For our Wednesday photo blog experience let’s head seven miles up the coast. We have visited this scenic spot with an arch entrance before but as you can tell by the unusual color of the rocks this is a place well-worth revisiting, like the Bronx and Yankee Stadium. If you are a fan of erosion, geological formations or just like the thrill of possibly being trapped at a beach when high tide rolls in, then Yellow Bank Beach is the place for you. These stained golden-yellow sandstone cliffs, which are eroding away from the firmer rock underneath, get their color from mineral deposits. There is no other place quite like it on the north coast. It is an exotic location where the earth has truly gone wild.

Some interesting events have occurred in American history on September 13th. Let’s go back to the year 1814. It was during the pretty much forgotten War of 1812 that a young lawyer named Francis Scott Key was aboard a ship in Baltimore Harbor negotiating a prisoner release while the British were bombarding Fort McHenry. The position of the American flag was distinctly seen by Key through the night by the glare of the battle. Before daylight there was a sudden and mysterious silence. After 25 hours of continuous bombing the British had realized they would be unable to destroy the fort and ceased the attack. Meanwhile, Key waited for the sight that would end his anxiety.

When at last daylight came, the flag was still there! Having been uniquely inspired and being an amateur poet, Key began to write on a letter he had in his pocket. Sailing back to Baltimore he composed more lines and back at his hotel finished the poem. He then hit the mini-bar watched a Jackie Chan movie on pay-per-view.

His brother-in-law took then newly finished poem to the printer and it circulated around Baltimore under the title “The Defence of Fort McHenry.” Two months later an actor sang Key’s new song in a public performance and called it “The Star Spangled Banner.” It became America’s national anthem in 1931 through a congressional resolution that was later signed by President Herbert Hoover.

On a more sobering note, back on September 13, 1971, State Police and National Guardsmen stormed the Attica prison in New York State ending a four day prisoner revolt. Twenty-nine convicts and 10 guards were killed in the attack. A New York State Special Commission later wrote, “With the exception of Indian massacres in the late 19th century, the State Police Assault, which ended a four-day uprising, was the bloodiest one day encounter between Americans since the Civil War.”

The Attica riots were notable in that they brought attention to the condition of American prisons in the U.S. in the early 70′s. For you film buffs, the chant of “Attica, Attica, Attica” was brought to the big screen by Al Pacino’s character “Sonny” in the 1975 film “Dog Day Afternoon” and repeated by John Travolta in his classic role as “Tony Manero” in “Saturday Night Fever.” Here’s a little bit of movie trivia for you. “Saturday Night Fever” was the favorite film of the late movie critic Gene Siskel, who claimed to have seen it 17 times. He liked the movie so much that he bought the white disco suit worn by Travolta in the movie at an auction for $17,000. I don’t see what the big deal is. I stopped bidding at $15,000.

So that’s our show for today. Tune in next time when we’ll take a look at the very lovely Florida Keys, superstar singer and songwriter Alicia Keys and one of my all-time favorite restaurants located on Mott Street in New York City’s Chinatown, Hop Kee. So rock on, rock steady and enjoy that star-spangled banner yet waving. And if you want to add a comment below rather than emailing me please do so because this is America, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

As some of you know, I am all about dressing for success. That is, if you consider a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and sandals the clothing recipe for success. Anyway, for someone like myself who’s trying to live the tropical lifestyle by wearing shorts 365 days a year, thinking about what I’m wearing or where the clothes are from is not a big deal. New shirt, old shirt, red shirt, blue shirt, it doesn’t make a difference. But there are people who feel differently about this issue.

One of those people is Bolivian President Evo Morales, who considers it shameful that poor shoppers in his country rummage thru used clothing at outdoor markets. Back in April, his Andean nation become the 32nd country to ban or restrict used clothing imports to protect native clothing industries. Each year $1.2 billion in used clothing is sent from wealthy nations to developing countries. In landlocked Bolivia most of it smuggled across the border from Chile, who is the No.3 importer of U.S. clothing after Canada, Japan and West Hollywood.

Applauded and jeered for the striped Bolivian sweater he wore (which was acrylic, not alpaca) to meet presidents and kings after his 2005 election, Morales understands well that clothes make the man. Ramiro Uchani, his deputy minister of small business says, “It’s impossible to think that we can be dignified if, in the name of poverty, we wear clothing that has been thrown out of another country.”

“Bolivia Dignified” is an all-purpose motto Morales applies to everything from nationalizing the country’s railways to overturning a ban on high-altitude soccer games. Persuading Bolivians to shed their U.S. hand-me-down fits his vision perfectly. The problem is that as much as the people would like to dress their children in new clothes, the reality of paychecks is a different story.

Evo Morales has made news before. When the former Indian activist took power in 2005 as the country’s first indigenous president, he vowed to do three things. He nationalized Bolivia’s energy industry, which is expected to double the country’s annual revenues. He formed an assembly to rewrite the constitution, which will ensure greater rights to indigenous Bolivans. But it’s his third initiative that has the U.S. concerned. He wants to legalize the growing of coca, which many Bolivians consider an integral part of their culture. Coca has been a major crop since Incan times and its eradication back in the late 90′s plunged many farmers into abject poverty. Keith Richards is also a backer of this initiative.

Morales controversial coca program, his plan to limit foreign investments, his close ties to the leftists governments of Venezuela and Cuba have predictably anatagonized the U.S. Morales has referred to himself as “the United States’ biggest nightmare,” although many Americans know that person is sitting in the White House.

Let’s move on to the photos. Today’s shots were taken from three different locations along West Cliff Drive. The first two shots are of pelicans and cormorants at Bird Rock where there’s always lots of aviary action. The next two are from a sea stack at the end of Woodrow Avenue with the sun low in the sky and the final two come from early one morning at Natural Bridges State Beach. Lots of in-flight action that day and more shots to come.

So that’s it for a Monday. I hope you enjoyed our updated version of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” My sympathy to New York Giant and Oakland Raider fans. Not the way we wanted to start the season but at least they gave us a few thrills. And speaking of thrills, New York Yankee Alex Rodriquez is tearing it up in the American League. Thank you, A-Rod and please don’t forget to do it in October. Enjoy the byrds.

Interisland travel in Hawaii has always been quick and expensive. Well, now you can take the slow boat and it’s cheap. On Sunday, the $95 million dollar Hawaii Superferry made its maiden run with a rushed launch for the three-hour voyage to Maui-the first ever passenger ferry service between the islands. And here’s the best part – all for the whopping price of $5.

Legal problems had threatened to beach the manta ray emblazoned ship, so the company moved up the debut two days with more than 500 passengers and 150 cars aboard. Choppy waters and strong winds had foiled previous attempts at interisland ferry services with much smaller ships. But even with the calm seas, the ship was swaying and that had some passengers wishing they had gone Greyhound.

Before Sunday, the only way to travel among the islands was with the highly competitive local airlines who are now engaged in a fare war. The ferry sold out its first voyage in 30 minutes on Saturday. The launch was originally set for Tuesday with fares of $240 for a passenger and a car, but was moved up after the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the state should have required an environmental review before the ferry started service. Three environmental groups have sued, concerned that the vessel could collide with humpback whales, spread invasive species, create long traffic delays and skyrocket the price of chocolate covered macadamia nuts. More than 19,000 people have signed up to take advantage of the $5 fare thru September 5th. I say, Kauai not?

Today’s photos feature the lovely golden sands of Sunset Beach on the north shore of Oahu. In winter time, Sunset Beach is a beast and is known for its big wave surfing. Located just up the road from the dangerous waves of Pipeline and Waimea, Sunset is the home of the Triple Crown of Surfing, one of the premier events on the pro surfing tour. These shots were taken in the summer time, when the waves are calm, the beach is empty and the water temperature is in the low 80′s. That’s when I like to stage my Triple Crown of Relaxation.

The horizontal surfing shot was taken from the porch of our rental house at Sunset, and for a boy from Jersey, this oasis in the middle of the South Pacific is a dream come true. So that’s it for today, tune in next time when we’ll take a look at the British rocker Bryan Ferry, the much-traveled Staten Island ferry, and my kid’s personal favorite, the tooth ferry. Aloha, mahalo and enjoy a peak at this slice of paradise.

I was on my way to an Eddie Money concert at the Boardwalk on a warm summer evening in July when I happened upon this pelican gathering. The anchovies (or was it mushrooms and black olives) must have been running at Cowell’s Beach because the pelicans were diving and the gulls were screaming – kind of like an opening act for Money fans. And he rocked the Boardwalk that night just like he did the Catalyst back in the 70′s.

We are gearing up for our first Open Studios coming up in October and I’ll have more news about that next month. So before we go today, congratulations go out to blast list player Jim Berry, whose lovely wedding I attended yesterday on top of Depot Hill in Capitola on just a perfect day to be overlooking Monterey Bay. Lucky we live Santa Cruz. Enjoy pelican Monday.