New and Remixed: High School Musical

What this all about? What is the appeal of the wildly successful HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL? the question has left industry insiders scratching their heads. Ask the Bard, as the basic story line of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is none other than Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Substitute two high school juniors from opposing cliques and you have the makings of an incredibly appealing musical.

It’s star-crossed lovers and all that. The film revolves around Troy, the captain of the basketball team, and Gabriella, a shy, intelligent transfer student. They trump everyone’s expectations and audition for their high school’s winter musical. Troy’s athletic clique disapproves, as does Gabriella’s bookish friends. It is a testament of the peer pressure teenagers face, especially in high school.

No other television movie has enjoyed the success HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL continues to enjoy. In addition to the first movie, audiences lauded its sequel, selling 1.2 million copies in just six days. This made it the fastest selling television movie in history. Released in conjunction with a phenomenal soundtrack (which reached number one on the Billboard charts), a tremendous concert tour, an ice skating show, and a New York Times best-selling novel, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL was and continues to be a media phenomenon.

Disney has moved quickly to give the people what they want and that means more of the same. In addition to the sequel, Disney produced the first ever made-for-television movie sequel that was released in theaters. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 was released in 2008 to even more acclaim and box office success.

And now for something more: the Remix. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: REMIX was released on DVD for avid fans. The Remix includes new bonus features like two music videos: “We’re All in This Together” and the never-before seen “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” There is also a featurette giving instructions for copying the moves and a behind-the-scenes look. For any and all true fans, this is a must.[I:http://www.yourinternettravelguide.com/wp-content/JamesGilbertPynn27.jpg]

The Firsts For California

Monterey enjoys a veritable trove of historic monuments with regards to California’s past. The scenic city has seen many firsts in California’s rich, wild history. It was home to California’s first theater, first brick building, first school, and was in fact the state’s first city. The city has been home to Native Americans, Spanish conquistadors, Mexican officials, and finally, American settlers. In addition to its history, the city has been home to number of significant artists and writers, as well as its own brand of cheese.

Naturally, and perhaps ironically, Monterey was once famous for its heavily trafficked fishery. Nestled on the sleepy central Californian coast, Monterey is renown throughout the United States for the diversity and abundance of marine wildlife. To be sure, the Native American Ohlone tribe subsisted for generations on the plentiful marine life in the Peninsula.

In 1770, Father Junipero Serra and Gaspar de Portola were given control of the region by the Spanish crown and, as a result, Monterey served as the capital of both Spanish and Mexican California from 1777 to 1849. It was not until the Mexican-American War that the United States took control of the region and the capitol moved to Sacramento.

Ironically, the main attraction on the Row is still fish, but now in the form of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Though Cannery Row was once famous as fishing and canning center, it has since been preserved as a tourist attraction when the fishing industry collapsed due to over-fishing in the mid-Fifties. The area is now replete with gentrified cafes, restaurants, and boutiques.

Prospective visitors are encouraged to research the array of accommodating Monterey hotels and come visit. A number of American and international artists and writers have been drawn to the city because of its scenic qualities. The list of resident painters includes Percy Gray, Rowena Meeks, Xavier Martinez, and Arthur Frank Mathews. The list of writers is equally impressive. At one time or another the following writer called Monterey home: John Steinbeck, Robert Heinlein, Henry Miller, and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Fish and Degrees: Monterey

The city that reinvents itself, Monterey, has bounced back from a recession during the last part of the 20th century to become an academic center for Central California. Since the collapse of is fisheries, the city is now host of academic centers and research facilities. The chief facilities are the Monterey Aquarium and the Marine Mammal Center.

Among the most prestigious institutions in the area are the Naval School, CSU Monterey Bay, and the Oceanography Center. As the students relocate, Monterey swells with tourists and residents alike. The jewel of Central California, the city now counts approximately 30,000 residents as more and more students seek out prestigious postgraduate institutions.

Regional scholars and researchers enjoy relatively quick and easy access to the deep ocean. In fact, the Monterey Canyon, the largest and deepest underwater canyon in the Pacific Ocean is located only a few miles out to sea. The largest aquarium in North America, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is home to a host of researchers, marine biologists, and oceanographers.

Monterey is perhaps best known in popular culture for its contribution to cheese. To be sure, schools are one thing — cheese is another. The now-famous Monterey Jack cheese was first cultivated the local Franciscan friars in the 1880s. A local businessman, David jack, marketed the cheese as Jacks Cheese. The eventually became Monterey Jack cheese.

The city has always enjoyed an unprecedented abundance of marine life, including sea lions, otters, bat rays, pelicans, kelp forests, and dolphins. Subsequently, Monterey has become a popular destination for scuba divers. Regular scuba classes are offered at San Carlos State Beach, a favorite with diving aficionados since the 1960s.

The city boasts being the progenitors of many of California’s firsts: the first theater, first school, and first city. Monterey thrives not only on the aquarium and educational facilities draw a steady of visitors, but also its rich historical legacy. Once the capital of Spanish and Mexican California, it has preserved a number of its historical buildings and visitors are encouraged to enjoy all the luxury hotels Monterey has to offer.

Pasadena: The Indiana Colony

From Caltech to the Rose Bowl, from the Colorado Avenue Bridge to the San Gabriel Mountains, Pasadena, as the saying goes, has something for everyone. This rose-shrouded gem continues to lure settlers, students, and artists to its sunny climate. However you arrive, you are sure to be struck by the friendliness and hospitality of the local residents. Given the abundance of Pasadena hotels, visitors are bound to find one that allows them to explore this grand city.

IN 1873, searching for a cure for his asthma, Dr. Daniel M. Berry of Indiana came to the Arroyo Seco. Berry had been looking for a suitable place to relocate his loyal group of asthmatic patients. After surveying thee area, he later wrote: “It was the best three nights of sleep in my life.” Eager to keep the area a secret, he created the Southern California Orange Grove Association and began to sell shares for a massive 4,000 aces bid. In 1874, the Indiana Colony, as most of the investors were from Indiana, sprang into being.

Soon settlers from the East flocked to partake of the colony’s warm weather and rich soil. In the years prior to the Great Depression, Pasadena became something of a fashionable resort for cold-weary Midwestern and Eastern families. This migration brought with it artists, actors, and scientists and soon the city’s cultural and educational significance multiplied. In 1917, the famous Pasadena Playhouse opened its doors, while the Norton Simon Museum was founded in1922. The now famous Art Center of College and Design followed suit in 1930.

Pasadena was once, and still is in many ways, the center of commerce, industry, and education for the entire San Gabriel Valley. Visitors and aficionados can marvel at the citys historic facades facing Colorado Boulevard and scramble to find a place to watch the annual Tournament of Roses Parade. First begun in 1890, as a showcase for Pasadenas superlative weather, the Parade has been held on every New Years Day since. Though it had been followed by chariot races and teams sports, its first association with football began in 1902 with the “Tournament East-West Football Game.” Though the next game was not played until 1916, the Rose Bowl has become the most significant college bowl game in the country.

With the number of beautiful cities in Southern California, and its abundant sunshine, it is not difficult to see why so many people pulled up stakes and came west. Pasadena holds a special place in the history of the Wild West and has come to hold a place in the hearts of millions of football fans everywhere.

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