California Roundup November 2012
Our guest post and monthly column comes from Howard Hian who was recently awarded a Gold Medal/First Place Award from the North American Travel Journalists Association’s annual international writing contest.
San Diego – The 4th. annual San Diego Beer Week festivities take place November 2 – 11. The focus is regional brewing and award-winning craft beers, pubs and restaurants.
Peter Pan, featuring Cathy Rigby, takes flight November 13 – 18 at the San Diego Civic Theatre. It’s a two time Emmy® Award winning and two time Tony Award® nominated production. The family-friendly adventure is a timeless tale for kids of all ages.
Take in the Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival, November 14 – 18. It features 200 wineries and breweries, as well as 70 of San Diego’s top chefs and best restaurants. It is Southern California’s largest epicurean celebration.
Sacramento – The Crocker Art Museum, established in 1885, was the first art museum in the Western U.S. Beginning November 10th. and running until February 3, 2013, the museum presents “American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell.” The exhibition, from the Norman Rockwell Museum, will feature more than 50 paintings and 323 original “Saturday Evening Post” covers. It is the first major Rockwell exhibit in California in ten years. Note: every third Sunday of the month is “Pay What You Wish Sunday.”
Auburn – The 19th annual Mountain Mandarin Festival celebrates the new crop of foothills-grown Mandarin oranges. It takes place November 16 – 18 and features a Mandarin recipe cooking contest, professional chef demonstrations, food, craft, a peel & eat competition, live music and entertainment. More than 200 vendors will be selling Mandarin scented lotions, soaps, and candles, along with artist-crafted jewelry, home accessories and holiday items. ThePlacerCounty event is at the Gold Country Fairgrounds.
Statewide – Visit California (formerly known as the California Travel & Tourism Commission) recently reported that travel and tourism expenditures total $102.3 billion annually in California. The tourism industry provides jobs for almost 900,000 Californians and generates $6.3 billion in state and local tax revenues. For a free California Official State Visitor’s Guide, log on to www.VisitCalifornia.com. Don’t miss Rob Lowe’s Official “Unofficial” California Tour Guide at the site.
Safe travels and enjoy the journey…
Howard Hian
Howard’s prize winning story, Houseboating with My Pirate Pals, was in the Intergenerational Travel category. In 2010 he also received a second place award in the Cancun International writers competition for his feature, Quintessential Quintana Roo. Hian was recently named as the San Diego Hotel Motel Association’s “Allied Member of the Year” for 2011 for his ongoing contributions to the city’s tourism industry through his travel writing.
Thanks to the various websites for information, photos, etc. Please check times, dates and prices, etc.