Jelly-Bean Dreamin’ of California

Hello it’s the Funny One here. Today’s state is California. In one picture, I’m with a famous actor who I think will one day win an Oscar. The other one is me and him in Berkeley. Come for the culture, stay for the food.

What is there to do in California? You can visit the Universal Studios in Hollywood and see where they make the movies. I can’t go on the tour as I’ll be busy filming for a Spielberg movie. Hehehehehe. Maybe, one day. Anyways, You can see where all the famous actors have left there handprints in the ground. There’s also the Hollywood Museum where you will see exhibits of authentic Hollywood memorabilia treasures and a special Walk of Fame exhibit.

There’s also the GRAMMY Museum which celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music. The GRAMMY Museum debuted a new exhibit to Michael Jackson on June 25, 2011, and it pays tribute to his life and legacy. The display is a follow-up to the Museum’s past exhibitions, Michael Jackson: HIStyle and Michael Jackson: A Musical Legacy. It is housed on the Museum’s third floor, which the launch of the new exhibit coinciding with the second anniversary of MJ’s death.

The Cartoon Art Museum; exhibits pieces that represent the history of modern development of cartoons, their creators, the designs, and also processes underlying the art forms of cartoons, comics, digital animation, illustration, and video games. The Museum also hosts dozens of events throughout the year, including book signings, creator appearances, lectures and workshops. They also offer a wide range of programs and classes in cartooning, illustration, and animation. That would be cool to do.

Let’s not forget the Golden Gate Bridge which is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, California. It’s has also been declared one of the modern Wonders Of The World by the American Society Of Civil Engineers. It’s also seen in the movie “Rise of The Planet Of The Apes.”

There’s Alcatraz prison; which once was home to some of America’s most notorious criminals. There were even the presence of infamous inmates like Al “Scarface” Capone, and the “Birdman” Robert Stroud. It operated there from 1934 to 1963. Even to this day, Alcatraz is best known as one of the world’s most legendary prisons. There was even a TV series about the prison. It’s a crime that they’re not doing a second series!

There’s also the Jelly Belly factory. There’s a 40-minute walking tour of the factory and a guide will show you where they cook up over 150 different sweet treats. Also, you’ll learn the secrets to how they create the legendary Jelly Belly jelly bean, and why it takes more than a week to make a single bean. Really? It must take forever to make a bag of them. I wonder if they still sell the Harry Potter jelly beans in America. They only sold them in Britain when the first movie was in the cinema. Mmmm jelly belly. http://jellybelly.com/

Now, on to places to stay. Why stay in a cliché hotel when you can stay at the Treebones Resort. “It’s a tent with all the comforts of a cabin. Sleep under the stars but in a bed.” http://treebonesresort.com/ 

 

Louisiana The Plot!

Hello, Funny One Here. Today’s state is Louisiana. There’s the Gators and Friends Alligator Park was started to increase awareness among the public about the different types of animals, their habitat, lifestyle, and survival techniques. You’ll find everything from Alligators to Zebras. There are also Cajun Critters Swamp Tour is a two-hour tour that is narrated by captain with Cajun legend and lore. Why not take a ride on the wild side. It sound like fun. It was also seen on the Oprah show. There’s the Yogie and Friends Exotic Cat Sanctuary is opened  to the public on a limited basis to reduce any stress on the animals. Most of their cats have come to them from cruel conditions and they do not want to add any more stress to their lives.  Opening to the public on a limited, educational basis gives them a way to financially support the animals. Not only do they provide them with a safe and permanent home, they provide them with regular vet care and attend to any medical needs. Some of these cats came from really horrible conditions and have ongoing medical issues. http://www.yogieandfriends.org/new/  The Global Wildlife Center is where  threatened and endangered wildlife, from around the world, live and thrive in a free-roaming natural environment. Get ready for a wild adventure! It’s the largest totally free-roaming wildlife preserve in America! They have over 4,000 exotic, endangered, and threatened animals from all over the world.

I drew three pictures for it. I’m at Cafe Degas. It’s a French bistro in New Orleans that is dedicated to the artist who was over there for a while. It looks good. I’d have the cheese selection. Mmmm cheese. http://www.cafedegas.com/ I’ll stick with food. There are some restaurants I wouldn’t mind going to. Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen is based on the designs of the original 1834 structure. It has more than 200 dining guests. There are  seasonal balcony dining, spacious dining rooms on both the first and second floors and a relaxed climate-controlled courtyard for dining al fresco. http://www.chefpaul.com/kpaul  The Ruffino’s Italian Restaurant, What do you get when you combine the talents of a former LSU lineman and a New Orleans-born Italian chef? Delicious Italian food. They even have my favorite wine, Chianti. Mmmmm Chianti. The menu looks amazing. They have la caprese salad, tomato vodka cream pasta, alfredo sauce pasta, sorbet, tiramisu and crème brûlée. http://www.ruffinosrestaurant.com, The Little Village started with a raid. Back in 1945, a young entrepreneur, Vince Distefano was running a card game called Georgia Skin out of a leased building on Florida Boulevard. The men played for horses. Vince’s wife, Stephanie, made good tips cooking for the crowd. There was a surprise morning visit from a local sheriff and the entire inhabitants  including the Distefanos were hauled off to jail. The sheriff was not above the occasional “unofficial” visit the Distefano establishment and offered some sage advice, Get out of town – at least outside the city limits. So the family bought a wooded seven-acre fishing camp on Airline Highway from the Catholic Church and built a new place beyond the long arm of the law. As the games’ participants grew and the cars parked out front increased, travelers often mistook the building for a restaurant. Eventually, the Distefanos decided they might as well feed all those hungry motorists and The Village restaurant was born. http://www.littlevillagebr.com/  The Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro has provided the best in live jazz & great regional cooking at reasonable prices for over 30 years. It’s located in three rooms of a renovated 1800’s storefront located in the Faubourg Mariginy, just outside the French Quarter. They have a dining room, a bar, and a music room. they also have Chianti. They also have salmon and tuna. Mmmm salmon and tuna.

Winnfield is considered the birthplace of politics and is home of the Louisiana Political Museum & Hall of Fame. It’s also the birthplace of three Louisiana Governors,  Huey P. Long, Earl K. Long, and O.K. Allen. http://www.lapoliticalmuseum.com/  There’s the Abita Mystery House is Louisiana’s Most Eccentric Attraction. You’ll see handmade folk art animated scenes of Southern life by Louisiana inventor and artist, John Preble.  There are over 50,000 found and recycled objects, there’s a Mardi Gras parade, a New Orleans jazz funeral, a rhythm and blues dance hall, a haunted Southern plantation and much more interesting things! Don’t forget to bring a sense of humor and an open mind. Sounds like fun. http://abitamysteryhouse.com/  They have a Mardi Gras festival in New Oreans. I drew myself at the festival. I’m wearing a peacock style bikini. It would be difficult to sit down in it as it has a big tail. There is also the Baton Rouge Blues Festival is one of the oldest blues festivals in America. This free festival offers a full range of popular southern cuisine. Go and relax in Baton Rouge for the weekend.

Tank You For The Free Cookies!

Hello, Funny One here. Today’s state is Virginia and the picture is of me at the Chrysler Museum of Art. There is an exhibition of the works of John Miller. He’s an artist that specializes in blown glass sculptures. They will be on display at the Chrysler Museum of Art in conjunction with his working visit to their Glass Studio. This exhibition of his work runs from July 5 – August 26. The food which I’m looking at in the drawing is actually one of his works!

I’m hungry now. Where are the good places to eat? Max & Erma’s, an American Restaurant has FREE COOKIES WEDNESDAYS! Go there on Wednesday and buy anything from the menu and you’ll get 2 FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES FREE! Mmmm Chocolate chip cookies. I’m on the next plane over. It’s ok if you don’t live in Virginia as Max & Erma have other branches in the following states: South Dakota, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. They also hold Max’s Happy Hour where you can get munchies for $5. Also there are delicious freebies every two weeks. http://www.maxandermas.com/ ; There’s Fellini’s restaurant which is perfect if you want delicious fresh food with so much flavor. They’re not frightened to use garlic or spices that people will remember and  I’m not afraid to try it. Can I have a Free meal there? The Greek pizza sounds delicious. It has fresh sautéed spinach, onions, tomatoes, black olives, mozzarella & feta cheese. Mmmm feta cheese. http://www.fellinisva.com/ordereze/default.aspx

The Hampton Roads Naval Museum is an official recognition museum which is an accredited museum operated by the United States Navy that celebrates the 236 years history of the navy in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. You’ll even see several artifacts from the cruiser CSS Florida and the sloop-of-war USS Cumberland.

The AAF Tank Museum is the place to check out some really cool tanks. Don’t forget to get a cool army t-shirt at the gift shop! ;The Virginia Museum of Transportation has one of the finest rail collections in all America. There are more than 50 exhibits providing a broad view of Virginia’s rich railway heritage. The most valuable exhibits are the internationally known  Norfolk & Western Class J-611 and the Class A-1218, the most modern steam locomotives ever built. Both of them are “products of the talent and skills of the Norfolk & Western personnel who designed and built these locomotives in the N & W’s own Roanoke Shops.” The Museum’s road exhibits present a history of transportation ranging from horse-drawn vehicles to modern high-powered cars and trucks. Did you know that in 2006, a severe storm blew off part of the museum’s roof, destroying the aviation gallery below? This gave the Museum an opportunity to rebuild the gallery from the ground up. Your financial contribution is needed to help complete the gallery and reopen this important resource.

Yo Ho Ho and a Box of Cookies!!!

Hello, Funny one here. My state for today is Maryland. I’m with an elephant at the Lexington Market. Join them for one of Baltimore’s most interesting traditions, “Lunch with the Elephants.” The elephants are greeted by many adoring fans, live music and circus clowns. When they arrive, they are treated to the world’s largest stand up vegetarian buffet. They eat 1100 oranges, 700 bananas, 1000 apples, 400 pears, 500 heads of lettuce and 500 carrots. Baltimore is the only city in the United States to host this event on a yearly basis.

What about places for people to eat? There’s some interesting restaurants to go and eat. Sabatino’s Italian restaurant. What would I order? For starters, fried mozzarella, garlic bread and  fresh mozzarella with tomatoes. For the main meal, a fettuccine alfredo which is homemade fettuccine noodles served in their famous butter, cream and cheese sauce.  And for dessert I would have the tiramisu. To drink, I would have Chianti. Another cool place is One-Eyed Mike which is a pirate themed restaurant. What would I order? The Baked Brie, which is warm baked brie topped with oven-roasted almonds and a raspberry Melba sauce and the pecan-encrusted salmon. It’s an eight ounce salmon filet encrusted with pecans and finished with a maple glaze, served over wild rice and the vegetable of the day. What would I drink? They don’t have Chianti, so I would probably have the Fourteen Hands Merlot. But being a pirate themed restaurant, maybe they should serve rum. Still on food, there is a shop that sells yummy cookies, “Bundles of Cookies”.  They even have yummy whoopie pies. Mmmmm whoopie pies.

Back to pirates, there is the Urban Pirates. They let you go on the pirate ship with your own grog and you can act like a pirate!  Also staying with boats, there is the “Historic Ships In Baltimore” The USS Torsk looks super cool! It’s one of two tench class submarines that are still located in the United States. It has the nickname “Galloping Ghost of the Japanese Coast.” In 1945, the Torsk made two war patrols off Japan, sinking one cargo vessel and two coastal defense frigates. The latter of these, torpedoed on 14 August 1945 and was the last enemy ship sunk by the U.S. Navy in World War II.

Other fun places to go are the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. It’s home to the nation’s largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the Universe. The National Museum of Civil War Medicine is where you can find out about what medicines they used during the Civil War. Plus there is The Fire Museum of Maryland, which is where they have the third largest collection on display of any fire museum in the world. Among the collection are 42 antique fire apparatus, memorabilia, fire-fighting equipment, models, and photographs.