Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for california
Christmas Boat Parade
By Linda Tancs
The Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach, California, is an annual event where fully decorated boats cruise around the harbor in the evening for holiday light viewing. One of the largest boat parades of its kind, hundreds of decorated ships of all sizes compete for top awards in over a half dozen categories. The parade route begins and ends at the tip of Lido Isle. Bayfront estates also get in on the action and take part in their own competition called the “Ring Of Lights.” This year’s parade is from December 17 to December 21, with fireworks and other festivities opening and closing the event.
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Avenue of the Giants
By Linda Tancs
Touted as the finest forest drive in the world, Avenue of the Giants is the most scenic drive along California’s Redwood Coast. Lined by those titan redwoods, the 31-mile road parallels Highway 101 and runs through Humboldt Redwoods State Park. It offers access to hiking trails, memorial groves and the Eel River, part of the federally-designated Wild and Scenic Rivers System with idyllic swimming, fishing and paddling spots. The area is also characterized by its standing, living drive-through redwoods, a treat for motorists.
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Rare Warbirds in California
By Linda Tancs
Rare warbirds (vintage military aircraft) are just one of the treasures awaiting visitors to March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California. In fact, the facility showcases 115 aircraft from World War I to the present. The museum offers self-guided tours of its expansive 30-acre campus, but for a more in-depth experience, consider the 45-minute narrated Tram Tour of the outdoor “Flightline,” where numerous aircraft are on display. March Field is one of the oldest military airfields in the country; the museum is located just outside the base, so no base pass is required.
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California’s Clam Comeback
By Linda Tancs
In the mid-20th century, Pismo Beach, California, deemed itself “The Clam Capital of the World.” In its heyday, the Pismo clam and the Pacific Razor clam made up most of the catch by clammers in the state. In fact, the largest Pismo clam recorded in California came from Pismo Beach and was 7.37 inches across and estimated to be 26 years old. Decades of overharvesting devastated the industry, but there’s been an unprecedented recovery with thousands of small clams reappearing on the beaches around Pismo Beach. A valid sport fishing license is required to take Pismo clams for anyone 16 years old or older. You must also have with you a measuring device to measure clam size; anything under 4.5 inches must be reburied. The legal limit is 10 clams, and they cannot be taken at night. Every October you can celebrate the Pismo clam at the annual clam festival, featuring clam chowder competitions and a clam-themed parade.
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An Emblem of San Francisco
By Linda Tancs
An emblem of the skyline in San Francisco, California, Coit Tower is a fluted concrete column rising from the top of Telegraph Hill. Historically, Telegraph Hill was a visual landmark for sailors entering San Francisco Bay since its discovery in 1775. It takes its name from a semaphore telegraph erected on its summit in 1850 to alert residents to the arrival of ships. The tower is named for Lillie Hitchcock Coit, a wealthy eccentric who bequeathed funds for its construction, which was completed in 1933. The observation deck (accessible via elevator or 13 flights of steps) provides 360-degree views of the city and bay, including the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge. Tickets can be purchased at the tower up to one hour before closing time.
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Seal Viewing in California
By Linda Tancs
California’s Año Nuevo State Park is prized for its Natural Preserve, a place where up to 10,000 elephant seals return to breed, give birth and molt. April through August is molting season, when elephant seals come ashore to shed their outer layer of skin and fur. This “molting” process takes from four to six weeks per animal as they rest along the beaches. Starting April 1, guided tours are not required to see the seals although a free permit is required. Then you can walk out to the viewing areas on the Año Point Trail. At each of the viewing areas, there is a docent to explain what you’re seeing and answer questions. At other times of the year (the breeding season), a guided walk is required. The farthest viewing area is a 4-mile roundtrip walk from the parking lot, with one tall sand dune to walk over. The park is a quick 21 miles up Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz.
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A Rite of Passage in Carlsbad
By Linda Tancs
The advent of spring in Southern California is marked by a very special attraction in North San Diego County. That’s where you’ll find 55 acres of ranunculus flowers laden like a rainbow at Carlsbad Ranch in Carlsbad. Heralding the season for over 60 years now, the display blooms for approximately six to eight weeks from March to May. A popular tourist attraction, it’s best to visit on a weekday to avoid the crowds. Be sure to buy a ticket online in advance.
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A Golden Site in California
By Linda Tancs
Coloma, California, is one of the most significant historic sites in the nation. That’s where James W. Marshall discovered gold in 1848 on the South Fork of the American River in a valley that the Nisenan Indians knew as Cullumah. About 70% of the town of Coloma is included in Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where you can pan for gold. The park features buildings that have survived the gold rush and includes a museum with gold-rush-era exhibits and other historical information. You can take a walking tour of the park as well as a short lesson on gold panning.
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A Giant of American Letters
By Linda Tancs
Winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature, American John Steinbeck has been hailed as “a giant of American Letters.” Among other things, he wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath, and the novella, Of Mice and Men. In his hometown of Salinas, California, you’ll find the National Steinbeck Center, a museum and memorial dedicated to his creative legacy and one of the country’s largest literary museums dedicated to a single author. The facility offers a wide range of programming featuring visiting scholars and speakers. Allow at least two hours for a self-guided experience, which includes a brief orientation by a docent or staff member.
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All Things Rosie
By Linda Tancs
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park was established in Richmond, California, to tell the story of Home Front workers in the United States during World War II. “Rosie the Riveter” and her “We Can Do It” motto came to symbolize the 6 million women who entered the workforce to perform roles traditionally held by men who left their occupations for the front lines. Those roles included mechanics, welders and riveters. The park includes a number of historic places in Richmond to drive by, view or visit. The Rosie the Riveter Memorial in Marina Bay Park is the touchstone of the park. Shaped like a vessel, it includes quotes from “Rosies” and a World War II timeline. An actual vessel worth seeing is the SS Red Oak Victory Ship, the last surviving ship built in the Kaiser Shipyards. For an overview of the site, be sure to visit the Education Center at 1414 Harbour Way South.
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