California Travel Insider

Yosemite's Badger Pass Ski Area at 75 Years

California's Badger Pass Ski Area Celebrates with Weekend Festivities
    75th Anniversary Weekend Schedule of Events - Ski Like its 1935

     Ski Races, Torch Light Parade & Live Music Highlight Historic Events
     Celebrating First Ski Area in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range

Yosemite National Park's Badger Pass Ski Area will roll out the "white" carpet (of snow) to commemorate its 75th anniversary of outdoor family fun at the Sierra Nevada's first ski area.  During the weekend of Saturday, January 23 and Sunday, January 24, unique activities celebrating the history of skiing at Badger Pass will delight all winter enthusiasts in attendance.

The festivities begin at 9:00am on January 23 when Delaware North Companies will offer free lift tickets to anyone showing up at Badger Pass over the anniversary weekend dressed in a 1930s-period ski outfit:

Saturday, January 23, 2010
* 9:30am - Guided  Cross Country Ski Tours down the Chinquapin Trail, used prior to the existence of Badger Pass in the early 1930s to access Old Badger Summit for downhill skiing
* 10:00am, 1:30pm & 4:30pm - Historic Badger Pass film (three showings),               accumulated over the decades.
* 11:00am to 4:00pm - Trivia Contest based the history of Badger Pass.  Visitors to     the ski area will be able to review interpretive story board exhibits to obtain clues to questions, and the person with the most correct answers will win a prize.
* 12:00pm - Band: Akoustik 2 will perform contemporary covers of popular tunes at     the Badger Pass Day Lodge.
* 1:00pm -  Slalom Ski Race: a NASTAR-style open slalom race will take place on the Chipmunk Run.  There will be different age brackets for skiing, snowboarding and telemark skiing competitions.
* 1:00pm - Nic Fiore Impressions & Yodeling: come see locals muster up their best impressions of the     former Ambassador of Badger Pass, Nic Fiore, at the Day Lodge.
* 4:00pm  -  Cake cutting ceremony celebrating the 75th anniversary at the Badger Pass Day Lodge.
* 5:45pm - Torch Light Parade commences from the top of the Eagle run, consisting of skiers making their way down the hill in a serpentine fashion carrying torches of fire.
* 6:30pm - Late Badger Pass shuttle service departs to Yosemite Valley

Sunday, January 24, 2010
* 9:30am -  Guided  Cross Country Ski Tours down the Chinquapin Trail
* 11:00am to 4:00pm - Trivia Contest
* 12:00pm - Band - Akoustik 2
* All Day - Historic Badger Pass film looping on Badger Pass closed circuit TV

For more information about the weekend's activities, visit www.BadgerPass.com, or call 209.372.8430.

 

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Green travel from Sacramento to San Francisco and Joie de Vivre

It's Very Good and Very Green by Barbara L. Steinberg

As I have mentioned before, I love to drive my old Subaru. Dear old companion...more than 197,000 miles. But I also enjoy sitting back, watching the world roll by in the comfort of alternative transit. Sacramento isn't all that transit friendly except when thinking about trips to the Bay Area. Then Amtrak and, sometimes, Bay Link Ferry, come into the picture. What it means is fewer traffic and parking hassles and being good to the environment by having one less fossil-fuel consumer on the road. That would be me and my faithful Subaru.

              The Rest of the Story.....

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Vintage postcards tell the history of Sacramento

Launch and signing of new book,
The Postcard History of Sacramento by Tom Myers

See Sacramento life the way it use to be. Another in the series of historic books by Arcadia Publishing, this fascinating book about Sacramento and the Sacramento Valley is illustrated with vintage postcards mailed from 1905 to the 1930s. Featured postcards depict downtown Sacramento after 60 blocks were raised 12 to 15 feet to save the city from devastating floods. Most of the buildings were jacked up and, in some cases, the second floor became the new ground floor.
                    The Rest of the Story...

New dining Shabu in Midtown Sacramento

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Well Really, Shabu Shabu by Barbara L. Steinberg

Finally! At last! OMG! Sacramento has something new to cheer about in the food realm. It's not another sushi bar. Nope, not Mexican. Not Thai. Not just expensive libations. Though I love all of those. It is...drum roll please...shabu shabu. The owner of Shabu, John Voong, simplifies for some (myself included) and calls it Japanese fondue. The only similarity is that you cook your meats and veggies in a bubbling cauldron of amazing broth. (I chose spicy miso.)  But that's where the similarities end. I don't want to begin to try and explain Shabu. Just go and experience this for yourself. This isn't a Japanese steak house where food and sharp objects somersault through the air. 

I have longed for something new in Sacramento's ever-expanding dining scene. And I was positively giddy after dining at Shabu for the first time. In fact, you couldn't knock the smile off my face. I had to tell someone...so I called my friend Judith. She's traveled the world...she loves good food...she lives in Midtown...I knew I had to share the good news with someone who would care. Someone who would get why this was so exciting.

                          The Rest of the Story......

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California Dept of Fish & Game, CAPS Mourn Loss of Colleagues

Set Up Fund for Victims’ Families

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and California Association of Professional Scientists (CAPS) remembers and honors their fallen colleagues. 

January 5, 2010, Clu Cotter, DFG Associate Biologist, 48 years old, Kevin O'Connor, DFG Senior Biologist Supervisor, 40 years old, and Tom Stolberg, DFG Scientific Aide, 31 years old, all of Fresno, lost their lives in a helicopter crash. Helicopter pilot Dennis (Mike) Donovan of Landells Aviation, also lost his life. They were on a routine aerial deer survey when the crash occurred in a remote section of Madera County. An investigation is under way into the cause of the crash.

Governor Schwarzenegger announced that State Capitol flags will be flown at half staff. DFG Director John McCamman also ordered flags to be flown at half staff across the state at all DFG buildings in honor of the fallen scientists.

McCamman immediately instituted critical incident counseling teams to work with DFG staff to help them deal with the loss of their coworkers. DFG is also working with the victims’ families to offer support.

“Fish and Game employees are very much like a big family and this is a tremendous loss to our team,” said Director McCamman. “We will continue to do everything we can to help the victims’ families and our employees during this difficult time.”

DFG annually conducts helicopter surveys to track trends in California deer populations. Surveys are conducted from the air because of cost-effectiveness compared to ground surveys, access to remote
locations and to reduce bias compared to road-based observation. DFG has grounded all helicopter surveys and captures until further notice.

CAPS has established a memorial fund for the three biologists and helicopter pilot killed in the crash in Madera County.  CAPS welcomes donations to this account which will benefit the families of Department of Fish & Game employees Clu Cotter, Kevin O'Connor, and Tom Stolberg, and helicopter pilot Dennis Donovan.

"State scientists are a very tight-knit group," said CAPS President Patty Velez, a state Environmental Scientist at the Department of Fish & Game's Monterey office. "We want to make sure we do everything we can to help the families during this time of tragedy."

 

CAPS is soliciting contributions from the general public and from its own members.  CAPS appreciates the assistance and cooperation provided by the Department of Fish and Game for this effort.

 

CAPS is also working to ensure that its member's beneficiaries receive the benefit of every insurance and related program to which they are entitled.  This includes a special provision in the CAPS Memorandum of Understanding, Section 5.11, which provides a $50,000 air travel benefit to DFG scientists killed while flying during the course of their work.  CAPS negotiated this provision years ago in part due to a DFG helicopter crash which proved fatal to two biologists in 1992.

 

Checks made out to the "State Biologists' Memorial Fund" can be sent to:

 

State Biologists' Memorial Fund

c/o CAPS

455 Capitol Mall, Suite 500

Sacramento, CA 95814

 

Unfortunately, contributions are not tax deductible.

 

Thanks for your support!!

Memorial services have been arranged for  Clu Cotter, Kevin Connor and Tom Stolberg.  They will be held Thursday, January 14, 2010, at 1 PM at the Northside Christian Church.

Northside Christian Church
2709 E. Nees Ave.
Clovis CA 93611
559.323.9675

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California: Nature is Our Heritage - Chico, California

Did you know that Wildlife Tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel market? A 2006 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service study shows that California has the highest number of wildlife watchers in the country, with 6.2 million participants and over $4.6 billion dollars in expenditures on wildlife watching activities in California. Communities who have tapped into this market have found that wildlife tourism can preserve or improve quality of life and natural resources while providing jobs and increased local revenues, and enhancing community cohesion and pride.

Following the 6th Annual Cultural and Heritage Symposium, hosted in historic Chico, the Watchable Wildlife Project will host its “California: Nature is our Heritage” program.

The California Watchable Wildlife Project (CWWP) celebrates California’s wildlife and diverse habitats by acknowledging and elevating the value of wildlife viewing to benefit individuals, families, communities, and industries while fostering awareness and support for conservation and protection of wildlife and habitats. We encourage you to stay for the weekend and enjoy the 11th Annual Snow Goose Festival.

California: Nature is Our Heritage Sponsored by:
January 29, 2010
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Bell Memorial Auditorium - CSU, Chico
W. Second & Chestnut streets
Chico, CA 95929

REGISTER TODAY
Register online or by fax.  Click here for the registration form

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47th annual juried art show in Fairfield seeks artists

Fairfield Visual Art Association invites you and other artists to submit your work this Saturday for their 47th annual regional juried art show. Pick up an entry form on their website, or drop by the Art Explosion Gallery in downtown Fairfield or the Lawler House Gallery in downtown Suisun City.  JURORS Irman Arcibal, master artist Joyce Gordon, curator & gallery artist Marc Pandone, professor IMPORTANT DATES Entry Day: Saturday, Jan 9, 2010 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Jury Day: Sunday, Jan 11, 2010 Show Dates: Jan 21 through Mar 27 Artists Gala Reception and Awards Night: Thursday, Jan 28, 6:30 p.m. Jurors' Talk: Saturday, Mar 27, 2010 1 p.m. LOCATION All events occur downtown at the Fairfield Center Gallery, 1035 Texas Street,  Fairfield, CA. For more information, email us at cynthisima@hotmail.com or visit the FVAA website.

Fairfield Visual Arts Association, 4160 Suisun Valley Rd, #E, PMB 342,
Fairfield, CA 94534 Phone: (707) 428-0400 email: cynthisima@hotmail.com