Remember when you were a kid, and you'd watch those toy commercials on TV showing kids playing with…read moresome action figure or vehicle? ...and somehow, those TV kids had managed to turn their backyard into a miniature tropical island, complete with small houses, paved streets, palm trees and rain forest Flora, an actual stream with running water, simulated topography with at least four different kinds of ground cover... and you begged and pleaded for your mom to go out and buy that toy for you, then came home and used it to do jumps off the sofa or coffee table? I think of that every time I come to the fair, and see the garden railroad. It is like one of those toy commercials, hopped up on some kind of genetically modified extraterrestrial steroid. There has to be at least a mile of track, looping and twisting through a scale miniature landscape or tiny buildings, mountains, people, and landforms. And in those tracks run several model trains. During the Fair, the displays are in full operation. During the year, there are regular hours of operation for tours and Q&A with the volunteer staff who keep the garden railroad in good repair. Walk along the western fence line for the best view, and to see the miniature SoCal landmarks from the surrounding area. I'm not into trains the way, say, Huell Howser was I to asking Captain Obvious questions ("Now Carl, is this an actual DESK???" "... Yes, Huell, that's a desk.") But any visitor here can appreciate the countless hours, the painstaking attention to detail, and the sheer number of dateless Friday and Saturday nights that went into making this place. "Can we play with the trains, daddy?" Well, no... In fact, you really can't touch them or even stare at them like you're THINKING about touching them in front of the engineers. But so long as you're on the right side of the 8 foot wrought iron perimeter fence line, you can watch those big-kid senior citizens operate the trains they worked so hard to build, their youthful toy commercial come to life in amazing, terrifying delight.

The Fairplex Garden Railroad is touted as the "oldest and possibly the largest miniature railroad…read moreof its kind in the United States and possibly the world." It first opened at the 1924 LA County Fair and as it grew, it moved from a fair exhibit to a permanent fixture at the Pomona Fairplex. It can be viewed during the annual county fair in September, but is also available year round during special events or on specific days listed on their website (http://fgrr.org/calendar.html). It is located between the Main Grandstand and Fairplex Building #4. If you're here during the fair, I would suggest getting a map to navigate your way around! It is run by volunteers and hobbyists and is free to visit, although they willingly accept donations to maintain it. Even if you are not a huge fan of trains and miniatures, it's still really cool to see and the price is certainly right! From the days of the gold rush and the old west to modern day buildings, everything is miniaturized, even the plants and people. The individuals who create the scenes really pay attention to detail. It almost reminds me of a miniature Disneyland! A great place to take kids and the volunteers there love these miniature trains and towns and will answer your questions and educate you on this mini world! Choo choo!

What's not to like. I wish this area was slightly bigger actually. However, it has a lot of…read morerestaurants and I noticed several salons, like Moxie and Serendipity. The walk around the area might take a couple hours, and they have lots of restaurants to choose from. I checked out Aoki, Argo, and Cafe Wang. They were all fairly upscale. They have the 4th Street Mill and I finally stopped off at Granny's Yogurt to get something to cool off. They have a wide variety of flavors and toppings. I kept it simple with vanilla and sprinkles. Check out old town Laverne if you have a couple of hours to spare.

On the second weekend of 01/19, my dad and I took a drive down to Old Town La Verne checking out…read moreCafe Wang getting ready for the very first Yelp Elite Event from the SGV Elite Squad. Anyways, when we arrived, there was easy parking on the street around the Cafe. Since we didn't know the exact location of Cafe Wang, we parked @ a block away which wasn't far either. This local drive was for checking out Cafe Wang's location instead we found a bunch of Victorian homes around Old Town La Verne. There were also other local coffee houses I'd like to come back to try as well. This is a conveniently located Old Town near Walnut, so I may be a frequent visitor on the weekends coming here to relax. Also, what a cozy looking Old Town!!!! Very lovely. See you next time.

Another new addition to Asian American Expo, Sneaker Expo!…read more Entry tickets to Asian American Expo, also gave entry to Sneaker Expo along with K-Play Fest and Anime Impulse! This event took place at the same time at exhibit hall 8. For their first year running, it was very impressive that they took over the entire hall and that they had a pretty good crowd going around. To be honest, I am extremely far removed from this kind of culture, but it was still neat to look around. There's lots of, of course sneakers and shoes, of which I assume are high quality and highly sought after and lots of trendy street fashion style clothes. Lots of vintage and anime collaboration clothing which was really neat. Loved how the vendors would decorate their booths as well. There were some cars at this hall, a place to shoot some hoops, and a trading area for shoes too? Perfect if you're a sneaker collector. I didn't think I'd get anything for free here, but I got a free lighter. Nice, thank you ! I also thought it was super funny, but I immediately got hit by a huge wall of vape juice/weed smell entering here haha. Vibes are on point!

There's no place like home! As fun as Begas was the past few days, I can't describe how joyful and…read morerelieved I feel to be almost home in my beloved Pomona! See attached two videos of the 15South on the way back from Vegas to Pomona!

My Dad used to have a furniture shop with a couple partners in the City of Pomona back in the early…read more1980's. He was in the business of manufacturing sofas aka couches. Later on, they moved the shop to the City of Montclair. As an young teenager, I would help sew pillows at my Dad's shop. My Mom would sew the cushions and pillows. My younger brothers would fill the pillows. It was a family affair. Every time I drive into Pomona, it would bring me back to the good old days with my Dad, Mom, and brothers at the shop. Miss you Dad! Nowadays, I know Pomona as a place I bring my Mom to go recycle cardboard and pilates as there are a couple recycling centers in this city that she likes to go to. There are shops and restaurants on Holt Blvd that I used to visit in the past. Pho Ha on Indian Hill Blvd used to be my parents go-to lunch spot back in the days. There is the indoor swap meet for those who want to snatch some good deals. Hoa Binh is a popular Asian supermarket that's been around for decades. A lot of the buildings are somewhat dated in Pomona. The streets could be better well maintained. Of course, every city has its old and new. Whatever brings us to the city is what we resonate with. Remember, always find good in everything and everyplace.

We went to The Yelp elite disco night event last night in diamond bar to jump start diamond bar…read morerestaurant week. It was a disco night so when we arrived we were immediately greeted by yelp that were dressed in their disco attire...super fun. The energy was off the chain everyone was so lively and friendly. The event was full of great vendors with great food and drinks such a variety of vendors. The Dancefloor was Poppin with the soul train line. I was able to get my groove on lol. We took photos, we had drinks , we ate food , we had a wonderful time. Another great event from Yelp. There was a raffle where prices were given away , which was a great way to end the night even though we didn't win anything lol. I'm looking forward to the next event. Such a blast

We reached out to Hattas Public Murals to paint a mural for our newborn son's nursery. With a very…read morespecial but also specific theme in mind, we were unable to find any traditional wall decor in stores that really matched our vision. That's when we decided to commission a mural through a professional and quickly connected with Jeannine at Hattas Public Murals on Thumbtack. We received a lightning fast response, and were immediately impressed with her level of professionalism and accomplished portfolio. After a short on-site consult to take measurements and notes, Jeannine and her team got to work, sending mock-ups (and a few revisions) that brought our idea to life, but also within our budget. The mural features a scene inspired from the book series ("The Prydain Chronicles"), a monogram, our son's name, and a quote from the author. Our son, like the hero from the books is also adopted, so the concept behind the design was especially emotional. Jeannine listened to our story with so much compassion and understanding, we were absolutely confident the execution of the mural would be flawless. Our instincts were spot-on. Once the final mock-up was approved, Hattas Public Murals delivered and installed a spectacular work of art that still brings tears to my eyes. In fact, calling it art is quite the understatement; it is an awe-inspiring and  immersive experience. Everyone who has stepped into our baby boy's nursery has been absolutely blown away, and are amazed by the love and care that can be found in every brush stroke. We could not be more in love with this mural, and the pictures attached simply cannot do it justice. Best of all, it was painted on canvas and applied like wallpaper, so it can be moved, preserved, and treasured for many years to come. We cannot begin to thank Jeannine and her team enough for making our nursery the most special room in our home; with a one of a kind mural that is just as unique and beautiful as our son, Taran. Not only will we recommend Hattas Public Murals to anyone and everyone for their creative decor needs, but we intend to commission Jeannine and her team for several future projects.

This is an excellent company and I'm so happy with my decision…read more Let me start by saying this is the first time I've hired a muralist and I am also a first time father. This was important to me. Jeanine took the time to listen to what I was looking for and suggested a few things to help grow my idea. I loved that. She came over and was so kind and really took time to understand this was more than just a job; this was something my kid is going to grow up with. She took measurements, and even took color swatches of the carpet and furniture to make sure we matched the color palette! She quickly mocked something up and a few days later I had a photoshopped mockup for approval. Once we approved it we setup a date and I paid the deposit. Marcus was the artist that was assigned to this project. He was so kind and wonderful in my home. He let my wife and I peek and see progress, and would check in with me if he had any questions. He's a really talented artist and executed my vision faithfully. At the end of the day my wife cried (with joy), we have our incredible mural and I couldn't recommend this company enough. Really pleased with how it turned out and I will be calling them again for my next mural or art project.

If I told you that I just came out of here with a ziploc full of goodies that they had to weigh…read morebefore I paid for it, what would you think? Well, think again. I just spent $37 for beef jerky and $2 quick picks of lotto! OK, well I also did buy some dried spicy squid too, but still. You get the point. If you're not into beef jerky, lotto or spicy squid don't worry. This place gots a lot of what I like to call T & T (trinkets and trash) and also a lot of candy. If you know you're gonna buy something anyway, ask for samples. The nice man behind the counter will love you because he's just happy someone actually came into his store. I still can't believe I spent that much on snacks. #SMH

Good quality dried foods and candy from a family owned business. I love how they have everything…read morefrom nuts and dried fruits to candies and toys. A bit pricey but worth it to satisfy your craving.

The Chino Hills Wine Walk brings the community together to sip wine, enjoy tastes from local…read morerestaurants, see old friends and meet new friends, all while supporting the great work the Chino Hills Community Foundation does in the community! It's a sell out every year! Don't wait to get your ticket!

The biggest party in town with1100 Tix sold. You get 12 pours and there is so much food, you can…read moreeat till you drop. The pours are about an ounce, but most are quality wines. My fav was the lobster raviolis provided by TAPS. Food and was everywhere. The City divides the wine area from the general public and the center quad was congested at end of the event. I got to about half of the wine pours and it was a great time, but really crowded. Great job, well organized.

As I stood staring at a Alfredo Ramos Martinez painting in an exhibition at the Santa Barbara…read moreMuseum of Art, a man approached and whispered to me that I should check out the murals in Claremont. Initially confused but better informed after a quick internet search, I made it a point to visit the murals at Scripps College as soon as possible. The garden is open for viewing only on weekdays and it's a wonderful place to relax. The mural occupies the 100-foot length of the south wall. Martinez began sketching all the images of The Flower Vendors in 1946 but he died unexpectedly in November of that year. What remains is a riveting work-in-progress frozen in time. I think it's a better mural, too, in its unfinished state. My favorite panel: a woman with an elaborate headdress, sketched in red with black accents, stares at the viewer with a seductive gaze. The panels that were completed are richly colored and look incredible (probably benefiting from the conservation efforts in 1994 by the Getty Endowment). Alfredo Ramos Martinez was called the father of the Mexican muralists and it's easy to see the work of Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and (Martinez student) David Alfaro Siqueiros in these images. I'm grateful to the man who whispered the existence of this mural into my consciousness.

I attended Scripps and loved these wonderful murals in Margaret Fowler Garden. It's worth a visit…read moreif you're in the area. It's tricky to find the gardens because they are walled, so ask for the Margaret Fowler Gardens.