Chasing Clean Air

Clean Air Getaways

I write a lot. So I created a second blog Clean Air Getaways to focus on clean air destinations.

Chasing Clean Air will highlight clean air travels, too, but its categories go beyond clean air destinations to highlight important clean air information spiced with my personal takes on life. Not to mention, everything from health impacts of air pollution indoors and out, to companies greening the world and trying to fix environmental problems, to political opportunities to speak out for cleaner air.

It's a lot of clean air information for one place, therefore now there's two.

Please let me know what you think of Clean Air Getaways.

www.cleanairgetaways.wordpress.com if you'd like to bookmark or link to it.

Monterey's Clean Air & My Arrival

I love Monterey!

Update May 9, 2008:

Monterey and Santa Cruz were sprayed with aerial poisonous pesticides. Many people got sick, almost 700 dead or dying birds washed to shore. So until the governor cancels this atrocity, which I believe certain officials should go to jail for implementing, and implementing the spray without warning people like me, check to see if/when pesticide spray dates may be by clicking here. 

It's true I loved my visit, which happened to be right after spray dates, which I did not know about, and I did have negative health reactions. I'm still angry about this. Can you imagine, California government hurting its own people for a moth that hasn't damaged one crop.

Below was my take when I'd first arrived in Monterey in November 2007.

The Monterey Peninsula is #1 for clean air in California but did you know it's one of the cleanest counties in the United States?

Despite a few environmental problems, mostly from an army base, it's overall an environmental winner.

I could breathe very easily here. Air goes down smoothly.

Approaching Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf, I passed the beautiful Monterey Peninsula Community College tucked under trees, lucky students.

I once spent three months applying for college teaching positions. As a result, I interviewed at UC Santa Barbara but you need to be rich in order to teach there.

I enjoyed unexpectedly seeing this college, and my urge to teach rose again. I guest lectured several times in the Feature Story writing class at Cal State Fullerton, and loved it.

Will the welcome you to Monterey committee come to order?

Geese.

This was my Welcome to Monterey image, which put a big smile on my face, especially after that long drive up the 101.

Next I was greeted by a view of Monterey Bay, and beyond Seaside, a nearby community. 

I couldn't wait to check into my hotel, grab my camera to get the best light of the soon to be setting sun, and soak in Monterey.

The Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa at 400 Cannery Row is in the heart of colorful Monterey and offers a European look and soul. It's the only luxury resort on Monterey Bay and its elegant European architecture reminded me of Italy.

Charming.

The Monterey Plaza & Spa is in walking distance to the world renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, old sardine canning factories, which are now updated to accommodate jewelry, clothing, tourist shops, Starbucks, and fine and casual restaurants.

And it's where I enjoyed a wonderful 24 hour reprieve from normal life.

I drove up to The Monterey Plaza's wide entrance, and, no kidding, around seven wholesome-looking young men greeted me, Colgate white smiles.

Doors opened.

My trunk popped. 

"How may I assist you?" echoed into the driveway chamber.

I turned my head, unsure who to turn to first.

Him, him, or okay, him.

My car--poof!--vanished, my bags rolled into the European elegant well-lit entrance, and I followed, cameras and tripod in tow.

I've become a serious amateur photographer.

My room overlooked the Monterey Bay, and despite the fact it was inviting to hang out--a big comfy bed, bathtub, and relaxing view with the faint sounds of seal lions reminding me I'm far from Los Angeles--I had to get outside for the last of the sunlight.

Picture time!

I headed out from the multi-tiered European hotel with wow! panoramic views, and stopped for a photo in front of their dolphin fountain. A woman from Bulgaria told me she's a great photographer.  For half pictures.

Let's try again!

 

Tomorrow I'll share more of Monterey, including the Aquarium and Monarch Butterfly sanctuary in nearby Pacific Grove. And for future reference, I will also start posting new clean air destinations on the blog Clean Air Destinations.

The Greening of Education

What a great idea!

Greening a college campus, and educating up-coming adults in sustainable environmental practices by example.

Ohlone Community College in Fremont, California is building the first "green" community college in the nation.

Photovoltaic solar panels. Geothermal heating and cooling. High-efficiency lighting. Low water consumption. Use of recycled materials in buildings. All part of responsible environmental stewardship, which the school will teach as well.

I hope Ohlone is the first of many college campuses throughout the world to go green.

www.ohlone.edu

California leads with innovation again.

I planned to write about Monterey today, but the air quality is bad in Los Angeles, and I suffered with a headache most of the day. According to AQMD, it's a moderate smog day but my body doesn't buy it. The air quality is poor. Left over smoke from Malibu fires and dry winds mixed with normal toxic industrial and auto emissions. Aleve helps.

Santa Cruz Thanksgiving

I’m back from the Monterey Peninsula and Santa Cruz, areas known for clean air.

Look at that Santa Cruz skyline!

According to the American Lung Association's 2007 State of the Air Report, this area receives an A for ozone pollution and an A for particulate matter pollution, meaning virtually little to no air pollution.

One of the few clean air areas left in California. Though here, clean air rarely comes cheap. Beyond pristine Nature lay million dollar and up homes.

The area has gorgeous big green leaf trees, a pristine skyline as you see in above lighthouse photo, a famous boardwalk with rollercoaster, popular surfer spots, and UC Santa Cruz, which sits atop a hill overlooking the Pacific. UCSC has a dynamite theatre program. My mom, uncle, and her friend Barkley went to see The Princess and The Pea at UCSC, which I highly recommend for its costumes, humor, acting, singing, and that make-you-feel-good feeling.

Santa Cruz is ultra-liberal and generous with homeless, which means, homeless wander around an eclectic downtown. Santa Cruz retains a 1960s hippie, purple pink hair, body piercings and art, new music, and open-mindedness vibe that mixes with natural beauty.

Breathing air felt great.

Next I went to Pebble Beach where my friend Tom stayed at his soft-spoken mom’s house, beautifully located on the famous 17-mile drive, and they invited me to stay in their guest room for a night. They live on a road which winds through a Cypress grove, grand mansions, hotels, and along a wind-swept ocean front.

Tom took me sightseeing in Pebble Beach and Carmel. Here I am near The Lone Cypress, a famous landmark. And here's dogs "kissing" enroute to Carmel's white-sand beach.

Massive waves greeted us yesterday on the 17-mile drive, which gave me a natural energy high like I don’t recall getting in any other way.

Crashing waves against gravel, rock, and sand, beads of salt-water bouncing in the air, birds flying and diving, and singing their song.

Energy.

Energetic waves lifted me higher and higher. I was planning to leave the area but the ocean made me feel so good I decided to go to Point Lobos State Reserve, a living museum where land and surf converge.

I took a trail leading to an old whaling station, walking on a bluff above crashing waves, rocks, and water, an evergreen blue shade, with divers emerging in black wet suits.

At one point, no other people were on trail. Lions and tigers and bears, spiders, oh my! Where was I walking alone inches away from a cliff I wondered? I prefer to walk with a friend but alas... Oh good, I made a few friends on the way.

Here's a nice mom taking a walk with her son. He's only 24 and already has a Master's in Public Health and may soon get a PhD and help disadvantaged overseas. His mom is proud, and enjoys his company.

I drove back to Monterey, stopping for lunch near the Cannery, and hit the road at 2:00 p.m., making it back to Los Angeles at 7:30 p.m.

I thought I’d hit a lot of Sunday Thanksgiving traffic, but fortunately there was none.

The Malibu fire was contained, and unlike last month, there weren’t several fires burning out of control.

California is beautiful. Rolling brown hills, wind swept trees, horses, cows, farms, quaint towns along the ocean.

I enjoyed being alone with my thoughts, which now includes a love for the Monterey Peninsula.

I will return.

Tomorrow, I'll share photos and my wonderful experiences in Monterey.

Enroute to Monterey Peninsula

My first road trip in a long time. 

If you viewed a California Google map above the 101 North, you'd have seen my Lexus winding up hills, going through a mountain tunnel near Pismo Beach, careening past farms, cows grazing on brown hills, and in the center of it all, powered by $3.55 a gallon gasoline and a desire to explore, I headed for the Monterey Peninsula.

Tank tops, leggings, running shoes, boots, cashmere sweaters, three pairs of jeans, one dress, a North Face parka were in my evergreen suitcase, sitting in the trunk, next to my new Nikon D40 camera and Cannon HDV20 camcorder.

I wore grandma's diamond-studded gold ring to feel her love.

When I was growing up, I didn't know how much the ring she wore everyday, and the blankets she knit when we talked and laughed, would retain immense value, a value that appreciates each year.

Alone with my thoughts, I decided to clear my head of cobwebs and any unnecessary thinking, and in their place I'd put positive thoughts for the future, thoughts about what I'd create next.

I'd emerge from my trip, a new me. 

Instead, I sped and wondered about speed, and I wondered about the faster cars and SUVs on the road.

Apparently, on the Central California Coast, 70-80 miles per hour isn't fast enough.

Big behemouths sped and tailgated, making my blood pressure rise. In turn, I had to be quick with my thoughts. Quick with my pedal. 

I navigated, getting out of their way or speeding up. My leisurely, clear-the-cob-webs and discover-myself drive, truth be told, wasn't leisurely.

Yes, I had moments without lumber-jack large and greedy SUVs trying to run me down, and in those moments I found myself flipping open my mini-fits-in-my-purse Flip camcorder, which I love, and held it in front of me. Then I narrated what I was saw with commentary. And when I figure out how to show you my streaming video and consciousness, I will.    

I stopped in Santa Maria for lunch at Gold's Gym, and bought a brown tank top, which I don't need. But I like brown. Something new for me. I used to be a blue and pink loving person. Now brown and green are preferred.

Santa Maria is 90% Hispanic, many farm workers live there. Where would we be without the Mexicans? I don't get the politicians who won't give the already here illegals drivers licenses because they're here, helping our lives and economy.

When I stopped for gas near Salinas, I was surprised gas was more expensive than Los Angeles by 20 cents a gallon.

Salinas is near Monterey, and as I took the left turn toward the ocean, flat lettuce fields disappeared and hills rolled once again, trees popped, animals grazed, and with each approaching mile, wind-swept trees grew larger, and before I knew it, I arrived to Monterey.

More to come....