It's no secret that I love martinis. For the record, I do not love them in the 'I wish I was a girl in Sex and the City' sort of way, particularly since I have never been a big fan of that show in the first place. No I love them cause they are strong, tasty, and lets be honest, I have a serious soft spot for des olives verts. One of my local haunts is host to a great bartender who serves me with a shot glass full of those tasty green devils on the side of my drink-now that's good service.

I have lived here in the Newport Beach area, off and on with ventures overseas, for the past 20 years. The scene here has definitely gotten a bit more boochy (sp?), but there are still some fun places to hit up.
The first round will be through Corona del Mar, a small beach town on the southern tip of Newport Beach. Corona del Mar is essentially in between Newport Beach and the famed Laguna Beach.

CDM's Crowd:

Of all the cities within the Central Coast, the easiest place to bar-hop is Santa Barbara. This tiny town's main drag, State Street, is where a great majority of the shops, bars, restaurants and lounges lie. Since there's ample free public parking along State Street, it's an excellent place to meet and mingle with friends, tourists and locals alike. Here are the must-hit stops on your bar crawl, depending on your preferred scene:

Give Me a Pub

One of the highlights of summer in Amsterdam is enjoying the beautiful weather and being able to do stuff outside. Outdoor activities don't have to be limited to the daytime; the Vondelpark features outdoor (free!) entertainment every weekend during the high summer season. This upcoming weekend is the last of the summer season, so now is your chance to enjoy this free entertainment on a beautiful Amsterdam summer night.

More than any other city in the world, perhaps, New York City offers a wealth of things to do without having to spend money to have fun. One of the most popular free activities in NYC during the summer months are the myriad of free concerts that take place - in different locations throughout the city. Of course, the biggest concerts take place in Central Park, drawing huge recording artists to give free concerts for tens to hundreds of thousands of people.