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Everyone knows Disneyland is a magical place with thrill-filled rides, fantastic fireworks, awesome souvenirs, and the famous characters. What you don’t usually go to Disneyland for is the food, but that’s all about to change when you see this list of foods and drinks that make standing in those long lines worth it. Disneyland Resort has the food and drink side of things covered. They have figured out what their guests want and cater to it—from green screwdrivers with five different rums to buttery pineapple ice cream, the following items are must-tries.   The Uh-Oa! Where to Find It: Trader Sam’s Bar in The Disneyland Hotel What It Is: Following the Enchanted Tiki Room theme, Trader Sam’s Bar serves this delightful drink in a stylish fishbowl. It contained a bit of everything tasty: both light and dark rums, multiple tropical juices, and a pinch of cinnamon. It’s quite sizable, and you’ll be calling its name when it’s brought out to you!   Peanut Butter & Jelly Soda Where to Find It: Carnation Café on Main Street in Disneyland What It Is: They got this drink down to a science. With neither the peanut butter taste nor the grape jelly taste too overwhelming, this subtle drink will put you back your to elementary school days.   The Zombie Where to Find It: Cove Bar at Paradise Pier in California Adventure What It Is: Changing slightly depending on which bartender is on shift, The Zombie rightfully earns its name by having three to five different kinds of rum and only a splash of fruit juice. It seems as if it were made to turn you into a zombie or wake you up from zombie mode; either way, it works!   Wine and Cheese Box Where to Find It: Mendocino Terrace at Pacific Wharf in California Adventure What It Is: Considered to be one of the more “classier” snack available, the Wine and Cheese Box allows you to pair which ever wines and cheeses on the list. It even comes with a bonus: breadsticks. Enjoy on the Mendocino Terrace.   Pineapple Whip, Salted Caramel, and Strawberry Cream Flavored Churros Where to Find It: At the California Churro Cart in Downtown Disney What It Is: Regular cinnamon churros? Pshh, those deep-fried sugar sticks got absolutely nothing on these.   Matterhorn Macaroon Where to Find It: Jolly Holiday Bakery on Main Street Disneyland What It Is: This treat beautifully resembles the Matterhorn. It’s a crunchy coconut crag-like display with whipped cream on top as the snow. Simply made and uber-sweet, don’t forget to take a picture of it with the real mountain in the background!   Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Sandwich Where to Find It: Pooh’s Corner in Critter Country in Disneyland What It Is: Made in perfection, the Chocolate Cover Peanut Butter Sandwich is the ultimate Reese’s, plus cookie. It’s the perfect size with the perfect combinations of taste.   Dole Whip Where to Find It: In the Enchanted Tiki Room in Adventure Land in Disneyland What It Is: This amazing soft serve will be sure to make your happy taste buds fall crazy in love. You can also get it as a pineapple juice float. The blend of the smooth and buttery, yet tart flavors are best enjoyed very slowly so that each bite can be savored.   Beignets Where to Find It: Mint Julep Bar in New Orleans Square at Disneyland What It Is: This treat takes churros to the next level by being puffed and layered with powdered sugar. This Mickey-shaped pillow-like automatically put you in the Disneyland experience… or enhance it! The Jazz Kitchen versions are a bit bigger, but they are square. No fun!   Carnitas Nachos Where to Find It: White Water Snacks at The Grand Californian What It Is: Hidden within the Grand Californian is a small place called White Water Snacks. They do have snacks, but by ordering one of their Angus cheeseburgers or the shredded beef nachos. Switch it for carnitas and you’ll probably go into a food coma for a few hours.   Lobster Roll Where to Find It: Harbour Gallery in Critter Country in Disneyland What It Is: This dish is truly a hidden gem. This surprisingly good lobster sandwich is on a nice toasted roll. It’s not the best lobster roll that you’ll ever had or probably have ever had, but as far as amazing theme park food, this fits the bill.   Broasted Chicken Where to Find It: Plaza Inn on Main Street in Disneyland What It Is: This chicken is the real deal. There aren’t and turkey trumpets here. This’ll remind you of a home-style cooked meal. Both deep fried and salted to perfection, the chicken is served with seasoned green beans, mashed potatoes, and dinner rolls.   Barbeque Chicken Stuffed Baked Potato Where to Find It: Harbour Gallery in Critter Country in Disneyland What It Is: Another chicken dish here, but instead of fried, it’s covered in a sweet orange glaze. Keep it from being overly sweet, try to put a bit of the chives, cole slaw, sour cream, and butter into every bite. It’s quite a challenge!   Lobster Nachos Where to Find It: Cove Bar at Paradise Pier in California Adventure What It Is: Although a pretty standard dish, the Lobster Nachos are worth mentioning because they are simply delicious. It contains lobster pieces, cheese, thick tortilla chips, and black beans. Definitely enough for four people, so bring some friends.   The Monte Cristo Where to Find It: Café Orleans in New Orleans Square in Disneyland What It Is: For the same price of the parking pass you can order the Monte Cristo. Though it’s on the expensive side, this surprisingly not-so-greasy, sugar-powdered, deep fried, ham and cheese sandwich is worth it. It’ll fill you up for the entire day, especially with the side of fruit. http://www.foodbeast.com/2014/04/02/the-top-15-...        

The LA Marathon occurs every year in March and is a 26.2-mile course reaching from the Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica. It’ll cost you $150 (maybe more for whatever gear you want to bring along), but it’s a lot of fun. There are several “run for charity” options if you need an extra motivational boost, or just want to help out. The course itself is relatively flat, and when there are some hills, they are most downhill.   Before the Race   First things first, you’ll need to stop by the Expo on the Saturday of the marathon weekend to get your packet and marathon only deals. This year, they gave a shirt, a bottle of water, and some samples of various products. There are vendors and sports injury specialists camped out at the Expo. There is quite a lot to see if you have the time to mingle for a bit. Parking at the Expo will cost $15.   The Race   Get a good night’s sleep the night before, especially since you’ll be waking up at the crack of dawn. The lines are horrendous, both for the designated shuttle pick-ups, and for the bathrooms once you’re by Dodgers Stadium. The crowd adds an air of excitement, and nervousness as well. For many, this is a big moments in their lives. Calm the nerves by warming up, stretching, and watching the beautiful sunrise while the mayor gives a short speech. Unless you somehow get near the front of the starting point, once the official go is given, you’ll probably be stuck at a slow walk for ten minutes before you get to the start line. When you do get there though, it feels great. Stepping over the line, there are tons of people cheering you on, loud music, and thousands of other runners taking on the challenge with you. Leaving the area of Dodger Stadium is when the race truly begins, and you’ll have a chance to start going around and weaving through the other competitors. After a few miles, you’ll hit Chinatown. At this point, there will still be a lot of other runners around, but the first hill in downtown is when everyone really starts to spread out. Throughout the duration of the run, there are various bands that line the course and lots of cheering spectators to push you along.   Continue on to pass the famous Walt Disney Concert Hall. Up next are the chili cheese dog people with their signs along the sidewalk as you run up to their station. The dogs are free, but don’t really seem like the best idea in the middle of the race. Even so, lots of people partake. If you don’t think you can stomach a chili cheese dog, don’t fear. There are lots of friendly volunteers handing out oranges, pretzels, bananas, and water. It’s really great to have so much support. The course goes around Echo Lake, and through the hipster neighborhood of Silverlake. Somewhere around this point, the Hollywood sign is visible, and it’s really motivating to see. After all, it’s one of the most iconic symbols of California. You’ll continue the run down Hollywood Blvd and down Sunset as well where there will probably be some people dressed up and cheering you on. West Hollywood is next, followed by Rodeo Drive where all the famous stores and streets are. After that, you’ll make it to Santa Monica Blvd, the home stretch! The interesting sites to see are more spread apart as this section is mostly composed of long stretches of roads. At some point, there is a fire truck with a water sprayer to cool down the runners. Also, there are some people handing out beer, which is up to you if you want to drink while you’re running. The last couple miles run through a nice neighborhood with lots of people handing out all types of goodies and providing motivation for the last push to the finish. The last mile will enable to see the beach and the beckoning palm trees. As you near the finish, the music gets louder and louder. Hurray! Officially complete the marathon with a medal and some pictures. Running the LA Marathon truly an awesome experience and a great challenge. (all pictures are taken from this year's race) http://californiathroughmylens.com/la-marathon-...      

The Sierra Nevada Brewery is a great place to visit. They have gotten quite massive in their 30+ years in existence. Located in the heart of Chico, the brewery does an excellent good of playing the host. It’s open Sundays thru Thursdays from 11 to 9, and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 to 10. On their website they have some cool interactive pages that share their history. Basically, though, it comes down to this excerpt: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. was founded in 1979, with founders Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi expanding their homebrewing hobby into a brewery in Chico, California. Along with the brewery’s location, Grossman claims the company’s name comes from his love of hiking in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. With $50,000 in loans from friends and family, Grossman & Camusi rented a 3,000-square-foot warehouse and pieced together discarded dairy equipment and scrapyard metal to create their brewing equipment. They later were able to acquire second-hand copper brewing kettles from Germany before moving to their larger, current brewing facility in 1989. The first batch brewed on premises was its Pale Ale, in November 1980. The following year the brewery introduced Celebration, an IPA, which it continues to release as a winter seasonal. The company sold 950 barrels of beer in its first year, and double that amount in the second.   Pretty impressive, right?   Tours are also available and are best booked ahead of time because there is a limited amount of spaces. If you forget, there is a self-guided tour that is open for anyone and everyone.   The upstairs starts with a lot of antiques such as old bottlers and temperature gauges that used to be used in the brewery. A section called The Big Room is actually a concert hall. Not a bad use of the space. You’ll also encounter several walls of beer bottles organized by when they were manufactured. It’s a great display of the company’s past. Probably the best part is the observation deck. Walking out onto it, you will see the huge copper vats. They are rather beautiful and add a special touch to the brewery’s character. What’s more, there are copper plaques and wall art to show the process of brewing beer.   The gift shop is pretty typical, but includes some interesting mustards and the game beer monopoly. There is also a restaurant on site, with both spacious indoor and outdoor seating. Beers are served European style, meaning that you choose 4 different types to try and can pick another 4 after you have finished to first samples. There are more than 15 options, which gives a lot of fun varieties.   Here are some recommendations:

• Tumbler—the perfect summer brown ale with a unique malt taste
• Ovila Garden—Belgian flavor in a golden beer. It’s a bit fruity and peppery at the same time.
• Old Chico—a wheat beer that goes down easy

  Overall, if you’re ever in the Chico area, this is a place that you can’t miss. It’s quite possibly one of the best breweries in California. Even if you are not a beer fan, the history is very interesting and you could enjoy the restaurant. http://californiathroughmylens.com/sierra-nevad...

Old Place is THE breakfast spot in tucked away in Agoura Hills. The also serve lunch and dinner as well. Open on Thursdays and Fridays from 5 to 11, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 to 4 and 5 to 11, it is practically necessary that you call ahead to book in this small and cozy restaurant, or you could try your luck and wait for a bar seat. The tab usually runs from $10 to $15 a person. Take a look at what this charming place has to offer, from décor to the mouth-watering food…         Simply Delicious and Chic! If these pictures haven’t enticed you to try this place, then I don’t know what will. Oh, wait, perhaps it’s the peacock that hangs out in the parking lot. There is also some sightseeing to do around the small town including a Hindu temple, Peter Strauss Ranch, and Leo Carrillo State Park, so make a day trip out of it! http://californiathroughmylens.com/old-place-re...  

Narrowing this list down to just ten is a very hard thing to do when there are truly countless beautiful places to photograph in the state of California. For now though, these are the best of the best.   Yosemite If there were only one place you could go to in all of California, Yosemite is the place to go to. It has absolutely everything for the outdoors lover: waterfalls, hiking, rock climbing, forests, rivers, you name it. Even if you were to  photograph this national park for your entire life, not all of what is has to offer could be captured. Be sure not to miss the Half Dome hike and Glacier Point.   Hollywood/Sunset Blvd On the complete other end of the spectrum is Sunset Blvd and Hollywood Blvd. These two streets have helped form Los Angles into was it is today. Along them you’ll find The Pantages, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, The Roxy, and more famous and iconic spots. No one could forget about the stars, and the famous foot and handprints in the ground that are there too. Another great thing to see (and photograph) are all the people who dress up as their favorite movie star. Though Hollywood and Sunset Blvd are awesome during the day, prepared to be blown away at night when all the flashy lights come on.   Venice Beach The thing that makes Venice Beach a great spot for photographing is that it has a bit of everything. There’s the boardwalk, the canals, muscle beach, and the street performers. Don’t leave out the beach itself while getting caught up in all the other goodies. The people plus the various landscapes make this an ideal spot to spend the day snapping away.   McArthur-Burney Falls Found in northern California, this gem of a place exhibits an absolutely beautiful waterfall that makes those at Yosemite envious. All photographers should see these falls, especially because they are easy access and have lots of good vantage points.  The waterfalls cascade down into a large clear pool.   Old Town Sacramento The look and feel of Old Town Sacramento is one to be cherished. The couple of blocks in the middle of California’s capitol captures a time now lost. Wondering the streets, you are in a western movie, complete with shops, street vendors and saloons. There is also an amazing train museum, and only five minutes east is the California State Capitol building.   The Racetrack of Death Valley Only accessed by 4 wheel drive vehicles down a 28 mile road, this mysterious places has rocks that seem to move on their own, leaving a track behind them. Being as it is very remote, not too many venture here, but for the photographer, it’s worth it. There is probably some scientific explanation for the rocks’ movements, but no matter what the reason, it’s still an awesome phenomenon and the photographs turn out really cool. There are many other places worth exploring in Death Valley, including Ubehebe Crater, Teakettle Junction, and Lost Burro Mine.   The High Sierras The High Sierras in the center of California are a range of mountains that provide spectacular views that lead to spectacular pictures. Mt. Whitney is a popular hike and outlines the basics, but if you’re not willing to make the hike you can drive to the Horseshoe Meadows campgrounds where access to the Cottonwood Lakes can be found. These high up series of pristine and under visited lakes will create beautiful photographs. If you want to spend even less energy, take a drive up to Mammoth and you will still be about to see the Sierras.   Sunset Cliffs Located in San Diego, Sunset Cliffs is the ideal beach. It has a bit of everything. Not too crowded and rather private with stairs leading down the beach below, there are rock carvings created by the waves, lots of green moss, and tide pools. It is truly a photographer’s playground. There is the occasional wedding, prom, and family shoots, but there is lots of room to wonder around.   The Redwoods Within the Sequoia and Redwoods National Park are some of the tallest trees in the world, which, in turn, make for some pretty impressive pictures. The Sequoias are known for being the oldest of trees. These massive things inspire awe and are not to be missed.   Big Sur Known for its coastline, California boosts some of the best ocean views from Pacific Coast Highway. Big Sur is, quite simply, the best of the best of what California has to offer for sea vistas. It’s a 60-mile drive in all, but each new turn seems to be better than the last, especially with the various bridges and a waterfall that falls to the beach. It is very possible to get lost in time here while clicking away.   http://californiathroughmylens.com/best-places-...