National Forests

Portrait of a Giant Sequoia… #NGM

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Imagine if you will, taking a picture of a tree.  Get every branch from the base to the tip in the picture.

Sounds easy, right?

Now imagine that the tree is 3,200 years old, 247 feet tall, has two billion needles and is continuing to grow even as you look at it.  All of a sudden, that little iPhone you’ve got in your pocket just isn’t going to cut it.

The Giant Sequoias only grow in Northern California, and they only grow in one tiny little area: the western slope of the Sierra Nevada.  One of the oldest and largest trees growing there is the President.  It’s 247 feet tall, sports a 27 foot diameter trunk (which is svelte compared to two of other local trees), and has the largest crown of any of the Giant Sequoias in the grove.

So how hard can it be to take a picture of a tree?  It’s not like it’s going to wander off or anything, right?  Well, this particular tree is so massive that it’s never been photographed in it’s entirety.  Ever.

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Jeep

Jeep Owners Go Topless May 17th, 2014!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

All Things Jeep is getting geared up for the 7th Annual Go Topless Day coming up on May 17th.  From the website:

Go Topless Day is when we celebrate the love, spirit, and sense of fun & adventure that comes with owning a Jeep.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

  • TAKE THE TOP OFF YOUR JEEP. This one requires no explanation. Even if your top won’t come off, please join the festivities.
  • Join JEEP CLUBS GOING TOPLESS We are enlisting Clubs and Organizations worldwide in joining us and celebrate Go Topless day with picnics, trail runs, trail clean-ups and social events. We’ll update this list at the beginning of February!

If you are in the New England area, you can Join ALL THINGS JEEP and the Ocean State Jeepsters at our East Coast flagship event in Massachusetts. For more information on the MA GTD event, please e-mail GTD@allthingsjeep.com

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Warbirds

CAF AirPower Tour Ready To Hit The West Coast!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The Commemorative Air Force’s iconic Boeing B-29 Superfortress returns to California and the Northwest U.S. this summer. It will be FIFI’s first visit in almost 20 years to many locations which include over 15 cities in Arizona, California, Washington, Idaho, Utah and Colorado.Highlighting the tour will be FIFI’s return to Boeing Field in Seattle. The B-29 is one of 1,100 produced at the Boeing Renton facility and the only B-29 in the world that still flies.

The year 2014 marks FIFI’s 40th year of flight with the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). The airplane, rescued and restored by the CAF in the early 1970s, is a regular feature at airports and airshows all across the country. In fact, the B-29 Squadron of the CAF was the first group to begin touring historic war birds in 1974. Now, 40 years later, FIFI still barnstorms the country from coast to coast bringing the sights, sounds and smells of World War II aviation history to audiences across the United States.

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State Parks

California State Historical Resources Commission To Consider Twelve Properties for Action

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Next week, the California State Historical Resources Commission will consider six nominations for federal historic designation, and six nominations for state historic designation. Nominations and photographs of properties under consideration are available at http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24368.

The Commission will meet next Tuesday, April 22 at 9:00 a.m. in the Kiln Room at Asilomar Conference Center, 800 Asilomar Avenue in Pacific Grove, California.

National Register of Historic Places nominations scheduled for action include:

Century 21 Theater San Jose Santa Clara County

An early and and notable example of a Cinerama-type theater designed by noted Bay Area architect Vincent G. Raney. The Century 21 Theater embodies the distinctive characteristics of the mid-century modernist style and suburban roadside architecture popular during the 1960s. This modernist landmark in San Jose is one of the best surviving examples of the freestanding dome type theater remaining in California. Continue reading →

State Parks

California State Parks Seeks Public Input Regarding Equestrian Lessons and Trail Riding Concession at Will Rogers SHP

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

California State Parks will accept public comment regarding the future equestrian lessons and trail riding concession operations at Will Rogers State Historic Park (SHP) on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. at the Rotunda of the Main Stables at Will Rogers SHP, 1501 Will Rogers Park Road, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272. Will Rogers SHP is located in the Pacific Palisades community within the City of Los Angeles.

The current equestrian services at Will Rogers SHP are provided by a private concessionaire through an expired concession contract on holdover status. The purpose of this meeting is to solicit public input and ideas for the development of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a new contract. The RFP will attract bids from operators who will continue the equestrian lessons and trail rides a new contract. The RFP will satisfy California statutory requirements for concession contracts to be subject to a competitive bid process.

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