Has anybody ever been to Guadalajara? Any suggestions on what to see or do? I am going in July.

One thing the presidential candidates haven’t been talking about is a space policy. Jeremy Hobson takes a look at whether the candidates have any plans for the final frontier.

What should we do? Why?  Click on the link and listen to the story.

This past weekend, my family and I drove to Ensenada for the weekend.  My wife has family living in Ensenada.  It was a relaxing weekend.

On Saturday, my wife and I had dinner at El Rey Sol.  After dinner, we went to a few places to dance and listen to bands play.

If you are ever in Ensenada and you are looking for a nice sit down place with excellent service and food, check out El Rey Sol.

My wife’s family came up last week to go Yosemite with us. After getting home, and before they left, we decided to go to Hollywood and the beach.

Hollywood:

My wife, her sister, her cousins and I went to a few bars in Hollywood Friday night. We immediately encountered the typical problem (high covers, overpriced drinks with bands receiving chump change). We visited places like the Roxy and the Cat Cradle hoping to have a relaxing evening drinking and listening to music. Our evening though was interrupted when my wife’s sister lit a cigarette in one of the bars.

My wife sister is from Mexico so she was unaware of the smoking ban. Instead of respectfully informing her and asking her to put it out, security overreacted by nearly knocking her over and yelling at her. I am all for protecting the nonsmokers, but I think security should be a little bit more respectful in how the conduct their business.

We stayed in North Hollywood with family after our long evening at the bars. The next morning, all of us wanted to go to the beach. The big question was which one? Many of the LA area beaches are dirty and unpleasant. Thus, the decision was difficult. I suggested Manhattan Beach, because my wife, my kid, and I spent a day there in the past.

So, we went to Manhattan again. I don’t know if this is the best beach, but we had a good time. I am sure some people out there have some suggestions they can offer on the topic.

In the last two months, I have traveled to three places (Ensenada, Las Vegas, and Yosemite) with my family. I am in my first year of marriage, and my wife and I wanted to set an expectation. We want to experience places outside of our neighborhood. We do not have much money, so in our travels this summer, we have made many choices, which has limited us in other realms. Nevertheless, it has been worth it.

This past week, we traveled to Yosemite. I don’t think I am an environmentalist or a left liberal, but I do see the importance of the role of government in protecting specific places. I would say we have gone overboard in some cases, leading to international dependence, yet, this is a case for another blog. My wife, kid, and I stayed with six other family members at the Yosemite Lakes Campground (http://stayatyosemite.com/availability.html). It is about five miles outside of the park and about 30 minutes from the main area of the park, but it is worth the drive.

We rented two Yurts. Yes a yurt. It is a campground hotel basically, including all the necessities (Satellite TV, barbecue, microwave, beds, refrigerator, heater, air etc). I am not calling this camping. This was more like a poor man’s attempt to find some luxury while he experiences Yosemite. While at Yosemite, my family and I did the typical things, which typical or not were relaxing, educational, and an opportunity to spend time together (Vernon Falls, swimming, barbecuing etc).

While in Yosemite, I was reassured once again that if us Inland Empire locals, really plan to change our world for the better (lowering standard of living, jobs leaving the country, more and more dependency on other nations, faltering educational system), our actions must start within our own family. We then can work it up to the ladder.

So take a vacation, even if it is a Saturday at Joshua Tree or a two day trip to Ensenada.