Ok not really, but wouldn’t that be amazing? In preparation for my upcoming Europe trip, I have been keeping my eyes open to articles that will offer me advice on how to save money while I am overseas. I came across this really great article that gives tips to alleviate a tight wallet when visiting Paris. I found it really helpful as the author Gaelle Faure talks about ways to save money visiting the museums, where to stay and eat as well as how to get around. It’s worth checking out. My favorite tip- the Louvre and all other major museums are free on the first Sunday of the month, I actually rearranged my trip so that I will be in Paris on a first Sunday! Plus I love the idea of renting a bike for only 1.50 and going on a self-guided tour of Paris. It’s also good to know that Paris is a truly connected city offering Wi-Fi free all over town, gives peace of mind knowing I will be able to blog while I am in the city of lights.

According to gocalifornia.com about 24 million people go to Los Angeles, California for vacation every year. I would say I am definitely one of those 24 million, but actually visit the area on average three to four times a year. Usually for one of three purposes, disneyland, a football game, or a baseball game.

This trip was no exception, and was based around the notion of going to a Dodgers game. The plan was to arrive Sunday morning and leave early Monday morning in order to make at least a half day at work.

Of course the first thing that occurred after we picked up our rental car was a visit to In-N-Out. To say I love In-N-Out is an understatement. As a high school student and my first summer as a college student I worked at In-N-Out. What started as an innocent obsession quickly turned into an addiction. I have never gotten sick of their cheeseburgers, fresh cut fries or creamy milkshakes.

Dodger Stadium was just as I remembered it. Blue, old and rustic. Unfortunately we were running a bit late and so we missed the opening pitch and the National Anthem. But we made it to our seats just in time for the first inning. Dodgers fans are some of the best. The people were nice and considerate, unlike the usual stereo-type of LA natives. The game was a short one as the Dodgers killed the Nationals by 2-0. It was fun and of course we were ready with our glove in case a foul ball came our way (we weren’t that lucky). Leaving Dodger stadium we stopped for pictures and made the exhausting hike back to our car.

Following the game, we decided to beach it up at Newport Beach. If you have never been to Newport Beach, it’s an upscale beach southwest of LA proper. I wasn’t expecting for it to be so packed on a Sunday night but parking was definitely a challenge. Too bad we had already eaten dinner because there were a lot of cute little restaurants near the beach. However, being in the mood for desert the balboa bars and the frozen bananas sold by the beach, were seriously tempting. It was perfect weather to walk along the pier and run around the beach, chasing the waves. I was really surprised at how warm the water was! Growing up in Northern California the beaches were always cold. I will definitely be planning a trip to come back and just spend time playing at the beach.

It was a fun quick trip. Definitely what I needed for my exhausted and over worked mentality. The journey reminded me to take time to have fun and not take life so seriously. I recommend a day or weekend getaway to anyone who has gotten lost in their routine.

If you have ever visited San Diego then you know that there is something different about this mildly tempered California metropolis. San Diego, which is located 125 miles south of Los Angeles, is a haven for city-dwellers who want to get away and relax, has miles of sandy beaches, and where the average weather ranges from mid sixties to high seventies all year long. No wonder this is a hot spot for tourists.

Visiting San Diego was something I had been wanting to do for a long time. I had been there once as a kid but didn’t really remember what it was like or didn’t even have clear memories of the visit. So the excitement I felt was a bit of an understatement. We had some issues with our flight- we weren’t able to land in San Diego due to the wind and so we were re-routed to LAX for a couple of hours. Then when we finally managed to get into San Diego, but it was so late that the rental car company was closed. Arghhhh. While it was a rough start, the rest of our trip definitely made up for it.

One of the great things about San Diego is there is so much to do and so much to see. Of course you have SeaWorld which is always an awesome time and the San Diego Zoo however these places can be a little costly but for sure worthwhile. We first ventured to Coronado because we had heard great things about the city. It was cool and fun to see- the hotel is beautiful and looks like it would be a great place to stay and vacation. The beaches are beautiful as well.

Other things I would definitely recommend to do during your visit to San Diego would be to journey to Point Loma, which is a hilly peninsula in the pacific ocean. Point Loma in and of itself has a few things to explore, Old Point Loma Lighthouse is kind of fun and you can actually go in it and see how the keeper lived, a museum, some bunkers from World War two days and some really fun tidal pools that kids (and adults) would love. The view you get of San Diego is breathtaking- but as a warning there is walking uphill associated, although it’s pretty accessible by car. Plus its pretty cheap admittance- about $5 that covers parking and is good for a week.

Gas Lamp Quarter is gorgeous. I would recommend plan to eat at least one dinner in the Gas Lamp Quarter. The small restaurants are a little pricey but it’s romantic and the food is worth the money. We drove a little north and went to mission beach. We rented bikes and rode along the board walk (it was about $30 to rent two bikes for a couple of hours). It’s more of a surf beach that is a lot of fun. It also was gorgeous.

Old Town San Diego is also worth checking out- as is Balboa Park (where San Diego Zoo is located). Also the waterfront is a fun place to explore old ships, and learn about San Diego’s history. Ours was a short weekend trip where we crammed in as much as we could. I would recommend a week long vacation so as you could relax and maybe enjoy a Padres game, SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo and all the great things San Diego has to offer.

Since I have been feeling a little land locked lately (mostly because I have been working like crazy), I decided to cheer myself up by listing some of the trips I am planning to take in the next six months, as well as recap the trips I have already taken due to the fact that the year is already half over.

Trips I have already taken this year:

1. Anaheim/Disneyland
2. Washington DC
3. Anchorage, Alaska
4. Saint George, Utah
5. Las Vegas, Nevada

Ok, so the first part of the year was a little slow as far as travel goes, which makes me a little sad. However, when I think about it- we bought a house in February and we spent the winter doing a fair amount of snowboarding, so I guess you could add Park City, Utah to the list.  Anyways, I am gearing up for Fall travel season which includes an awesome trip to Europe (my first time!). I used to say that we are going to backpack through Europe but apparently that’s not true- I was told we are packing our clothes in a backpack and going to Europe. So that accounts for the first five places on the list- and the rest are stateside cities or states I want to visit.

Trips I want/will take this year:

1. London, England
2. Athens, Greece
3. Ireland
4. Slovenia (here is a map- in case you want to know where this is)
5. Paris, France
6. New York City
7. San Diego
8. Seattle
9. Oregon Coast
10.North Carolina

The airlines are a hot topic of discussion these days. I know I have already written a few posts about it this month. I was reading this article today about flying and surviving, but it almost seems like the flight crews are the one that need help surviving! Read a few of the cases that this article listed as examples of passengers that got out of hand:

• Christina Szele of Queens, N.Y., who reportedly lit a cigarette on a flight between New York and San Francisco, punched a flight attendant and broke through the flex cuffs the crew used to restrain her. (Ms. Szele was indicted by a Denver grand jury last week.)
• Zoltan Lensky of Slovakia, who apparently got drunk on a flight between Atlanta and Vienna, slapped a flight attendant’s hand and tried to set an onboard curtain on fire.
• Jacob Kline of New Mexico, who allegedly overindulged on a flight between Dallas and Charlotte, N.C., pinched a flight attendant’s bottom and threw ice at his fellow passengers

Holy cow people! There is an interesting correlation that you will notice in these cases that all of them had something to do with intoxication and cigarettes. Something to be aware of- in case you aren’t already- that if you are drunk when you show up for your flight- the gate agent/flight attendant have the right to not let you get on the plane. Now you can see why! Travel is stressful and especially when you are dealing with long security lines (and lets be honest TSA agents aren’t always peaches), extra fees, and flight delays, so take some time to unwind and remember why you go through all that pain- because traveling is fun!

Have a horror story and need to vent? The article mentioned flightsfromhell.com, this website allows you to submit entries of your awful flight experience. However, after reading some of the entries- I wonder why would people take such the time to write such long entries? I’m talking long, and most aren’t even that bad and some seem highly exaggerated. You can also check out AirRage.org if flightsfromhell doesn’t meet your fancy.

* I know it must look like I’m an advocate for airlines- but I promise I’m not. I do have a sister-in-law who is a flight attendant and another brother-in-law who is a pilot- it just helps me gain perspective that flight crews are human with real feelings