Paul Rogers writes in this morning’s Mercury News that Santa Cruz Assemblyman John Laird wants to fund state parks by adding $10 to California’s annual car-registration fee. Under his proposal, which is expected to face opposition from Republicans who call…
Hiking
Hiking with llamas at Redwood Regional Park
by tom • May 28, 2008 • 1 Comment
A local blog called Today in Montclair, 94611, points to an interesting outing at Redwood Regional Park. Llama packers will guide the 4-6 mile hikes, held from 10am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday. According to the packers, “you will have the…
Media (books, DVDs, etc)
KQED’s Quest goes to Briones
by tom • May 27, 2008 • 1 Comment
Briones Regional Park is high on my list to explore one of these days, though perhaps in the fall after the heat subsides. KQED has a raft of interesting stuff about Briones, including an audio/slideshow with a park naturalist who…
Coyote Hills Regional Park
A blog post on Coyote Hills Regional Park
by tom • May 27, 2008 • 0 Comments
A Tri-Valley real estate blogger mentions taking his family to Coyote Hills for a sunset hike. The guy won’t be writing any breathless accounts for Outside, but the post does offer some ideas on getting the kids out of the…
Huddart County Park
Huddart County Park: Made in the shade
by tom • May 26, 2008 • 4 Comments
You’re not going to need a lot of sunscreen at Huddart County Park. Not on the trails, that is. The park has several open areas for picnics, volleyball and garden-variety goofing off. It also has sites that can be reserved…
Saving California's state parks
Parks in Peril Part 2: raising more money
by tom • May 26, 2008 • 3 Comments
California’s state parks need a lot more money. Paul Rogers of the Mercury News summarizes the pluses and minuses of several key strategies. One of my copy desk cronies wrote this gem of a headline: How would you feel about…
Backpacking, Hiking, In the news, Tom's travels
Turning kids loose in nature
by tom • May 26, 2008 • 0 Comments
Dana Hull of the Mercury News talks to people who are trying to bring back the era of unstructured play and get kids interested in outdoor adventures. As summer approaches and Wii sales climb toward 10 million, a growing number…
Saving California's state parks
Report on California’s crumbling state parks
by tom • May 25, 2008 • 1 Comment
Paul Rogers of the Mercury News documents the decay of the California state parks system, and just how bad it’s gotten. From part one in this morning’s paper: This Memorial Day weekend, campsites are booked from Mount Shasta to San…
In the news, Mount Madonna County Park
Summit fire: latest news and links
by tom • May 25, 2008 • 8 Comments
Sunday: It’s time to hand the Summit fire coverage over to the professionals. If you want up-to-the-minute updates, check out the live blog at KRON4. If you’ve got time to read a bit, check out the stories at www.mercurynews.com. The…