Temescal Canyon - Secret Escape From the Smog and Tumult

We often travel to the greater Los Angeles area and have been doing so over many years, whether it be for business, to see relatives, for some family event, or on rare occasion just for pleasure. Back in the day it was to try to score some agent for the movie writing mom or to score some fancy record deal for the family band. Since we moved north from Santa Monica in 1973, we've taken the yearly or semi-yearly pilgrimage down to "smell-A" to enjoy the nostalgia, share holidays, choke on the smog, buy cheap records, stroll the beaches, hit up the entertainment biz, visit the cousins, and either laugh or get annoyed at the family shenanigans. As the years speed by and I find myself in the midst of middle age, the occasions are growing more solemn--the grandparents' funerals, my uncle-in-law's burial in the Hollywood Hills. The drive down is long, and it can feel like a lifetime spent in my vehicle, especially since just making a left turn on a major street can be a major project, let alone trying to get from point A to point-I've-never-been, and choosing the most efficient and bearable route offered by the bickering of disagreeing human maps.

There's been one consistent figure from the time it all started--the nature-loving, mountain-climbing, hiking uncle--who pulls us away from the tumult and the smog, the neurotic scenes, the noise, and the headaches to get a breath of green-tree fresh air and stretch out those overly stiff muscles. His favorite best-kept secret is Temescal Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains. Park in a nice residential neighborhood off Sunset Blvd. in Pacific Palisades, and ten minutes later, you're on a sweat-inducing, heavy-breathing workout up the steep trail that climbs the canyon, on a hot southern California day.

The west side of the loop keeps us in the shade of the trees and through the nice arboretum of introduced succulent plants and flowering shrubbery that unbeknown to park officials and the visiting public, my uncle planted along the trail over the past 30 years. He also plants rocks along the trail that traveled with him from places as far away as Israel, just to confuse geologists of the future. At the top of this loop is the nice wooden bridge and the Temescal Creek waterfall--which sometimes has water, depending on the time of the year and how much of a drought there is. This trail is often well populated with young college-age athletic or nature types, or pretty young women who get an earful from Uncle Herb's overly sociable Iranian friend, Little Joe.

The west side of the loop is a bit more steep, and also more exposed to the sun. The reward after a solid, steady stride of huffing-and-puffing is to take a short break at what my uncle calls "Spielberg's Point", where we take on the lovely view of the Palisades housing tract that contains the big blue sprawl of Steven Spielberg's home next to a number of other ridiculously large mansions, and then beyond that, the green canyons and glittering sun off the Pacific Ocean. Once, I had the energy and time to keep going up the Temescal Ridge trail beyond Skull Rock, and up the trail-turned-dirt road that climbs higher and higher into Topanga State Park. Here is where I'd more likely meet up with a bobcat than the hippy record executive living down in the canyon below (that's another story), and I don't recall getting much relief from the sun. But more often than not, after only a brief half mile up and back down, there's just too much else to do in the hustle and bustle of the traffic and tumult to continue up that path, so I always save it for the next time. Now as long as the bobcats don't die off from the mange caused by rodent-controlling anticoagulants, I may still run into one during one of my pilgrimages up the great Temescal Canyon/Ridge trails.

"Stick Shift Kitchen Aid" or who says cars don't have consciousness

Sunburn had been to college, a graduate of Sorry State. Less worse for the wear with dirty oil, broken headlight, worn belts, and a little hungover.

He was born in 1995 in a VW assembly plant in Mexico, of German parents, and designed by G-d himself (Dr. Ferdinand Porsche). Hence the name Sunburn from a shoddy Mexican silver paint job.

Sunburn was researched by an Apple Computer engineer and was a cross between a runt Mercedes station wagon and a 300SL gullwing coupe.

Sunburn is a sleeper. An engine you could eat off of and faster than anything off the line in Vallejo, California. All souped-up engine power goes through a 5-speed Kenmore washing machine transmission and ugly as hell. Only a 0-60 mph in 4 seconds Lamborghini has beat us in the 1st block of street racing.

Sunburn is a VW Golf III 40th anniversary special edition, given to me by my daughter as a keepsake. I got him when he had 80,000 miles on him. Since, we have traveled 200,000 miles together.

It was 5:30 PM on a Shabbos afternoon and ol' Dad was tired of "working on Maggie's farm" (a honey-do list longer than Sunburn's owner manual). I had to find a low-stress project with a high-yield satisfaction other than my NASCAR pit crew job. Sitting in my garden getting drunk with the slugs and snails off 4 beers, I remembered that incredibly fast mood enhancer of my teenage years.

Getting Dad's T-bird ready for a hot Saturday night Gator girl date in Gatorland, I was a suave "B" teamer with bitches, painting Gainesville orange when we won.

Washing Sunburn is a private time with my beloved VW. Going over every part of the machine that I had fixed or restored at one time or another, every fade mark on the Mexican paint, I enjoyed stepping back, admiring a wet, shiny, clean ride. My hands went over the contour of the body like feeling up my date's tits. I carry on absorbing conversations with my old friend, much the same way some dog lovers talk to their dogs.

When I hand-wash Sunburn with a sponge, bucket, and soap and hose, I remember every trip we took to upstate California for the past 10 years. With soaked speakers and a vacuum cleaner on the end of a marlin line, I get my satisfaction of completing a project and a job well done.

Nevertheless, my VW Kenmore makes my brain smile with its 32 mpg, Grundig sound system, and a heart like an Indian pony. I noticed a change of attitude towards an old friend that gave me so much pleasure.

Sunburn is registered in the green zone and will never have to be smogged again. He will be buried on the high desert. "From iron ore to iron ore and scrap metal to scrap metal."

They say you can never go back to your youth, but as a grown man, I still collect toy cars and play with Sunburn.

Kauai's South Shore

Last of my Kauai blogs--August 9, 2011. We traveled near the airport in Lihue since this was our last day of sight seeing. We started at Lydgate Park just behind our hotel, with its historical heiaus and a nice walk down the path above the beaches and the man-made snorkeling bay, where kids supposedly learn to snorkel. The better snorkeling spot, however, is Poipu Beach Park, especially for a novice like me with a leaking snorkel mask. The water is calm and the fish are plenty, and flavored shaved ice and taro chips are in the market across the street. Following Poipu and Lawa'i roads from east to west, we started at shipwreck rock. A hike to the top of the rock gave us spectacular views of the crashing sea below. Stunt doubles have dived off this rock in probably more than one movie, but if any of us did it, curtains. It's a long way down and a nice long trail along the top of the bluffs where sea fishermen cast a very, very long line. West of Poipu Beach Park is Prince Kuhio beach, another small snorkeling beach. Prince Kuhio, the last reigning prince in Hawaii, was thought to be responsible for bringing Hawaii to statehood with the United States congress. Continuing west, we visited the spouting horn--a large jetty of rocks with holes that cause waves to shoot water up like a geyser. With each eruption, the legendary mo'o (a lizard) trapped beneath the rocks hisses at the people above.
We left the area the way we came in, through the beautiful Eucalyptus tree tunnel on Maluhia Road between old Koloa town and the main Kaumualii highway. Heading back towards Lihue, we visited the thousand-year-old fish pond. In ancient days they diverted the river to capture fish, but now it serves threatened and endangered birds in one of Kauai's wildlife refuges. Our final adventure was searching for the Point Anini lighthouse in Lihue, but it stands abandoned in disrepair. The light that replaced it can now only be seen from the Hyatt Regency golf course. It's a good thing the State of Hawaii requires private resorts to allow public access to their sites. If it was all private, we would not be able to enjoy the beaches, cliffs, and spectacular views along Kauai's shorelines.

Kilauea Point Lighthouse and Wildlife Refuge

August 8, 2011. The best way to describe Kauai's Kilauea Point is through pictures. It's on the very northern tip of the island and is home to the only national wildlife refuge on the island that is open to the public. On the day of our visit, the green, rocky point and inlet of crashing sea on its east side hosted dozens of red-footed boobies, wedge-tailed shearwaters, great frigatebirds, and red-tailed tropicbirds. Seeing these seabirds fly about in circling flocks was a treat in itself, but the real surprise was walking a trail lined with burrows where shearwater nestlings were seen tucked away, waiting for mom and dad to return from their daily fishing trip. We took the trail the Kilauea Lighthouse, which is in the process of being restored, and will be open to the public on its centennial birthday in 2013. Then we took in the views from different directions off the point, the Na Pali coast to the west, the monk seal island to the north (though no monk seals present today), and plenty of Pacific Ocean to the east.

We were also privileged to meet up with the now re-introduced NeNe, the Hawaiian goose that had once disappeared from the island and is now making a come-back. There are two other national wildlife refuges on Kauai, but humans are not allowed to enter them to see (disturb) the endangered species they support. A beautiful view of the Hanalei Valley from the roadside was enough for me, letting the drama between the endangered waterbirds and waterfowl and the introduced species play out in the wetlands below. We see plenty of coots, stilts, and ducks in California, so we drove on up the highway to leave the Hawaiian species follow their own road to recovery.

Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge

All Sides of Na Pali

Aug 6, 2011, Kauai. Most of the Na Pali Coast (the cliffs) is not accessible by car. This breathtaking 11-mile stretch of coastline on the northwest side of the island can be seen by boat from the sea, helicopter from the air, or from a very steep hiking trail. Our mission was to see as much of it as we could and we started with the boat. Captain Andy's took us from a small west-coast harbor on a raft that bounced with the Pacific's high-breaking waves. Passengers sat along the side holding on to ropes to keep from being tossed out into the sea. We were joined by boobys feeding on jumping fish and a pod of spinner dolphins, who were all too glad to show off their synchronized jumps while swimming alongside our water-cutting vessel. The views.. well it wasn't easy to capture them on camera, especially trying to keep the camera dry. But the real specialty of the boat ride (had I not been just a bit sea sick) was going inside of the sea caves.

These are the same caves made famous by Pirates of the Caribbean and Popeye, but that's not what was important to me. I was somewhere I had never been--inside one of nature's coolest wonders. Tasting, smelling, and breathing the sea like never before.
August 7. From the west side of the island, there is one highway through the spectacular Waimea Canyon (dubbed the grand canyon of the pacific), that adventures into the island's center through the Kokee State Park. One hiking trail started to take us down the canyon, others into neighboring reserves. We were now south and east of the coastline we had been viewing from the west on the boat. At the northern tip of where the road ends, we were able to catch a view from the inland side of peaks.

Waimea Canyon

Na Pali Reserve

August 8. Our next approach to the Na Pali was from the north and east. After hours spent at the spectacular Kiluea point lighthouse and wildlife refuge, we took the northern highway through Hanalei, until the road ended at the start of the Na Pali cliffs trail. It was late in the day and the equatorial sun was beating down intensely. The trail went straight up. I crawled my way up the steep rocky grade, struggling while bakini-clad beach goers ran up it like it was nothing at all. My goal was the half-mile spot, where both east and west sides of the coast lines could be viewed for miles each direction. The quarter-mile view of Hanalei Bay was not so shabby either.
So we experienced the Na Pali coast from below, behind, and within. And we barely touched it. A catamaran and 10 more miles of trail beckon us to return and experience this spectacular coastline in ways we could never imagine.

Kauai East Side - Waterfalls and Nature Preserves

August 5, 2011, Kauai. Just south of the small town of Wailua, Hawaii, off the coastal Kuhio Highway, we took one of the few roads leading inland towards the State parks and forest reserves that comprise most of the wilderness in the center of the island. We were on Kuamo'o Road, in the Wailua River State Park. Our first stop was a lookout over the Wailua River and valley, next to which stood one of Kuaui's many ancient rock formations known as a heiau (place of worship). The Poliʻahu Heiau, where we stood, was a luakini temple, a sacred venue where native Hawaiian chiefs offered bloody sacrifices of humans and animals. Now the only offerings are spotted doves and chickens that wander the parking lot, so we went on up the road to the great Opaeka'a Falls, named after the shrimp that were once in the stream. We had to share the viewing platform with a bus full of tourists, so we moved on farther up the road, past a Hawaiian village on the river, past more modern neighborhoods, and into the Lihue-Koloa forest reserve.

Common mynas lined the road and we passed by a cattle egret displaying his rhythmically moving neck. The road ended in a parking lot. On the other side of a rushing creek, a dirt road climbed farther into the reserve. With our waterproof hiking shoes, we crossed the creek and hiked into the forest. My reward was a white-rumped shama and a good amount of beautiful trees. Had it not been for another creek to cross and a hungry stomach ready for lunch, we might have gone farther in.

Our last excursion of the day was to see the tremendously huge Wailua Falls. Farther south down the Kuhio highway, there is a turnoff on Maalo Road, which winds back north into the Wailua River State Park and ends at the falls lookout. The roadside lookouts are the closest views to these falls--there are no trails and no safe access. But they certainly were close enough. Only the photos can describe the magnitude, the power, and the beauty of this classic Hawaiian waterfall:

There were many roads in the east side forest reserves we didn't travel, and many more acres of reserves with no roads and no access. This remoteness keeps most of Kauai an unspoiled natural treasure protected by State and federal refuges, parks, and reserves--one of the reasons it was my island of choice. 

An Excellent Adventure in Kauai [part 2]

[continued]
After our exhilarating Raft Expedition, we went looking for a nice dinner. After hearing some live music (always a drive for Randi and me), we stopped at the Wrangler's Steakhouse, a really nice cowboy steak place. They have a great clam chowder which we ate with pure comfort on the deck, which overlooks a nice little town (Waimea). While we ate, we heard this authentic Hawaiian singer, crooning ballads. Very nice. We opted to split a Pupu platter with Sashimi, Shrimp Cocktail, Calamari, Crab Cake & Steak. Always order the steak medium rare. It was more than enough for us two, and we wound up taking some back to our hotel (and a nice hot tub).

The next day was our anniversary, so we went south to Poipu to snorkel a bit, which was spectacular. They were fish within arm's reach with mottled rainbow colored skin, green fish with white stripes, solid black fish with a luminescent stripe up it's back. And lots of chickens, of course. After the beach, we needed a nosh, and where else to go: Brennecke's . We devoured their Kama‘aina Pupu Platter [Ceviche, fresh ahi sashimi, Brennecke’s smoked fish, shrimp and king crab]. The ceviche was spicy and fresh, the sashimi is always a treat, and I had to try the famous Kauai smoked fish. It was to die for.
After lunch, we went driving up the Waimea canyon overlook road.
This overlooks the biggest canyon in the Pacific. It is spectacular! We definitely want to return to hike in on the trail which takes you down from the heights, to the Alakai swamp.


After driving and hiking around and generally having a kick ass time, we decided, sadly, that we had to drive back. We then found out that most places close before 8 pm (and many before 5 pm). So we were overjoyed when we found a great authentic taco place, Paco's Tacos (just before they closed). Sitting outside, enjoying the moderate night air, we split a two enchilada plate with some enormous horchatas. Very good spicy sauce and true Mexican flavor. Sabroso...

Monday was our last full day in Kauai, and we still had not hiked up the Ne Pali coast trail. On the way there we stopped at the Kilauea Lighthouse, which is now a wildlife refuge. It was well worth a stop, and we got to see booby's, tropic birds, shearwaters and nenes (local geese). And a very nice view up and down the coast.

We proceeded up the north coast to the town of Hanelei, where we found a place recommended by Randi's colleague Esther. This is the semi-famous Tahiti Nui, and we munched on a veggie pizza. The funny part is the restaurant had big bottles of sun tea all around the patio, so that everyone asked for iced tea (including me), but the waitress had to keep saying "There is no tea..yet". This town has a very laid-back quality like a northern California coastal village, but with more surfers.
[to be continued]

An Excellent Adventure in Kauai [part 1]

First I need to recommend our hotel. The Aloha Beach Hotel is a very nice hotel if you don't need all the "resort" stuff. No golf course or swim up bar or luas on the beach. Just a nice room with a nice pool and spa, overlooking a spectacular view of the coast and the ocean beyond. The manager gave us a free upgrade to a junior suite, which included a small kitchen with sink, plates, cutlery and glasses, a microwave and (not sure why) 2 mini fridges. It also sported a very spacious king bed a sofa a desk and a little table with chairs which we ate on often. It had a DVD player (and a DVD now kiosk) and decent sized (no flat screen! horror! ha ha) TV, but really we didn't come for that...

They are chickens everywhere on this island and our room opened right onto a grassy area overlooking the beach. Chickens!














The first thing we did after checking in to our room was find a good restaurant. The Pacific Island Bistro is next to the Safeway in Kapaa, and is not much to look at from the outside. But it was a treat for us weary travellers. We had a nice seafood soup, crab-cheese puffs, some crispy juicy duck and scallops. They had an interesting menu option where you could pick what you wanted in terms of meat, sauce and other items and the cook would prepare it for you. This was very conveniently located so we got water at Safeway enough for the whole trip, and a bunch of stuff at the ABC store (a Kauai chain). Mmm dark chocolate Mac nuts...

The next day we started near our hotel for breakfast at Eggberts/Hula Girl in the Coconut Grove Plaza. The breakfast here was so good we came back for more in our short 6 day stay. We had a delicious fresh seafood omelet, and we also split a stack of 2 giant pancakes with mac nut, papaya, mango and banana (for some reason they charge 1.50 for each of those, but they do warn you.) With the awesome smooth roasted Kauai-Kona coffee (to which I added plenty of half and half and coconut syrup), and, for me, a side of bacon, this made a very nice start to our first whole day on the island.


That's good caafee!













After roaming around looking at waterfalls and such we were looking for a nice place to celebrate my birthday. We also wanted to see if we could make the walk to Kapaa (we could but we decided not to) as we thought we might do some bar hopping, and didn't want to drive back to our hotel. We did find a place near the same shopping center with live (ok slightly cheesy but fun piano) music, the Lemongrass Grill. We opted for the cioppino, but strangely they served this with rice. Asian influence? It was well spiced with generous amounts of fresh fish, shellfish and crab. We also got some great calamari. A little pricier ($30), but very nice. We split a bowl of Kona coffee ice cream. When that was gone (mmm yum), they were singing happy birthday to another table, so Randi prompted our waiter that it was my birthday. So the piano player played Happy Birthday for me and the waiter brought us a huge piece of hula pie. This was like a giant oreo cookie, if the filling was made out of a light sweet vanilla ice cream and the crust was out of this world chocolate. Naturally this made Randi sick to her stomach and knocked me out for the night. (Sugar does this to me as I have hypoglycemia). But it was so good!

Randi and I had booked a Na Pali coast raft expedition (Capt Andy's) for Saturday, so we ate some of our leftovers and drove halfway (about 1 hour) around the island to Kikiaola Harbor in Kekaha. We climbed aboard the raft with 2 outboard motors and took off to circle around the awe inspiring jagged cliffs of the Na Pali (literally "The Cliffs). A little bumpy ride, but you are right on the ocean, riding through huge swells, and seeing dolphins, sea turtles, pelicans, frigate birds, and other wonders. I have to give praise to our outstanding crew: Junior, our captain, and Sterling, his shipmate. Also Steven from the sister ship performed an impressive coconut openning demonstration when we landed on a remote beach. All were friendly, professional, and cool. I really enjoyed it when we stopped for snorkelling, the fish were quite beautiful with rainbows of color and luminescence. After going into some sea caves along the way and seeing dramatic waterfalls, we did land on a beach, where we had a nice lunch. They really go all out, with sliced kiwi, pineapple, melon, fresh salad, rice, huli chicken, and kalua pork. All with cold drinks made for a pleasant picnic. This beach contains a sacred site and it is rumored that Kauain kings and queens for buried in the cliffs, but no one really knows where. According to a story related by Sterling, when a king died, a warrior was selected to bury him. Then this warrior had to kill himself to ensure the king's mana (power) did not wind up in the wrong hands.

[To be continued]

California's Heartland on 4th of July

July 4, 2011, we continued our 4th of July random ride. We camped at Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area, a beautiful spot on the Sacramento River with premier birding and affordable camping for families with kids. What a shame that it is one of the State parks slated for being closed in September due to budget cuts. State parks enrich families and children, nurturing a future generation of nature enthusiasts. They provide recreation, conservation, and a strengthened economy, yet are the first to go in a climate of cutbacks. If I knew of a grass-roots effort to keep them open, I'd be the first to join and spread the word.

Near the town of Corning, the Olive Pit is an obligatory stop for olive enthusiasts like my husband. From there, we found ourselves celebrating American history on the historic Highway 99. Lunch was at The Last Stand Bar and Grill in Willows, which is the last stand-up beer bar and burger joint in the state. The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring Sacramento Valley orchards and, to my delight, birding at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge (the auto tour) and the Delevan National Wildlife Refuge. Colonies of tricolored blackbirds greeted us at Delevan, which is exciting now that I'm a citizen-scientist surveyor of the species. But the truest highlight of the trip for me was stumbling upon an active osprey nest near Hamilton City. The chick was standing tall and carrying on with begging calls while its parents were undoubtedly out foraging on the Sacramento River.

For evening fireworks we settled in the all-American town of Red Bluff, the gateway between Lassen National Park and the Humboldt County coast. We had dinner at Shari's, a classic little chain diner. The Tehama District Fairgrounds hosted Motocross and fireworks, in a city-sized-small-town culture so representative of our nation. Sometimes I'm not sure which is more fun to watch -- the event or the people attending it. It was a classic 4th of July.

Riverfront Parks and Chinese Temples

4th of July Random Ride. A family tradition we created many years ago--a travel game with rules that takes us to places we ordinarily would never go. No decisions, no reservations, no specific destination, we just get in the car and start driving. Road ends, turn right. That road ends, turn left. Then right. Then left. The idea is not so much to drive, but to stop impulsively and do or see whatever we want to as we come across it or "divert" to something we know is nearby. It's chill. And it's fun. It's a great way to experience our surroundings, uncharted territory in cities or back roads, and we stumble upon what is truly America.

This year we started in Marysville, California, at the duckpond on the corner of Hwy. 20 and Hwy. 70. We had a good American lunch at the brewpub & grill by the lake, then the ride took us down to the riverfront park where the Yuba River meets with the Feather River. A short walk took us down to the shores we pass over hundreds of times when driving the bridge from Marysville to Yuba City.  Then we were in the old city of Marysville. We stumbled upon the historic Chinese temple that Huell Howser featured in California's Gold.  The Bok Kai Temple was established in the 1800s, when Marysville supported a large Chinese-American community who traded goods along the Yuba River. Many floods and renovations later, the temple is still in use as a place of worship, but is also now an historical monument open to the public. The tour guide took us through the building and pointed out historical paintings that were just recently discovered by renovators. The dragons painted high on the walls were there to offer protection. All that's left of the once booming China town, is this temple and a Chinese-American museum down the street. The dragon parade is still an annual event, however, so some traditions live on.

From Marysville we traveled Hwy. 70 to Oroville, stopping for some fresh peaches at the Sodaro produce stand. Though entirely random, we were on a theme. Our next stop was the Riverfront park at the Feather River in Oroville. Facing extreme heat we welcomed the sight of fountains coming up from the ground to cool us down. Then a small riverside hike allowed us to enjoy the riparian shoreline. Oroville is a river town just at the foot of the Sierras, and is also rich with history. A jog through the old city brought us to yet another historic Chinese temple.  The Oroville Chinese Temple was put into use in the 1860s. No longer used by the Chinese, it is open to the public. Before this trip I was not aware of the history of Chinese Americans in these towns, and how greatly they contributed to developing our State, even while under discrimination.

We found ourselves following the "green tour", a bus-line tourist route that shows the greenest and prettiest sections of Oroville. A canopy view of the Feather River and a small hike to a mind-boggling view of the Oroville Dam spilling tons and tons of water down its cement wall topped off the day. We finished with dinner at the Gold Country casino. While the buffet was rather pricey, the cafe served a satisfying platter of ribs and chicken for 4th of July.

Almost to Gumboot Lake

June 13, 2011. I work in an office, but every once in awhile I get a perk to go outdoors with the field biologists, a business-related outing. On this day I was invited to a field meeting of amphibian biologists to learn about the research they are doing, talk about permits, and really to get away from the computer and get a breath of fresh mountain air. Gumboot Lake is in the Shasta-Trinity forest, just west of the town of Dunsmuir and southwest of Mount Shasta. From Mount Shasta City, the road to Lake Siskiyou becomes a forest road providing access to a string of mountain lakes, as it follows the canyon containing the south fork of the Sacramento River.

The plan was to camp at the Gumboot Lake campground and to try to catch some Cascades frogs. However, we were met with a very large snow pack just about a mile down the road and could drive no further. We set up a group camp just off the road to Cedar Lake, and pitched our tents near the rushing streams of snow melt feeding into the Sacramento River. My colleague Shawn cooked up some fresh-caught Humboldt fish and then we started popping open the beers around the large campfire. Biologists like beer.

Biologists also love to hike. The new plan was to hike up the snow pack the mile or less to the lake and see if we could spot frogs in the small patches of melted ice. I donned my hiking boots and gators and recalled my days on great gray owl crew in the Sierras when hiking a mile or more up steep banks of snow was just another day in the office. But that was six years, two cancers, and a four-year desk job ago. I, the out-of-shape, cube-dwelling permit coordinator, suddenly found myself gasping for breath at a snail's pace compared to the avid hikers, bikers, and field scientists. They were gone and out of sight before I could even count to ten, except for those who decided they ought to stay behind and make sure I was still moving. The leader of the team of scientists loaned me her hiking poles, and I trudged up the deep snow under the blazing high-altitude sun. Trudge, find shade, rest. Trudge, find shade, rest. My colleagues were more than patient.

I was always slow in the field. My owl crew partners would be several ridges ahead of me until I completely lost track of them and followed flag trails to meet up with them again. But this was just a bit more embarrassing. So much so, I almost forgot to realize where I was. On a snowbank, in an incredible beautiful forest, climbing a peak, in a place I had never been before. I was less than a 1/4 mile from the top when one of the researchers came down and said the lake was iced over and there were no frogs. So I turned back and didn't get the photo. I can't even say I was there. But I was almost there! Almost to the top.

Spectacular views down the slope and another night next to the rushing streams waited at the end of what seemed like a long and difficult trek to my now untrained body. When wandering from the camp, I did discover a bog of pitcher plants. I hadn't realized our cold, dry mountains in California contained bogs, let alone carnivorous plants. This time, I got the photo. As well as a pretty commanding view of Mount Shasta on the way out. The Goat brewpub in Mt. Shasta City served up gourmet burgers and tasty microbrews, which topped off the trip nicely.

Bats of Cosumnes River Preserve

Sunday, May 1, 2011. The Western Section of the Wildlife Society Sacramento-Shasta Chapter had its annual members-only barbecue at the Cosumnes River Preserve. The preserve is just south of Elk Grove and north of Stockton, California, with easy access off of Interstate 5. I usually go there for the birding--the paths through wetlands with a rich diversity of waterfowl and wading birds--and during the time of year when sandhill cranes migrate through and can be seen in large numbers, flying overhead, or settling into the adjacent rice fields. But on this day, I wasn't there for birding or for viewing sandhill cranes. This time I came for the bats. Well, and to be a good Wildlife Society Board member and help with the picnic. Before food or bats, we piled into trucks and vans and followed employees of Westervelt Ecological Services, a company that restores wildlife habitat, to one of their properties near the preserve. This land had originally been privately owned and used for agriculture, but being surrounded by the Cosumnes and Mokulumne Rivers, creeks, and sloughs made it prone to too much flooding, so the land was sold as a mitigation bank. Now the goal is to restore the riparian forest that was once there, and that would support the diversity of wildlife that depended on that forest. A huge but laudable undertaking.
Now (before restoration):

After restoration, it will hopefully look like this:

Now the bats. Just slightly south from the entrance to the preserve, on Franklin Blvd., there is a long bridge where the road crosses the Mokolumne. Mexican free-taied bats roost under the bridge, and just at a precise moment between dusk and dark, they emerge in the thousands, in a steady stream of organized flight, to set out into the night sky and begin foraging. The hawks sit in the trees and wait. If one is lucky, it will dive into the flurry of circling bats and pick one off in flight. We were at the right time and place to witness such a phenomenon. It's like standing in a scene from BBC's Planet Earth.

Chris and I also have seen bats emerge from under the causeway of Interstate 80 just west of Sacramento. The Yolo Wildlife Area does bat tours regularly. It's worth seeing. Especially since bats get a bad rap and they are among the cutest animals imaginable. Some of the common myths about bats are ludicrous. They eat fruit and insects, and the one species (vampire bats) that consumes blood (usually from cows) seals the wound with an antiseptic and the cow doesn't feel a thing. Bats are now facing a decline because of a fungus-caused disease (White-nosed syndrome) that is spreading throughout the country. For this and other reasons, many species of bats need protection. Any of us can learn about these adorable mammals and help them in many ways.

Tricolored Blackbirds of Livermore

Once a year, Audubon Society asks biologists, birders, nature lovers, or any citizen who is interested to participate in a statewide breeding-season survey for tricolored blackbirds in California. Using this "citizen science," a database and website track numbers of breeding colonies, numbers of individuals, population trends, and movements. Why are these blackbirds so special? They are designated as a species of special concern by the Department of Fish and Game. Though they appear to be numerous, their populations in California are declining. And though small populations have been seen in Nevada or Oregon, they are mostly only in California. In historical times, birds such as this blackbird were so numerous they "blackened the sky". In the central valley, much of their meadow habitat was taken up by agriculture and cattle raising. They adapted to wheat fields and grain silos and continue to persist, but what happens when there's a colony of blackbirds about to hatch its chicks and it's harvest time? And it's a cool bird. They're noisy, gregarious, and the only land bird to breed in large colonies of monogamous pairs. So as a biologist, birder, and nature lover, I was very happy to participate in this survey. I dragged my husband Chris out to Alameda County to be my field partner and we set off to find some blackbirds. You, my lucky blog reader, get first-hand field notes.

April 16, 2011, Livermore. We started on North Flynn Road; rolling green hills beneath the wind turbines of Altamont Pass, where there were more cyclists working out on the hills than vehicle traffic. We parked the truck and spotted a tricolored in a tree next to a farmhouse. Hoping someone wouldn't run out of the house with a shotgun, we set up our spotting scope practically in their front yard and counted blackbirds. Beyond the Brewers' and cowbirds, and amongst ground squirrels looking like burrowing owls, we found an active colony. Immediate victory. Our next site on Altamont Pass Road involved a little trespassing. An unused Union Pacific railroad track access road provided the trail to the spot where the colony was once seen. Red-winged blackbirds flew about and displayed in the habitat that once contained a tricolored colony, and a baby gopher snake in the road made the steep hike worthwhile. Hoping my truck wouldn't get towed from the side of the road, we headed back down the hill and went into town for lunch. Then two more sites with a little more trespassing on railroad property but no tricoloreds. Then we hit the motherlode. Laughlin Road. Another farmhouse in green hills with horses, grain, and nearby water hosted a colony of hundreds of blackbirds. While the females hunker down in the tall grasses, the males fly in and out in large foraging flocks, two to three hundred birds at a time, swooping up, then landing and nearly disappearing in the foliage.

The colony had originally been seen in Brushy Peak Regional Preserve, at the end of Laughlin Road, about a quarter-mile up the trail. We took the hike to the spot, then rested by a lake with ruddy ducks, buffleheads, a few jackrabbits, and a few red-winged blackbirds.

I videotaped a mallard pair's amusing foraging routine--alternating butt-in-the-air dabbling between male and female--then slowly walked back as late afternoon cast shadows that told us our day was nearly over. We returned to the parking lot and found the loudest, most gregarious tricolored blackbird colony yet--right next to my parked truck. A picnic table gave us a perfect vantage, and we counted, videotaped, and reveled in our success.

One last count on Laughlin Road before the blackbirds went to bed and we were driving west to San Francisco to pick my brother up from SFO. There were ten other sites in this area alone we could have visited if we had another day, so it gives me something to look forward to for next year's annual survey. If going to places you'd never think you'd go sounds like fun, citizen science wildlife surveys may be for you.

San Joaquin Birding

April 10, 2011. Continuing our refuge-hopping weekend, we traveled north from Los Banos on Highway 165 to visit the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge. Across from the Great Valley Grasslands State Park, there was only one entrance in. The other entrance, which would have taken us to the Tule Elk Tour Route, was closed; presumably from flooding. We had hoped to see tule elk, especially since this time of year they are calving, but none were seen. We did see a lot of wetlands, filled with water birds and waterfowl, and great opportunity to get video for the bird documentary I will someday produce. It's always fun to videotape cool animal behavior. The red-winged blackbird puffed his bright orange-red epaulets in perfect timing with his gurgly song "o-ka-leeeee" (flash on the leeeee). Coots bobbed their little heads up and down as they swam between shovelers and teals. Avocets foraged, killdeer scurried about, and black-neck stilts carried on with their high-pitched, loud, and continuous mating calls, "yip, yip, yip, yip, yip, yip..." Mallards made dramatic entries as they slid from the air onto the surface of the water.

Subway sandwiches provided us with a fine picnic next to the large groups of dunlin, least sandpipers, and stilts. Then we hiked into a swamp, listening to the chattering of marsh wrens and the songs of sparrows and meadowlarks. A swamp in California? A swamp is not usually thought of as California habitat. We're used to seeing swamps in Florida or Georgia, and watching for the tops of alligator heads as they emerge from the surface of the water. It's been a very wet year, and we might think of this swamp as an anomaly, but in reality there are over 90 swamps throughout the state. No alligators here, but the soaring of raptors and warbling of warblers made this swamp feel very much alive.

We were traveling home towards the Sacramento area, and stopped at the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge. The Pelican nature trail was mostly closed due to flooding of the San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Rivers, which converge here at this refuge. This convergence makes the refuge an important area for sensitive and endangered species that depend on the riparian habitat, which is being restored through a multi-agency effort, after much of it was degraded by agricultural and human development use. We walked part of the trail towards the river; and though we didn't spot any endangered species, we were accompanied by a lot of black-tailed jackrabbits, either freezing on the trail ahead of us or bounding this direction or that, adults and young alike. One juvenile with large dark eyes and a round fluffy white tail was curious enough to walk right up to our feet, then was smart enough to bound into the trees at the sound of Chris' voice. Other rabbits were seen following a small group of quail. This little circus occurred a few meters ahead of us on the road-sized trail, moving along the road as we moved. The quail lazily crossed the road, stopping to pick at a morsel on the ground, then moving on, back and forth, and the rabbits circled around them.

It was a Sunday evening which meant we could not stay much longer in the serenity and calmness of a natural refuge. We had to forage ourselves, for a decent restaurant in Stockton, and return to the madness of our human habitats.

Los Banos: A Destination?

About ten years ago, when I thought of Los Banos, California, I thought of a sleepy little farming town with outstanding Mexican food, but otherwise a town that one passes through very quickly on the way from Point A to Point B. In fact I didn't think much existed that was worth a thought, let alone a visit, in the central valley between Highways 5 and 99. But then I became a birder. I discovered how wonderfully fun it was to drive the back highways between agricultural fields and peer through binoculars at the variety of shorebirds/water birds (stilts, avocets, kildeer), but I still hadn't discovered the real attraction of the area. It wasn't until this year, having signed up to do citizen science tricolored blackbird surveys for the Audubon Society, that I booked a room in Los Banos to attend the training, and discovered miles of contiguous national wildlife refuges and state wildlife areas. I booked two nights at the Days Inn (a wonderful place to stay with a host that has a wonderful soul) for a weekend of refuge-hopping; though one weekend can barely touch the surface. It was birding heaven.

April 9, 2011. The training was held at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge, and while mom and Chris went off birding on their own, I was guided by Audubon and Fish and Wildlife Service staff to learn how to identify and count huge colonies of nesting tricolored blackbirds. This was a first for me, since the tricoloreds are declining in California, and as such are designated as a State species of special concern. More about that on another blog; for this one, I'll say I was quite overwhelmed. Trying to count a colony of birds in the thousands that are quite active over a large area, flying in and out in large synchronized groups, was a challenge. But as focused as I was, I could not help but notice the richness of the other bird (and mammal) diversity this refuge had to offer. I wasn't even looking for the other birds, and filled a page in my little notebook with sparrows, wrens, water birds and shorebirds, other songbirds including the seasonal kingbird, many species of waterfowl, land fowl, and raptors.

After the training, it was time to partake in some of that aforementioned Mexican food, and then play time. Los Banos Wildlife Area -- managed by the Department of Fish and Game. It was late afternoon by the time we drove out there, and it was overcast, windy, and raining, but don't think for a minute that stopped us from getting out of the truck with our binoculars, cameras, and video camera, and hiking a road-trail along upper Ruth Lake. Someone told me grebes would be there, and my fascination with this graceful half-seabird, half-waterbird drove me forward. I captured on my video camera (to be shared via this blog on You-tube once edited)a graceful and synchronized courtship dance that was as exquisite as a choreographed and well-rehearsed ballet. This was topped off with singing meadowlarks, harriers and white-tailed kites on the hunt, great white egrets dancing with the wind, and a group of egrets roosting together with their young.

So is Los Banos a destination? If you are a birder or appreciate nature, I say it certainly is.

Amercian River Secret

Folsom, California. Even those of us who live around here think of high State Park fees for a walk along the American River. But we discovered an access that's relatively unknown and doesn't cost a fee. There was a parking lot but they closed it off and they post signs that might be discouraging. Maybe we're breaking a rule, but it doesn't seem to be well enforced. We've been doing it for a couple of years now. From the south on Folsom Boulevard, we turn left on Parkshore Drive, and across from the Lake Forest Industrial Park is the entrance. There is a network of dirt trails and bike trails that either lead to the river or parallel it. There are benches to rest, birds to bird, and miles of trail to hike or bike that will eventually lead to Lake Natoma. I find it my preferred substitute to running on a treadmill like a hamster at the gym.

Preserve Shollenberger Park

Shollenberger Park, Petaluma, California. As a birder, I try to visit this park any time I am in the area. On the way home from our Valentine's Day trip, we spent maybe just 15 minutes before the rain started upsetting my binoculars, and in that 15 minutes I scored. The red-winged blackbirds were already starting their territorial displays, each claiming their small section of marsh, sounding off their varieties of calls and songs to either warn, threaten, or entice. Blood-red patches flashed like traffic lights for all the lady blackbirds to marvel over while competing males timidly retreat. I could have stood for hours trying to figure out which birds had the best patch, but instead turned my head to the attention of the water. Shollenberger provides a combination of marsh, lake, and estuary, with a variety of waterfowl, shorebirds, seabirds, raptors, and passerines, and if I wanted to see and I.D. each one, it would have taken the rest of the day to get halfway around the lake. I was first stuck on the interesting looking hybrid hanging with a canvasback. Then there was the island full of shorebirds -- willits, avocets, and stilts. In just about five minutes I saw buffleheads, gadwall, teals, sandpipers, gulls, sparrows, crows, and about a dozen other species I didn't get to. The nightcap was finding graceful white swans swimming in the marsh.

You don't know what you're going to find at Shollenberger on a given day. My first visit was not for birding, but for viewing western pond turtles as they competed with red sliders for basking spots, and to dream up thesis ideas. The park is a true gem surrounded by industrial parks and hotels. And it is in trouble. Our wetlands and the habitats they provide are getting fewer and fewer in California's Bay-Delta region, and that is creating a direct impact on the sensitive species they support. Yet the development or expansion of an asphalt factory, especially if there are less than sufficient environmental study and mitigation measures, could spell disaster for this precious wetland. I'll let Friends of Shollenberger Park, and a number of other web sites, tell it better than I can, as it is something to at least ponder.

Petrified Forest

Continuing our Valentine's Day trip, between Calistoga and Santa Rosa, on the Calistoga Highway, we paid a visit to the Petrified Forest. It's another natural phenomenon owned by a private family, and another $10/per person cover charge. However, we got the rainy-day discount. The gift shop is also a museum, and provides the opportunity to purchase a variety of rocks, lava, crystal, and other geological gems. But most puzzling are the fossils. Fossils that seem to belong in a museum can be yours for a nice fatty price, so perhaps there is an abundance of them to go around (or perhaps they are replicas). Not that I doubt the integrity of our nation's roadside entrepreneurs.

Not to be deterred by a cold mountain rain, this time I made use of the umbrella, and my husband and I walked the self-guided trail through the petrified wood forest. Remember the large volcano that stood where Old Faithful is now? It blew its top. Millions of years ago (a speck in geologic time), lava, molten rock, and ash covered the area and deeply buried the redwood forest. The forest remained buried for millions of more years (another speck in geologic time). Fire and ash turned to torrential rains, and the saturated ground (dissolved ash), caused silica to seep down to the buried trees below. The silica molecules replaced all of the wood molecules, but maintained perfectly the shape, texture, and colors of the fallen tree. So what we're looking at is not a redwood tree any more. It's a stone replica. This colossal fossil of a redwood still extends out from the mine from which it was excavated.

This time I managed to stay dry, but please don't notice the shoes. I meant to grab my Merrills and wound up with one Merrill and one Nike. Two different shoes beats slipping and sliding in clogs, so that was that. And Chris couldn't help himself in the gift shop. I walked out with a Valentine's Day gift of a heart-shaped box of polished volcanic basalt that had entombed and fossilized an extinct gastropod.

Calistoga is foodie friendly

I love to cook and I love to eat well and try to eat healthy as well. All of these are easy to do in Calistoga.

After enjoying the mineral spring hot tub at our hotel, (the very relaxing and pleasant Calistoga Village Inn & Spa with 3 mineral pools), I took my wife out for a nice Valentine's dinner in Calistoga. We first drove up and down the length of the main street Lincoln Avenue to see what looked good. As we had no reservation booked, we decided to walk our way from the edge of town, and after not finding a table at the first two restaurants we stopped at, we found the charming Parisian style bistro All Seasons Bistro, where we had no trouble getting a nice table.

Their menu is full of wonderful fresh food, so we could have picked almost anything, but we decided to split these (my wife and I often split meals as we don't like to overeat):

Salad with Organic Mache, Roasted Beets, Shaved Marinated Fennel, Feta Cheese, Blood Orange Vinaigrette ($8) Everything was fresh and crisp and the beets and blood oranges were the perfect taste complements to the feta and mache.

a bowl of Rich Lobster Bisque with Drizzle of Truffle Oil ($8)
This was too die for, creamy and lobstery. Good with the french bread they served.

Port Glazed Duck Breast with Currant~Maitake Rice, Roasted Root Vegetables, Duck Demi-Glace ($21). We chose to have this medium rare, and it was cookbook perfect. I have cooked duck so I know how difficult this is . Randi did not like the fruit (quince?) that came with it, but I loved the perfurmy flavor it added (so I ate hers).

My wife had been sick so she opted not to have wine, but I guess when in Napa...
I first chose a Napa Riesling, but alas they were all out that day, so I went with a glass of Pinot Gris (nice!)

I suffer from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which seems to be brought on by my consuming sugar, so I tend to avoid desert, but we decided we had to try their Crispy meringues layered with fresh kiwi, lemon cream, raspberry sauce ($7). The meringues were light and crispy, the kiwi was sweet-tart and the lemon cream was pure heaven. All that with a nice cappuchino, a very nice finish. Unfortunately the sugar made me sleepy (a symptom of my syndrome). We around a bit to see if any live bands were playing but not much was happening this Saturday so we went back to enjoy the enormous full length Jacuzzi tub in our room.

The next day, we drove to a late breakfast (we had some trouble with the heater in our room which kept Randi from sleeping well, but we fixed the problem the next night). We stopped in a nice mexican place called Miguels, very authentic for some heuvos rancheros for her and a chilauiles. I had never had this but it was like scrambled eggs with tortilla chips cooked in it with salsa roja, Mexican cheese, sour cream and guacamole. To give it even more flavor and heft, it was accompanied by strips of marinated grilled steak and fried cubed potatoes. Yummy.
Randi and I would usually split breakfast as well, but I guess I was hungrier as we ate breakfast a bit later. So she had enough left over for breakfast the next day (V-day). I decided I had to get a few groceries on the way back (the very foodie oriented Cal Mart filled the bill nicely). I got some nice organic Napa Olive oil (very reasonable at $11 a liter) and slice pumpernickel bread and naturally some bottled Calistoga water, and a bunch of tart green grapes.

After poking around some of the cool (but pricey) clothing shops and the gallery which was located in 4 old railway cars, we went back to enjoy more soaking in the natural mineral bath at our spa. For dinner, we opted to walk into town, and went to the venerable Brannan's Grill, which was across the street from the All Seasons Bistro. The have a great bar (and we walked) so we enjoyed a lemon drop and a rastini (?). Loved the lemon drop! Together with a couple of Hog Island oysters on the half shell ($3 each) with Meyer lemon granita and micro cilantro, we were off to a good start. This place a nice dark wood atmosphere and very friendly, but sharp wait staff. We again split a spinach & beet salad which was accented with pistachios, goat's milk feta and lemon honey vinagrette. And we had the special, black cod with shitake mushrooms and black rice and roasted vegetables. Yummy. And topped it off with the fabulous molten chocolate cake (a can't miss if you love chocolate like we do!)

Calistoga's Old Faithful in the Rain

Calistoga, California. While it's a sweet Valentine's Day weekend getaway known for human indulgences such as soothing mineral baths and fine dining, it has a few natural wonders to ponder as well. The Calistoga Valley has a rich ancient history of geologic, seismic, and volcanic activity, and was surprisingly targeted as a gold-rush area for early settlers. Russian settlers tried to farm the land but were unsuccessful. One lucky family, however, managed to gain ownership of Calistoga's Old Faithful, the geyser that predictably erupts a fountain of boiling water at 40-minute intervals, and has for centuries attracted visitors from around the world. When historical precedence keeps a natural wonder a private enterprise, the entrance fee is steep ($10/person), but if you don't mind parting with a ten or two, it's worth the visit. After all, Olga Kolbek's successors are preserving this natural wonder and surrounding vegetation and teaching the public about its rich history. One thing I learned is that Olga made a discovery that Old Faithful can predict earthquakes. The connection is based on increased intervals between the geyser's eruptions, occurring just days before a major quake in the surrounding area. Scientists hadn't completely rejected the hypothesis, but it still needed a lot of study before it could be supported as reliable. I don't know where the idea stands today, but regardless of whether or not the geyser can predict earthquakes, its spectacular burps can be predicted by us. In the winter, it erupts every five to ten minutes. Saturated ground water fills its bladder so that it shoots out the volcanically heated water in shorter, less dramatic increments. As the water hits the cold air and rain, it cools into droplets riding a gentle, foggy steam that drifts with the wind. No one needs to worry about getting scalded if standing too close. But in a steady, cold, Calistoga winter rain, it might help if you take one of the complimentary umbrellas with you. Farming still occurs here, and the sheep knew better than I on how to stay dry. (Photos by Chris and Randi Logsdon.)

Welcome to my Travel Blog

I am starting this blog to share my travel experiences. My hopes are not only to interest and entertain my readers but to inspire them to go out and see and experience the wonderful world around them. You don't have to go far. You don't have to spend a lot of money. You just need to open your eyes, ears, and mind to discover what treasures exist in your own backyard, on a day or weekend trip, in your own state or country, or halfway across the world. It doesn't matter where you go; what matters are the natural wonders, history, food, music, scenery, culture, people, animals, attractions, entertainment, relaxation, and all the other wonders you may encounter when you step outside. You will find a lot of different kinds of postings related to travel, and I will add others to blog about their experiences as well. You will read about what interests me, so let me know via comments what interests you. I hope people enjoy this blog (comments of course welcome), and I hope you take the time to experience some of these places yourself. And if you can bring a child, your child or any child into the outdoor world, please do. Computers, TVs, and video games are just no substitute for the amazing world around you. (Though I must admit I am somewhat inspired by TV hosts like Huell Howser and Rick Steves...). Thanks for reading, and happy travels!