California Helps You Plan Your "Staycation"

Given the state of the economy — and, by the way, the poor economic state of our state– this is probably the year to keep your vacation in California.

The California Travel & Tourism Commission puts out a handy annual tourism guide — “The 2009 California Official State Visitor’s Guide and Travel Planner,” natch — and best of all, it’s free. According to the L.A. Times — where I found this tip — the guide is 224 pages and divides the state into 12 regions, with both obvious stops and some off-beat attractions.

Check out the VisitCalifornia.com site for more details, or to order. There’s an online option as well, in case you’re not interested in the print edition.

Oh Yes, Let This Come True: Recall Schwarzenegger

Mary Carey (above), Gary Coleman and Arianna Huffington, start raising some cash: We could have another California recall election, if the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn. has its way.

And why not? Arnold Schwarzenegger stormed into office by promising to solve the state’s economic woes. Instead, we’re in worse shape now than we were when Gray Davis was in office.

The L.A. Times writes:

The state’s well-financed prison guards union, the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn., is initiating a recall effort against Schwarzenegger, a union spokesman said today. The governor and the union have been at odds for years; they have been unable to agree to a new contract for the guards, whose labor agreement expired in the middle of 2006.

The governor last fall invoked a rare provision of state law allowing him to unilaterally impose new working conditions on the union in the absence of a deal.

Lance Corcoran, a spokesman for the union, today said the contract dispute has nothing to do with the recall effort.

“This is a governor that has done absolutely nothing,” Corcoran said in an interview. “We have the largest budget deficit in the history of California. We have one of the longest budget stalemates.”

Schwarzenegger, a Republican, won office in 2003 in the recall of Democrat Gray Davis, partly on promises that he would get state finances under control and rein in its heavy borrowing. The state now has a projected $15.2-billion deficit.

The governor’s popularity has been sinking this year. His approval ratings, however, are still above 40%, according to recent polls.

“I think people recognize that this is a guy that spent his life posing,” Corcoran said. “That’s what he did as a bodybuilder, he posed, and that’s what he’s done as governor.”

The union has been one of the state’s most influential political players by spending more than $3 million in dues it collects each year from 34,000 members. Corcoran did not specify how much the union would contribute to a recall campaign. He said, “CCPOA’s never been shy about spending whatever it takes to get the job done.”

We had a lot of fun with the recall here at Franklin Avenue five years ago. Let’s do it again! Although this time, I really want to raise the money and get the signatures to run myself.

Rate-A-Restaurant #180: Camilo’s California Bistro

Restaurant: Camilo’s California Bistro

Location: 2128 Colorado Blvd

Type of restaurant: California cuisine

They stipulated: Camilo’s has a small children’s menu, but we snuck in Evan’s pre-made lunch, which was a tad healthier than the cheese sandwich or bean burrito they had on the menu. No one complained.

We stipulated: Following an event at the Blogger Kid’s preschool, we were hungry for a close-by lunch… but weren’t sure what we were in the mood for. Maria suggested Camilo’s, where she had dined quite frequently over the past month.

What we ordered: Mike — grilled chicken sandwich (chicken breast marinated in fresh rosemary, virgin olive oil and fresh herbs, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, with pasta salad); $8.95. Maria — Santa Fe chicken salad (grilled chicken, avocado, tomatoes, black beans, corn, red onions, pasilla chiles, cotija cheese, chips and lettuce, tossed with cilantro cream dressing); $9.95.

High point: The chicken sandwich held up well later that evening, when I was able to utilize the large sandwich’s leftovers for dinner.

Low point: Service was a tad unattentive. Took a while for the food to come out.

Overall impression: Nice spot, decent food, perhaps not overly remarkable. Not necessarily a first-choice destination, but one that’s a good fall-back when other plans fail. Convenient to us, and since we frequently find ourselves in Eagle Rock, it’s a nice spot to have on Colorado Blvd.

Chance we’ll go back: Probably, especially if we’re looking for a slightly classy place in the ‘hood with decent prices.

For a complete list of our more than 180 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Help Plan Our Trip

ROAD TRIP! Screw the $5/gallon gas, we’re gonna hit the road this summer anyway. We’re driving up the coast — at least, until Monterey — and then booking it to San Francisco.

It’s suggestion time. Hearst Castle is on the itinerary, but what else should we do on the drive up? Where should we eat on the Central Coast?

And, of course, we’re always open to new SF suggestions as well. Bring ‘em on!

Loving To Hate, Or Hating to Love Los Angeles?

Looks like L.A. Times blogger Peter Viles didn’t expect the heated response he received when he posted this question, inspired by news that 89,000 people left California last year:

Why are people moving out of L.A. and California?

Get a load of some of the comments:

People can sugar coat it any way they want! We left California in October simply for the fact that it is in third world status and I don't understand the language!

Posted by: Janice Gammill | December 20, 2007 at 09:38 AM

++++++
why at least once a week I think about leaving California:

--the cost of housing (obviously)
--the fact that all the good jobs are clustered in areas we can't afford to live in
--high taxes
--obscene property taxes
--the knowledge that the state is just going to waste all your tax money anyway
--high utility costs
--the price of gas
--congestion that makes even a short trip through the suburbs at least half an hour
--corrupt state politicians
--free health care for illegals while native borns just go without
--the steady march toward "Mexifornia"
--some of the worst schools in the nation (see "Mexifornia" above)
--the fact that even CSU and the UC are moving out of reach for the middle class....

Posted by: do I have to draw you a diagram? | December 20, 2007 at 10:19 AM

With so much anti-L.A. vitriol (not to mention those offensive remarks), Viles now admits he goofed on the post:

I asked, "why are people moving out of L.A. and California," which was a fair question but also leading -- an invitation for L.A.-bashing. I could have asked a more balanced question, something along the lines of, "how do you rate the quality of life in L.A.? Is living here worth the price?"

As a result, the new post is now mostly filled with L.A. boosters. No surprise I’m in the booster category. Of course L.A. and California (especially California) have problems — but what place doesn’t?

I remember back in Hawai’i, the cost of living was so high, and jobs so scarce, that there was a lot of talk back then of a “brain drain” — as locals hunting for top-tier jobs wound up having to move to the Mainland for a decent job. Could that ever happen here?