In the mood for some good Asian Pacific Islander Food?

Whenever someone asks us what we love the most about living in San Diego, we always have to pause and think about it.  And no, it's not because we can't think of anything positive.  It's actually the opposite - there are so many things we love about America's Finest City!   From our weather to gorgeous beaches and year-round outdoor activities, it's hard to beat.

But one thing we absolutely do appreciate is the wide variety of ethnic food San Diego offers - especially when it comes to Asian and Pacific Islander dishes.  As an API, I'm always up for checking out the latest Japanese restaurant or Hawaiian Plate lunch cafe. Both my parents are from Hawaii so yes, I grew up eating "sticky white rice" with practically every meal.  As an adult, I've continued that tradition and I'm proud to say that even my husband has picked up the habit. That boy sure does love his rice with soy sauce.

I recently had the pleasure of emceeing the Asian Pacific American Coalition's Gala Awards Dinner and it was such an honor to be surrounded by fellow API business entrepreneurs. Not only did they have great business advice, they also shared some of their favorite Asian & Pacific Islander restaurants. So what are some of my favorite hangouts?  Well, for starters... you can't go wrong if you head to Kearny Mesa. Just on Convoy Street alone, there's more than a dozen simple but tasty and affordable Asian restaurants. Back in my TV News reporting days, I would always look for opportunities to sneak away for dinner to one of these "no frills" spots. Over the years, I worked at three TV stations in Kearny Mesa (Channel 8, 5 & 6) and they were all within striking distance of some fantastic Asian & Pacific Islander restaurants!  Pho Convoy Noodle House was a popular place as well as Tajima Ramen House and Jasmine Seafood Restaurant.

If I'm craving a Hawaiian Plate lunch, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue on Sports Arena Boulevard is the closest restaurant to our beach house. It's not a fancy place but the food is flavorful and it's not expensive.  We love the BBQ Chicken and Spam Musubi. Yum.

Of course, my favorite spot is the 99 Ranch Market on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.  That place has everything - from killer lunch time specials to unique jewelry, knick knacks and beautiful Asian Kitchen ware.  Whatever you want, they have it.   Wow, all this talk of food has made us hungry.  Bon Appetit!  

Happy Travels everyone!
Marc & Darlynne Menkin
Where You Want To Be Tours, Inc.
www.wheretours.com


*Want more?  Check out this fun travel & lifestyle video featuring Jeff Roberto's Sushi on   
  a Roll!     Click here to watch the video.

Giving Thanks by Giving Back

It's hard to believe but January is almost over. Wow, where does time go?  If this first month is any indication on how the next 11 months will progress, 2014 could be one fast year.  As our good friend Scott Milnes once told us, "Get ready for the ride of your life!"

Hmm. Scott may be onto something. Looking back on the past year, we have been on a wild and wonderful ride. Sometimes, it's hard to believe. Like many of our friends, we have so much to be grateful for. We live in beautiful San Diego, we run a cool tour company that we love and we're doing it together. We definitely are blessed and we don't take it for granted which is why we're big believers of "giving back."   To whom much is given, much will be required.

This year, we'll be giving back in a number of ways. For starters, we'll be offering complimentary walking tours of "hidden spots" to our military throughout 2014.  The first one will be a beach hike in the Ocean Beach/Point Loma area on Wednesday, February 26th from 12:15pm to 2:30pm. If you're into exploring cool, secret beaches... this is a great area. The ocean views are fantastic and it's a wonderful way to kick off the week and cure the Monday blues. We'll cover a lot of ground but not to worry, we go at a casual, comfortable pace. We selected this specific date because it'll be a low tide - a perfect day to take a walk on the beach!

Space is limited to just 15 guests so sign up now at tours@wheretours.com before it fills up. We'll email you the meeting location and directions after you RSVP.  As for what to bring? Your spirit of adventure, great attitude, a camera, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat and a good pair of sneakers is all you'll need!  If you wish, feel free to pack a snack and bottled water and we'll bring along our fun trivia questions with cool prize giveaways.

We hope you can join us.  To all our military men, women and families - thank you for serving our country!

Happy Travels!
Marc & Darlynne Menkin
Where You Want To Be Tours, Inc.
www.wheretours.com

Trolley Dances & the New Downtown Library kick off the weekend!

If you're looking for something fun to do, head Downtown. The weather will be nice and there's plenty of fun stuff happening!  

This weekend, two great events kick off - the New Library Opens in The East Village and our favorite Jean Isaacs' Trolley Dances Event will also make the scene. The super creative outdoor Trolley Dances takes place the next 2 weekends -  Sept 28th & 29th and Oct 5th and 6th.

Trolley Dances is one of those events we look forward to. Every year, it's held in a different location but when it's in OR near downtown, we really enjoy it, as we love the whole urban scene. Each year, Jean Isaacs and the Metropolitan Transit System choose a different stretch of the trolley line. Isaacs and guest choreographers create six brief dances to take place at OR near stops along that line. 

Our tip? Show up at the starting point for a tour. You buy your ticket and receive a badge that gives you a day pass on the trolley.  A tour guide leads your group to each performance site, taking you on and off the trolley for the trips in between. When your group arrives at a performance site, the dance begins. The performances make good use of the existing environment. Sometimes, the dancers will perform near unique public artworks or unusual buildings. One time, the performers danced in a swimming pool. (and they were fully clothed - it was awesome!)  The entire tour, including travel time, seeing the performances and returning to Downtown takes about two to 

two-and-a-half hours. 

This year's stops will include the new San Diego Central Library and the newly opened Monarch School for students impacted by homelessness. 

The adventure starts at the Northgate Market Plaza on 1950 Main Street, San Diego, Ca. 92113.  For more information, visit www.sandiegodancetheater.org  

You won't be disappointed!

Happy travels everyone,

Marc & Darlynne Menkin

Where You Want To Be Tours, Inc.

619.917.6037

www.wheretours.com

Fogo de Chão - A dining experience that's out of this world!

It's no secret that being a travel writer has many perks. Every week, there's always something going on whether it's attending a swanky new hotel opening, checking out an amusement park or riding the waves on the latest speed boat thrill ride.Yes, it's a tough job but someone's got to do it.

Just a few days ago, we got to check out a new Brazilian restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter.
Fogo de Chão on 6th Avenue was so much more than we expected.  As a matter of fact, we never experienced anything like it.  One word of warning: Arrive hungry.  If you're not a big eater, Fogo de Chão probably isn't for you.

Our journey started the moment we set foot inside the restaurant. The last time we were inside this building, it was Borders Bookstore - a place we visited often since we like to read. As we stepped inside, friendly looking waiters greeted us with champagne.  After we checked in, we were escorted to the bar where we quickly found ourselves sipping on their signature Brazilian caipirinha... a cool, refreshing drink perfect for a warm summer evening. It was the Grand Opening night so the place was crowded but the mood was happy and festive. Our waiter Reza Toliati asked if we had ever been to their restaurant and when we said no, he took us under his wing.  He explained how Fogo de Chão features continuous tableside service of fifteen signature cuts of beef, pork, lamb and chicken.  He also encouraged us to visit their gourmet salad and sides bar which had everything from rare and exotic vegetables to imported cheeses and fresh fruit.  Sidebar - if you're not a meat eater, you can easily fill up on their salad bar. It's quite extensive and it's good.

He then explained the importance of a small green and red-sided chip that was sitting on our table.  Reza said the chip was crucial because that's how guests control their service. He said if the green side was facing up, the Gaucho chefs would keep coming to your table with their skewers of sizzling meats.  If the red side was facing up, they knew to stop serving.  If at any point, you decided to resume service, all you had to do was flip the chip back to green.  It all sounded pretty simple but when the service actually began, it was a whole other game.  First of all, we were amazed how quickly the Gaucho chefs reacted.  The moment you flipped your chip to the green side, they were all over your table. At one point, we had two chefs circling our table, with their delicious looking skewers of meat. Talk about getting the full on royal service. 

As we sampled each meat, we couldn't decide which one was our favorite. From the tender filets to the pork loin and robust pork sausages, they were all outstanding.  The meals were complemented by traditional Brazilian side dishes like garlic mashed potatoes, caramelized bananas and their specialty cheese bread.  Tip: You'll be tempted to fill up on the bread - yes, it's THAT good but don't overdo it.

Fogo de Chão is also known for its killer desserts. Some of the dessert choices include South American Flan, Turtle Cheesecake and Molten Chocolate Cake.  We absolutely LOVE dessert but believe it or not, we didn't try any. Not that we didn't want to... we were too full from the delicious dinner.  But our friends gave the dessert menu a big thumbs up so we'll be back.  You can count on it.

Happy Travels everyone,

Marc & Darlynne Menkin

Where You Want To Be Tours, Inc.

www.wheretours.com

Join us for a Couples' Scavenger Hunt on August 24th

When we  first came up with the idea to launch our new Couples Scavenger Hunt, we had no idea where our journey would take us. As most of you know, we've been creating team building Scavenger Hunts for corporate groups for ten years now, and they're always so much fun. Over the years, we constantly saw how it did wonders for promoting positive employee relationships and it got us thinking - why wouldn't this formula work for couples? So, we talked to our good friend Scott Milnes who's a relationship coach and ta-da... our new Urban Challenge Scavenger Hunt for couples was born!

Since then, we've held three Couples themed Scavenger Hunts - the first one in Balboa Park, 

the second in La Jolla and the third in Encinitas. The couples who came out were a good mix - some had been married for more than 20 years while others had only been dating for less than a year. But they all had one thing in common - they wanted to have fun and they were filled with lots of good, positive energy so it made for a GREAT date night!

Our next big Couples themed Scavenger Hunt will be held Saturday, August 24th from 1pm to 4pm and our team is looking forward to it, for two reasons. 

First of all, we just created a BRAND NEW CLUE SHEET so we're super excited to unleash it. Also, this next one will be held in the Gaslamp Quarter and East Village so the tasks will take teams to some amazing spots like roof top lounges with gorgeous views, cool restaurants, hip hotels and plenty of secret San Diego spots! 

And don't worry, you won't be asked to do anything embarrassing or uncomfortable and yes, anyone can do it as we've carefully designed it to fit all fitness levels. Just like our private and public Scavenger Hunts, this new version is a ton of FUN but there is a twist. The tasks are designed specifically for couples!  When the hunt is over, we'll do our usual fun Awards Ceremony (complete with prizes) but participating couples will also receive a bonus take away - thanks to relationship coach Scott Milnes who will do a fun wrap up and offer some interesting insight on dating & marriage.

The August 24th Couples event is expected to fill up quickly. It's getting lots of attention as it's one of the fun activities being featured on a cool Details Matter App that's sending 30 parents on 30 different dates. Check us out - we're number #18 on the La Jolla Mom's blog. How cool is that? 

A special thanks to our friends at The Commons Bar on 4th and E -They are offering special Happy Hour pricing at our Awards Show. We hope you'll join us for a day of fun and ADVENTURE! And if you have any "couple" friends, bring them too.  Teams are made up of 8 people so you can make up your own team OR join others and make some new friends.  Your choice!

To buy tickets ONLINE, click HERE.

Enter Discount Code "HiddenSanDiego" to get the special $29 per person rate.

Happy Travels everyone,

Marc & Darlynne Menkin

Where You Want To Be Tours, Inc.

www.wheretours.com

Looking for a FUN Date Night? Try our NEW Couples Scavenger Hunt!

People always ask us what we love the most about our jobs. That's a tough question because there's so many things we absolutely adore about our company.  It's fun, creative and yes, we get to do it together!  But one thing we really like is our freedom to create and execute some really cool adventures.

Take for instance our latest creation with relationship expert Scott Milnes.  The idea of creating our  "Relationship Building Urban Challenge/Scavenger Hunt" came to us after our sales team noticed a flux of calls coming in - all from bridal parties requesting  "Marriage themed Scavenger Hunts."  At first, we didn't think much about it but later a light bulb went off and we realized "hey, there's something to this!" 

Then one day, we were talking to Scott about his relationship coaching business and how he enjoys helping couples, when the idea struck about teaming up and creating a fun "Couples Scavenger Hunt."  For ten years, we've been creating these fabulous Urban Challenge Scavenger Hunt competitions as a corporate team building event. Over and over, we saw how it did wonders for promoting positive employee relationships. Why wouldn't it work for couples, whether they're married, engaged or in a serious relationship?    So, starting next month, we'll be offering our new Relationship Building Urban Challenge/Scavenger Hunt!  

Just like our private and public Scavenger Hunts, this new version will also be a ton of FUN but there's a twist. The tasks are designed specifically for couples!  When the hunt is over, we'll do our usual fun Awards Ceremony (complete with prizes) but participating couples will also receive a bonus take away - thanks to relationship coach Scott Milnes who will do a fun wrap up and offer some interesting insight on marriage.

If you've been searching for a fun date night, we'd love for you to join us!  We're currently offering three dates - all in very cool locations - and all are expected to fill up quickly. 

The dates are:

Saturday, May 18th    4:15pm - 7:15pm    (Balboa Park)
Saturday, June 22nd   4:15pm - 7:15pm    (La Jolla)
Saturday, July 13th     4:15pm - 7:15pm    (Encinitas)

As anyone will tell you, we're always excited whenever we get to do a Scavenger Hunt. But we're especially looking forward to this one because it's all about couples and celebrating relationships. On a personal note, this October will mark our 23rd wedding anniversary. Over the years, we've learned a lot of lessons about marriage but for us, we find that laughter and having FUN is a key ingredient to having a great relationship.

We hope you'll join us for a day of fun and ADVENTURE! And if you have any "couple" friends, bring them too.

For more information, check out this link:  Couples Scavenger Hunt

Mention our Off the Beaten Path blog and you'll get a special discounted price!

Happy travels everyone,

Marc & Darlynne Menkin
Where You Want To Be Tours, Inc.
www.wheretours.com

Incorporating the Great Outdoors into your next meeting!

It's part of a growing trend we've noticed over the last year.  Instead of holding business meetings inside,  more companies are ditching conference rooms and heading outdoors. Some companies even take it one step further and look for ways to incorporate "movement" into their meetings.  The other day we were at a hotel, getting ready to meet with one of our clients when someone at the next table mentioned how their sales team conducts their once a month business meeting while taking a hike along the beach. As funny as that may sound, studies show that active employees who spend time outdoors are happier and more productive than those who sit inside all day.

As a tour company who promotes the great outdoors, we love this trend!  And now that the warmer months are here, why not incorporate a relaxing beach walk (or easy bike ride) into your next board meeting?  We do this with our own staff and find that some of our best ideas often come when we're outside, enjoying San Diego's awesome weather.

We've also created fun activities for groups who wanted to incorporate some type of exercise into their meeting. Keep in mind the activity doesn't have to be physically demanding. It can be a casual hike in the canyons or a super easy bike ride with regular stops every few minutes so employees can take notes if need be. The idea is to get employees out of the office and outside where they can enjoy our fantastic weather. 
If you can make that happen, you'll increase your team's productivity and probably put a smile on their faces!

Want more information on how you can incorporte movement into your next meeting?  Check out our website by clicking here.  You may also email us at tours@wheretours.com

Happy Travels everyone!
Marc & Darlynne Menkin
Where You Want To Be Tours, Inc.
www.wheretours.com