DisneyDaniel
07-17-2007, 12:34 PM
Since it's been about a year since I've posted on any Disney-related board, including my favorite one of all--Lounge of Tomorrow--I want to say "hello" to everyone again. I've missed you all so dearly in person and online.
I've basically vanished online for many months while partnering with a friend to open a new restaurant, continuing my regular job as journalist/photographer, working on special writing/photography projects, and traveling a LoT for work--and making partial vacation trips out of them, too.
After helping my friend start up his Asian restaurant called Bamboo Fusion in Escondido, California (Northern San Diego County) for the first year only, I finally have my life back--which also means catching up on my Disney life, too! I basically consulted my friend (first-time restaurant owner) on almost every aspect of starting and running a restaurant, wrote the menu, trained the staff, and managed several aspects of it when I was not traveling or working on other things.
In between all the various work-related projects, I traveled just about all four corners of the United States and parts in between. And if I was anywhere remotely close to Florida, I made an excuse to visit Walt Disney World, which happened three times within 14 months! WDW has grown on me, and I love that place, too--so I have a WDW Annual Pass now, and I will be there again in August 2007 for 10 days. Despite living in Southern California my whole life, and taking for granted that Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure is close by, trips to WDW--and other parts of the United States--are a wonderful treat to explore and experience new places.
In the future, I will most likely add some travel/destination related posts to the "Out on the Town" and "Jet Set" sections of LoT, but for now, here are a few random photos that happen to be on my computer at the moment. I hope to see you all real soon online and in person. Now, I'm heading off to Disneyland for its 52nd birthday!
Take care,
Daniel
This is one of the panoramic views from the Acoma Pueblo "Sky City" near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Indians have been living atop this 367-foot-high sandstone mesa (where I'm standing to take this photo) since the early ninth century, A.D. Built here for its strategic position, Acoma Pueblo may be the oldest continuously-inhabited village in the United States.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174039481-S.jpg
An ominous view at sunset of Catalina Island, located 22 miles off the coast of Long Beach in Southern California.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174039312-S.jpg
Upon seeing the Pavilion Lodge's retro-design on Catalina Island, I immediately thought of Lounge of Tomorrow!
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174039388-S.jpg
There are plenty of horses and open fields of "blue grass" in Lexington, Kentucky.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174039200-S.jpg
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. This is Lincoln's view looking toward the Washington Monument.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174061773-S.jpg
Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in Caesars Palace Las Vegas offers wonderful decor and fantastic food. Here are pictures of the colorful bar and dining room--with the open grill as the centerpiece of the restaurant's design. Food Network Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay visits this location every few months to check up on things.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174039004-S.jpg
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174038917-S.jpg
Same "Partners" statue, but a different castle at the end of Main Street at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The Hub perimeter, along with many other matters of space, is much bigger in Orlando than Anaheim.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174038516-S.jpg
Since I'm also a "space nut," visiting Cape Canaveral in Central Florida was a dream come true. Here I am outside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Also, for this trip, I was geeky enough to wear my baseball cap and T-shirt from the NASA-based TV drama "The Cape."
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174039249-S.jpg
The beautiful, waterfront skyline in Seattle, Washington.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174038781-S.jpg
Going on a trail ride in gorgeous Sundance, Utah.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174038602-S.jpg
Meeting Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter during the weekend leading up to the official opening of Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174038849-S.jpg
I've basically vanished online for many months while partnering with a friend to open a new restaurant, continuing my regular job as journalist/photographer, working on special writing/photography projects, and traveling a LoT for work--and making partial vacation trips out of them, too.
After helping my friend start up his Asian restaurant called Bamboo Fusion in Escondido, California (Northern San Diego County) for the first year only, I finally have my life back--which also means catching up on my Disney life, too! I basically consulted my friend (first-time restaurant owner) on almost every aspect of starting and running a restaurant, wrote the menu, trained the staff, and managed several aspects of it when I was not traveling or working on other things.
In between all the various work-related projects, I traveled just about all four corners of the United States and parts in between. And if I was anywhere remotely close to Florida, I made an excuse to visit Walt Disney World, which happened three times within 14 months! WDW has grown on me, and I love that place, too--so I have a WDW Annual Pass now, and I will be there again in August 2007 for 10 days. Despite living in Southern California my whole life, and taking for granted that Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure is close by, trips to WDW--and other parts of the United States--are a wonderful treat to explore and experience new places.
In the future, I will most likely add some travel/destination related posts to the "Out on the Town" and "Jet Set" sections of LoT, but for now, here are a few random photos that happen to be on my computer at the moment. I hope to see you all real soon online and in person. Now, I'm heading off to Disneyland for its 52nd birthday!
Take care,
Daniel
This is one of the panoramic views from the Acoma Pueblo "Sky City" near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Indians have been living atop this 367-foot-high sandstone mesa (where I'm standing to take this photo) since the early ninth century, A.D. Built here for its strategic position, Acoma Pueblo may be the oldest continuously-inhabited village in the United States.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174039481-S.jpg
An ominous view at sunset of Catalina Island, located 22 miles off the coast of Long Beach in Southern California.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174039312-S.jpg
Upon seeing the Pavilion Lodge's retro-design on Catalina Island, I immediately thought of Lounge of Tomorrow!
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174039388-S.jpg
There are plenty of horses and open fields of "blue grass" in Lexington, Kentucky.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174039200-S.jpg
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. This is Lincoln's view looking toward the Washington Monument.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174061773-S.jpg
Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in Caesars Palace Las Vegas offers wonderful decor and fantastic food. Here are pictures of the colorful bar and dining room--with the open grill as the centerpiece of the restaurant's design. Food Network Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay visits this location every few months to check up on things.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174039004-S.jpg
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174038917-S.jpg
Same "Partners" statue, but a different castle at the end of Main Street at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The Hub perimeter, along with many other matters of space, is much bigger in Orlando than Anaheim.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174038516-S.jpg
Since I'm also a "space nut," visiting Cape Canaveral in Central Florida was a dream come true. Here I am outside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Also, for this trip, I was geeky enough to wear my baseball cap and T-shirt from the NASA-based TV drama "The Cape."
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174039249-S.jpg
The beautiful, waterfront skyline in Seattle, Washington.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174038781-S.jpg
Going on a trail ride in gorgeous Sundance, Utah.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174038602-S.jpg
Meeting Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter during the weekend leading up to the official opening of Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/174038849-S.jpg