Reality may be a long stretch of bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-5 since we were staying in a hotel me

Ah yes, the joys of travel. For me, a mere hop-skip-and-a-jump costa rica nature travel from Pasco, Washington to Portland, Oregon to Las Vegas, Nevada. For the seven bakery company executives from Chengdu, China, visiting America for the first time on a bakery ingredients trade mission courtesy of the USDA s Cochran Fellowship Program costa rica nature travel (also Jojo Shen of the Agricultural Trade Office) the adventure was a little more ..adventurous. The executives traveled from Chengdu to Beijing to Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Jojo traveled from Chengdu to Seoul to San Francisco to Las Vegas. I should mention that Jojo is a delightful costa rica nature travel young lady, raised in Chengdu, but got her Master s Degree in Business Administration at Troy University in Troy, Alabama. Her English has a nice Southern Twang with a down home Y all . We were scheduled to arrive at approximately the same time at McCarron International Airport, to begin our American journey in America s most interesting city, by attending the International Baking Industry Exposition at the Las Vegas Convention Center, October costa rica nature travel 6 9, 2013.
But, as often happens with one s plans, Mother Nature doesn t always cooperate. No, not snow, ice or torrential rains (after all, this is Las Vegas), but wind. No landing in Las Vegas for two hours. Weary travelers became a little more weary, but miraculous enough, we did arrive at approximately the same time, although at different terminals. With the help of text messaging we eventually wound up together and off to our mission s headquarters, the historic and colorful ..
Opened on April 20, 1955, the Riviera was the first high-rise and the ninth resort on the famous (infamous) Las Vegas Strip. It is considered costa rica nature travel by many a landmark in Las Vegas resort design, breaking the previous costa rica nature travel roadside motor court model. Since the beginning, the Riviera has passed through the hands (as well as countless millions of dollars) of a number of investors (many with Italian surnames). Harpo and Gummo Marx as well as Dean Martin were one time investors (a good way to secure performance dates). Gus Greenbaum, former costa rica nature travel manager of the Flamingo Hotel after Bugsy Siegel was greeted by a hot kiss from his girlfriend and a hotter bullet from a grumpy investor, was hired to manage the Riviera. Unfortunately, Mr. Greenbaum s bad habits and sticky fingers let to his untimely death in 1958. As one might suspect, not by natural causes. Crime doesn t pay, especially when you work for criminals.
The Riviera has wrestled with financial challenges over the last few years, much of it brought on by its location. Once a sparkling jewel in the Las Vegas crown which also included The Stardust, The New Frontier and The Westward Ho, the crown has become costa rica nature travel tarnished and the jewel has become isolated as these properties have been demolished to make room for newer and fancier hotels and casinos such as the Fontainebleu Resort of Las Vegas and Echelon Place. Unfortunately, because of the Great Recession (between 2007 and 2010 visitor volume dropped 5%, gaming revenue 18%), these facilities are standing in a state of unfinished construction limbo, skeletons of concrete costa rica nature travel and steel reaching to a sky of hope and prosperity, but stuck in the quagmire of economic reality. The result is a sense of being where the action was, the old rock n roll star now performing for the granny crowd in the VFW Hall, while the hip action is down the street where the buildings are newer and the lights are brighter.
Having said that, there is a wonderful sense of Las Vegas history and charm about the Old Dame , the room rates are very reasonable, the service was good, the overall experience quite pleasant. My only complaint, and this is of  immeasurable magnitude ..no coffee in the rooms and quite expensive in the lobby coffee shop. Fortunately, costa rica nature travel McDonald s is across the street (bless you Ray Kroc). Enough of the glitter of Sin City and off to the reality of ..
Reality may be a long stretch of bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-5 since we were staying in a hotel merely blocks from Disneyland, Disney s California Adventure and Downtown Disney, costa rica nature travel teeming with four foot high munchkins with mouse ears and dayglo lights wrapped around their necks. But, since we were meeting with bakery ingredient manufacturers in Southern California, Anaheim was a convenient costa rica nature travel and most interesting slice of American Pie (although in a different way than Las Vegas) for my Chinese visitors. I would like to tip my cap and say, thank you to Alicia Rios and Frank M. Nuñez of the Centers for International Trade Development who partnered with me in scheduling some amazing meetings with equally amazing companies and organizations throughout California.
Although much of California s politics appear to be scripted in Hollywood and Disney s Fantasyland, the state is still home to some of the most innovative and productive food products companies in the world (don t tell my friends in Washington State). We had the good pleasure of meeting with several of those companies, such as:
American Trading International costa rica nature travel ( www.american-trading.com ), Global Agricultural Trading ( www.gat-global.com ), Primex International Trading Corporation ( www.primex.us costa rica nature travel ) and Gold Coast Ingredients ( www.goldcoastinc.com ).
The group met with Emmanuel E. Rodriguez, BakersBodega ( www.bakersbodega.com ), whose family owns the Pico Rivera facility we visited as well as one in San Diego. The company distributes a wide assortment of bakery related supplies, selling costa rica nature travel both retail and wholesale, costa rica nature travel including exporting into Mexico. Business is good. In fact, so good that Emmanuel is piecing together ambitious plans to franchise the concept. Emmanuel is a man with a dream and I believe the talent and resources to make it happen. We also had the good fortune to meet Benjamin A. Martinez, Director of Community Economic Development, Pico Rivera, a good chap and a true economic development professional.
P CHELLE PUNCH ..Emmanuel costa rica nature travel and Benjamin invited the group to break bread and sip beverages at the fantastic, family owned Porto s Bakery Café ( www.portosbakery.com ) in Downy. They also have stores in Burbank and Glendale. It is an amazing story of Cuban refugees escaping an oppressive government and, eventually, realizing the American dream. They serve an amazing assortment of bakery products and exotic beverages, costa rica nature travel many with Cuban origins. I greatly enjoyed my cortadito. If your community is looking for a bakery concept with blow out potential, Porto s may be it.
The group was hosted by The Port of Los Angeles ( www.portoflosangeles.org ). They are obviously not a food company, but they are instrumental costa rica nature travel in helping many food companies export their products around costa rica nature travel the world. I want to thank Jim MacLellan, Director of Trade Services, Norman Arikawa, Assistant Director of Trade Development and Jean Coronel, Project Manager, costa rica nature travel Business and Trade Development costa rica nature travel Division for a wonderful and educational costa rica nature travel boat tour of the harbor and hosting the group for lunch and an insightful Port Presentation . Job well done!
Las Vegas and Anaheim hardly represent the norm of American cities. But, they do add the spice, the energy, the creativity and the attitude that seasons the American culture and psyche, especially in communities known for their pioneer spirit and grass-roots prosperity, such as ..
Fresno, costa rica nature travel the fifth largest city in California, is sitting pretty as the financial, industrial, trade and commercial capital of Central Valley. All of that considered, agriculture is the heart and soul of the Fresno area, employing 20% of the workforce, generating 3.5 billion dollars for the local economy. One in three jobs is agriculture dependant. The majority of America s produce is grown in the Central Valley. Fresno County is the number one agricultural county in the United States, featuring 7,500 farmers growing 250 types of crops on one million acres of some of the most productive land the good Lord ever created. Driving up and down Highway 99 I could not helped but be impressed by the broad, flat landscape costa rica nature travel populated by grapes, costa rica nature travel cotton, cattle, oranges, almonds, walnuts and corn. Taking advantage of this cornucopia of the good things costa rica nature travel in life are a number of food processing companies which we had the pleasure of meeting with, including:
costa rica nature travel National Raisin Company ( www.nationalraisin.com costa rica nature travel ), Sun-Maid Growers of California ( www.sunmaid.com ), Treehouse California Almonds ( www.treehousealmonds.com ), Hilltop Ranch ( www.hilltopranch.com ), Gold Hills Nut Company ( www.goldhills.com ), Crystal Creamery ( www.crystalmilk.com ) and Grower Direct Marketing ( www.growerdirect.net ).
Seven bakery company executives from Chengdu, China visited America for the first time, participating in what one might call a Regional Cluster Development Program . They visited Las Vegas, where glitter disguises reality and one s carnal nature is tempted, to Anaheim where the inner child is reborn with new and exciting dreams and finally to Fresno, a closer visit to home for most of us. Three divergent cities, three divergent slices of the mosaic we affectionately call the American Pie.