Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

As many of you know, the California's State Parks are in serious trouble due to budget cuts. A new list of service reductions and partial closures was recently released. The parks are remaining open in some capacity for now but California’s budget woes are far from over. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, I will be featuring a different CA State Park every week. I hope to bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places.

What comes to mind when you think of the Napa Valley? If you are like most people, sprawling vineyards and fantastic wines immediately pop into your head. While the vineyards are both beautiful and an important part of the valley’s identity, they are a relatively new addition to the landscape. For thousands of years, there wasn’t a grapevine to be seen. There were fields of grass, plains flooded with swollen waterways in the spring, stands of coastal redwoods, and forests of oak, maple and fir. Bothe-Napa Valley State Park is a great place to get a taste of the Napa of yesteryear and enjoy the trails in Ritchey Canyon. Camping, horseback riding, and hiking are all wonderful ways to enjoy the park.

Be sure to check out the pioneer cemetery to see the graves of some of the original settlers of the Napa Valley. You can just feel the history walking as you walk amongst the gravestones.

If you would like more information on Bothe-Napa Valley State Park click here.  For more info on hiking in the park click here.

Family Travel Tips
Napa

San Onofre State Beach

As many of you know, the California's State Parks are in serious trouble due to budget cuts. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, I will be featuring a different CA State Park every week. I hope to bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places . 

Anyone who has driven from LA to San Diego is familiar with the long stretch of desolate coastline within the gates of Camp Pendleton. These expanses of open coastline give us a glimpse of what Southern California looked like 100 years ago. While most of Camp Pendleton is closed to the public, there is a state park right along its northern boundary with some of the most famous waves in the world. Surfers from across the globe trek to surf the break at Trestles, a portion of San Onofre State Beach's pristine coastline.

Getting to Trestles is an experience in itself. This is not one of those beaches where you can pull up to a parking lot surrounded by sand and walk a few hundred yards to the water. Most people park about a mile away off of the Christianitos exit and follow the Panhe Trail under the railroad trestles to the beach.

From there, an open expanse of beach is yours. There are plenty of calm spots around the mouth of the San Mateo creek (which flows all the way to ocean for only part of the year.) for kids to safely play in the shallow water. There are surf breaks for all different skill levels and lots of entertainment for  looky-loos. The rocks are a great place to look for tiny signs of life, from hermit crabs to sea snails.  If you feel like taking a long walk down the beach, you can even find a spot where nudity is popular, even if it is still illegal.

The beach is also a great place to let your inner architect shine while you build a palace for the hermit crabs you discovered during your exploration of the rocks.

However you choose to spend your day at San Onofre,  you will be certain to have a perfect day along a stretch of California's Golden Coast.

If you would like more info on San Onofre, click here.

Things To Do
San Clemente

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

As many of you know, the California's State Parks are in serious trouble due to budget cuts. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, I will be featuring a different CA State Park every week. I hope to bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places . 

One of the most important moments in California history was when a man by the name of James Marshall found some gold flecks in the tailrace of a sawmill he was building for himself and John Sutter. This discovery lead to an influx of settlers seeking fortune in the form of shiny golden rocks and the establishment of the state of California.  The original mill was destroyed by flooding but a replica now stands in it place along with over 20 historic buildings in the old mining town of Coloma.  A trip to Gold Country is a must for any California native and a great stop for any tourist who wants to catch a glimpse of the oak covered hills where the 49ers set up camp in search of treasure. There are still opportunities to pan for gold and plenty of places to dive into history.

The Marshall Gold Discovery Historic Site is located in the town of  Coloma between Placerville and Auburn on historic Highway 49. If you would like more information on this State Park click here.

Things To Do
Auburn

Family Travel Tips
Placerville

Mt Diablo

As many of you know, the California's State Parks are in serious trouble due to budget cuts. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, I will be featuring a different CA State Park every week. I hope to bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places .

If you have ever been in Sacramento, Stockton, or the Bay Area you have seen it. It stands alone. An icon in its own right, taking up alot of valuable East Bay real estate. An island of wilderness in a sea of humanity. It has been said that on a clear you can stand at its summit and see further than anywhere else in North America. Its Mt Diablo, and its the perfect place to escape the urban sprawl in Northern California.

At 3,849 feet, Mt Diablo offers hiking, biking, camping, horseback riding, rock climbing, star gazing and wildlife viewing. My favorite spot on the mountain is Rock City, an area of the park with large sandstone formations and small caves. Its so fun to climb the rocks and explore their nooks and crannies.

No trip to Mt Diablo is complete without a trip to the summit. There is a visitor center at the top and the views from the observation deck are amazing. The best views usually come after a winter storm when the skies are crisp and clear.

Just below the summit the .7 mile Mary Bowerman Trail is a great little family hike with plenty of great views. We did this trail our kids were tiny and they did great.

There are plenty of other trails on the mountain to check out and some nice places to camp. For more information on Mt Diablo please check out the CA State Park website here. Gates open at 8 AM and close at sunset so if you aren't planning on staying inside the park make sure you are get back to your car in time so you don't get locked in. You can enter the park from either Walnut Creek or Danville.

Things To Do
Walnut Creek

California State Tule Elk Reserve

 

As many of you know, the California's State Parks are in serious trouble due to budget cuts. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, I will be featuring a different CA State Park every week. I hope to bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places .

Say you are driving down I5 from San Francisco on your way to LA for a week of fun at the beach. You have been driving for hours, your kids have asked you if "we are there yet" no less than 400 times and if you see another mile of tomato plants your eyeballs might literally pop out of your head. You think to yourself, if only there were some stately wildlife to look at instead of row after row of dreadfully boring (yet deeply appreciated) tomato vines. Well do I have some good news for you! There is an entire reserve filled with stately wildlife just 3 miles off I5 halfway between Boringsville and Nowhere! I didn't believe it either until I saw it.

The California State Tule Elk Reserve is a nice place to stop, stretch your legs, have a picnic, and enjoy the elk. The scenery isn't particularly stunning but the animals most certainly are. The day we went the elk were at the far end of the range. We were barely able to make them out by sight but with help of the telescope on the viewing platform, we saw the elk just fine.

The Tule Elk Reserve is certainly more interesting and less scary than going to a truck stop and being oggled by a man named Bubba who has been on the road waaayyyyy too long. It is also alot less disgusting than letting your kids run around in a McDonald's indoor playground. Is it worth a trip on its own? Probably not. But if you are driving down I5 and are looking for an interesting place to stop, check it out.

 

They're out there. I swear. They are the three or four little black things dead center.

 

Torrey Pines State Beach

As many of you know, the California's State Parks are in serious trouble due to budget cuts. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, I will be featuring a different CA State Park every Saturday (used to be every Saturday but I haven't been able to get my act together lately.) . I hope to bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places .

Torrey Pines is a place known for its, well, pine trees. They are the rarest pine trees in the world and their beauty provides a stark contrast between the forest on the bluffs and the sandy beach below. We visited Torrey Pines State Reserve this past Father's Day and enjoyed the trails and scenery the reserve had to offer. Then we walked down to hill and over to the beach. I had never been to Torrey Pines State Beach and I wasn't disappointed. It was just another example of the little pockets of paradise that can be found  all the way down the Southern Californian Coast.  Gorgeous surf, sand, and sky to enjoy with family and friends. Weather in the mid seventies with a slight ocean breeze. A flock of pelicans flying overhead. Ahh yes, this is the life.

 

 

Family Travel Tips
La Jolla

Huntington State Beach

As many of you know, the California's State Parks are in serious trouble due to budget cuts. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, I am participating in State Park Saturdays. I will be featuring a different CA State Park every Saturday (unless I have a Saturday like I did this past Saturday. Then it will be State Park Monday...) . If you don't live in CA then feature a state park in your home state. Let's bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places .

 

Its the quintessential Southern California beach. Wide sprawls of sand filled with umbrellas, mats, and families. Tourists on bicycles they rented at the stand next to the shack that serves hamburgers and shakes. Street performers gathering money from eager audience members to see if he will clear the jump over all those people (he will). Fishermen casting lines off of the pier hoping they will have something to bring home for dinner. Surfers crowding the area with the best break while onlookers wonder how a kid can make something so hard look so easy. Its Surf City just as Jan and Dean sang about it back in 1963. Well, almost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Erik for taking some great pictures during our recent trip to Huntington Beach and welcome to the family!    

Family Travel Tips
Huntington Beach

Torrey Pines State Reserve

As many of you know, California's State Parks are currently being threatened with closures due to California's fiscal crisis. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, my blogging friend Bridget at Family Adventure Guidebooks and I are participating in  State Park Saturdays. We will be featuring a different CA State Park every Saturday (or Sunday like today)  and we encourage you to do the same. If you don't live in CA then feature a state park in your home state. Let's bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places Last Sunday was Father's Day. It was also Save Our State Parks weekend. I felt it was important to participate in both so we combined the two and celebrated Father's Day in a place we had never been before, Torrey Pines State Reserve.

There are native pine trees along the coast of San Diego. For anyone who has visited the area, the concept is a bit bizarre. San Diego has a Mediterranean climate. Pine forests aren't exactly what typically come to mind. But there it is, perched on the bluffs of La Jolla. A pine forest. Torrey Pines are some of the most rare pines in the entire world. They only grow in and around the reserve  in San Diego and on Santa Rosa Island which is part of the Channel Islands off the coast of California.  Given the rarity and the beauty of these forests, protecting them is a no brainer. Especially since so many trees had been killed by an non-native beetle infestation in the 1960s. The remnants of the infestation remain along the trails and add a stark contrast to all the life that surrounds them. 

The Guy Fleming Trail is the perfect introduction to what Torrey Pines has to offer. Its a one mile loop trail that takes allows you to walk amongst the pines and enjoy amazing views of the great blue yonder from bluffside viewpoints.

 

Its a place where you can watch birds having a blast surfing the updrafts while parasailers make their best attempts at being birds themselves.

Its a place to enjoy wildflowers and the tiny forms of wildlife that come along with them.

But most of all its a place to enjoy the trees.

    

Family Travel Tips
La Jolla

Pt Mugu State Park

As many of you know, California's State Parks are currently being threatened with closures due to California's fiscal crisis. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, my blogging friend Bridget at Family Adventure Guidebooks and I are participating in  State Park Saturdays. We will be featuring a different CA State Park every Saturday and we encourage you to do the same. If you don't live in CA then feature a state park in your home state. Let's bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places.

 

Pt Mugu State Park is what the Southern California coast is all about. With 5 miles of beaches, canyons sprinkled with oaks and sycamores, rocky bluffs, and grassy fields, its impossible not to fall in love.  There is camping right across the street from the beach and over 70 miles of hiking trails at your disposal. The kids and I checked out the beginning of La Jolla Canyon Trail on a trip up the coast this spring and I was in absolute awe over the wildflower display.

 

 

 

Pt Mugu is located north of Malibu and south of Oxnard. Its a place I hope to take my kids to hike, camp, and enjoy for many years to come. I hope the politicians hear our voices and keep our parks open. Places as special as this need to be cared for so they can be shared with future generations.

Things To Do
Malibu

California State Parks- A Call to Action

Imagine a trip down California's coast where beach after beach is closed due to lack of funding. Imagine driving out to see the desert in bloom only to find Anza-Borrego no longer open to the public. Imagine not being able to visit the very spot gold was discovered because there is no money to keep the park open. Imagine not being able to visit Mt Tamalpais, Angel Island, or Tomales Bay in Marin.  Imagine not being able to see Point Lobos or Pfeiffer Burns SP near Big Sur. No Pismo Beach. No McArthur-Burney Falls. No Poppy Reserve. No Torrey Pines. No Malibu Creek. No Mt Diablo. No Humbolt Redwoods. The list goes on and on and on. And the list could become reality. California is in a fiscal crisis. And the politicians are hitting us where it hurts. They are cutting teachers, corrections officers, firefighters, police and now they are cutting out nature. We CAN'T let this happen. Our kids NEED these parks. We NEED these parks. Most Californians live amongst the urban sprawl. We NEED a place to go where we can enjoy nature and all the outdoors have to offer. The legislature is trying scare us by taking away what we need the most. But consider these facts courtesy of the California State Parks Foundation:

FACT:    The General Fund budget that state parks receive account for less than 1/10 of one percent of the entire state budget. 

FACT:   Last year alone, there were over 80 million visitors to state parks – and all indications are that this year was going to be even higher.

FACT:    For every dollar that funds the parks, $2.35 is returned to the state's General Fund through economic activities in the communities surrounding the parks.

That means eliminating all funding for state parks could actually result in the state losing over $350 million dollars in revenue.

Not only would cutting the California State Parks be a travesty but its would just be reckless! We can't let this happen! You have a voice in this. Let it be heard. Take one minute to sign this petition. Join the Facebook group here. If you live in California, this effects you. If you vacation in California, this effects you. If you don't want to see California set a bad example for other state governments, this effects you. Together we can let the California Legislature we are NOT going to put up with their nonsense any more!

Crystal Cove in December

Last week it was 75 degrees outside. In December! As a recent Northern California transplant I found this to be amazing. I grew up in Southern California but it has been so long since I lived down here that I forgot just how warm the weather can be any time of the year. I decided since it was  75 degrees outside in December we needed to get our butts to the beach. Maybe after a while the novelty of the winter warm spell will wear off but for now I am absolutely tickled pink about a winter day at the beach that doesn't involve a parka. I decided to go to Crystal Cove State Park because I knew there would be a parking lot that didn't require me to attempt to cross Pacific Coast Highway with my toddlers like that old Atari game, Frogger,  while hoping nobody got killed in the process. We pulled into the almost empty parking lot and followed the trail down the bluff to a beach that was almost completely empty. I couldn't believe it. We live in a population center of millions and hardly a soul was at the beach! Were they insane? I think so. It was 75 with just a slight ocean breeze. You couldn't ask for a better day to be at the beach. And what a gorgeous beach! Since it is a state park it looks exactly as it did 100 years ago and it will continue to look the same way for years to come.  There are pristine beaches, steep bluffs covered in native plant life (instead of the ever present multi million dollar mansions), and large expanses of tide pools surrounded by rock. Paradise. Truly.

The twins had an absolute blast running around in the sand, exploring tide pools, and just being kids. I just kept having  to pinch myself. I felt like I was on vacation. It was wonderful.

We were lucky and stumbled upon the peak of low tide. The kids loved exploring the pockets of water which were filled tiny sea life. Pelicans and sea gulls flew overhead (I am not a big sea gull fan. I like to refer to them as flying rats) and huge rocks were covered with the biggest mussels I have ever seen. The kids just couldn't get enough of the tide pools that we spent nearly three hours exploring. 

There are two main sections of beach at Crystal Cove. There is El Moro Cove (this is where we were) which is basically a large expanse of beach front with tide pools, bluffs, rocks, and sea life.  The other section of beach, The Historic District, has cottages for rent (at an affordable rate I might add. Truly a wonderful way to have a beach vacation),  a boardwalk,  a shake shack, The Beachcomber Cafe, and more sand and sea.  Then there is the back country area which has plenty of hiking trails and some primitive hike in campsites. They are also in the process of building a large drive in camping area which will be across the street from the beach.  Finally, there is the underwater park which allows people to dive or kayak in an 1140 acre protected are of ocean. Not bad, eh? 

Come June and July, Crystal Cove will be packed full of surfers, swimmers, and beach combers so why not take that next warm sunny day and head out to Crystal Cove State Park so you can have it all to yourself (well you may have to share it with me and the kids but I promise to share)?

Napa Valley: Part Deux

Note: Yes, once again I am behind. I have a good excuse though. We were in Tahoe (to be blogged about soon) enjoying the beauty of our surroundings and perfect weather. So there. There is my excuse. Oh- and Sunday was football and you know I can't be expected to do anything other than watch the games and stare at my fantasy score on the computer while yelling at my players to score me some points. So I will do my best to play catch up. Though I am feeling pretty lazy so we will see how things go. And now, without further ado, I give you part two of our Napa Valley spectacular....

After our wonderful time at the winery we made our way into Calistoga to go pick up sandwiches at the local deli. Deli sandwiches have been our go to lunch for hiking. We usually find a local shop near our hike and grab food because I hate a soggy sandwich. Plus lets be honest, there is something about a deli sandwich that just tastes better than the boring turkey sandwich you made at home hours earlier. Anyhow, we grabbed our sandwiches and headed back down the road towards Bothe-Napa Valley State Park.

The wonderful thing about this park is that it is literally across the street from wineries but feels like a world away. It is the Napa Valley as the pioneers knew it. Before grapevines dominated the landscape, I imagine the area looked alot like the park does today which was full of vegetation and wildlife.  People will be surprised to know there are redwoods in this park, something not commonly associated with the region. The park features several hikes and we were planning on taking the Richey Creek hike which follows a creek through the redwoods. Unfortunately I read the map wrong and we headed in the opposite direction entirely.  We ended up on the Pioneer Trail instead. Not to say this hike wasn't pretty, it just wasn't what I had planned. And if you know me, you know I pride myself on my sense of direction. Discovering we went the wrong way made me absolutely nutty. I guess my mistake gave us a reason to come back, right?

Walking along the trail was like walking into fall. Leaves were everywhere on the ground and the kids were so excited to pick them up and examine them.

It made me really look forward to this autumn because I think the kids will absolutely love playing in the leaves.

The trail meandered through the forest and reached a clearing where we made an interesting discovery. It was a pioneer graveyard. It just seemed so odd to stumble upon graves out in the middle of the wilds but I suppose that is how they did it back then. The graves were from the 1800s and marked those who first settled this amazing landscape.

We decided to make the graveyard our turn around point because Ben was starting to get sleepy. No wonder- it was way past his nap time and the boy loves his sleep. Mari can go like the energizer bunny but Ben reaches a breaking point and there is no turning back. Paul ended up carrying him most of the way back.

A gate did spark Ben's entrance and helped him learn the finer points of taking the path of least resistance:

As we headed down the road to our car the kids decided to practice their balancing routine on a curb with Daddy's help.

All that effort trying to balance took Ben's last bit of energy and he collapsed in the middle of the road with his sippy cup in tow.

We carried the poor boy to the car and bid farewell to the Napa Valley. I hope to take my mom, aunt, and uncle back out that way when they are in town at the end of the month and hopefully we can create some more wonderful wine country memories. I hear there are some fainting goats that I need to check out...