California’s second largest city – San Diego – is a feast for the eyes and offers something for everybody. Besides having an ideal climate, the City has done a wonderful job preserving its past and building some great, modern architecture.  So, he…

Hoffy Tours made its annual trek to that once stuffy town – Pasadena – to savor its craftsman bungalow legacy.  Our destination was Bungalow Heaven, a 1915 Historic Landmark District that once a year opens its homes to visitors.  What we saw …

I have lots of reasons for liking Mexico and Spanish –  a grandmother who was born in Mexico, an excellent Spanish teacher in high school (gracias, Senora Burr!), a year at the University of Madrid, a talented daughter living in Mexico City, …

As a tour guide, I’ve become increasingly aware of the many ethnic enclaves in the Southland.  As a kid, I remember visiting Chinatown for its toys or Olvera Street for its mexican jumping beans.  Now I go for different reasons, and I think t…

Los Angeles is much more than freeways, movie star mansions and beaches.  In fact, it’s home to 29 locally-designated historic districts!  Yes, you heard me – LA, “LaLa Land”, the City of the Future – takes its past seriously.  Starting …

SATURDAY MARCH 22 – 10 AM to 5 PM. Join Hoffy Tours on this brewfest classic! We will visit the best of northern San Diego county’s craft breweries: The Lost Abbey, Stone Brew Company, Ballast Point, and the Green Flash. A picnic lunch and plenty of snacks will be provided to help you absorb any excess alcohol! Trivia games, German drinking songs and prizes will be given. Experience one of the best craft brewery regions in the nation without worrying about driving. Sign up on the Hoffy Tours website: www.hoffytours.com. DEADLINE is March 11.

Double-decker bus tour at ModernismWeek is a good overview.Palm Springs is on a roll!  Whereas a decade ago, its main drag – Palm Canyon Drive – was full of underperforming store fronts, now it is brimming with pedestrians and pride. A key fa…

Aesthetics aren’t everything, but 2nd Streetand its Promenade are gorgeous.On a recent visit to Santa Ana’s Saturday night Artwalk, I realized that this is one of the few truly urban places in Orange County and an excellent case study of downtown revit…

VENTURA’S DOWNTOWN; A FINE ROLE MODELCities such as Ventura are creating distinctivecivic directional signs.Way to go downtown Ventura!  Every town deserves a nice Main Street, and Ventura has built a great one.  It has all the elements – wid…

One of the most fun aspects of being a tour guide is meeting people from all over the country and the world.   Ever since I started peddling my tours to the local hotels, I’ve had over 25 tours with guests from upstate New York, New Orleans, Louisiana; Arlington, Texas; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Memphis,  Tennessee; Palm Beach, Florida; Scottsdale, Arizona; Washington, DC; Portland, Maine; even London and Frankfurt.

My first clients!

With the Orange County Concierge Association in front of Disney Concert Hall.

Everyone has been so nice and the tours give me someone to talk to while my wife’s working.   Most out-of-state guests want to see Hollywood and Beverly Hills.   I warn them that Hollywood Boulevard and the Chinese Theatre are a bit like that bar scene in the first Star Wars movie, except on this planet you will be accosted by Spider Man, Wonder Woman, and Johnny Depp!  All my fancy academic degrees didn’t teach me much about The Pirates of the Caribbean!

Nothing like a little Shrek to liven up a tour!

French Canadiens soaking up February sun in Little Tokyo.

I never quite realized the power of media stardom or television since I’m not a big TV watcher.  Some are hoping for a movie star sighting or at least to stand where there favorite movie was filmed.    One client has been a life-long fan of the soap-opera General Hospital and and it’s been her lifetime goal to visit the studios where it was filmed (Prospect Studios, Silver Lake District).

Many guests visiting Orange County often have only one day to see LA, and it’s too overwhelming to rent a car and do it on their own.  That’s where I come in.  I’ve perfected the LA, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Fairfax District loop.  It’s amazing what you can see in one day and thank goodness for that I-Phone traffic ap – Sigalert.com!

So far there haven’t been too many mishaps, except when someone tried to run over my clients  in Beverly Hills when they were photographing the Witch’s House.  Or the couple who almost got their purse stolen at Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.

At the Santa Monica Pier

Photograph this at your          own risk!

Some folks just want to dip their toes in the Pacific Ocean and remark how incredibly beautiful the beaches in Orange County are.  I guess it takes an outsider to help you realize just how gorgeous our home is.  Others focus in on the landscaping, noticing plants, trees and cacti that are so different from where they live.

The best part is realizing that there are super nice people everywhere who want to see and learn about this crazy place we call southern California.