Globemaster's Travel Blog

Panhandling banned at Los Angeles airport … Finally!

As CNN reports : Panhandling banned at Los Angeles airport.

It had really become a nuisance. They were everywhere and in order to deceive travelers they would wear suits or official looking uniforms and have badges etc and then ask for money. I cannot believe how this could ever be allowed at LAX … They would also wait for unsuspecting visitors from out of town right after baggage claim and confront them. Disguised as “helping” they would then proceed to push their agenda. Many visitors would be totally uncomfortable with this and I am sure some would give money just to make them go away.

Great news!!!

If you miss the urban feeling in Los Angeles, check out downtown Pasadena for a while

Every once in a while I like to take a stroll down Colorado Blvd, Green Street, Fair Oaks, and others to feel like I am really living in a city. Most of LA seems so suburban and this is a refreshing feeling. Get a coffee at a sidewalk cafe, watch the people pass by, go to a gallery, enjoy the weather … Pasadena does not disappoint.

Getting to the farmers markets out there … Torrance looks good

These days, many farmers markets are more like boutique food escapes than real farmers markets. One that really has great produce, great prices, a lot vendors and people is the Torrance Farmers Market.

It is open:
Tuesdays, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Charles H. Wilson Park (map) 2200 Crenshaw Blvd. (between Sepulveda Blvd. and Carson St.)

You can get some really well priced organic fruits and vegetables, some dairy, several great bakeries and a so so prepared food area. It is lively, busy and great to spend a few hours. It is also next to Wilson Park that has a great walking trail around the entire park, so if you’ve had too much of that breakfast burrito or croissant, get out there too ..

Cool place with a real farmers market feel !!!
http://www.ci.torrance.ca.us/Parks/6620.htm

Spring is here, spring flowers are here …

I have visited several botanical gardens in the past few days and it is an explosion of flowers here in Southern California. If you get a change to visit one, do it as soon as you can before they are gone .. no pressure or anything

Calm nights in Southern California

We have had a few warm calm days and nights in Southern California. One would not imagine that it’s winter …

I have been on a Starbucks coffee drinking schedule again.

I have been on a Starbucks coffee drinking schedule again. For a while I just did not need to drink coffee again. When I returned to my habit, the large coffee size seemed humongous. My hand would buckle under its weight and I would imagine sipping it throughout the day … fast forward a few weeks later … Now that same large coffee seems a tad small. I find myself looking behind the counter to see if they gave me the correct size. Sure thing, it is the largest coffee size available. Oh! I hope that it does not continue decreasing … spoken like a true addict

Here is an idea for airlines. Boarding Passes that use minimum ink.

More and more airlines these days require you to print your own boarding pass. And no, it’s not for our convenience but for the purpose of the airline saving some money. Since they have pushed that step of the boarding process onto the traveler here is a suggestion to make it easier, read less costly, for that same traveler.

Please create the boarding pass with minimum writing and no ads, fancy graphics or color at all. Just print the minimum information. Some airlines, like Virgin America print these huge red squares on their boarding passes requiring us to use up an ink cartridge to print two passes. Where is the environmental sense in this anyways. They are not the only culprits. Some companies make you print four pages for one simple boarding pass. I know for a fact that such technology exists to place multiple images on one piece of paper.

Why waste ink, paper and the traveler’s hard earned cash. Make it a bare bones printout … or even better let those that want it store the boarding pass info on their phone. No harm there … So there’s my million dollar suggestion …

I had no idea that elevatort at JFK Airport can get so busy

It was a Friday before the weekend, afternoon and we arrived to JFK all ready to spend a nice weekend in New York State. All we had to do was pick up our car at the rental area and be on our way. This included a ride in the elevator to the Airtrain. Well, that was not so easy. Many others had the same idea. Lines were enormous at each elevator, and the elevators were so tiny two passengers with carts/strollers could fit for the ride. Since all levels were busy it would take the elevator 10 minutes to return. Awful!!!!!!!!!!!! It took us over one and a half hours to get to the rental area … We had a baby with us and cart with bags and were not able to use the escalators. One piece of advice. Try to stay away from the elevators at JFK if you can at all! BTW, JetBlue was the airline.

OK, Here is another good bakery: Natas Pastries in Sherman Oaks

I got a few treats from Natas Pastries last week. Yum. They call themselves L.A.’s Portuguese Bakery. Cool. I really liked their specialty dessert, Nata, a flaky outer shell with creamy inside (custardy). Light and tasty. The only problem was that I could eat very many of these. Their light flavor and consistency makes it feel like you have had none, when actually you have already eaten five.

Here is their info:

Natas Pastries
13317 Ventura Blvd. #D
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
nataspastries.com

Le Pain Du Jour Take 2 : Awesome Croissants

I don’t stop by Le Pain Du Jour often because it is just out of the way for me. I was fortunate to be in the area early last week. It was around seven in the morning and the store was full of goodies. I loaded up on croissants, chocolate croissants and chocolate croissants with coconut … yum yum yum .. Love this place. Soooo good. We had a croissant left over until the next day and it warmed up perfectly inside the toaster oven. Delicious. I am sure there will be more and more of my takes, so to speak, on this bakery ….

Le Pain Du Jour Inc
828 Pico Blvd Ste 2
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 399-4870