I wish you were here

Little Arabia is a vibrant Middle Eastern enclave located primarily along Brookhurst Street in Anaheim, California. Renowned for its rich cultural tapestry and warm community spirit, this neighborhood offers an immersive experience in Middle Eastern traditions, flavors, and hospitality. From lively markets brimming with imported spices to mouthwatering restaurants serving dishes from across the Arab world, Little Arabia provides a welcoming atmosphere for first-time visitors and seasoned foodies alike.

Fort Walton Beach is a small beach town located on the Emerald Coast with beautiful silver sand beaches and emerald waters. It is a major tourist attraction and gets very busy during the summer months. 

If you plan to visit during those busy months, you need to make your reservations months ahead of time. 

The weather in the Emerald Coast is warm most of the year, with a few rare cold days during winter. The last time it snowed in this area was in 1977. 

While talking about Walton Beach, I am including Okaloosa Island, Ocean City, and Niceville because they are all interconnected.

The try-city area is surrounded by several Bayous, the Gulf of Mexico, lakes, creeks, and inland forests.  While staying in Fort Walton Beach, we enjoyed visits to the beach, parks, major attractions like the Gulfarium, hikes in the forest, and great dining experiences.

After two days in Luxor and after crossing the Esna Locks, we stopped at Edfu to visit the most well-preserved temple in Egypt, the Temple of Edfu.

This temple is near the cruise ship port, so we went on a horse carriage (locally called calèche) to reach this beautiful temple. When we reached it, we were greeted by hundreds of carriages lining up at the entrance.

The Temple of Horus at Edfu was built over a period of 180 years during the Ptolemaic Kingdom and is dedicated to the falcon god Horus. It is a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian architecture, and its walls are covered in intricate hieroglyphics and reliefs.

Portions of San Pedro are also known as “Los Angeles Waterfront” and “Port-o-call Village”. The town is part of the greater Los Angeles city and home to the Port of Los Angeles. 
This doesn’t make it sound like a major tourist destination, but it is a nice fun outlet for locals and visitors.

The Port-o-Call Village Plaza offers several Seafood restaurants, gift shops, a cruise ship terminal and the Battleship Iowa Museum. A cobblestone walkway connects the shops with nice views of the harbor and the Vincent Thomas Bridge connecting San Pedro to Terminal Island.

Metro Bike Share has a station next to the USS Iowa. You can pay and rent a bike for $3.5 per half hour or get a discounted rate if you buy a pass.

California Adventure opened its doors on February 8, 2001. It is a totally separate theme park from Disneyland, but they both reside within the Disney Resort complex.

The park started with five areas but was remodeled recently to include 7 distinct areas. Each area represents various aspects of California, its culture, landmarks and history. It is home to Disney’s only real rollercoaster, a must-see hang-glider ride, and a unique Ferris wheel. 

Visit Paradise Pier or Pacific Wharf to relive summer times at a California beach town. Or go to Hollywood Land for a look into how Disney movies are made or to rescue the Guardians of the Galaxy. And for a trip into California's wilderness, visit Grizzly Peak. Finally, for a thrilling race through Radiator Springs go to Cars Land.