Balboa Island is the epitome of summer fun. Debbie planned a wonderful day for a group of fun loving women in mid July, and it was everything we all expected. We had done a similar trip several years ago, and liked it so much we decided to do it again. Eight of us drove to Balboa on a hot, sunny morning in July, for a day on an electric boat, with Captain Marie at the helm. She's an experienced sailor, so we were in good hands. Linda was our tour guide (she had a map with information on all the famous sights), and did a fine job, showing us where John Wayne, Buddy Epson and many other famous personalities either lived or kept their boats. We all brought a picnic lunch, but first we had to stop for a bag of cotton candy for our 1 1/2 hour boat ride. We had a relaxing time, but were disappointed that most of the animals we saw last time have vanished. We saw sea otters and lots of seals last time, and this time, we saw only one seal. Apparently the boat owners have found a way to discourage the seals from coming around, as they were climbing on the boats and literally destroying beautiful boats.
After the boat ride we walked the few blocks to the ocean. What a gorgeous sight. The water was turquoise, and the waves were huge (not good for boogie boarding) and created quite a splash as they crashed. It was quite a sight. As we walked to the pier, I noticed an enormous bus, painted with the words "Restaurant Express" on the side. I wanted to find out more, so I went to the bus driver to ask what was going on. The bus driver told me they were filming a new reality show called "Restaurant Express" with Robert Irvine, that will air in the fall. They were having some sort of cookout on the pier, and we wanted to go check it out. In case you're not a Food Network junkie, Robert Irvine is the star a show called "Restaurant Impossible," where he goes into restaurants that are failing and redoes the décor and menu and tries to get them back on road to success. He has made 130 episodes, and he now has a new project. He was so friendly and personable, talking to everyone, taking pictures with all of us and asking interesting questions. When I told him that I liked his show, his question to me was "What do you like about the show?" He really listened to my answer.
Anyway, there were about five contestants on the Balboa Pier, each with an individual kitchen, who had three hours to make a three course meal. They had to make a burger, something on a stick, and dessert. They were running around like crazy people trying to get their meals completed on time. Then, they would sell the food to patrons on the pier, including Robert, and the one that sold the least amount of food would be eliminated. It was very exciting to get a sneak peek at a show coming this fall, and to meet the star. The first episode will air on November 4, right after Robert's other show, Restaurant Impossible. I'm looking forward to the premiere.
Honestly, every time our group goes out for the day we find something out of the ordinary. Today it was Robert Irvine and the filming of his new show. Another time it was a famous old time opera singer in a neighborhood in Kensington. Who knows what we'll experience next, but with this great group of women, always looking for adventure, something wonderful is bound to happen.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Balboa Island In The Summertime
Balboa Island is the epitome of summer fun. Debbie planned a wonderful day for a group of fun loving women in mid July, and it was everything we all expected. We had done a similar trip several years ago, and liked it so much we decided to do it again. Eight of us drove to Balboa on a hot, sunny morning in July, for a day on an electric boat, with Captain Marie at the helm. She's an experienced sailor, so we were in good hands. Linda was our tour guide (she had a map with information on all the famous sights), and did a fine job, showing us where John Wayne, Buddy Epson and many other famous personalities either lived or kept their boats. We all brought a picnic lunch, but first we had to stop for a bag of cotton candy for our 1 1/2 hour boat ride. We had a relaxing time, but were disappointed that most of the animals we saw last time have vanished. We saw sea otters and lots of seals last time, and this time, we saw only one seal. Apparently the boat owners have found a way to discourage the seals from coming around, as they were climbing on the boats and literally destroying beautiful boats.
After the boat ride we walked the few blocks to the ocean. What a gorgeous sight. The water was turquoise, and the waves were huge (not good for boogie boarding) and created quite a splash as they crashed. It was quite a sight. As we walked to the pier, I noticed an enormous bus, painted with the words "Restaurant Express" on the side. I wanted to find out more, so I went to the bus driver to ask what was going on. The bus driver told me they were filming a new reality show called "Restaurant Express" with Robert Irvine, that will air in the fall. They were having some sort of cookout on the pier, and we wanted to go check it out. In case you're not a Food Network junkie, Robert Irvine is the star a show called "Restaurant Impossible," where he goes into restaurants that are failing and redoes the décor and menu and tries to get them back on road to success. He has made 130 episodes, and he now has a new project. He was so friendly and personable, talking to everyone, taking pictures with all of us and asking interesting questions. When I told him that I liked his show, his question to me was "What do you like about the show?" He really listened to my answer.
Anyway, there were about five contestants on the Balboa Pier, each with an individual kitchen, who had three hours to make a three course meal. They had to make a burger, something on a stick, and dessert. They were running around like crazy people trying to get their meals completed on time. Then, they would sell the food to patrons on the pier, including Robert, and the one that sold the least amount of food would be eliminated. It was very exciting to get a sneak peek at a show coming this fall, and to meet the star. The first episode will air on November 4, right after Robert's other show, Restaurant Impossible. I'm looking forward to the premiere.
Honestly, every time our group goes out for the day we find something out of the ordinary. Today it was Robert Irvine and the filming of his new show. Another time it was a famous old time opera singer in a neighborhood in Kensington. Who knows what we'll experience next, but with this great group of women, always looking for adventure, something wonderful is bound to happen.
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