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“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it”-Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, a movie about a group of friends on a sightseeing adventure
When your heart remains pure, like a child, the light in your world shines brightly. Contrary to an adult’s mind, that’s constantly calculating wins and losses, children’s minds take things as they are and simply enjoy them. Our adventures will help recharge your passion for life. Where
You Want To Be is where the sights are world famous, where the sound of
the surf is soothing, where the blue of the sky is endless and where the
feel is pure San Diego.
Testimonials: "I’ve
done four Where You Want To Be Tours, and I’m ready to do more!
Each one was unique and fun. On the surf and tiki tour, they introduced
me to some San Diego treasures I never would have found on my own, from
hidden tikis to palm gardens, to yummy juice bars. I’ve taken taken
some of my best and most artistic photographs ever on the tour of the
Balboa Park Neighborhoods. I got a great workout and saw the most spectacular
views on the La Jolla Tour. And, while I usually just drive though downtown
and rarely spend time there because parking is so hard, I had a chance
to leisurely explore the downtown PETCO Park and Gaslamp areas on the
Downtown Walking Tour.” "Everything
was new to me. I have lived in S.D. 45 years!" "I'm
a big fan of walking tours--especially when I'm in an unfamiliar city
sitting indoors in meetings most of the day. Marc really did his homework,
mapping out an interesting route geared to appropriate fitness levels.
In less than two hours on the Canyons & Parks tour, I safely broke
away from the confining convention routine, got an intimate look at some
of San Diego's neighborhoods, communed with nature, met interesting people,
and--most importantly--burned off at least 3 Weight Watchers Points! Not
a moment was wasted! Oh yeah, it was fun, too!!" "I really enjoyed th tour of the Balboa Park area. I learned so much even after living here for more than 30 years. It was enjoyable and the best part was the tour guides. " Frommers 2006 Guidebook Los Angeles Times "Take
a walking tour for a new view of downtown"
Taking a stroll with them is like exploring downtown for the first time, regardless of how many times you have perused the city. “We take you to places where the guidebooks don’t,” Marc said. “People that take our tour will see things that most tourists, even locals, could never find on their own. There are a lot of magical places in San Diego that aren’t shown in the guide book.” “My favorite part of the tour is when we have someone that’s lived here for 20 years turn to us and say, ‘I never knew that,’ Darlynne said. “That’s very rewarding because it means we’ve one our research well.” The tour begins at Seaport Village where Marc and Darlynne divide the group into “teams that compete for a combination of prizes that range from a flip-flop keychain to free cruises around Mission Bay. “We’ve created a handful of games to break the ice,” Marc said. “People today have a difficult time shifting from work mode to vacation mode, so we designed a few entertaining competitions to get our guests into a fun mood.” The first leg of the tour traverses a waterfall followed by a birds-eye view of the ocean and Coronado, along with the first of many tales that unveil the secrets of the city.
Marc’s tour of what he calls the “outdoor museum” in the Gaslamp Quarter is filled with humorous anecdotes about the people, places and events that have shaped America’s Finest City. I especially enjoy the outdoor museum, Marc said. “It has large scale photographs of San Diego and Fifth Avenue. It shows the pier as it was back in 1867 when property sold for 27 cents an acre. These images along with the stories I tell about the brothels, saloons, the opium dens and gambling halls gives our guests a true perspective of San Diego’s roots.”
The next stop downtown is where Marc proves that Elvis really has not left the building. Again this a Menkin secret only for those who participate in the tours. Padres fans will especially enjoy the walk as it shows how to save a lot of wear and tear on the feet via shortcuts to the park. The Menkins also point out how to avoid parking problems by using water taxis. Marc will also show baseball fans how to get a birds-eye view of the game for just five bucks. Die-hard fans may want to take an extra tour inside the park, which allows them to stroll along the turf of San Diego’s newest attraction. This part of the tour in Petco Park needs to be set up in advance. Other tours offered include a Pacific Beach and La Jolla Bike Tour and a Neighborhoods or Balboa Park Walking Tour. For more information about Where You Want to Be Tours, call (619) 917-6037 or visit www.wheretours.com San
Diego Home and Garden "Tiki
Man"
Now Menkin, 40, who runs his own guided tour company, Where You Want to Be, has decided others need to know PB’s Pacific Connections. He has created a walking or biking tiki tour that takes you round over 20 private and public examples of the Pacific icons. They come in all sorts of styles, from Hawaiian to the giant faces of Easter Island to totems harking back to the third corner of Polynesian triangle, New Zealand. But of course, California’s humorous take on the tradition often shows up—in the big grins replacing the normally fearsome scowl on gods’ faces, or in odd hairdos. The newest fashion seems to be for tikis carved out of upside-down palm trunks, with the root ball forming hair carved into the weirdest of coifs. The love affair with island culture, called “tiki culture” by most, originally hit California after World War II, says Menkin “from stories GIs returning home fighting in the Pacific told.” Thor Heyerdahl’s 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition added to the excitement of all things Pacific. Local architects got in on the wave in the 50’s and 60’s with buildings like the Kona Kai Club and the houses of Sim Bruce Richards. But by the 80’s, island décor with its tiki torches, fishnets, glass-fishing floats and dried puffer fish, had become distinctly passé. Only a few faithful hung in there. But that was then. Now tiki style is back, with a vengeance. Home Depot is selling everything from torches to grass hut thatch. An island-themed spa, Spa Tiki, has opened in the Harbor Club downtown. Dave and Leslie Cohn have replaced the Gaslamp Quarter’s Fio’s with an island-themed eatery. Specialty shops selling Hawaiian shirts, tapa-cloth place mats and tiki mugs are sprouting up around the county. Music stores hawk Jawaiian music and one Hawaiian eatery provides free ukulele lessons. Tiki culture even has invaded San Diego landscaping. Doug Jones, an Encinitas-based landscape designer, specializes in creating little bits of Hawaii in backyards, complete with thatch gazebos, giant tikis, palms and space to roast the pig at your real-live luau.
Menkin’s own tiki love affair started 11 years ago when he first went to Hawaii. “My wife (Darlynne Reyes) is of Hawaiian descent. I fell in love with her and her culture, with the true “aloha” spirit of the islands. There’s a generosity, a laid-back happy atmosphere, a romance about it. We need that in these uptight times. And tikis somehow evoke it all” "THEY
PAVE THE WAY TO HIDDEN TREASURES"
The Polynesian idols – or replicas of them, at least- abound in Mission Bay, says Menkin, who fell in love with the statuettes during a visit to Disneyland’s Enchanted Tiki Room as a child. If you trail along with him you’ll see at least 20 of them before you end up with a history and a look at some of the best spots to surf in San Diego. “It’s part historical and party hysterical,” quipped Menkin who last July founded Where You Want To Be Walking and Biking Tours with his wife, television broadcaster Darlynne Reyes. During the week, you can find Menkin and Reyes, a native Hawaiian, guiding visitors through Mission Bay, Old Town, the Embarcadero, downtown and the neighborhoods of Balboa Park. They serve as the eyes and ears of locals and visitors alike seeking the hidden treasures of San Diego. It all seemed natural since that was what Menkin did anyway whenever family and friends visited. “Friends would come to us and Marc would be so happy showing them around,” said Reyes. Meanwhile, he was building a memory bank of memorable places. The kept their dream alive but in limbo until one day they said “We have to go for it.” In addition to tikis and surf, the two specialize in streets and canyons. As Menkin explains: “Each adventure takes you to funky, off-the-beaten path places, with the flavor and feel of neighborhoods that aren’t listed in the guidebooks.”
“Imagine what it was like,” Menkin offers, referring to the early 20th century when the suspension bridge was built. Hanging cables think about it- the fear in people’s minds, just to walk along that thing. “ Menkin
can also describe in detail every nuance and facet of the neighborhood,
from the homes built there to the people who inhabited them. “These
are the hidden treasures. You’re not going to notice them driving
around in your car,” he explained. The company customizes most requests, but has five specialties: The Neighborhoods of Balboa Park Tour, including the canyons, parks and bridges in Bankers Hill and Mission Hills; The Downtown with a Difference Walking Tour; PB’s Surf and Tiki Walking Tour; the La Jolla Walking Tour and a bike tour through Mission Bay, Pacific Beach and La Jolla. For a schedule of the tours, call 619-917-6037. Tours cost $20 a person. The couple prides themselves on guiding tours that are not of the cookie cutter variety.
San Diego has a certain magical feel to it, say both. Along with that, adds Menkin “We want the experience to be just like walking or biking with friends – and having a good time.”
"What’s New in Entertainment"
Where
You Want To Be Tours recently launched by Marc and Darlynne Menkin, is
a new walking and bike tour company.
 San
Diego has incredible canyons, colorful homes, amazing architecture, palm
gardens with tiki gods, and the coast with the most. For walkers and bikers,
there are spectacular hidden treasures, and you can check it all our on
of Marc’s incredible tours. You can experience a new adventure and
get in a good work out without any steep hills. Tours currently being
offered area Surf & Tiki Tour, the Downtown with a Difference walking
tour, a Canyons & Neighborhoods of Balboa Park Walking Tour and a
Pacific Beach/La Jolla biking tour. You can check it all out without feeling
like a tacky tourist. Join them on a fun and exciting walking and/or biking
tour and discover all these treasures most locals do not even know about.July
29, 2004 "Tour
de San Diego: bicycle tours discover unknown treasures"
“We take you to the places where the guidebooks don’t,” Marc said. “People that take our tour will see things that most tourists, even locals, cold never find on their own. There are a lot of magical places in Pacific Beach that aren’t shown in the guidebooks.” One such tour is Pacific
Beach’s Surf and Tiki Tour. This unique getaway was created for
people who have the “aloha” spirit. It starts at Rum Jungle
Smoothies in the Promenade Center. From there, Marc and Darlynne will
escort guests through palm gardens and tropical treasures that aren’t
in the guidebooks. Be sure to have a camera handy to snap a “kodak
moment” posing with any of the 20 carved tiki statues you’ll
encounter. Marc added
that the bike tours tend to avoid the boardwalk areas of Pacific Beach, In addition to their tours of Pacific Beach and La Jolla, Where You Want To Be Tours explore downtown San Diego and the neighborhoods near Balboa Park. The first leg of the downtown tour traverses a waterfall followed by a birds-eve view of the ocean and Coronado, along with the first of many tales that unveil the secrets of the city. Visitors will be shown a few lounges that offer a million-dollar view to accompany a variety of libations. These pubs are some of the city’s best-kept secrets solely because most people simply don’t know how to find them. For additional information about Where You Want To Be Tours, visit www.wheretours.com or call (619) 917 -6037. MARCH
7, 2005 HEADLINE… "WALKING TOURS OFFER A SPICY SELECTION"
Where You Want to Be Tours- whose motto promises to “take you where the guidebooks don’t” – now offers a two hour Downtown with a Difference tour, plus new teambuilding scavenger hunts throughout the city. The downtown tour takes attendees through several landmarks in the areas, including the East Village,the Gaslamp Quarter and Seaport Village, and features tales of the brothels, saloons and gambling halls that populated the area in the early 1900’s. For attendees more interested in recent additions to San Diego, the tour includes a behind-the-scenes look at baseball’s Petco Park and a tropical-themed Spa. Said Marc Menkin, co-owner of Where You Want To Be Tours. “It’s a great opportunity for attendees to be able to take a look inside Petco Park, to see something that’s off the beaten path. That’s what we try to deliver.” For teambuilding expereriences,the company works with plannes to customize experiences. Menkin said the scavenger hunts typically include seven tasks and last three to four hours, culminating with a lunch and an awards ceremony for attendees. In addition to the
new tours, the company offers a variety of other excursions, including
a Discover Pacific Beach by Bike Tour, a La Jolla Art Galleries "A
New Way To See San Diego"
Where You Want To Be Tours offers an ongoing series of walking and biking tours around San Diego, including the surf and tiki walk. Marc and Darlynne are energetic, fun and full of facts about tikis and the canyons and bays of San Diego. On the tiki tour, I saw all kinds of things that I missed in my previous forays into Pacific Beach. Marc and Darlynne are so filled with enthusiasm for the treasures of San Diego that it makes the tour sparkle and you will be sure to enjoy things in a whole new way, even in neighborhoods that you might have previously considered “old hat.” The walks are designed to fit the aerobic abilities of all, they are easy jaunts on level ground but you will be surprised at the end how far you have managed to easily walk. This is a great way to spend a few hours meeting new people, visiting new places and falling in love with San Diego all over again. For more information or to reserve a spot on a tour, call 619-917-6037 or email tours@wheretours.com |
MEETING NEWS.COM San Diego CityBeat San Diego Metropolitan Magazine – Voted Best Tour: Where You Want To Be Tours; While the company offers tours of other locales, the Downtown scavenger hunts are great team builders. The photos show how much fun these folks from Local Concept are having! Beach
& Bay Press Vision
Magazine San
Diego Home & Garden What's Here |
Relax
and have fun. These words are easier said than done. Our tours and teambuilding
scavenger hunts are done in tranquil areas of town without crowds, traffic,
tour buses, hassles and headaches. In addition to seeing sights a typical
tourist wouldn’t find on their own, we add a child-like spirit of
Aloha.
WYWTB
owners Darlynne and Marc Menkin, originally from the east coast, are long-time
residents of San Diego. They have always treated their lifestyle like
a vacation. Their knowledge of San Diego’s hidden treasures is well-received
by the Convention & Visitors Bureau, local hotels, DMC’s and
the media. Below are press clippings and testimonials. We look forward
to taking you to Discover Secret San Diego!
If
you were to walk a mile in Marc and Darlynne Menkin’s shoes you
would discover the best kept secrets of San Diego. This husband and wife
team has created Where You Want to Be Walking and Bicycle tours.
Those
on the tour will discover everything from a world-class hot dog stand
to learning about the near war between the San Diego Rowing and Chart
House restaurant, and a lot more. Visitors will be shown a lounge or two
that offers a million dollar view to accompany a variety of libations.
These chrome and glass pubs are some of the city’s best kept secrets
merely because most people simply don’t know how to find them.
Like
all good tour guides, the Menkins know what is hot and what is not. One
of the hottest new spots is Spa Tiki. Once inside, visitors are transported
into an island –like atmosphere filled with bamboo, giant palms
and tikis. The group is treated to a glass of Spa Tiki’s famous
punch, followed by a tour of this glamorous spa.
Marc
Menkin is a man possessed. Mention “tiki” and his eyes almost
spin. He’ll admit he’s thinking hula girls, Hawaiian shirts,
mai tais, zombies, exotic bird calls, Martin Denny’s tropical jazz,
thatched huts, Trader Vic’s, island schooners and yes, tikis. 
And
did you know, San Diego has its own tiki-totem carvers. Bosko Hrnjak,
maybe the best known, has created a museum of tiki culture at his property
in Escondido. Carvers, it turns out, need as much brawn as artistic acumen.
“You’ve got to be good with a chain saw,” says Menkin.
“I’ve seen a carver create a 10 foot tiki from a palm trunk
in an hour.”
A
walking tour with Marc Menkin and Darlynne Reyes covers more than ground.
It covers history, mystery and one of San Diego’s hidden and not
so hidden treasures – tikis and surfing.
Take
Bankers Hill, one of their specialties. The area is known for its suspension
bridge, built in 1905, but not many people, including natives, know about
the nearby Maple Street Bridge, also traversing a canyon.
“No
one wants to be the victim of a tourist trap, “ says Reyes. “So
we try to show people something that’s not in the guide books. If
you drive around in a car, you’re not going to notice these things.”
There
are a lot of magical places in Pacific Beach that aren’t in the
guidebooks. If you were to bike a mile in Marc and Darlynne Menkin’s
shoes, you would discover the best-kept secrets of Pacific Beach. This
husband and wife team has created Where You Want To Be Walking and Biking
Tours. Taking a stroll with them is like exploring the beach for the first
time, regardless of how many times you’ve cruised the strand.
showing customers places they might not ever see.
Need
a little vacation? Don’t be afraid to be a tourist in your own town.
Here is a little secret we found right in our own backyard. Marc and Darlynne
Menkin have started an ongoing series of walking and biking tours around
San Diego, including a 90 minute walk through Pacific Beach to see the
area’s Tiki artifacts and treasures. How does this sound: the sun
is beginning to set, the air is fresh and cool, and you can casually stroll
with a small group through the streets of Pacific Beach discovering Tiki
artifacts and treasures. For 90 minutes, you can enjoy finding things
hidden from every day view. It’s a fun way to spend an afternoon
relaxing and moving around, and also a great way to entertain visitors
with a tourist event that all will enjoy. In fact, here is a great reason
to take some time out of a busy week and have some fun, get some exercise
and learn a little something about your town that there is a good chance
you didn’t know before.