Biography of Paul Heller, Founder of California Tour Guy and?The Big Blue Marble?

After two years in Washington, I often long for the realism and sincerity of Hollywood
Fred Thompson

California Related Experiences

I have lived in California off and on for most of my life (I am currently forty years old).? Over the past five years, I have spent a lot of my free time taking tours of the state of California.? These tours have taught me to appreciate the beauty and spirit of my home state.? Listening to stories of the hardships and successes of the enterprising and ambitious people who helped found the Golden State have convinced me that anything is possible here.

When I started to go on these tours, I was in a fairly difficult period of my life. I began to look at how I wanted to change my circumstances and realized that the most important things in my life were travel, writing, and teaching.??Since that time, I have a made a lot of changes in my life that have enabled me to pursue these passions on a full time basis.

Making these changes was not easy at first. I had a terrible case of itchy feet.? I wanted to get out and see the world, but felt trapped by a variety of situations that made me feel like I couldn't get out and explore.? Taking stock of my situation, I realized that while it was difficult for me to go on exotic trips to faraway lands; I could always explore my own backyard.? So, whenever possible, I have taken tours of the area where I live.

Over time, I have been on almost two hundred and fifty?tours in the great State of California.? In the process of seeing the state, I have grown to love it.? I hope that going on these tours will help you to see this great state in a new way.? It sure has helped me.

Favorite California Tours

Northern California

• Marin County Civic Center, San Rafael
• Cannery Row Tour, Monterey
• University of California, Berkeley
• Mangia: North Beach, San Francisco
• City Guide Tours, San Francisco
• USS Potomac, Oakland
• Governor's Mansion, Sacramento
• Di Rosa Preserve, Napa
• Point Bonita Lighthouse, Marin Headlands (near Sausalito)

Southern California

• University of California Los Angeles
• Nethercutt Collection, Sylmar (35 miles north of Los Angeles)
• In Walt's Footsteps, Disneyland, Anaheim
• Adamson House, Malibu
• Lotusland, Montecito (near Santa Barbara)
• Los Angeles Conservancy Tours
• Los Angeles Metro Art Tour

Favorite California Places

• Downtown Monterey (great place to learn about the early history of California; terrific adobes)
• Oakland (California's most culturally diverse city)
• Golden Gate Park (and surrounding neighborhoods) in San Francisco (beautiful natural setting; fantastic cultural offerings)
• Downtown Los Angeles (best place for bargain shopping; some of California's best architecture)
• Balboa Park (one of the best collections of museums and gardens anywhere)
• Museum Row (Wilshire Boulevard), Los Angeles (you can see everything from fine art, folk art to miniature doll house to historic automobiles)
• California wine country (Central California and Napa/Sonoma Valley -- love the smells and flavors)

Articles I've written about California

• Tours of the East Bay region of San Francisco published in Diablo Magazine in September 2002.
• Reality Tour?about the politics and economics of?US-Mexico Border Region with Global Exchange in October 2004.

The Big Blue Marble

One of the greatest blessings of my life is that I have been able to spend nearly four years outside the United States as a student, volunteer, and traveler.?

While I think that any travel experience can help expand people's horizons, I have come to believe over time that the best way to see the world is like a local rather than a tourist through a variety of alternative travel programs (such as volunteering, working,?backpacking, specialty tours, and?home and hospitality exchanges --?need a definition of these terms?)

I have?developed another?site to help you discover the benefits of these alternative travel programs called www.thebigbluemarble.com.? The biography page of that site has a lot of information about my travels round the world.