San Francisco, California

The first time I visited San Francisco I was bowled over. This was the centre of the '60s counter culture, flower power and anti-war demonstrations. Then there were the TV series and the enthralling movies set in Frisco: the Streets of San Francisco with Michael Douglas, Dirty Harry with Clint Eastwood, Hitchcock's Vertigo, and McQueen's legendary car chase through the city in Bullet. I first visited with three Irish friends, Mary and Aidan who had lived in the Bay area for several years and had a good working knowledge of the city, and Carmel. We travelled from Fremont on the Bart. I always remember standing on the escalator as we moved towards the underground exit at Market Street in downtown San Francisco, and being assailed by towering skyscrapers in every shape and style. What a dramatic introduction to one of the most famous cities in the world!

That first afternoon was action-packed. We took a cable car to Pacific Heights, and gazed out over the city and ocean below. Of course there was the shadow of the Golden Gate looming over my imagination, and I just had to take a boat trip, to glide under this queen of bridges, and then skirt the infamous island of Alcatraz. We had lunch at Fisherman's Wharf, a huge conglomeration of gift stores and cafes. Just across from here is Ghirardelli Square, named after the famous chocolatier who arrived in San Francisco in the great gold-rush era of the 1850s. It is now an exclusive shopping district. More in our league was Chinatown, the largest Chinese neighbourhood outside of Asia. The streets were alive with amazing stores selling all kinds of herbs, food, jewellery and colourful banners with intricate Chinese calligraphy, and beautifully decorated gift items.

Later when I returned to California I spent a day just getting familiar with some of the streets in downtown San Francisco. It was a real treat to sip coffee in Starbucks in Market Street early on Friday morning, and just gaze out the window as hoards of people hurried to work. San Francisco is a major financial center and many banks and businesses have their headquarters here. There are also many computer firms located here, so it's quite a bustling city. It would be great to work here for a while to experience the buzz of being part of this lively cosmopolitan city. The nearest I've got so far is working on a contract in South San Francisco, but that was miles from the real action downtown.

I once walked about four miles on a rather warm day from Market Street to the Haight-Ashbury area. This area was the centre of counter culture in the '60s, where students, artists, musicians and nonconformists moved in to old Victorian houses, ushering in the hippie phase. Groups like The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane hung out here, and played at the famous Fillmore concert venue just around the corner. The era of rock music and pot, incense and pop art, eastern meditation and anti-Vietnam demonstrations was short lived. Today Haight-Ashbury is a paradise for collectors of old memorabilia. The stores are stacked with tie-dyed dresses, posters, jewellery and CDs, all reminiscent of that colourful decade. It's also a great place to get a wonderful sandwich, any amount or variety of vegetarian fare, and lots of good tasting coffee.

Probably the best vegetarian restaurant I've ever eaten in is Greens, at Fort Mason, overlooking the Bay, where all the food is organically grown. One cold rainy February evening Bob brought me there for a birthday treat. The hot, spicy soup was wonderful; the plates of gorgonzola cream, walnut and basil pasta, and curried vegetables were divine. Then coffee, followed by a chocolate hazelnut mouse dessert. Dinner was expensive, but the flavour and quality of the food, the glittering view of the Golden Gate, and the general ambience of the place, was well worth it.

My friend, Mary, once took me on a day's outing to some interesting spots on the outskirts of the city. In the morning we went for a hike in Muir Woods, home of some magnificent redwoods. Then we drove to Golden Gate Park where we had a magnificent view of the famous bridge. It was foggy as it often is in San Francisco. We drove to the Cliff House for lunch, which is at the Northwest corner of San Francisco and offers some fantastic views of the coast. A restaurant has been located on this spot since 1863, and the present establishment is full of décor and memorabilia from Victorian times.

There's nothing I love more than to browse around downtown, admiring the diverse architecture that gives San Francisco a richness and colour that few cities can match. After the giant earthquake in 1906 the city was largely rebuilt in the ornate art nouveau style. Then there are the decorative art deco buildings built from the 1930s. The real charm of the city is a blend of many styles and eras, from modern marvels, like the Transamerica building, to old surviving Victorian houses dating back to the late 1800s. One of my favourite buildings is City Hall, with its glorious doom, located at Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place. I also love the Legion of Honor art gallery, with its great Rodin collection, that sits overlooking Golden Gate Park.

When my nephew, Michael, visited in the autumn I brought him to Equinox, the revolving restaurant on top of the Hyatt Hotel in Market Street. From this vantage point there are some great views of the city and bay, particularly Bay Bridge. Here you can survey the skyscrapers and look down upon the busy streets while sitting in the lap of luxury, sipping coffee and eating chocolate fudge ice cream.

This is certainly a marvellous city. I always love the buzz of exploring its unique streets, admiring its assortment of buildings, and browsing in its stylish stores. Supposedly San Francisco is the most visited city in the US. It is well worth visiting many times over.

Santa Cruz, California

More than any other place in California, Santa Cruz has become the town where I feel most at home. This is the way I always imagined California to be, full of colourful 'arty' ethnic stores; wonderful bookshops; students and musicians frequenting the bustling coffee shops; petitions to be signed against war, the inhumane treatment of animals and other red-hot topics; a sense of openness and freedom in dress, attitude and conversation. And just around the corner, all this is topped off with fabulous redwood forests, spectacular mountains, and the most magnificent sandy beaches that stretch for miles along the coast.

Bob first brought me to Santa Cruz one rainy day in October when we'd known each other all of eight days. I was enchanted on that first day, driving through the rain-soaked hills, listening to the Beatles on K-Pig radio, then arriving in this little glistening '60s town that time had somehow forgotten. That same sense of captivation has never left me, though I must have retraced that route a hundred times by now.

The drive out of Silicon Valley and into the Santa Cruz Hills is like crossing into another dimension. The super competitive world of silicon hi-tech start-ups is instantly left behind, the smog suddenly lifts, and the air and the surrounding hills take on a new freshness and vitality. There are many routes to choose from to get to Santa Cruz. From 880 it's a straight run to Los Gatos, a small hip town where shop windows dazzle with overpriced goods, and the beautiful people assemble to preen and parade. We often stop here for a coffee in the Los Gatos Roasting Company. God, the coffee is only marvellous, and the Posh Bagel next-door makes the nicest toasted cream-cheese bagels on the west coast!

From Los Gatos it's onto Highway17, a very busy, twisty highway that leads to Santa Cruz. We usually take the more scenic route, turning right on Bear Creek Road, and then onto the Old Santa Cruz Highway. This leads to Summit Road, a lovely ridge top back road. We often stop off here at the Summit Store, an old grocery shop that sells scrumptious sandwiches, Rebecca's mighty muffins, and great coffee. There's a little picnic area out front, and this is where you will meet all kinds of interesting people who live in the Santa Cruz hills. Several guys I spoke to over the years were Vietnam veterans, now eking out some kind of existence. Considering that this is one of the prime locations in California to live, it's hard to imagine how these people survive. Perhaps they share family homes that were bought for a pittance before house prices exploded in the '70s.

From Summit Road we usually drive through Highland Way. This is all redwood forest, with tiny creeks dripping down the mountainside, scary cliffs, and incredible canyon views south and west towards the ocean. Bob knows this whole area inside out as he lived in Santa Cruz for a few years when he first moved to California from Boston. This whole area is a paradise for hikers and cyclists. We've gone for a hike a few times in Nicene Marks State Park, just off Highland Way. Bob does an annual solitary walk of Highland Way every October of over twenty miles. At nighttime it's wonderful to drive this forest road, to pull over for a moment and just sit there in the darkness, gazing at the stars.

Eventually Highland Way leads to Corralitos, a very agricultural area where all kinds of crops and vegetables are grown. Bob loves the Correlitos Market for hot dog sandwiches. My favourite is Gizdich Ranch, a real working ranch where they make fresh apple and berry pies, and serve unusual juices and herbal teas. We then drive onto the small village of Aptos, just five minutes from Seascape beach. Bob used to have a friend, Alan, who lived here. Many a fun weekend we had with Alan, soaking up the sun and sea in the morning, browsing around Santa Cruz in the afternoon, then driving to Monterey or Moss Landing for dinner and some pub life in the evening.

There are so many beaches in this area: Seacliff, Natural Bridges, Del Mar, and La Selva, but Seascape in Aptos is always our favourite. The water in California is never warm, unless you go really far south to Los Angeles. The surf here is great and many guys, including Bob, love to go surfing. We often play Frisbee, or just sit and read. Seascape is rarely crowded, and is frequented by a rich assortment of humanity. Most people who come to Seascape are staying in the lovely resort that overlooks the beach. A special resort car takes residents down the hill to the beach, and returns later to escort them back to the bar or restaurant.

In the late afternoon it's time to head to Santa Cruz. Pacific Street is the main shopping area. I love to spend time browsing in Bookshop Santa Cruz, or at Borders bookstore. Both bookshops have bargain sections where you can always pick up something of interest at rock-bottom prices. Then there are the fun stores: bead shops, art stores selling stunning handmade paper, stores like East Meets West that sells tie-dyed clothing and long print dresses. Then there's Bunny's distinctive shoe store, shops that sell Indian rugs, Thai silks, embroidered Bali bags, and Mexican silver. There are also a few new-age bookstores selling crystals and incense, where resident psychics await the unveiling of your destiny. Every May there's an arts and craft festival held in the streets, and the most fabulous scarves, paintings, glassware, and jewellery are on sale. Then there are the great little cafes, like the Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company or Lulu Carpenters where you can sit and chat with a cup of dark-roast coffee or hot chocolate.

We invariably end up at Java House. This is a real student café, with ample sofas and tables where you can read, study, or chat with the local clientele. This is where writers and artists, 'lefties' and Silicon Valley dropouts come to unwind, to share their experiences and mingle with fellow seekers. Sometimes there is live music here. One night we dropped in on a packed audience who were clapping along to the exotic gyrations of a beautiful, dark bellydancer. Another night there was a guy from Chile who set up table and gave free medicine-card readings to customers. We usually play scrabble there, and certainly that's another way to meet some very interesting characters.

The variety of restaurants in Santa Cruz is also astonishing. You can eat Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Thai, Mexican-there's even an Irish pub, Rosie McCann's, that serves traditional Irish fare. There's also real budget cuisine, such as Pizza My Heart, where you can buy a huge slice of pizza for $2.50. The greatest bakery has got to be Gayles on Bay Avenue in Capitola, about six miles from Santa Cruz. Here you can sample key lime pie, hot apple slices, dark chocolate cake, or 'melt in your mouth' lemon cookies. And as for luxury items, there's a small hand-made chocolate store, called Donnelly's on Mission Street. This sells the most incredible chocolates, such as rose-flavoured milk and dark lavender truffles, all for the princely sum of $4 each!

There's no shortage of culture and entertainment in Santa Cruz. There are four movie theatres in town: the Nickelodeon on Lincoln and Cedar, the Riverfront Stadium Twin on River street, the Del Mar theatre, and the Santa Cruz Cinema on Pacific. There's an annual Pacific Rim film festival that shows interesting Japanese and Asian films for free at the Del Mar theatre. The Del Mar also shows independent films, and this makes a pleasant change from attending Hollywood box-office hits. There's also a great concert venue called the Catalyst. You can see all kinds of old rock groups, country and blues singers performing there. One evening we went to see Lucinda Williams and it was a really great concert. Sometimes we go to the University of Santa Cruz campus. This has the most wonderful forest grounds and a fantastic library. It would be great to take a class there sometime, or to attend one of their Shakespearean festivals.

Invariably time ticks by and we set out once again for Highway 17 and Santa Clara. It takes about fifty-minutes to drive home taking this route. Maybe we'll come back to Santa Cruz tomorrow. At the very least there's always next weekend.

2007 Saturn SKY: The Wait Is Over

After months of nonstop hype, the 2007 Saturn SKY is now entering dealer showrooms. This two seat roadster marks an important turning point for the Saturn brand long identified with building nondescript, but dependable vehicles. With an MSRP of $23,690, the SKY is certain to sell for several thousand dollars over the dealer's sticker price as demand is expected to far exceed capacity. Let's examine the Saturn brand and the car behind the hype to see if the SKY was worth the wait.

Since Saturn's first cars became available in 1990, the brand has attracted a loyal following of owners who liked the company's simplicity and consumer friendly dealer network. Indeed, Saturn's "no haggle" pricing revolutionized the relationship between dealer and customer changing the typical adversarial business transaction into a partnership benefiting buyer and seller alike.

Originally, Saturn was established as a separate company, but wholly owned by General Motors. The idea behind Saturn was that the company would build import fighting small cars to compete against the likes of Toyota and Honda. The S-Series, made with "ding proof" polymer side panels was an immediate hit and Saturn relied exclusively on this line of compact coupes, sedans, and wagons for nearly a decade before a second, larger model was introduced.

The dream of keeping Saturn separate from GM eventually died and the brand was brought into the GM fold to be managed much like Chevrolet, Buick, etc. are today. Indeed, the Spring Hill, Tennessee factory, which was exclusively designed to build Saturn vehicles remains in business, but many of the division's cars are now being built elsewhere including the SKY.

So, the SKY has caught your attention, has it? Who could blame you? Pictures of the SKY have been circulating heavily online for months and it is certainly an attractive vehicle. Based on GM's new Kappa platform, the SKY shares some components with the earlier released Pontiac Solstice, another two seat roadster. The SKY, however, has its own look with a very pronounced fender peak and sleek body style. Here are some of the attributes of the SKY:

- Front engine, rear drive, two seat roadster

- 50/50 front/rear weight distribution

- Manually operated cloth covered top folds down into the trunk

- Front pivoting hood

- 2.4L I4 engine producing 177 h.p. paired with a 5 speed manual or 5 speed automatic transmission

- 18 inch wheels; 4 wheel disc brakes with ABS

- Power galore: air conditioning, locks, windows, doors, AM/FM/CD, etc.

The SKY was priced and designed to compete against two other roadsters, the Honda S2000 and Mazda's Miata. Although the SKY is technically a sister car to the Solstice, it appears that it is better suited to compete against the Japanese brands as the Saturn roadster comes fully equipped and incorporates a sleeker body design. Taking nothing away from the Pontiac, the SKY is definitely the more competitive of the two.

For Saturn, the SKY improves the brand's image immeasurably. Much in the way that the Corvette is a "halo" car for Chevrolet the SKY will be the same for Saturn. Production will be limited to just 10-12,000 vehicles annually and purchasing a SKY will likely mean buyers paying well over sticker price for their car. Indeed, some reports are indicating dealer mark ups as high as $5000 in the face of stiff demand.

Beyond the SKY, Saturn will also be introducing a second new vehicle this year, the Aura. Replacing the L-Series, the Aura midsize sedan borrows heavily from GM's European division, Opel, and incorporates the bold design of SKY in its front end.

Yes, the days of being known as a builder of compact plastic cars in Tennessee is over; a new Saturn is rising and if all the hoopla related to the SKY is any indication, Saturn's future is certainly very promising.

New Mazda Axela Out In Japan

After a couple of months of waiting, the new and freshened Mazda Axela would now be out in the Japan automobile market on the 22nd of this month. This is according to an announcement from the Mazda Motor Corporation. This newly freshened vehicle from Mazda would be holding a new 2.3 liter Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) turbo engine.

The Mazda Axela is actually known as the Mazda 3 in all the markets around the world, except for Japan of course. It is a sporty compact car. This vehicle has been in production since 2003 and it actually replaced the Mazda Familia, Mazda 323, and Mazda Protégé in Mazda's line up of quality vehicles. It has been crafted in two body styles which comprise of the hatchback with five door and the sedan holding four. The five-door version of this vehicle is known as the Axela Sport while the other one is mainly known as the Axela. The competition for this vehicle include the Saturn Ion, Scion tC, Chevrolet Cobalt, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Sentra, and Ford Focus.

The exterior of this newly freshened vehicle has been updated and modified. In fact, everything, including the front grille, its fog lamps, front bumper, rear bumper, aluminum wheels, rear roof spoiler, and side underspoiler, has been updated so that the Axela would look even sportier than before. Every part was not overlooked.

As per the interior of this vehicle, new materials were used for the seats and its door trims. There is even a new resin panel that actually enhances the quality of the whole design of the cabin. Customers are going to have additional choices as per the color of the interior for a sporty black option has been included in the list. Other color choices include elegant beige and high-quality gray.

Cool 80's Sports Cars

A lot of cool cars were made in the 1980's and many can be bought for cheap. Many of these sport cars can handle and perform equal or better than many new cars for similar or less money. There were impressive import and domestic cars and a reasonable variety of each. Lets go through a list of cars by their manufacturers starting with domestic cars. Unfortunately tightened emission specs limited the horsepower potential of the 1980's era cars, so some cars will be judged more on their handling abilities. One way to beat the stricter emissions standards was to use a smaller engine with a turbo to increase the horsepower.

GM stayed with it's traditional V8 engine with the Camaro, Trans Am, Monte Carlo, Regal, Cutlass and the Corvette. Although none of these cars were known for their exceptional power, all could be modified to make good power. Buick even produced a performance version of their regal model called the grand national. It used a turbo v6 engine that could make a lot of power. After it's success Pontiac came out with its own version called TTA which stood for turbo trans am. Pontiac also came out with the Fiero.

Ford produced the mustang which generally used a v8 engine with exception of the SVO. The SVO like the Buick used a turbo to make power out of its four cylinder engine. Ford offered a turbo and supercharged version of the Thunderbird also. Ford also produced the lightening which was a powerful AWD truck. Dodge/Mitsubishi made a turbocharged charger and omni which made descent power and was light. They also produced the turbo eclipse and the TSI. Also they produced the stealth.

Imports finally had a chance to fit into the performance scene. Most already came with smaller engines now needed to pass emissions. Many imports also had turbos which allowed for easy power improvements. Nissan had the 300 ZX 240sx and the Datsun 240, 260, 280 z and 280zx which were good starting platforms for performance. Mazda had the rx7 which was a very light car with a high power rotary engine. The 323gtx was also a fun tunable car. Mazda also came out with the Miata at the end of the decade.

Toyota made the Celica and the supra which both performed well and could be heavily modified. Toyota also made the mid engine MR-2 which performed well. Honda made the prelude and the crx which used light weight cars to perform.

European performance cars include the Porsche 911and 944 among almost every model made by them. BMW also had many good models such as the M3. Audi, Volvo, Mercedes all had performance cars also but were geared more toward luxury.

Nine Japanese Automakers

Japanese built and designed cars have flooded the North American market for over forty years now. Over time, many nameplates have come and gone, but Japanese cars continue to gain market share and acceptance with a growing number of motorists attracted to their high quality and durability. There are nine Japanese automobile manufacturing companies in existence. Can you name them? Let's take a look at the list:

Toyota - The second largest automaker in the world is Toyota, maker of the Camry, the Corolla, and a host of SUVs, trucks, passenger cars, and a van. Toyota's Lexus division produces luxury cars, while its Scion division manufactures youth oriented vehicles.

Honda - The Accord and the Civic are Honda's two most well known models, followed by the Odyssey minivan, the Ridgeline truck, the Element, and several other passenger vehicles. Acura is the name given to Honda's luxury car division.

Nissan - Drive a Datsun and then decide. Up until the early 1980s, Nissan's North American nameplate was Datsun, but was switched to Nissan to give it a more global name. The Sentra, Maxima, and Pathfinder are amongst the division's best selling vehicles. Infiniti is Nissan's luxury car division. Renault Motors of France owns a controlling interest in Nissan.

Mitsubishi - Originally imported exclusively by Chrysler, Mitsubishi began to sell cars under its own name in the 1980s. Top selling models include the Lancer, the Eclipse, and the Montero. DaimlerChrysler owns a chunk of the company.

Mazda - The Tribute, Miata, and the "6" are some of the most well known Mazda models. The Mazda 6's platform also powers several Ford Motor Company cars including the Mercury Milan. Ford owns an important stake in the company.

Subaru - Think all wheel drive and you may just think Subaru. The Forester, Outback, and Legacy are all top selling Subaru models. Fuji Heavy Industries [FHI] owns Subaru; General Motors has a 20 percent stake in FHI.

Suzuki - 20% owned by General Motors, Suzuki is as noted for producing cars as it is for manufacturing motorcycles. The Grand Vitara is one of its most noted models.

Isuzu - Did someone say General Motors? Again, GM owns a stake in Isuzu. At one time Isuzu imported cars to the US, but those days are over. Currently, Isuzu has a miniscule presence and the two vehicles they do sell - the Ascender SUV and I Series pick ups - are simply rebadged GMC vehicles.

Daihatsu - The Charade and Rocky were two models introduced by Daihatsu when the car company started selling vehicles in North America in 1988; four years later its North American operations were closed. In 1999, Toyota assumed controlling interest over the company.

So, there you have it: there are nine Japanese automakers, two of which are still independent. Much like the American market further consolidation is likely with nameplates disappearing entirely just like the Packard, Hudson, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, and a host of other North American nameplates have driven off into the history books.

Audi TT - Tourist Trophy

Audi broke the mold when its concept TT car was presented at auto shows around the globe during the mid1990s. Named for the prestigious annual "Tourist Trophy" race held on the Isle of Man, the TT is based on the same platform which powers the Volkswagen Golf and the Skoda Octavia. Making use of anodized aluminum and a "bumper free" exterior, the TT coupe was unlike any car of its time when the first production model was released in 1998. Today, the TT continues to garner awards and win praises from Audi aficionados. If you like the current model, just wait one year and you will witness the release of a TT that goes well beyond the pale.

When talking about the TT, there are actually two models involved: one being a coupe, the other a roadster. Shortly after the coupe's introduction in 1998, the roadster version was released the following summer. Both models were originally powered by a 20 valve inline 1.8L four cylinder engine, however in subsequent years each model received a more powerful version of that engine while a 3.2L V6 was introduced as an option during 2003. The TT is powered by its front wheels, but Quattro all wheel drive is available as well.

Audi's success with the TT has helped it to cautiously develop its second generation model. Nearly a full decade after the original model made its debut the follow up TT is being readied and will go into production in 2007. The new TT will feature the following attributes:

Longer and Wider: Slight changes in its width and length will be incorporated into the new model. Expect more cabin room for added interior comfort.

Aluminum and Steel: The new TT will be made up of aluminum in the front and steel in the rear to encourage a better weight balance.

More Power: The 1.8L I4 engine will be replaced with a 2.0L I4 engine. The 3.2L V6 will still be offered, producing 250 horsepower. A six speed manual transmission will be standard equipment.

More Models: The coupe and roadster will be introduced back to back with a third model, possibly a wagon version, also being considered for production.

Principal competitors for the Audi TT have been the BMW Z4 and the Mercedes SLK. The TT's styling inspiration has found its way onto several other models including the Saturn Sky, Mazda Miata, Nissan 350Z, and the Pontiac Solstice. In all, the Audi TT has reinvigorated the roadster market and it appears that the upcoming TT will expand on that theme even further. This is great news for enthusiasts who want a unique and well engineered 2+2 car as part of their driving stable.