As most of you know, my last great backpacking adventure was to South East Asia which included Vietnam. When I come back from these foreign adventures, I like to explore ethnic restaurants, neighborhoods, and market with my new found knowledge and appreciation of different cultures.

For years, driving along the San Diego Freeway (or the 405 as we call it), I would see an exit off ramp to Little Saigon in Westminster. I never really thought much about it except that it was probably like China Town but catered to the Vietnamese. Well, I decided to explore this ethnic neighborhood after my recent trip to Vietnam taking with me first hand knowledge of the country, the culture, the food.

Little Saigon is a vibrant community of Vietnamese culture located in Westminster, Orange County. Bounded by Westminster Ave. on the north, Euclid St. on the east, Edinger St. on the south, and Beach Blvd. to the west, it contains dozens of shops, salons, restaurants, and other businesses offering authentic Vietnamese goods and fabulous dining.

The best established and largest of the numerous Vietnamese communities in the United States, Little Saigon is less than five miles from other major Orange County attractions like Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm and offers an exotic alternative for travelers in search of something off the beaten path.

Westminster was once a predominantly white middle-class suburban city of Orange County with ample farmland, but the city later experienced a decline by the 1970s. Since 1978, the nucleus of Little Saigon has long been Bolsa Avenue, where early pioneers who were refugees after the fall of Saigon established businesses. Other new Vietnamese-American arrivals soon revitalized the area by opening their own businesses in old, formerly white-owned storefronts, and investors constructed large shopping centers containing a mix of businesses. The Vietnamese community and businesses later spread into adjacent Garden Grove, Anaheim and Santa Ana

The main focus of Little Saigon is the Bolsa Avenue center (where Asian Garden Mall and Little Saigon Plaza are considered the heart), which runs through Westminster and the street has been officially designated Little Saigon by the City Council of Westminster in the late 1980s.

It is lined with numerous huge shopping centers and strip malls. As with many other Vietnamese American communities, competing mom-and-pop restaurants that serve Vietnamese cuisine especially Pho are abundant. There are approximately 200 restaurants in the area of Little Saigon. In addition, there are quite a number of Vietnamese supermarkets, small Vietnamese delis and bakeries in Little Saigon specializing in French-style coffee and baguette sandwiches - indeed, a legacy of Vietnam's turbulent colonial past. Food and authentic Vietnamese cuisine remains the forefront of attractions amongst non-Vietnamese visiting Little Saigon.

The two-story enclosed Asian Garden Mall was developed by the well-known and influential Little Saigon founder and developer Frank Jao (an ethnic Chinese born in Haiphong,Vietnam). Asian Garden Mall was opened in 1987. Owing to its fame, it tends to have the highest costs of rent in Little Saigon. Jao also developed another heavily-frequented Vietnamese shopping center across the street, and this center once contained a long court of Confusious statues as motifs, but frequently vacant storefronts in the rear of the plaza were cleared to make way for housing developments. Today, a few of the original statues remain.

After doing a little research, my primary stop was the Asian Garden Mall which did indeed have numerous jewlers and jewlery stores. But intermixed were some interesting shops and food court with traditional Vietnamese Food. After a stroll around the mall I ventured further down Bolsa Ave admiring the architecture and all of the numerous Vietnamese shops and cafes. There was no shortage of places to eat!

One of my favorite things to visit when I travel are the markets! Even here, I wanted to visit the markets. There were two major supermarkets and both were similar and proved to be a treat. One was T & K Foods and the other was A Dong Supermarket. Both had every imaginable Asian Cooking incredient you could want from rice to rice paper, noodles to tea, and of course exotic fruit. My favorite part of the supermarket was the meat deparment where fresh fish laid out and every imaginable type of meat and meat part (chicken legs, from legs, tongue, ox tail). I felt like I was back in Vietnam!

After shopping around and enjoying the smells and sights of the markets I returend to the Asian Garden Mall for lunch. I figured with a food court serving only traditional Vietnamese Food I would find something to remind me of my trip. I settled on three spring rolls and huge bowl of Pho! I even ate it all with chopsticks. After being filled with both food and culture it was time to end my day.

So if you find yourself in Orange County which is likely with Knotts Berry Farm and Disneyland, and you want to treat yourself to an off the beaten path treat for a few hours, Little Saigon is the place to visit. After having visited Vietnam and now Little Saigon, I can say…you can visit Vietnam without leaving Orange County!

The weather simply doesn’t get better than it did today! It started off so foggy and then it was bright sun and 78 degrees! It was perfect. Of course it brought all the people out to the beach.

This week, I headed south to the Laguna Beach area. With this nice weather, I wasn’t brave enough to go to the heart of town but on the road between Irvine and Laguna Beach is the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

Nestled along the road in the hills of Laguna is the Pacific Marine Mammal Center which is a nonprofit organization staffed by dedicated volunteers and funded by donations. Its mission is to: rescue, medically treat and rehabilitate marine mammals that are stranded along Orange County, California beaches due to injury or illness; release healthy animals back to their natural habitat; and increase public awareness of the marine environment through education and research.

Unlike whales and dolphins, seals and sea lions don't have to remain in water in order to survive. The animals beach themselves to be warm and dry when feeling ill. They seek rest on land for a variety of reasons and are not always in need of intervention. The staff is trained to recognize animals suffering from infections, malnourishment, pneumonia, gill net strangulation, etc. which can harm an animal's chance for survival.

When a "patient" is admitted, the staff performs all necessary procedures under the direction and protocols set by the Animal Care Director and our Veterinary Medical Director. During the course of rehabilitation, animals require a variety of treatments such as administration of antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids, tube feeding, force feeding, wound care, etc. Most animals come in dehydrated and the most effective means to provide fluids and nourishment is through tube feeding. The process requires blending of fish, electrolytes, warm water, vitamins, and medication into a fish formula. This formula is fed to the animals by inserting a flexible tube into the stomach using large syringes. As soon as the animals are hydrated and stable, we wean them to eat whole fish.

Once an animal has gained an optimal weight and is competing for food, it's ready for release. Prior to release, each animal is tagged with an identification number. The color-coded tags indicate the animal has been rehabilitated and helps identify the specific animal and care center in case the animal needs care in the future. The team at Pacific Marine Mammal Center strive to return every one of our patients back to the wild once their care with us is complete.

There is an old barn converted into an education area where one can learn more about seal and sea lions as well as some of the dangers of our environment that lead the seals to getting sick. Some of the seal are victims of sea nets, litter, trash, and even human brutality.

Out back behind the barn are many swimming pools enclosed by cages which house the seals and sea lions. They are wonderful to watch, especially once they start feeling better!

The staff there were excellent and approachable and was told by one of the workers, “Sometimes the problem might be environmental: shark bites, naturally occurring outbreaks of viruses and diseases, or bad storm swells that wash sea lion pups off their nursery sites, called rookeries. Sometimes the problem is caused by people: animals come into the Center with fishing hooks stuck in their skin and mouths, entangled in fishing line and net or, in extreme cases, the animal may have been shot. However, more often we find a malnourished pup that is of a weaned age. Because they are malnourished, they are unable to successfully fight ailments such as respiratory infections or parasites.”

The program began nearly 40 years ago by a life guard who helped an sick sea lion along the shore. One thing led to another and the program has been growing since.

So if you find yourself in Laguna and want to go off the beaten path away from the beach, the crowds, the traffic and the lack of parking, head inland a way to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. The center is open everyday from 10 AM-4 PM and is free but donations are welcomed.

Well, my apologies for there being a lag in any trip of the weeks for the last 3 weeks! But due to inclement weather, my mom having total knee replacement surgery, work undergoing computer changes, other personal commitments and my own “bout” with the flu I have literally not had time to go out and explore our great world which has been driving me crazy. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to get out of the house and explore, learn, and grow from my trips and travels!

Now remember, while this website covers a wide range of travel destinations, it is Rhoades Less Traveled and showcases the sometimes less traveled and visited destinations. Thus, this weeks Trip of the Week takes us to Downey, California. Locals reading this are probably wondering what would take someone to Downey? And for those afar, they probably have never even heard of the city!

The City of Downey was named after Civil War governor John Gately Downey, although the city traces its roots to the days of Spanish rule when priests were building missions in California.

The piece of property that eventually would become the City of Downey, Rancho Santa Gertrudes,was sold to John Gately Downey and James McFarland in the 1850s.

Downey’s growth began, after World War II. At the end of the war, the city had about 32,000 residents. It incorporated in 1956 with a population of more than 89,000.

Perhaps the most famous residents of Downey were the Carpenters including Richard and Karen Carpenter who moved in 1963 from Connecticut to this Los Angeles Suburb and attended Downey High School. The Downey Library now contains the Carpenter Collection.

But my primary reason for visiting this Los Angeles Suburb has to do with food! Downey is home to the first and original Taco Bell Stand, Johnnie’s Broiler, and The Oldest Operating McDonalds.

The original Taco Bell stand was at 7112 Firestone Blvd. The building still stands but is now Seafood and Taco’s Raul. Taco Bell was founded at this spot by Glen Bell in 1962 as an alternate fast food to burgers and buns!

Just a few blocks down the street at 7447 Firestone Blvd stands the demolition ruins of Johnnie’s Broiler (featured in the Tina Turner Movie and numerous other commercial and movies). Johnnie’s Broiler was built in 1958 in the Googie style architecture and takes us back to a time like American Graffiti or Happy Day’s. A true architectural icon of American 1950’s culture. Johnnie’s Broiler (originally Harvey's Broiler) was a drive in restaurant and coffee shop. The drive in restaurant has been in movies and sitcoms as well as TV commercials and music videos. Johnie's was well known to Southern California locals, many of which drove miles to cruise through its massive lot. The restaurant was closed in 2001, and a used car dealership had since leased the property. Recently, the owners of Johnies started to illegally tear it down. Currently, the destruction of the building has been halted, with extreme damage to the building, though the sign is intact. Currently there is litigation to save what is left of the building and the original sign.

Continuing up Firestone Blvd and making a left on Paramount I came across the Rives Mansion one of the oldest surviging buildings in Downey. This was home to James C. Rives. James C. Rives (1898-1902) was born in Atlanta, Georgia and came to Los Angeles as a young child with his family in the late 1860s via oxcart. He dropped out of school at age 14 to help support his family following the death of his father, a pioneer doctor in Los Angeles. Rives never went to college and started a printing business at age 16. At 21 he owned and published the Downey Weekly Review newspaper, which he ran while studying law. He joined the bar at age 23, became a successful lawyer and served two terms as district attorney, from 1898 to 1902, before becoming a superior court judge for nearly two decades. Rives was a pioneer of Downey, where his mansion stands today, registered as an historical site.

My final stop and primary destination that precipitated this whole research and trip was at the corner of Florence and Lakewood Blvd…the oldest operating McDonald’s. Now whether you love or hate fast food, or you feel that McDonald’s emulates American Capitalism at its best (or worst), there is no denying that McDonald’s is truly and American icon and can be found just about everywhere in the world!

This particular McDonalds was the fourth one ever built, the oldest operating one still surviving, and was the only one never officially incorporated into the McDonald’s franchise chain!

This site is the oldest in the worldwide chain of 20,000 restaurants and the last one with red-and-white striped tile exterior. After opening in 1953, it immediately became the standard for the fast food franchises across the country. The building and its 60 foot high neon sign with "Speedee the Chef" are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

With low sales, damage from the 1994 Northridge Earthquake and the lack of a drive-up window and indoor seating, the restaurant was closed. However with both the public and preservationists demanding the restaurant be saved, McDonald's spent two years restoring the restaurant and reopened it. McDonald's reopened the facility as it was with walkup windows and outdoor seating. The revitalization also brought forth an addition housing a museum, and gift shop along with more outdoor seating.

Employees wear 50's style uniforms of paper hats, white shirts and bolo ties. The restaurant serves the original menu of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries and old-fashioned milkshakes. Also available are more recent McDonald's items such as Big Macs and Happy Meals.

It was a bit nostalgic for me as I remember when McDonald’s looked like that! In addition, the small museum contained items and free give aways from decades ago many of which we had when I was a child.

So this weeks trip to Downey, California takes us on a gastronomy tour of fast food and at nostalgic tour of suburban Los Angeles circa 1960, an era being lost to rebuilding and revitalization, and yet in some cases being preserved for history.

Well, I just returned from my longest cruise yet…8 days to the Mexican Riviera visitn the ports of Acapulco, Ixtapa/Zihuataneo, and Manzanillo. The first time I went for a cruise I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. I was afraid I was going to go stir crazy but I fell in love cruising with cruising. Don’t get me wrong, I love my adventurous backpacking trips, but backpacking is a lot of hard work and hardly a vacation. A cruise is total relaxation for me.   It’s the one getaway that is totally relaxing…I only have to unpack once, I know where I am sleeping, and there is unlimited food and I don’t have to worry about anything.  Plus, it is a nice way to travel with my mom.  It’s a few weeks late, but it was our Christmas/Holiday getaway. Since there is only mom and I left, rather than having a big holiday party, we have opted the last few years just to save our money and go somewhere for a few days, especially now that dad is gone.

One of the big differences this year, was rather than leaving out of the port of Long Beach we left out of the Port of San Diego which I found much more streamline and organized.

This cruise we took the Carnival Spirit. Carnival Spirit feels large, but not particularly crowded, and despite a plethora of rooms it's fairly easy to find your way around. It would be near to impossible to be bored on this vessel -- in fact, you'd have to make a big effort to hit all the bars and lounges.

The 1,300-seat, two-deck Empire dining room is done up in Napoleonic splendor, the ceiling domes painted with murals and hung with crystal chandeliers. Even the large portholes are trimmed in gold and the grand circular staircase decorated with a sculpture of Napoleon at his coronation. Flanking the entrances are pilasters in the form of female statues. You'll either love it or find it over the top (it grew on us). Two dinner seatings are featured. There are tables for two, four and six, and fewer than usual for eight or more (intimacy was obviously the goal here). The food was good to excellent and service was friendly, although not necessarily sharp.

The two-level La Playa Grill is a casual alternative for buffet-style breakfasts and lunches. The international food station at lunch features a different cuisine each day including Japanese and Indian, and there's also a daily deli station and rotisserie; breakfast includes a made-to-order omelet station. At night, the offering is a no-fee Seaview Bistro, perfect for those who want a quick bite without the formality of the dining room. The pizzeria is open 24 hours a day (and the Caesar salad here is excellent). For late-night munchies there is the midnight buffet, and complimentary 24-hour room service is also available (from a limited menu).

Carnival Spirit's Artists Lobby is the main hub of the vessel, decorated in Art Deco style with lots of color, gigantic murals of soaring spirits and famous art icons (a little Monet here, a little Gauguin there), rich wood, dark antique copper accents, two grand staircases, a bar with a dance floor, and the information and tour desks.

From there, walking from one public room to another feels a bit like going on a trip around the world. Egypt is in the show lounge. England is in the Chippendale Library, which features a mural of an English garden overlooking a traditional secretary and bookcases mounted on desks that hold 12 computer terminals offering Internet access. France is in the Empire Room, and China is in the Shanghai Bar -- the ship's piano bar, done in a "Chinoise" style with walls covered in Chinese fabric and silk screens illuminated from behind.

With most of the public spaces located on two lower decks, passenger flow is excellent -- the public rooms are connected by a two-level promenade with a grand staircase leading from one level to the other.

About 80 percent of the cabins are outside, and of those, 80 percent (624 cabins) offer balconies and a sitting area. All cabins feature attractive decor in pleasant, if a bit bland, earth tones; twin beds that convert to a king; color televisions showing first-run movies, safe, a separate vanity area, a hairdryer and a phone.

The three-level Pharaoh's Palace, decorated with hieroglyphics, 20-ft. tall stone figures and sarcophagi inspired by the golden one of King Tut, sets the scene for Vegas-style revues. Seating is in comfortable high-back theater chairs.

The joint is also jumping at the Louis XIV Casino featuring 220 slots and tables for roulette/dice (1), blackjack (10) and poker (2). There are sing-alongs in the Shanghai Piano Bar, smooth jazz in Club Cool and disco in Dancin' (a two-tiered dance club with a two-story 20-by-20-ft. video wall with 48-inch monitors). The Champions sports bar offers big-screen televisions for catching the big games.

The Grecian-inspired, Steiner-operated Nautica Spa incorporates Doric columns and hand-painted murals featuring a Greek vase motif and depictions of Olympic events. The two-level, 13,700-square-ft. oceanview facility, located forward on Decks 9 and 10, offers sauna, steam, beauty salon, one whirlpool (within the gym; there are four others aboard) and 10 treatment rooms for European-style therapies including Aroma Stone (using heated, scented oils and warm basalt stones). The decently sized aerobics room is mirrored so you can watch yourself sweat, and the gym, one of our favorites at sea, features a tiered design so from every piece of equipment you get ocean views.

The equipment includes 10 Quinton treadmills, 4 Stairmaster stair climbers, an assortment of Life Fitness cycles and elliptical machines, Keiser progressive resistance machines, and free weights. There's a jogging track (15 times around equals a mile) and three swimming pools, one of which is covered by a retractable dome for all-weather use (key in Alaska where it can be chilly). Kids get a separate splash pool and the young -- and young at heart -- can enjoy a spiral water slide. The ship offers a lot of open deck space for outdoor sunning as well.

So that is the cruise ship in a nutshell with plenty of activites. But of course my favorite thing are the Ports Of Call! Our first stop was Acapulco.

Acapulco:

Acapulco is a tourist resort abundantly favored by nature. It faces the Pacific Ocean with two splendid bays that possess natural coves, steep cliffs and warm beaches. Acapulco was an old place long before being discovered by the Aztec Indians. Early remains, left behind by seaside residents, date around 2500 BC. By the 1930's, the city was still in an infant stage. Tour guides listed it as a "sleepy fishing village". There were only two ways of getting to Acapulco then. One by freighter ship and the other by automobile, driving the dry river bed from Mexico City. In the village were cottages to rent, a gas station, an American Express office, and fishing boats.

A small airport opened, west of the city in the late 40's. Prop planes landed and took off from the beach. If there was a sandstorm both arrival and take-offs were delayed. With the advent of jet engines, a new airport was built east of Acapulco between Tres Lagos and the Pacific Ocean. This sleepy fishing village became a haven for "Jetsetters" and "Hollywoodites"! Many of them built summer homes in the mountains overlooking the bays. Ironical to build a summer home in a place where daily temperature 352 days a year, averages 85 degrees!

By the mid 70's, Acapulco became a port-of-call for cruise ships. It wasn't unusual to see 2-5 ships anchored in the harbour during the winter season. Passengers tendered to a small dock. Now, with a newly built terminal building and a pier long enough to berth two ships, Acapulco is a year-round cruise destination. This pier is located in the downtown area of the city across the street from both the Zocalo (city square) and the Fort of San Diego. The fort was built in 1565 and has been revitalized into a superb historical museum.

Probably, without a doubt, the busiest tourist attraction, in the city, is the La Perla Divers at La Quebrada. In a natural cove, shaped by sheer cliffs, daring natives show the audience the ability of their dangerous profession. The cliff divers are
less than 10 minutes by taxi from the terminal and perform everyday from noon until midnight.

If you are a shopper, the flea markets are a must. You won't walk more than a block in any direction without seeing a typical Mexican one. Do bargain with the vendors. It's the name of the game!

Then there's the chapel at Las Brisas. The cross holds court over the city and the views from here are spectacular. This is a gated area, so to reach the chapel and the cross, one must hire a taxi or a guide.

Walking distance from the cruise terminal are glass-bottom boats sailing to Roquetta Island. This island, across from Caleta Beach was a leper colony. Now it hosts a sandy beach, a small zoo and beer-drinking donkeys! To get there, turn left from the cruise terminal and walk past the fishing boats to Caleta Beach There will be booths selling tickets to ride the boats. These boats sail back and forth from dawn to dusk. The captain will give a running commentary on the sunken shrine of Our Lady of Guadelope and the fish you are looking at through the glass bottom.

And last, but not least, if you want to see Acapulco from a bus window, without any commentary, board a city bus parked close to the pier. Unless you are adventuresome, take the air-conditioned bus with the plush seats. It will cost one-peso-more than the others, but well worth it. Ride the bus to the end of the line. You'll be on the bay of Puerto Marques. Re-pay and ride the bus to the other end to Caleta Beach and walk to the ship. If you want commentary on the ride then hop on a trolley. They ply the costera, the main street of Acapulco. These are the best ways to see the city-by-the-bay with the most perfect weather in the world!

After a whirlwind tour of Acapulco, the next morning we awoke off shore of Zihuataneo. Zihuatanejo is a tender port meaning the cruise ships do not dock at a pier but out in the harbor and one must take a tender boat to shore.

Zihuatanejo has grown from a sleepy little fishing village into medium sized city, but has retained its traditional Mexican culture and beauty. Proud of its heritage, Zihuatanejo is favored by those wanting a traditional Mexican environment, wonderful beaches and traditional restaurants and shopping.

Ixtapa, the sister city of Zihuatanejo is located about 5 kilometers north of Zihuatanejo and is about as different in every way as it can be. Ixtapa was created by the Mexican government to lure tourist to the west coast of Mexico much the same way as Cancun was created to create a tourist Mecca in the Caribbean. Most of the employees of the many hotels that make up Ixtapa live in Zihuatanejo. There is no real town in Ixtapa, just one huge hotel next to another for miles. Ixtapa's new convention center is located right in the center of the hotels and promises more growth for tourism to the area.

In Zihuatanejo, after exploring the port area and flea market, there are several great beaches to visit. The closest beach to the tender wharf is the Paseo del Pescadore, or Fisherman's Walk along Municipal Beach. Here you can arrange for a fishing trip or check out the local catch of the day being offered by the local fisherman. There are several excellent seafood restaurants fronting this tree lined walkway. One of the main beaches in downtown Zihuatanejo is Playa Las Ropa. This beach offers excellent swimming opportunities and is populated with wonderful palapa seafood restaurants to enjoy.

Manzanillo

The third day was a stop in the port of Manzanillo which often gets a bad rap as being to industrial and nothing really spectacular to see. I enjoyed the laid back vibe of this port.

Manzanillo, dating back to 1527, is Mexico's largest port city on the west coast of Mexico. It is made up of two large bays, Manzanillo Bay and Santiago Bay which offer good beaches and lots of ocean oriented activities

The ship docks in the Port of Manzanillo and is surrounded by the commercial activity one would expect to find in the largest port on Mexico's west cost. There are many containers in transit and the port facility is quite large. There are taxis available close to the ship and a bus transfer to the center of town for a round trip fee of $3.00. There is not much to see within walking distance of the ship, so you should plan on either taking a ship's shore excursion (recommended) or negotiating for a taxi which cost $5 to get into town.

Hernan Cortes and his minions, in search of Chinese treasure in the Pacific, were among the first to visit the area now known as Manzanillo. In 1522, Gonzalo de Sandoval, under orders from Cortes, dropped anchor in the Bay of Salagua (north of Manzanillo Bay), looking for safe harbors and good shipbuilding sites.

Manzanillo was discovered in 1527 by navigator Alvaro de Saavedra, naming it Santiago de la Buena Esperanza, or Santiago's Bay of Good Hope. It became a departure point for important expeditions. Cortes visited the bay twice to protect his galleons from Portuguese pirates. Over the next 300 years, the Pacific Coast’s history is filled with accounts of pirates from Portugal, England, France and even Spain assaulting, looting and burning ships for their rich cargos.

IN 1825 the port of Manzanillo opened, so named because of the abundant groves of manzanillo trees that were used extensively in the early days of shipbuilding. It was raised to the status of a city on June 15, 1873. The railroad to Colima was completed in 1889, and other amenities, such as electricity and potable water soon followed. In 1908, President Porfirio Dias inaugurated the railway linkage with Guadalajara, and designated Manzanillo as an official port of entry. It was the state capital from February 20 to March 1, 1915, while Pancho Villa’s troops were threatening to capture the city of Colima

In recent times, the harbor was modernized and deepened, allowing access to all major shipping lines around the world. As the largest port on the western coast of Mexico, it can admit ships of more than 30,000 tons. Once away from the dock the town boast a quaint town square with numerous shops and cafes.

The last two days were at sea sailing back to San Diego which included numerous on board activities and the ever famous buffets of food.

So now it is back to reality and back to work. I have no big trips planned yet but will begin planning this years destinations along with another cruise. I am hoping this time to make it to Hawaii, Alaska or the Carribean since the previous four cruises have been to Mexico, I think it’s time to expand my horizons!