Entries by Tom Bricker

Alcatraz Island Tour Review & Tips

Wondering if the Alcatraz Island Tour is worth it, or which tour of the former prison you should take during your San Francisco visit? This post provides info for getting tickets to visit Alcatraz, plus photos of the island, jail cells, and other random tips for making the most of your time on “The Rock.” […]

Nara Dreamland: Bizarro Disneyland – Nightmare Edition

Nara Dreamland is an abandoned theme park in Japan, which opened in 1961 and was inspired by Disneyland. Actually, inspired by is generous: it was a Disneyland rip-off. From Main Street to the Matterhorn to Sleeping Beauty Castle to the Jungle Cruise, it borrowed heavily from Disneyland. It was like a photo copy 100 times removed from […]

Reason 1,982 to Visit Canada: BeaverTails

A review of a fast food restaurant? Really digging the bottom of the barrel to invent reasons to visit Canada, eh? Oh no, this isn’t just a fast food restaurant. BeaverTails is an institution, serving the pastries of the gods. With its signature combination of fried rodent tail and sugary goodness, BeaverTails aren’t just a […]

Killer Sea Cave Shot or: Almost Being Killed in a Sea Cave

One of the many reasons why the California Republic is the greatest nation in the free world is its wonderfully diverse geography. I witnessed this firsthand a couple of weeks ago, shooting dawn and sunrise in the freezing temperatures of Yosemite National Park before finishing the day shooting sunset in 90-degree weather at El Matador State Beach in […]

Hearst Castle Tips & Review

Hearst Castle in San Simeon is a popular and easy stop on a California road trip up Pacific Coast Highway. Is it worth the time and money, though? In this post, we will consider those things, and I’ll offer some tips for visiting, along with some photos I took on our recent tour Grand Rooms Tour […]

Cabana Bay Beach Resort Photo Tour

Cabana Bay Beach Resort is the cheapest on-property hotel at Universal Orlando Resort, and is a great option for those looking to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. After spending the day enjoying Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, I recently wandered over to the Cabana Bay, which is about a 10 minute […]

Newport Beach’s Corona del Mar

Corona del Mar is an affluent area of Newport Beach, California. South of the main harbor, CdM has beautiful, jagged coastline that puts its beaches among the best in Southern California. A lot of the best coastline is difficult to access here, as there’s almost no public access between Crystal Cove and Little Corona Beach. […]