Tag: attractions

Categories
Articles Croatia

Trakoscan Castle

castle.jpgThe Trakoscan Castle, an easy day-trip from Zagreb, hearkens back to a simpler time, when people lived in castles instead of just admiring them on vacation and the dungeon wasn’t just for tourists. Trakoscan was an occupied dwelling until the middle of last century and only recently opened to become part of the set of attractions that Zagreb has to offer.

Trakoscan Castle was built in the middle of the 13th century as part of a network of fortifications throughout Croatia. The origin of the name of the castle remains disputed, but it is agreed that it is a Romanesque fortification.

The Draskovic family came into possession of the castle in return for services rendered to King Maximilian in the 16th century. For a few generations the family lived there, then abandoned the estate for a more exciting existence abroad. It wasn’t until the second half of the 18th century, when manor houses and estates became popular in the countryside, that a group of Draskovic’s returned to the castle and restored the interior and gardens to a point that surpassed the former level.

The castle was inhabited until the 1940’s when the remaining Draskovic family members emigrated from Croatia to Austria. The castle is now state owned and the facility is on display for the world to see and tour.

Trakoscan has four main levels, including the dungeon, and each one is a large area to tour and see. The castle has the feel of something that has stopped in time and living there must have required an intense respect for days gone by in order to not upgrade the facilities to include heating systems and other modern amenities. Almost immediately after the Draskovic’s left the Balkans, the government turned the castle into a museum.

The two most notable rooms in the castle are the Knights and the Hunting rooms, which are on display year round, although only from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the summer. The rest of the year, the museum is open and the castle is available for tours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Categories
Articles Los Angeles

The Laugh Factory

microphone_phone_music_264750_l.jpgIt’s no accident that the Laugh Factory is one of the only places that you can find household name comedians performing short 15 minute sets in between concert appearances or TV specials.

The Laugh Factory books the best talent and sells out almost every weekend night show. For travelers, the Laugh Factory is recommended because during any of the All-Star Comedy shows, you are almost sure to see someone you recognize or have heard before. If you only have one night to invest in seeing stand-up, the Laugh Factory is your best bet. It’s a bit more expensive than the other venues in town, but like everything in life, you get what you pay for (and then you have to buy two drinks).

Jamie Masada owns the Laugh Factory and runs the nightly shows on the Sunset Strip. The Laugh Factory opened in West Hollywood in 1979 and rumor has it that Richard Pryor was the first to perform on the stage. Rumor also has it that when Masada tried to pay Pryor for the performance, Pryor instead gave Masada a hundred dollar bill and said, “You’re going to need it.”

Now, the Laugh Factory runs shows every night of the week and two or three on the weekends. They also do a comic camp in the summer for kids and every Tuesday there is an open mic night and comedy showcase for new talent trying to earn a spot in the regular rotation.

Sign ups for the open mics start at 5:00 p.m. and the show starts at 6:30. Comedy for the open mics is limited to clean, “TV friendly” material and is regulated by a host.

The Laugh Factory is located at 8001 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90046. Parking is extremely tight around the Laugh Factory and the best option is to carpool and split the cost of the valet. Parking can be found in the neighborhood to the east, but the parking laws are extremely strict and cars do get towed. If you do park among the houses read the parking signs carefully.

Shows are 18 and over and the cover charge is generally $20. There is also a two drink minimum for every show. Drinks run between $6.50 and $8.

View Larger Map

Categories
Articles Croatia

Croatian Adventure Tours

ship_rope_know_271775_m.jpg Adventure travelers have discovered Croatia and they aren’t worried about their sheets’ thread count or mints on their pillows. (Well, some of them are, but we’ve got adventures for them too.) Adventure travel companies have sprung up from the outdoor attractions throughout the country and travelers are flocking to see what sort of stimuli their adrenal gland can find in Croatia.

Here are some of the best outfits offering the most exhilarating and beautiful options for adventure travel, no matter what your sport.

CroChallenge www.crochallenge.com

The folks at Cro Challenge provide and promote adventure and conservation through the action sports they allow travelers and locals to take part in. Cro Challenge attracts tourists, but not exclusively, and hosts an Adventure Cup of Adventure races that is growing every year.

Cro Challenge offers mountain biking, sea kayaking and Adventure races in Paklenica, Middle Dalmatia and Dubrovnik.

Huck-Finn Adventure Travel www.huck-finn.hr/

Huck-Finn Adventure Travel has their fingers in every river in Croatia. They’ve been guiding trips longer than Croatia has been a country and offer some of the best deals on rafting trips in the Balkans. One day trips for $38 and eight day excursions for $550 are some of the most reasonable prices you’re going to find for spending time on water anywhere outside the public pool.

Cliff Base Rock Climbing www.cliffbase.com/

On the island of Hvar, these rock climbing and adventure professionals have the skinny on routes at the reservation-only Cliff Base rock center on the southeast corner of the island. Climb directly out of the sea and hang out over the water on these free climbing routes. Cliff Base also has sea kayaking, mountain biking, windsurfing and trekking available.

Explorer’s Corner www.explorerscorner.com

Explorer’s Corner takes travelers on a sailing excursion around the Adriatic. “So what,” you say? How is that an adventure?

Well, while most sailing excursions treat the boat as a base camp for drinking, Explorer’s Corner drops its travelers in the best kayaking spots along the route each day. The price tag is a little steep at $3,300, but for a ten day trip the average price is about on par with what you might spend living it up on the mainland. This is the trip for paddlers who want to have a place to sleep each night.

Categories
Articles Croatia Los Angeles

Southwest Museum

sw-museum.jpgThe Southwest Museum in Los Angeles is home to over a quarter million American Indian artifacts and works of art. It was one of the most impressive collections of Native American pieces assembled in this part of the world and because of limited room, the museum could only display about 5,000 pieces.

This meant that at any given time, about 98% of the museum’s collection was in storage. But no longer. The Southwest Museum is going to be renovated and restored to a level that will give curators much more flexibility and option in their display selection and increase the usable space in the museum significantly.

Unfortunately, this will also force the museum to relocate from its neighborhood location on the top of tight-knit Mt. Washington, to the expanded campus in Griffith Park.

Previous problems with the building itself led to problems with leaking roofs during rain, flooding, electrical problems and an infestation of what the museum’s website calls “vermin.”

The plan is to have the Southwest Museum up and running again by 2009, in a new building with updated seismic technology, display capabilities and technology. Meanwhile, work will continue on the old building, which is scheduled for completion in 2010. The Southwest Museum will then become some other type of cultural building, as was stipulated in the donor’s will. Until then, the Museum store will be open on weekends and events and programs will be open to the public and put on around the year. The Southwest Museum website has information on the restoration, remodel and move to the new location.

Admission

Museum exhibits are now closed to the public until the collection is moved to another location. The Southwest Museum had a deal with a location in Griffith Park called “The Museum of the American West” that allowed for admission to both for $12.00, but that deal has been discontinued since the Southwest Museum closed.

Location

The new location of the Southwest Museum is undecided, although the plan is that it will be part of the expansion in Griffith Park. This is a map to the old location on Mt. Washington, which will become another cultural interpretive center.

Categories
Articles Croatia

Diocletian’s Palace

oculus_diocletian_palace_96975_l.jpgRoman Emperor Diocletian probably didn’t know that building his retirement home on the coast of Croatia would spawn a town that would become one of the most populated and well-known in Croatia. The original structure around which the city of Split blossomed, Diocletian’s Palace is now the center of culture, business and nightlife in Split.

The palace was built between the 3rd and 4th centuries and the location was chosen for its proximity to the white stones on the island of Brac as much as for any of the attributes of the city around it. Brac’s white rocks provided the material out of which Diocletian’s white palace was built. Those same rocks would be exported 14 centuries later, to America, for the construction of the White House in Washington D.C.

Now, Diocletian’s Palace is full of businesses, shops, bars, clubs and Internet cafes. The main bus station and ferry terminal are located directly in front of the palace and it serves as a gathering place for most of the tourists in the city at night.

In 1979, the palace became a UNESCO world-heritage sight based on its merit as an ancient palace that has lasted throughout the centuries and continues to serve an important purpose within the city and community.

There are several landmarks in Diocletian’s Palace that every tourist should see. The statue of Grgur Ninski outside the gates of Diocletian’s palace is one of them. Grgur Ninski defied the Catholic Church and introduced the Croatian language into Church servicesThe famous statue by Ivan Mestrovic is one of the most popular works of art in Split and touching the big toe of the statue is supposed to be a lucky charm for the people passing by. You can see that the foot of the statue is now well worn and rubbed to a shiny bronze by the people passing by each day hoping to improve their fortunes.

With the city of Split having grown around the structure, it can be difficult to tell where it begins. Diocletian’s Palace was not only a castle built for the Emperor of Rome to retire to, but a fortress protecting the people inside as well. The thick outer walls were built to be easily defensible and now the walls serve to separate the palace from the rest of the city. Upon entering Diocletian’s Palace the walls and buildings seem to grow together, as if built on a different scale than the rest of the city, which it was.

If arriving in Split from another part of Croatia, that Diocletian’s palace will most likely be the first thing that you see. If it’s not, it is perhaps the one truly unmissable sight to be sure you see in Split.

Categories
Articles Los Angeles

Costa Mesa

costamesapic.jpgCosta Mesa is a suburban city in Orange County located halfway between several popular beaches and Disneyland. The middle class community has been settled throughout most of American history but exploded in population after local families training for deployment in World War II lived in Costa Mesa while they trained at the Santa Ana Army Air Base.

South Coast Plaza Shopping Center generates almost 1 billion dollars at its 322 stores each year. Although not the largest mall in the U.S. the stores generate more money than any other shopping center in the country. Stores draw clientele from all over Orange County to shop at its upscale and ultra-luxury boutiques and many stores report that their South Coast Plaza locations make more money than any other location around the world.

In addition to the mall, the Orange County fairgrounds are located in Costa Mesa, which hosts the Orange County fair, one of the largest fairs in California. The fairgrounds host music and comedy acts during the fair, which receives more than one million visitors each year.

The city of Costa Mesa literally makes up the middle area between Disneyland and the beach. Like the rest of Orange County, it consists lots of shopping centers and chain restaurants but it is also the best place to find cheap accommodation away from the inflated prices of the beach and out of the Disneyland bubble that fills Anaheim with theme park addled families recovering from their adrenaline rushes.

Costa Mesa is a perfect place to stay if you’re looking for more variety out of your Los Angeles vacation than spending all of your time just at the beach or Disneyland. Costa Mesa is not oriented just for tourists or streamlined so that you spend all of your time spending money in an amusement park. It’s a place to stay for those who want to see a little more of Los Angeles and spend some time taking in the sights around the rest of the city after they can no longer handle the roller coasters or the waves for the fourth day in a row.

View Larger Map

Categories
Articles Los Angeles

Cheap Laughs at the Downtown Comedy Club

microphone_263427_l.jpg

The Downtown Comedy Club is Los Angeles’ newest stand-up venue, a start up trying to get laughs from scratch in an area that is on its way back to life. Although it can’t match the big name talent of other comedy clubs in Los Angeles, the club offers a night of stand-up comedy for significantly less than the $40 the other places demand.

Continue reading “Cheap Laughs at the Downtown Comedy Club”
Categories
Articles Croatia Los Angeles

Rodeo Drive

rodeo.jpgRodeo Drive’s shops and stores are some of the most expensive in the world. The shopping experience down Rodeo finds haute couture taken to new levels along the famous street where you’ll find unparalleled service if you make a purchase and be shown the door if you dare to enter the wrong store without dressing up to the level of their usual clientele.

For a street of the most exclusive order, Rodeo Drive comes from humble beginnings. Originally a path for horses and horse-drawn carts, the shopping district that stands today was not established until the 1970’s. Before that, nary an Yves-Saint Laurent could be found on the road.

The term “Rodeo Drive,” refers to N Rodeo Drive, which runs from Santa Monica Blvd to Wilshire Ave. The short three block shopping district is located in Beverly Hills and is one of the more famous parts of the city.

Window shopping along Rodeo Dr is recommended if you’re in need of some really potent sticker shock, but actually going into a store is done at your own risk. While you probably won’t get kicked out, if you cause a scene and don’t seem like you’re going to buy anything, there may be some impolite exchanges.

Christmas is the best time of year to visit Rodeo Drive. Crews decorate the streets with lights and create a festival atmosphere on the weekends. Although it’s hard to justify spending extra time out shopping and fighting crowds during the holidays, they are the best time to see Rodeo and the incredible affluence surrounding it.

View Larger Map

Categories
Articles Los Angeles

Griffith Observatory

losangeles_333572_l.jpgOverlooking the city from the hills of Los Angeles, the recently restored and renovated Griffith Observatory is now a museum sparking curiosity in kids and adults. Built in 1935 as part of the bequest of landowner Griffith J. Griffith, the Observatory is no longer on the cutting edge of research, nor do scientists spend much time peering through the telescopes at distant planets or stars. Now that Los Angeles’ lights have dimmed the stars brightness and commuter smog has made it more difficult to see out of the atmosphere, the best thing to observe from Griffith Observatory, is the city.

Griffith Observatory, on the south side of Griffith Park, overlooks Hollywood and downtown and on a clear day the view extends all the way to Santa Monica and the ocean. To the north, the Hollywood sign stands prominently in view. Griffith Observatory is about as close as you’ll get without driving to the base of the sign.

In 2002 the Observatory closed and underwent a $93 million dollar renovation. Exhibits now provide a look at broad aspects of space science on a universal as well as local level. The “Big Picture,” the largest image of space ever displayed, takes up one entire wall, while each planet in the galaxy has its own booth with facts on that planet and a scale displaying what you would weigh under that planet’s gravity.

There is also a collection of meteorites found in California on display as well as a three-dimensional, detailed, rotating model of the moon.

More than a museum, Griffith Observatory has become a landmark and symbol of the past for Los Angeles. James Dean appears in front of the Observatory in several scenes of “Rebel Without a Cause,” and a bust of the actor was placed outside of the museum. The museum is still a popular filming location.

Since the reopening of the Observatory, visitors have had to make reservations for a shuttle to take them up to the main area. That requirement ended November 2, and you can now drive up to the main parking lot and tour the building for free. Enter on Vermont Avenue and follow the signs after passing the Greek Theater. Tours of the exhibits take about two hours, more if you want to see shows in the Planetarium or Event Horizon Theater. Tickets to both of those theaters are an extra charge.

View Larger Map

Categories
Articles Los Angeles

Walk of Fame

donald_duck_donald_233468_l.jpgThe Hollywood Walk of Fame stretches 3.5 miles around Hollywood Boulevard and Vine streets in downtown Hollywood and presents more than 2,000 names who have achieved fame and prominence in one of the five entertainment categories.

Created as part of a Hollywood “Face Lift” in 1958, the Hollywood Walk of fame is another way to walk the streets “seeing stars” in Hollywood. The Walk also connects the community with the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. People tromp up and down the street, literally staring at the ground and reading names as they go.

Nominations are due every May and the committee then meets to award stars to chosen every year in June in five categories. The categories are: film, television, the recording industry, broadcasting, and live theater. Recently, the selection committee has been accepting nominations for corporations and businesses on the Walk of Fame, so long as the company is active in Hollywood and at least 50 years old. Disneyland was the first recipient and now The Los Angeles Times and the KTLA TV station each has their own star.

Walk of Fame Trivia

The Walk of fame ends with stars for The Beatles and Elvis Presley.

There are two stars for Harrison Ford, for two different actors of the same name.

Gene Autry is the only person to have a star awarded to him in each of the five categories.

The Walk of Fame became a cultural landmark in Hollywood in 1978.

The first star on the walk was awarded on February 9, 1960, to Joanne Woodward

The best way to see the Walk of Fame is to drive in to Hollywood, park and walk. The best parking is available at Hollywood and Highland, in the giant underground parking structure. From there, the walk of fame is on Hollywood Blvd and extends east toward Vine St. The Walk of Fame is even more accessible by public transportation. The Red Line, which runs between North Hollywood and Downtown, stops at Hollywood and Vine, the heart of the Walk of Fame.

View Larger Map