Category Archives: California

National Parks, News

Happy 150th Anniversary, Yosemite!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Under a towering canopy of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the National Park Service, Yosemite Conservancy and public officials today celebrated the 150th Anniversary of the Yosemite Grant Act, the legislation signed by President Abraham Lincoln to preserve Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove, by breaking ground on a landmark project to protect the ancient sequoia trees and the extraordinary experience they make possible.

“On the 150th Anniversary of the Yosemite Grant Act, we stand in awe among these giant trees that are thousands of years old and are reminded about the importance of protecting our natural resources so that future generations can experience what John Muir called ‘nature’s forest masterpiece,’” said National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis at public ceremonies attended by thousands.

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Interesting Places

Santa’s Village to reopen

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

One of my most cherished childhood memories was when my Dad piled us all into the ol’ 1970 Oldsmobile Delta 88 and we took off before sunrise from Dana Point, heading up to the San Bernardino Mountains.  This is back in the day when freeways were six lanes, Crown Valley Parkway was four lanes, and seat belts were those things stuck under the seat cushions.

I’d sit up front on the folded down armrest so I could see out the windshield and we’d drive for what seemed like hours until we finally reached the base of the mountain.

Up the road we went, clawing ever higher around the curves, Dad turning the steering wheel, me sliding between his shoulder and my Mom’s.  Up, up, and up into the clouds we drove until we finally emerged through a break in those rolling mists to see the bright Technicolor red rooftops of Santa’s Village.

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Big Bear Lake

Big Bear: The Ongoing Evolution of Stanfield Marsh

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Vanessa Finney has written about the Stanfield Marsh over on 93.3FM KBHR’s website.  If you haven’t visited, it’s a lovely walk.  From the article:

A favorite scenic spot in Big Bear is the Stanfield Marsh Wildlife and Waterfowl Habitat that extends east from Stanfield Cutoff. Visitors can park in the southwest corner, stop by the wooden gazebo acting as an informational kiosk, then stroll along the water on the wooden walkway. The wooden walkway has a dual purpose: to encourage pedestrians to avoid the highway, and to provide cover for nesting waterfowl. But waterfowl didn’t always have such a haven. In 1982, the Big Bear Municipal Water District (MWD) designated the 145 acre Marsh as a wildlife preserve. Today the many beneficiaries of the project include aquatic species, wetland species, winteríng and breeding waterfowl, wintering bald eagles, Osprey and summer resident and potentially nesting pelicans. The best time of day for people to visit the Preserve for wildlife watching is early morning or late afternoon when the ducks and fish are looking for food.

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Interesting Places

Happy Birthday, Golden Gate Bridge!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The most beautiful and the most photographed bridge in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge which links the city of San Francisco to Marin County in California opened on this day way back in 1937.  The festivities lasted for a full week before Mayor Angelo Rossi along with other officials crossed the bridge in a motorcade past three ceremonial barriers (the last being a blockade of beauty queens).

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait, which is a three mile long, one mile wide channel between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Activities, Wildlife

Today, I screamed like a little girl and boldly ran away from a tiny rattlesnake

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

I’m not too proud to admit it: snakes are scary.  Not spider scary, but scary nonetheless.  So, since summer is quickly approaching, here’s some timely tips from the USDA so you don’t end up looking like me … running away from a tiny little 1.5′ lightning-fast rattlesnake:

Warmer weather lures humans to the outdoors about the same time snakes are increasing their activity, making encounters of the slithering kind inevitable. California has many kinds of beautiful and harmless native snakes. However, one kind of snake that is a safety concern for anyone outdoors in California is the rattlesnake. All snakes, including rattlesnakes, provide humans with a tremendous service because they control rodent populations.

Rattlesnakes are the only venomous snakes in California that can cause serious injury to humans; however, very few people die from rattlesnake bites in California. Generally not aggressive, rattlesnakes strike when threatened or deliberately provoked, and given room they will retreat. Never try to pick up a rattlesnake. Most snake bites occur when a rattlesnake is handled or accidentally touched by someone walking or climbing.

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