10 Cool Things Along the I-10 Freeway

Before I jump into this list, let me first say that this is a list of cool attractions along the California portion of the I-10, which begins in Santa Monica and jumps the border into Arizona and continues eastward to Jacksonville, Florida.

1. Santa Monica beach – OK, yeah, it may see a bit obvious, but if you’re going to start at the beach, you might as well take the time to enjoy it. Granted, you can always detour and stroll through The Promenade or the Venice Boardwalk. Or grab a bite at the high-end James Beach on Venice Blvd. or Cha Cha Chicken on Ocean Ave. Back on the Beach Café on Entrada Drive is also worth a stop. (Food recommendations – fish tacos @ James Beach, jerk chicken enchiladas @ Cha Cha’s and Fred’s Salad @ Back on the Beach) Or, just take in the sunset. Just make sure you shake the sand out of your pockets before you hop in the car.

2. Giant Dinosaurs! – Near Cabazon, you’ll see a pair of giant dinosaurs made famous in the movie, “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.” The massive concrete structures are free to the public and include a gift shop, museum and a science center.

3. Joshua Tree National Park – At first glance, it may seem like a barren, boring landscape with limited vegetation, some cacti and a few towering mountains. But this park offers a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, climbing and horseback riding. ATV riding and dirt biking are prohibited.

4. Morongo Casino and Resort – The AAA Four-Diamond Award-winning casino/resort/hotel springs out of the hilly wilderness in the form of an off-white tower of temptation. Stop in, grab a bite at one of the seven restaurants, play some slots, poker or blackjack or even shack up for the night in a room. On-site spa, pool, concerts and clubs offer plenty of socializing opportunities.

5. Downtown L.A. – Since the traffic is often slow and congested in this part of the highway, you might as well detour to an off-ramp and check out the sights of Downtown Los Angeles. Non-event parking can range from $3 to $10 depending on where you park. Most of downtown is walk-able but there are plenty of taxis parked in front of the Convention Center off Figueroa St. Downtown is divided into five sections – the South Park area featuring the Convention Center, Staples Center and L.A. Live; the financial/business district which doesn’t really hold much touristy fascination; the Jewelry District along 6th St, the Flower and Garment Districts along 8th St. and finally the Warehouse District, which, again, I don’t know why you would want to visit. Smaller Asian communities surround the downtown area; Koreatown to the west, Chinatown to the northeast and Little Tokyo to the east. And of course, historic Olvera Street sandwiched between Chinatown and Little Tokyo.

6. Shield’s Date Farm – No this isn’t some new high-tech organic farm for the desperate and lonely in Indio. We’re talking about dates as in the nuts. Granted human dates can be crazy, you’ll be in heaven as you taste a freshly made Date Shake composed of ice cream and freshly picked date nuts. Let me move on before I get into anymore trouble.

7. East L.A. restaurants – Certainly East L.A. isn’t high on anybody’s vacation lists but the area boasts some of the best Mexican and Latin restaurants. Recommendations include El Tepeyac Café, Ciros, King Taco, La Parrilla and La Mascota Bakery. So what do you get when you go to these places? Huge, messy burritos are a trademark of El Tepeyac and none taste better than the Hollenbeck Burrito. One burrito feeds two… or one VERY hungry person. At Ciros, it’s all about the guacamole salsa and flautas while, despite its name, King Taco offers really good sopes. Skip the tiny, skimpy tacos and go for the Chile de Tomatillo sope. At La Parrilla, handmade tortillas are the big draw. While melted cheese on a handmade tortilla is appetizing enough, try the carne asada as well. Finally, La Mascota is the place for some tasty tamales.

8. Desert Hills Premium Outlets – Located in Cabazon, this sprawling outlet center has been routinely called the best designer outlet center in the state. Gucci, Coach, Armani, Nike and Yves Saint Laurent are some of the brand names among the 130 shops there. There’s also a food court, although the food isn’t all that spectacular. The croissants aren’t bad. Between this outlet center and Morongo, Cabazon is quite a money pit!

9. Palm Springs – Although technically not directly off the 10 (take the 111 South), the desert oasis is a recommended spring and fall time stop. If you’re brave enough, you can score some discounts on hotels during the blistering summer season. There are plenty of tours, ritzy restaurants and museums, but one of the more off-beat and consequently memorable attractions is something called, "The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies." This mixed bag of performance includes songs from the 40’s thru the 60’s as well as Vaudeville acts and guest performers.

10. Colorado River – Granted you can’t pull off to the side and snap pictures of the river as it runs along the California-Arizona border, but for a brief few seconds, you’ll get a slight thrill of driving over one of the most famous rivers in the U.S…. and hoping the desert gusts don’t blow your car into it.

I’m sure I’ve missed a few places and attractions along the ride, but that’s where you get to come in. Post your favorite places along this interstate highway. Restaurants, museums, odd-ball attractions, pretty much anything is fair game.

SoCal Cherry Blossom(less) Festival

It is perhaps one of the most ironic festivals in L.A.; a cherry blossom festival without any cherry blossoms. The annual event celebrating Japanese and Hawaiian culture takes place in Little Tokyo every April and features a variety of performances and vendors.

This year’s festival, administered under the guidance of the Pasadena Arts Council, honored Don Nakanishi Ph.D, Director and Professor Emeritus of Asian American Studies at UCLA with the George Kiriyama Educational Excellence Award. Other education awards were handed out to Southern California area teachers making a difference in their communities and school. The award ceremony was emceed by NBC’s Ted Chen.

But this festival is more than an awards ceremony. Singer/actress Gina Hiraizumi kicked off the festival with the National Anthem, followed by a traditional breaking of the sake barrel by distinguished guests, including Counsel General of Japan Junichi Ihara, Senator Daniel Inouye and Councilwoman Jan Perry.

Gina Hiraizumi poses for a picture with Miss Kimono L.A.

The festival is divided into various sections. The main stage featured performances by a ukelele orchestra, a kimono fashion show, a “Most Photogenic Dog” competition and two performances by Hiraizumi and her band.

Gina Hirazumi performs with her band and special guest Shaun Shimizu.

The Hawaiian section featured a series of hula dancers and Hawaiian musicans. On the J-Pop Stage, there was a cosplay competition (Japanese anime costume) and various anime cover bands. Along 1st Street and in a backlot adjacent to the J-Pop Stage, more than 100 vendors sold goods ranging from food to Japanese knick-knacks. And at the Martial Arts Stage, well, I think you can figure that one out for yourself.

Pamela Moss belts out a tune on the J-Pop Stage with her band Makenai.

Lane Nishikawa’s independent film, “Only the Brave,” screened at the East West Players Theater on San Pedro St. The harrowing tale of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team’s rescue of the 141st Texas Regiment won critical and audience praise throughout the festival. Screening attendees were given a special DVD offer and co-star Hiraizumi offered autographed copies of her swimsuit calendar with the purchase. The movie also stars Tamlyn Tomita, Jason Lee Scott and Pat Morita.

So despite the absence of cherry blossoms, the annual event (a precursor, if you will, to the larger Nisei Week events in August) was well received and a definite must-see attraction.