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Vacationing in California?

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old california vacation poster

Is It Possible? Sun Valley Jose Mier Takes a Look

A few of us in the Sun Valley Jose Mier offices have been getting ads on our cell phones to vacation in California. This prompted a lot of discussion as to whether or not this was even possible.

old california vacation poster
old california vacation poster

The fact that the state of California just trying to drum up tourism from its own citizens suggests that tourism revenues are down. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why this is so. People are really moving around a lot either inside the state for visitors coming to the states due to coronavirus precautions. It would seem that one of the prerequisites for tourism would be opening up restaurants fully as well as theme parks and other attractions that have been closed. However, we don’t see any signs of reopening soon period

Our Sun Valley restaurants keep hanging on by the skin of their teeth, either with patio dining or takeout, but we have to wonder how long businesses can last without full capacity. What’s true in Sun Valley it’s true throughout the state and people who would normally think about traveling to another city understandably have second thoughts especially when their favorite restaurants or wineries are closed.

We have to ask the state of California what they’re thinking. You want us to spend our money in the state but those of us who own restaurants are not making much and are just fighting for survival. Others may also have been affected by the coronavirus and don’t have to spending money to do much of anything. It seems like this enticement to vacation in California is an ill-conceived idea given that much of what draws people to California is not available right now.

Some of us in our offices have ventured outside of our community and were able to enjoy other places in the state, so the California vacation is technically possible. But there’s always the feeling the things are not as they should be. Restaurants are closed or have limited capacity and everyone is wearing a mask. There’s something about all this just doesn’t seem festive.

Even California’s own website dedicated to tourism is a great big coronavirus warning for anybody daring to venture into the state. That’s not a big draw.

We would love for people to visit California, whether from outside the state or inside. Sun Valley is in a perfect location for much of Southern California’s tourist attractions in an influx of visitors to our hotels and restaurants would be welcome. The only thing we can say is California better get its act together before trying to tout itself as a vacation destination.

https://sunvalleyjosemier.com

Sun Valley Jose Mier’s Trip to the Magic Kingdom

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Straight Shot South on I-5

One of the things we at Sun Valley Jose Mier like to promote is Sun Valley’s central location. The 5 freeway spans the entire length of the state of California, and it just happens to run right through Sun Valley, California. Because of this it’s easy to get to most places in Southern California in a pretty short amount of time.

Disneyland castle SunValleyJoseMier
Disneyland castle: easy trip from SunValleyJoseMier

If you’re one of those people whose discovered that our Hollywood Burbank Airport is a great alternative to LAX, then flying in to our Sun Valley neighbor in staying with us in our community is a smart option. We won’t even begin to list all the attractions and theme parks there’re only minutes away, but instead we’re going to focus on one of our favorite drives, and one of our favorite destinations: Disneyland.

The drive from Sun Valley to Disneyland is so simple that it hardly warrants the paragraphs we’re writing here. Quite simply, you hop on the south, follow it all the way to Anaheim, get off on Disney Drive. That’s it. Yes, there are some twists and turns that people unfamiliar with Southern California should know about, but with GPS and a sharp eye on freeway signs it really is just a straight shot south.

Just because we’re the nice people we are here at Sun Valley Jose Mier we’re including a map with driving directions from Sun Valley to Disneyland and Anaheim. If you’re thinking about visiting Southern California of course we think sun Valley should be your base of operations. And you can get to places like Disneyland really easily. In fact, without traffic the drive will take about 45 minutes. So stay with us in Sun Valley and enjoy the Magic Kingdom only minutes away.

https://sunvalleyjosemier.com

Stonehurst Icon: East Valley Feed and Tack

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east valley feed and tack website

Sun Valley Jose Mier’s Neighbor

It’s hard for any of us in Sun Valley José Meyer do not notice our neighbor several yards away on Sheldon Street. That’s East Valley Feed and Tack and it’s a Sun Valley landmark since 1971.

east valley feed and tack website
east valley feed and tack website

As we’ve mentioned before in our Sun Valley Jose Mier posts on the Stonehurst neighborhood, this area is home to many horse owners and it makes sense that a feed and tack store would be located right around the corner, literally, from those who live in this rural area of Sun Valley. You can’t miss the bales of hay stacked 20 or 30 feet high at the back of their location. That’s not all the East Valley Feed and Tack is known for.

If you visit their website, you’ll see that in addition to feed they stock boots, saddles, Western hats and even products for your dog. So you don’t have to be a horse owner to stop in and make a purchase. If you’re considering moving to the Stonehurst neighborhood as well as the possibility of owning a horse, checking out their website and their blog posts about horse ownership would be a good first step. Having been around for just about 50 years they know a thing or two on the subject and if it’s not on their website you can certainly drop in and ask your questions.

Owning a horse in Sun Valley isn’t the only semi rural activity we have here. A good number of our neighbors to raise chickens in east valley has the supplies they need, both chicken feed as well as materials for making chicken coops.

Can you believe we’re in greater Los Angeles and we’re talking about horses and raising chickens? Some may find it hard to believe but it’s true and that’s part of their charm of Sun Valley, California. We can’t think of another area in the San Fernando Valley that rivals us for the diversity of lifestyles that Sun Valley offers. So if you are a horse owner or just want to pal around with some cowboys in your off time, drop by East Valley Deed and Tack and say hi.

https://sunvalleyjosemier.com

Excursions From Sun Valley: Hollywood Sign

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Sun Valley Jose Mier’s Favorite Los Angeles Day Trips

As the Sun Valley Jose Mier’s website always likes to say, Sun Valley, California is a great place to live and to visit. Our location in the San Fernando Valley makes us Centro it just about everything you would want to do in Southern California. Even Orange County and its theme parks are only a short drive away, directly south on the I-5 freeway. But what about sites that are closer to home? There’s a reason that our Sun Valley-close airport is called a Hollywood Burbank airport because the sights of Hollywood are only a few minutes from downtown Sun Valley. And nothing says Hollywood, literally, like the famed Hollywood sign. There are many opportunities to view this iconic landmark but we’re going to share with you our favorite way.

Just hop on the 170 freeway south. Take that to the 101 south and exit on Barham Blvd. Take Barham north a short distance to Lake Hollywood Dr. and just follow the signs to Lake Hollywood Park. You’ll pass Lake Hollywood along the way. This last part involves a lot of twists and turns but it’s worth the effort when you arrive. Lake Hollywood Park has one of the best views of the Hollywood sign. Perfect for photos (with yourself in them, of course).

This is a short excursion which will leave you plenty of time for anything else you want to do in Southern California.

https://sunvalleyjosemier.com

Defensible Spaces in Sun Valley

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Firefighters battle flames above Sun Valley home

Sun Valley Jose Mier Shares Brush Clearance Information

Sun Valley Jose Mier often talks about the variety of neighborhoods we have in Sun Valley and in particular the Stonehurst neighborhood. But some homes in this area as well as other areas like the Olive Terrace home we profiled earlier are located on hillside. For those Sun Valley residents that live in the more rural parts of our community and in mountainous areas should be reminded about brush clearance. This is especially true now that we are dealing with an extremely volatile fire season in the Southland.

Firefighters battle flames above Sun Valley home
Firefighters battle flames above Sun Valley home

It may be one of those things you don’t think about, like changing the battery in your smoke detector or replacing the filter in your air conditioner. Both of those are kind of important, but when it comes down to it keeping your property safe from fire is more important by far. It seems like every fire season the fire department stresses the importance of clearing the brush away from property and yet some of us either don’t heed the warning or forget about it.

That’s why we at Sun Valley Jose Mier thought it would be a good idea to echo those warnings from the fire department and remind our neighbors to take appropriate steps to keep not only their property but that of their neighbors safe. One of the resources available to us is on the Los Angeles Fire Department website. You can read more detail on the site but in brief they speak about a very high fire hazard severity zone (VHFHSZ) and those of us in Sun Valley who live on hillsides or where brush has become overgrown occupy just such areas. The fire department quotes the fire code which states that property owners have to clear brush year round–meaning all brush, weeds, trees and more—from around their structures whether they’re on your property or a neighbor’s. You also have to clear brush within 10 feet of any combustible fence or roadway including a driveway.

It may seem like a daunting task, especially since we are required to apply these standards throughout the whole year but we need only look at what’s occurring around us right now with fires like the Bobcat fire or El Dorado fire. Both of these are occurring in mountainous or very mountainous terrain making it very hard to fight and contain and both continue to threaten property. Please take a moment to assess your own property and what needs to be done to comply with the fire code. A little work in clearing the brush now may mean the difference between inconvenience and losing everything.
https://sunvalleyjosemier.com

Will Sun Valley Be the Next Electric Car Hub?

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Sun Valley Neighbor Building Tesla Charging Station

We are not at that point of flying cars yet none of us at Sun Valley Jose Mier owns one, but we’re seeing more and more electric vehicles on the roads, including many Tesla models. There’s a push in many communities to make room for electric vehicles by providing charging stations for those vehicles.

electric vehicle charging station
electric vehicle charging station

Our neighboring city of San Fernando is just launched a program to provide charging stations for Teslas. An article in the San Fernando Sun discusses this project and the reasoning behind it. City officials in San Fernando seem to feel that it’s important to include resources for zero emission vehicles in their community and creating a charging station for Tesla vehicles is one step toward this goal.

The reasoning behind their choice for the proprietary charging system is that the majority of electric vehicles on the road are Teslas so to them it made sense. Having Tesla charging stations also means that Tesla drivers will see an icon on their car screens to let them know that San Fernando is a charging station location. Given the fact that most Tesla owners are more well-to-do then drivers of other cars it’s thought that by bringing these drivers and to San Fernando it will be a boost to the local economy.

If that’s the case, could other southern California cities such as Sun Valley be far behind? Or could the cities also cater to other electric cars and their owners like San Fernando is doing now? One can debate whether or not it makes sense to invest this money into a segment of the population that is still very small, but our neighbors seem to think it has merit. If this concept catches on we may see the same sort of thing in Sun Valley which may also boost the local economy. Until then, we have Sun Valley Jose Mier will continue to use our internal combustion engine vehicles as we navigate Sun Valley’s thoroughfares.

https://sunvalleyjosemier.com

Stonehurst Stallions Steam

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sunvalleyjosemier steam magnet website screenshot

Local Sun Valley School is STEAM Magnet

You may be familiar with the terms STEM. Many schools are incorporating this into their curriculum. Stem stands for science, technology, engineering and math. But there’s a related program which is called STEAM. That is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

sunvalleyjosemier steam magnet website screenshot
sunvalleyjosemier steam magnet website screenshot

You may not have realized but one of our own Sun Valley schools, Stonehurst Elementary, is a STEAM magnet school. Sun Valley Jose Mier recently wrote about Stonehurst and how they are having online classes this year. It remains to be seen how students will fare with these virtual classes and how steam students will do when faced with distance learning. Rather than try to describe the program ourselves here’s a quote from the STEAM magnet school finder website:

Students at Stonehurst STEAM Magnet will be literate, responsible, problem-solvers who are self-reliant and motivated to persevere. As a STEAM Magnet, we are committed to educating students by focusing on the four Cs of pedagogy: Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity. Our school utilizes its expansive gardens (including native plants, aquaponics lab, and garden boxes), fully equipped Science Lab, comprehensive technology program (computer lab/Chromebooks or iPads in every classroom, 3D printing, Apple TV in every classroom), K-5 LEGO Education, and visual-performing arts programs, to enhance its problem-based approach to teaching STEAM concepts. We have recently become a Leader in Me school so all students are learning the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. We look forward to having you visit our school and hope you select us to be a part of your family.

https://sunvalleyjosemier.com

Terrible Air Quality Hits Sun Valley

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Sun Valley Jose Mier Urges Caution Outdoors

Yes, Sun Valley Jose Mier jsut published an article on the smoky conditions in the area yesterday, but a quick check outside and it’s evident that the air quality is even worse today. A walk around our Sun Valley neighborhood revealed that cars parked on the street had a thick covering of ash. No doubt we’re being inundated by smoke from nearby fires like the El Dorado fire.

To all residents we say, stay indoors. The air is definitely not healthy today. Even those with no breathing problems should avoid going outdoors. Let’s hope things clear up soon.

https://sunvalleyjosemier.com

Smoky Air Causes Cooler Temps, Red Sun

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Red sun in smoky Sun Valley CA sky

Sun Valley Jose Mier on Sun Valley’s Wild Weather

As we reported earlier Sun Valley Jose Mier our area is Being bombarded by smoking hot weather. If There’s a silver lining any of this it’s the the hazy air combined with a few clouds have pushed the temperatures in Sun Valley down more than 30 degrees. Two days ago Sun Valley residence were struggling to contend with 112 degree temperatures.

On Tuesday however it was all the thermometer could do to creep past 80 degrees. That’s a significant drop. If anything, it will allow southern California residents to ease up on the air conditioning and not tax our electricity grid to the breaking point as we probably did over the weekend. It’s evident to the poor air quality in Sun Valley means that susceptible residents should stay inside if possible but in general the rest of us can enjoy the rest from the record breaking heat of recent days.

One of the other effects of this smoky air is that as the sunsets it appears like a bright red fireball very large in the sky. The air may not be good to breathe but it’s going to make some spectacular photographs for those who wish to do so.

Red sun in smoky Sun Valley CA sky
Sun Valley Jose Mier observed a red sun in the smoky Sun Valley CA sky

https://sunvalleyjosemier.com

Sun Valley Air Unhealthy

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Sun Valley air quality on Weather Underground

More Fires Add Smoke to Air

If you live and work in Sun Valley like we at Sun Valley Jose Mier do, you know there’s something in the air. We’re not just talking about figuratively, both literally. On a personal note when we left the offices today to go to lunch around 11 AM the ambient light had a distinct orange cast to it.

Sun Valley air quality on Weather Underground
Sun Valley air quality on Weather Underground

We can speculate as today cause of this but it’s pretty obvious that it smoke in the air. We’re in fire season the fires just seem to keep popping up one after another. The latest is known as the El Dorado fire it’s burning around Oak Glen, California, about 60 miles east of Sun Valley.

As we suspected by checking weather underground website the air quality for Sun Valley California is unhealthy. Conventional wisdom tells us to stay indoors do not go out and breathe the unhealthy air unless we must. An unforeseen consequence of this however is that due to the coronavirus we in Sun Valley are not dining indoors when we go out to eat. If we’re lucky our restaurant currently has patio service which means we’re dining outdoors. So for those who have breathing problems already and don’t want to risk going outside, that’s yet another thing having a negative impact on our Sun Valley restaurants.

It seems that our restaurants take one punch after another. First it was closures. Next it was opening up with limited capacity. That was followed by more closures and yet enterprising restauranteurs managed to offer patio service even if it meant putting a tent up in their parking lot.

Now we’re dealing with smoke from a fire 70 miles away from us caused by the negligence of some partygoers. We are also dealing with higher than normal temperatures. And yet, Sun Valley keeps rolling with every punch. Some of us did dine out today at a local eatery, the Hill Street Café on Glenoaks Boulevard. They do have a tent set up in their parking lot and we were able to eat a late breakfast or early lunch as the case may be. While we were there we observed every table in their limited patio area was full at one point.

Sun Valley Jose Mier Urges Caution

That means many of us in Sun Valley are still trying to have some sort of normal life and go out to eat and support our local restaurants despite hot temperatures, smoke and of course, the coronavirus. With all that said, we at Sun Valley Jose Mier do encourage those with pre-existing breathing problems to stay inside as much as possible until both the heat smoke filled air subside.

https://sunvalleyjosemier.com