The Stratosphere

It is virtually impossible to be anywhere in Las Vegas and miss the Stratosphere. It towers 1,149 feet above Las Vegas and is the tallest observation tower in the United States. The casino itself is 55,784 square feet and contains 1,450 slot machines, 120 game tables and 2,444 hotel rooms. The Stratosphere is well known for its rides at the top of the tower, The Big Shot is located at the 113 floor and torpedoes riders up 160 feet using compressed air. X-Scream is a roller coaster perched at the top of the observation deck, if that wasn't scary enough, the coaster arm flings the riders out 27 feet over the edge of the tower.

For more visit: http://www.stratospherehotel.com/?gclid=CMO3mJWyqJsCFRLoxgodTBBnyg

Las Vegas Hilton

Okay another terrible dump but this time in Las Vegas, lol!

My visit to Las Vegas to convert two Longs Pharmacies into CVS's was like the six visits before that, fantastic! I love Las Vegas!

Los Coyotes Indian Reservation

With nearly 25,000 acres of federally-recognized tribal land, the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation is the largest Native American reservation in San Diego County, and it rests in some of the most remote and inaccessible high mountain wilderness areas of Southern California.

Los Coyotes Cahuilla Indian territory includes San Diego County's highest lookout point, Hot Springs Mountain. At 6,533 feet, Hot Springs Mountain peak is 11 feet higher than the more famous Cuyamaca Peak.
On a clear day one can see the Pacific Ocean from the spectacular Hot Springs Mountain peak view point on the Los Coyotes mountain. The Salton Sea can also be seen from the reservation.

Weird Clouds!

Just west of Tehachapi Pass I ran into a very unusual cloud formation that produced heavy rain and hail in the valley below!

Tehachapi Pass Windmill Farm

The Tehachapi Pass is one of the world's largest producer of wind-generated electricity. The more than 5,000 wind turbines in the Tehachapi-Mojave wind resource area of Kern County generate approximately 1.3 Terawatt-hours (1,300,000,000 kWh) per year. This is enough electricity to meet the residential needs of more than 500,000 Southern Californians or nearly one million Europeans.

High Mountain Desert

Between San Diego and Palm Desert I passed over the high mountain desert on the Hwy 74 and the Santa Rosa Indian Reservation.

The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains rise abruptly from the desert floor, reaching an elevation of 10,834 feet at the summit of Mount San Jacinto. Providing a picturesque backdrop to local communities, the National Monument significantly contributes to the Coachella Valley's lure as a popular resort and retirement community. It is also a desirable backcountry destination that can be accessed via trails from both the valley floor and the alpine village of Idyllwild.

This picture is looking southwest at the Santa Rosa Mountain.

Life is Good!

What can I say, lol!

Crown Plaza San Diego CA.

Again I had to suffer in another dump hotel while visiting San Diego, lol!

Sunday Morning Cruisers!

On my way to a CVS/Longs store in San Diego a week ago Sunday I stopped at a light and had these two Sunday morning cruisers pull along side of me!!!!

Evidently they had been to the beach as their lady friend was concerned with the sand they brought into the car, lol!

Mountain Treats!

My first attempt at a chocolate bundt cake and Maddy's muffins!

Blue Ridge Mtn Range

The Blue Ridge Range comprises the majority of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachians are a loose-knit series of mountain ranges that extend from Maine to Alabama and include portions of New Hampsire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticutt, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. These mountains formed the greatest barrier to the westward movement of European and American settlers until the 19th century.

West of the Blue Ridge range is a second series of mountains that runs from West Central North Carolina to Fannin County, Georgia. In Georgia, this range is known as the Cohuttas; further north they are called the Smoky Mountains. The Cohuttas and the Smokies are part of the Blue Ridge province, yet they are actually geologically distinct from the Blue Ridge Mountain Range and quite a bit older.

For more visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ridge_Mountains

Toccoa House Blue Ridge, GA.

This weekend we gathered at the Toccoa House located just north of Blue Ridge, GA for a family vacation.

The Toccoa House spans over twelve acres of pristine mountain land, and features over one thousand feet of river frontage.

Toccoa offers four distinct and private rental cabins. The cabins are all within walking distance from each other and they have a brand new in-ground seasonally heated swimming pool.

For more visit: http://www.toccoahouse.com

Doggy Camp!

Jackson and Gaget spent the weekend, with a six pack of Iams each, at Doggy Camp while we visited the Blue Ridge Mtns.

Their dorm room sported a doggy double bed, TV and their own private window overlooking the outdoor dog runs.

For more visit: http://www.townelakevets.com

Sunset at Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach was the birthplace of American surfing. Since then it has become a center of surf culture and beach lifestyle. It is home to some of the world's leading companies in the surf industry and the International Surf Museum, as well as host of the U.S. Open of Surfing. Beginning less than one block from the beach, The Main Street District is a Mediterranean-style shopping area that is definitely the place to come for what's current in the surf and beach industry. It's no surprise that the internationally known brands are headquartered here. The Huntington Beach pier has been the site of many professional surfing and volleyball competitions as well as high profile concerts. The pier was built in 1904 and has been rebuilt numerous times. At 1822 feet, it is the longest in the United States.

For more visit: http://www.surfcityusa.com or http://www.hbcams.com

Duke's Huntington Beach CA.

Over the years I have visited the LA area more that a dozen times and each time I visit Duke's either in Huntinton Beach or Malibu.

Famous for their "Huli Huli" Chicken, I really enjoy the Coconut Shrimp and Teriyaki Steak.

No visit to Duke's would be complete without Hula Pie.

What’s a Hula Pie, you ask? It’s a very generous serving of macadamia nut ice cream on top of a chocolate cookie crust. Then this decadence is topped with chocolate fudge sauce, whipped cream and more macadamia nuts. Sound good? Did I just hear your stomach growl? Or was that mine? Hula Pie is served on plates nine or ten inches in diameter, so maybe that will give you an idea of how big this dessert actually is. It’ is definitely very sharable for two or more people. The pie is so famous that Duke's even has part of their web page devoted to the pie with suggestions for how to eat it.

For more visit: http://www.dukeshuntington.com