Morro Bay: Nature Sublime
Morro Bay: Nature Sublime Inhale. Watch the sun set behind Morro Rock, bark at sea lions, call to a night heron, and walk in silence beside a forest of pygmy oaks. At every turn, open spaces and environmentally sensitive biomes of extraordinary splendor await. Miles and miles of nature preserves, state parks, state beaches, and […]
Magical Mendocino
Magical Mendocino County We all need more Mendocino The long and winding road to Mendocino County isn’t all that long. Roaming some of California’s most pastoral back roads, past rustic farmlands and small towns, Mendocino only seems far away. That’s half the allure. The other half is its untamed and undisturbed beauty. The landscapes, the […]
Destination Visalia is a Heartfelt Community
Destination Visalia Is A Heartfelt Community Visible from outer space, California’s Central Valley is approximately 450 miles long, 22,500 square mile, and more than 13% of California’s landmass – it’s one huge trough! Ancient lands, it consisted of marshes, grasses, and wetlands; habitat for wintering birds and herds of elk, deer, and other mammals. Rimmed […]
California Covered Bridges
Covered Bridges of California Counties: Eleven Bridges and Holding When it comes to covered bridges, California can brag with the best of them. “What!?” You thought only New England claimed ownership of those marvelous portals to the past. Not true! What California lacks in quantity, it certainly makes-up for in quality. Californian’s can flaunt the […]
El Mono Motel
El Mono Motel Great lattes, scones, and budget lodging at Yosemite gateway Two hours from Yosemite Valley, Lee Vining provides seasonal alternatives for Yosemite lodging I love, love, love El Mono Motel & Latte Da Coffee Cafe in Lee Vining, California. Last year after meeting the owner, Kelly, I was determined to stay at this quintessential California motel. On a […]
Lassen National Forest
Lassen National Forest: Respite at Elam Creek We have been so blessed to live in rural Butte County. Close to back roads and beautiful escapes. Heading north from Chico on Highway 32, we are quickly above the valley floor surrounded by forests. Some burn areas are being logged, but in other places we look out into […]
Kaweah Oaks Preserve
Kaweah Oaks Preserve California Watchable Wildlife is happy to welcome Kaweah Oaks Preserve as our viewing site network. A 344-acre nature preserve, it protects one of the last remaining valley oak riparian forests in the San Joaquin Valley. Step back in time and experience a pristine valley oak woodland like those so common in the Central Valley […]
Discovering Las Plumas
Discovering Las Plumas In 1820, Captain Louis Arguello explored portions of a stream in northeastern California. Impressed by the large number of bright-feathered waterfowl, he named the stream El Rio de Las Plumas, “River of the Feathers.” From this the names Plumas County and Feather River were born. Nearly 200 years ago, early visitors discovered the diversity […]
Exploring Butte County with California Watchable Wildlife
Exploring Butte County with California Watchable Wildlife California Watchable Wildlife celebrates the state’s wildlife and diverse habitats by acknowledging and elevating the value of wildlife viewing and nature tourism to benefit individuals, families, communities and industries while fostering awareness and support for conservation and protection of wildlife and habitats. Throughout Butte County, a wide array […]
Wildflowers Arrive At Jepson Prairie Preserve
Wildflowers Arrive At Jepson Prairie Preserve Wildflower season is coming, and Solano Land Trust’s Jepson Prairie docents are getting ready to share the first wave of vernal pool flowers. Weather permitting, there will be two-hour guided walks starting in the spring. A vernal pool is a world of exceptional diversity and an ecological system of […]