Orange County

How OC’s TCA Toll Roads Agency Drove Me To Switch To Metro ExpressLanes

November 30, 2012 by Danny Sullivan

Orange County has a number of tollroads run by Transportation Corridor Agencies. We have little “FasTrak” transponders in our cars, stuck to our windshields, and we pay a toll on the infrequent occasions we use one of these. But with LA County getting its first tollroad, it suddenly made much more sense to abandon my […]

The Chilean Tsunami Hits Newport Beach: Small, But Noticeable

February 27, 2010 by Danny Sullivan

There was no danger here in Newport Beach from the tsunami caused by the Chilean earthquake. That’s good, since local residents like ourselves got warning calls from the city an hour after the waves hit. But despite the thousands of miles, you could see them arrive and have an impact. The waves came just after […]

Newport Beach Boardwalk Gets “Slow Down,” “Share The Path” & “Beach Crossings” Safety Signs

September 12, 2009 by Danny Sullivan

In my Making The Balboa Boardwalk Safer post, I mentioned that new safety signs were to be installed along the boardwalk in Newport Beach. They’ve just gone up this week, and they’re pretty cool and eye catching. If you’re along the boardwalk, I think you can’t help but notice them. They stand out from the […]

Newport Beach Publishes New Boating Guide To Newport Harbor

September 3, 2009 by Danny Sullivan

Newport Beach has a great harbor, and I’ve finally become a boat owner — all 10.5 feet of inflatable goodness. Hey, don’t mock my little Zodiac-style boat. It gets our family of four around just fine. But where to go? What to do? Fortunately, Newport Beach has just put out a new guide to the […]

Making The Balboa Boardwalk Safer

July 3, 2009 by Danny Sullivan

For the past few months, I’ve been part of a Newport Beach city committee looking at how to make the Balboa Boardwalk safer for the many different people who use it, ranging from those on bicycles, to pedestrians, to people using Segways and considering the habits of out-of-town tourists versus local residents. I consider the […]

My Zeppelin Flight With Burt Rutan At The Helm

May 24, 2009 by Danny Sullivan

After years of dreaming, I finally got to go up in an airship today. It was a wonderful flight, and a big surprise to discover afterward that legendary aviation design pioneer Burt Rutan was one of the pilots (shown on the right above), albeit briefly. The flight was amazing. I’ve flown over Southern California in […]

Zeppelin Eureka Heads To Los Angeles & Orange County

May 20, 2009 by Danny Sullivan

I’m back from watching the Zeppelin Eureka take off from Moffett Field near San Jose on its trip down to Southern California, where it will offer tours there for the first time. Below, photos and video of the zeppelin, some hopefully interesting trivia plus how you can track it on its journey down the coast […]

Zeppelin Rides Come To Southern California!

May 20, 2009 by Danny Sullivan

For the first time in nearly 100 years, a zeppelin is coming to Southern California. As an airship buff, I couldn’t be more excited! Unlike the commonly seen Goodyear Blimp, the zeppelin’s open to passengers. I’m going up this weekend! Don’t know a zeppelin from a blimp? Unaware of Orange County’s history with lighter-than-air craft? […]

What Future For The Balboa Boardwalk?

December 30, 2008 by Danny Sullivan

I’m a regular user of the Balboa Boardwalk here in Newport Beach, a three mile strip of concrete that runs along the beach and is used by walkers, joggers, bicyclists, inline skaters, scofflaw skateboarders and others. For the first time in years, the future of the boardwalk is being seriously examined. Should it be made […]

Sea Lions Sinking Boats In Newport Harbor

September 3, 2008 by Danny Sullivan

I went sailing around Newport Harbor recently and was surprised to see sea lions on boats so far inside the harbor. Usually, you’d only see them at the jetty entrance. Turns out, they’ve been finding the inner harbor a cool place to hang out recently. And a boat owner wasn’t so happy about it when […]