The beach city of Santa Monica, California with it’s average year round temperature of about 68 degrees Fahrenheit, good air quality, 245 acres of state beach, over 3,800 hotel rooms, numerous restaurants and abundant shopping is not only a destination for millions of Southern California day-trippers, it is also a popular destination for vactioners from all over the United States and the world.

The city is also home to the Santa Monica Pier, where you can fish day and night, watch the waves, view the wonders of the undersea world at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, dance under the stars to music from big name bands and musicians (summers, Thursday nights only), ride the Ferris wheel, ride a carousel horse or a roller coaster, dine in an ocean view restaurant, entertain yourself at an arcade, watch street performers, jugglers and roller bladers, and shop for souvenirs.

For shopping you can go to the Third Street Promenade, an outdoor, pedestrian-only shopping and entertainment destination where you can spend the whole day. There are more shops are on adjacent boulevards and neighboring 2nd and 4th street. You can also visit Santa Monica Place, a tri-level skylit galleria housing 570,000 square feet with 120 shops and eateries. There is more shopping on Pico Blvd., Montana Ave. and Main Street.

There are accomodations in every price range from inexpensive motels like the Travelodge Santa Monica on Pico Boulevard to luxury hotels like the Hotel Oceana Santa Monica, The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, Le Merigot, Shutters on the Beach and Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.

Dine in an inexpensive coffee shop, have a Fat Burger or some Mexican fast food or dine in more expensive restaurants like Melisse, Valentino, The Lobster, Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi, Josie, Chinois on Main, Rockenwagner Brasserie, Sam’s by the Beach, The Beach House, Drago and many more.

Check out the male and female weight lifters and body builders at Muscle Beach with it’s free weights, rings, parallel bars, balance bar, and other gymnastics apparatus. Play or watch people play chess at Chess Park with its 14 large tables with 4 chess boards per table and 10 small tables with 1 chess board per table. Go surfing in the Pier, Bay Street and Rose Ave. beach areas.

For more information about the city of Santa Monica, California see http://santamonica.usacitydirectories.com, a directory of links to city of Santa Monica, California guides and directories listing hotels, restaurants, attorneys, information, resources, services, things to do, places to go and more.

David G. Hallstrom, Sr. is a retired private investigator and is currently the publisher of several internet directories, including http://www.usacitydirectories.com a directory of national, state, county and city guides and directories listing local guides, directories, web sites and web pages providing resources, services and information about things to do and places to go.

Sound far fetched? Not really. Nude recreation is the fast growing segment of the travel industry. It is a booming travel niche with over $400 million in annual revenues according to USA Today newspaper. In a recent Roper poll, 25% of Americans have gone skinny dipping in mixed company. You may have too when you were younger. Recapture that feeling of fun and freedom from your youth by vacationing at a clothing optional resort.

Traditionally, Americans had to go to Europe or the Caribbean to find upscale topless or nude resorts. Most American places were old style rustic campgrounds like the nudist colony you saw in the old Pink Panther movie. However, in the last decade, the U.S. has passed the best that Europe and the Caribbean has to offer. No longer to you have to travel overseas to be pampered at a clothing optional resort as some of the best are right here in the USA.

Most American nudist resorts are still the typical weekend getaway located at rustic campgrounds and cater to families and all their kids. However, upscale resorts have blossomed in Palm Springs, CA and Florida in the last decade. Of these upscale resorts, most still cater to families and their kids. However, one very popular place is unique and caters just to couples on vacation. So leave the kids with the grandparents or babysitter. This place is located in Palm Springs, CA and it is always rated by as one of the top clothing optional resorts in the world, the best in the west, and the most mainstream nudist resort in America. Palm Springs is a beautiful city. http://palmsprings.com With its average 340 days of sunshine per year, it is the sunniest city in America. It has championship golf courses, casinos, shopping, theater, and the best nudist resort in America. What else could anyone ask for on a vacation?

Who goes nude sunbathing? Everyone! Even one of our founding father’s Ben Franklin was a big advocate of nude sunbathing. Resort goers average from their 20′s to 70′s in age. They are teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, movie stars, entrepreneurs, police, and firefighters. About the only thing Democrats and Republicans agree on at nude resorts is they both enjoy nude sunbathing. The reason repeat guests love nudist resorts so much is they were tired of the same old boring chain hotel vacations. They wanted something different, fun, and safe. Nude recreation is perfect. It is very romantic. It is a great way for couples to reconnect away for all the pressures and stresses of the work a day world.

So this Father’s Day, or any day for that matter, if you are looking for a new, fun vacation experience and a great present for Dad, contact a clothing optional resort. You will be glad that you did.

Tom and Mary Clare Mulhall own the popular Terra Cotta Inn Clothing Optional Resort and Spa in Palm Springs, CA. http://sunnyfun.com The Chicago Tribune newspaper has reported that their clothing optional resort is one of the 10 Best in the world. They are very mainstream and perfect for couples trying nude sunbathing for the first time.

San Francisco is the USA spirit as much as it is the opposite = people who love the USA as a tourist destination will love San Francisco, people who dislike the USA as a tourist destination will, yes you guessed right, love San Francisco just the same and this is because San Francisco is surely a unique place because it has it all, in terms of culture, fun, highrise buildings and small traditional houses, squares and avenues, hills and sea, yuppies and hippies, modern and old etc…

In two words San Francisco IS one big meltin’ pot of everything you would want from an international city and looks as much american as it does look european, but it does as well look very chinese, or thai, or well.. much more. The nice feel of San Francisco is the kind of feel of a place where everyone is welcome and things works just fine in any condition and in any manner: chic and stylish as well as alternative and anticonventional and you can experience it all in one go, what a deal!

From Beat Generation, Critical Mass, Gay Pride and North Beach to ‘super-technology-chic’, fashion, design as well as tradition. The city itself in its structure resemble this ‘mixed’ attitude and it is a mosaic of different tastes composed of Chinatown, Mission, Castro, SoMa, Haight-Ashbury, North Beach and much more to explore. With its 751.000 inhabitants is smaller than you might think, but surely looks bigger and has nothing less than New York City in terms of entertainment, things to see and do, latest trends, etc… It is in many ways the very soul of Californian style and its ‘plot’. It is somehow like reading a huge book from the index and we think you could easily think of it as a start and an end as well of the ‘big book of California’. Downtown streets rise on impossible gradients to reveal stunning views of the city, the bay and beyond and a taxi run is an experience itself.

San Francisco has for sure something magic and that is pretty clear as soon as you see the fog envelope the city in magical mist and the clouds embracing the Golden Gate. not to forget the incredible sea and all that it has to offer to visitors and locals and you should not miss a visit to Fisherman’s Wharf and the Marina. San Francisco is not generally considered to be cheap but yes you can find loads of offers in terms of hotels (including luxury discounted ones) and restaurants. It is suggested to book in advance since you can find real good hotel deals in hip hotels if you do so. Apart of lodging, in terms of well… food, there many many options that won’t kill your credit card and if you want to eat cheap we suggest you try some thai restaurants and of course chinese restaurants. Compared to many other US cities that require quite a big load of cash to enjoy, San Francisco often offer free live music and events and for $30 you can get a good night out (and remember to bring your id with you, because yes you’ll get ‘carded in many nightclubs, etc…).

If you’re up for a show check out the free weekly Bay Guardian, as well as the Sunday Chronicle ‘Pink Pages’ supplement. Of course if you’re up for a major event and/or you wish to experience something out of the ordinary we suggest you -again- book in advance. Bars: you mention it you have it, lots of bars, from trendy, to alternative, from family friendly to wild. In terms of classical music and opera San Francisco has not got an incredible reputation but local symphony, opera and ballet companies are as far as we experienced really good.

For a good comedy night go for: Bay Area Theatresports Bayfront Theatre, Bldg B, Third floor, Fort Mason Center (Marina Blvd at Buchanan St) tel 415/474-6776. An acting-based improv group that can be hilariously spontaneous. The majority of theater in downtown San Francisco are reasonably inexpensive and worth attending. We do think that San Francisco it is one great city and we hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.

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