Hey Joe

The Price of Fame

Talk about shooting one's proverbial wad; three posts in one day? I know, it's crazy, but time and news wait for no man.

As you know I've been doing a bit of travel writing for UpTake. I say "a bit" because that's about all the time (and money) I have to travel.

Well today UpTake is running a post introducing yours truly (and a collection of other layabouts who are also trying to scrape together a few extra dollars by making up stuff reporting on some of their vacation adventures), so I encourage you to go check it out, and check out UpTake, and leave nice comments.

There's also an official press release, which by official means that they officially seem to have left out my name and photo. But feel free to check it out anyway.

On the Road in Big Sur - Part II

We greeted Saturday morning at the crack of 9:30, washed up and made the short walk up to the Lucia Lodge restaurant, closed to all at this hour except lodge guests. We toasted some bagels, grabbed coffee and fruit salad and a couple of hard boiled eggs and went out on the deck that overlooks the lodge grounds and the ocean. Mornings are always chilly in Big Sur, but with sweatshirts we were quite comfortable in shorts. The sun was already breaking through as we perused one of the free Big Sur Guide newspapers and contemplated how to spend the day.

Read the rest at UpTake

Miss Part 1? Read it here.

Northern California’s Foggy Bermuda Triangle

New post up at UpTake. Photos courtesy of Lisa.

Early last year my wife and I took a trip to Larkspur, CA.

Now I will admit, Larkspur was not necessarily top on our list of "Places We'd Like to Visit Before We Die," but at the time we were in possession of a $150 Marriott Hotels gift card and were in search of a local destination at which to cash it in. Much to my surprise, Marriott doesn't have much to offer that's off the beaten path, so in our quest for "exotic locals," Larkspur won out over Walnut Creek and San Jose.

Read the rest at UpTake.

For Sale: Memoirs of a Geisha

It’s OK, you’re amongst friends here. Go ahead, admit it. You’re curious. You’d like to know what it’s like to put on the kabuki-like make-up, twirl the colorful parasol, cover your mouth while you giggle demurely, all the while banging a middle aged, over-weight American tourist, sweating sake, three-sheets to the wind and ready to go sailing.

Well you don’t have to wait another day, because JALpak Discovery Tours is now offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, complete with grammatical errors.

“Create one of your life time memories of a geisha in ancient capital, Kyoto. Dressing like a geisha, acting like a geisha and feeling like a geisha.”

From 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM you will dress, act and feel just like a geisha or your money back! Tour highlights include:

Make-up, being dressed!
Your choice of four pictures selected from six poses taken outside!

Each geisha will receive a “free CD gift with your pictures,” compliments of JALpak.

Please note that “pick-up and return services are not available.” So after that fat American has fallen asleep on top of you and you’ve rifled through his wallet for cab fare, we’ll send the “Super Terrific Fun Bus” to pick you up. If you’ve been a good little geisha, we’ll even bind your feet!

Call JALpak and start creating your memoirs of being a geisha today! Don’t forget to check out our Sumo Wrestler Fantasy Camp!