the drive.

During my visit to California in 2000, I took a drive along the coast into Riverside and Laguna Beach.  Just breathtaking!  I loved browsing through some of the cute little shops they had.  Joy and I enjoyed a weekend stay at the prestigious Rancho Bernardo Inn Resort and Spa, San Diego's legendary inn.  What a way to get pampered! Absolutely exquisite.

California is a great place to visit.  There is so much to see and do; I just barely saw the "tip of the iceberg."  Places I've yet to see include a number of national parks, (I did get to wonder through Joshua Tree National Park.  I never saw anything like it!) San Francisco and its famous Lombardo Street with those hairpin turns and Napa Valley, to name a few.  I definitely hope to get back to California some day again ... soon.

I hope you enjoyed my story.  I'll be back with more!