Recreation
- Details
- Written by: Editor
COVELO – The Covelo Ranger District has now opened the Eel River Campground for the rest of the year.
The gates on M1 Indian Dick Road and M1 Etsel Ridge Road are still closed for the winter. They will reopcn when weather permits this spring.
The Mendocino National Forest will start selling wood permits April 2. Office hours are from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Turkey hunting season will start March 31 and last through until May 6.
The Forest Service has introduced a new recreation pass called "America the Beautiful." It is a National Park and Federal Recreation Land pass. If you are interested please call the district and they can send you a brochure on the pass. They also have available the Annual Pass, Senior Pass and Access pass.
If you have any questions please call the district at 707-983-6118.
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
- Details
- Written by: Barbara Juchert
There is a growing market for specialty cruise products, known in the travel industry as “niche cruises.” They offer distinctly different experiences than traditional cruising, as well as exotic, fascinating and remote destinations.
Some niche cruises offer luxury cruising, some cultural, some ecological – and they're always diverse.
At this time there are 12 members of this association and following are the names and their offerings.
– American Cruise Lines, which offers luxury small ship cruises through the smooth inland waterways of America's historic East Coast. Destinations include Maine, the New England offshore islands, the historic South and the Chesapeake Bay. Each ship holds less than 100 passengers.
– Cruise West offers up-close travel that focuses on the destination – its scenery, wildlife, natural history and culture – all in the company of limited numbers of like-minded travelers. Destinations include Alaska, British Columbia, the Columbia and Snake Rivers, the California wine country, Baja Mexico’s Sea of Cortes, Costa Rica, Panama, Japan, the South Pacific and the Kuril Islands.
– Discovery World Cruises was founded in 2003. The company's cruise line sails to some of the world’s most remote and fascinating destinations aboard the intimate M/V Discovery. The 650-passenger vessel comfortably sails the world’s oceans and offers the shipboard amenities sophisticated travelers have come to expect, yet her size enables her to call at smaller, out-of-the-way ports. Discovery World Cruises offers complete “cruisetour” vacations to Antarctica, the Amazon, the Galapagos Islands, South Pacific, Iceland, Greenland, Europe and North Africa that include hotel stays and city sightseeing before and/or after the sailing.
– Fred Olsen Cruise Lines operates small ship cruises from ports in the United Kingdom to more than 200 destinations worldwide. In the winter, one ship is positioned in Barbados for 14-night cruises of the Southern Caribbean, South America’s Amazon and Orinoco Rivers, and the Panama Canal. The line’s guests are generally “pre-baby-boomers” who expect excellent service and a traditional cruise experience.
– Galapagos Explorer II promotes Ecuador as a privileged destination for tourism. Galapagos Explorer II is an all-suite passenger vessel that visits the Galapagos Islands off the coast of South America, providing comfort, adventure and interpretation programs while enjoying this paradise of unique flora and fauna, offering seven-night programs.
– Imperial Majesty Cruise Line operates two-night cruise vacations from Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau/ Paradise Island, Bahamas aboard the MV Regal Empress. The classic vessel offers a unique opportunity for vacationers seeking a quick getaway or an introduction to cruising. The ship offers all the modern amenities and services of longer cruises, but in an intimate setting reminiscent of a bygone era.
– Majestic Cruises, a new company formed by the alliance of American Steamboat Co. and Delta Steamboats, offers "Casual Elegance" on board authentic sternwheelers that combine the best of big ship and small ship cruising. Four, seven and 11-night cruises discover out-of-the-way places in Puget Sound, on the Columbia River and Alaska, and on the Mississippi River and her tributaries. They also offer some inclusive cruises with shore tours, live entertainment and fine dining.
– Norwegian Coastal Voyage Norwegian Coastal Voyage sails the waters of the 1,250-mile, fjord-filled west coast of Norway. The six- to 12-day cruise itineraries sail from Bergen in the south across the Arctic Circle in the north to Kirkenes near to the Russian border. The fleet visits 34 picturesque ports and offers both escorted shore excursions and independent sightseeing. The winter months find two of their ships cruising through and around Antarctica’s fjords, straits and glaciers.
– Orion Expedition Cruises offers the experience of cruising aboard a luxuriously appointed, modern ship perfectly configured to take passengers to unspoiled destinations in and around Australia. Destinations as diverse as Australia 's Top End including the Great Barrier Reef, Cape York, Arnhem Land, the Kimberley and East Timor will provide experiences most people can only dream about. The ship also offers voyages to the Tasman Sea, the Chilean Fjords and Antarctica.
– Peter Deilmann Cruises owns and operates 10 deluxe river vessels cruising the Great Rivers of Europe as well as two ocean going vessels. The intimate size of the vessels, their first class appointments and highly personalized service allow them to be among the world’s finest travel products.
– RiverBarge Excursion Lines Inc. is the owner and operator of the 198-passenger R/B River Explorer, the only hotel barge traveling America's inland waterways. The vessel offers an innovative approach to the niche leisure market and explores the heritage and culture of America’s waterways and nearby towns.
– Star Clippers operates the largest and tallest sailing vessels in the world. Star Flyer, Star Clipper and Royal Clipper, the flagship of the fleet, visit destinations untouched by larger cruise ships and offer passengers the activities, amenities and atmosphere of a private yacht. Voyages range from five to 11 nights and take travelers to the Caribbean, the French Riviera, Spain, Italy, Albania, Croatia, the Greek Isles, Turkey and the Far East.
For information on these companies or any cruise, tour or vacation contact, Barbara Juchert at
Barbara Juchert has 20 years experience as a travel professional, holds the designations of Certified Travel Consultant and a Master Cruise Counselor, and has been fortunate enough to have traveled much of the world and taken over 40 cruises.
- Details
- Written by: Editor
LAKE COUNTY – The annual Heron Festival and Wildflower Brunch, presented by the Redbud Audubon Society and the Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association, will be held April 27-29 at Clear Lake State Park in Kelseyville.
The event is a fun, family-oriented weekend that features pontoon boat tours, birding and nature walks, an art show, exhibits, nature talks and children's activities.
Friday night kicks off with an opening reception for the Heron Festival Art Show. Guests are welcomed to mingle with artists and enjoy wine and hors d'oeuvres from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Main Street Gallery, 325 N. Main Street, Lakeport. The bird and nature art will be on display at the gallery for the entire weekend of the Heron Festival.
The Spring Wildflower Brunch will be held on Saturday, April 28, from 9 a.m. to noon, and features "Fill Your Own Omelet" dishes. The cost for brunch is $12. Advance brunch reservations and payment are requested and may be made online by visiting www.heronfestival.org or by calling (800) 525-3743.
On Saturday and Sunday, pontoon boat excursions will take visitors along the shoreline of Clear Lake to view nesting herons, egrets, grebes and other shorebirds. The 90-minute boat trips will be offered from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Experienced Audubon birding guides will accompany each boat to share information about the birds and wildlife seen on each trip.
The excursions will leave from the Clear Lake State Park marina. A donation of $15 per person is requested for the pontoon boat trips. Advance reservations are required and may be made online by visiting www.heronfestival.org or by phone at (800) 525-3743.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Visitor Center at Clear Lake State Park will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It features interpretive displays of Lake County's natural and cultural resources. These include an erupting volcano, a Pomo Indian village, a mountain lion cave, and dioramas of the woodland and riparian habitats in the park. The gift shop offers educational and entertaining nature items.
The Visitor Center Auditorium will feature speaker presentations, slide shows, and videos on local birds and wildlife. Topics will range from the weekend's featured herons and wildflowers to bats and hummingbirds.
Nature and bird walks will be given by local park docents and Audubon guides who are specialists in the park's birds and wildlife. A self-guided "Habitat Hike" will be available for families. A nature fair with numerous outdoor exhibit booths will present conservation and nature displays, nature-related artists, and educational materials.
On Saturday evening, campfire activities aimed at kids and parents will feature bird and nature stories around the campfire and an evening wildlife walk in the park with flashlights.
During Heron Festival weekend, admission to Clear Lake State Park is free. Except for the boat rides and brunch, all other festival activities also are free. Camping sites are available through the State Park reservation system. Local resort, motel, and bed-and-breakfast reservations are available through www.lakecounty.com or by calling (800) 525-3743.
For more information on all festival events, call (800) 525-3743 or visit www.heronfestival.org.
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
- Details
- Written by: Editor
NICE – The third annual Festival of Tulips will be held March 31, from noon to 4 p.m. at Tulip Hill Winery in Nice. The event will feature wine, food, and entertainment set amid the winery's gardens blooming with 30,000 tulips imported from Holland.
Entrance to the Festival of Tulips includes a Tulip Hill wine glass for unlimited tastings, sumptuous hors d'oeuvres from five upscale Lake County restaurants, live rhythm 'n' blues music by Bill Noteman and the Rockets, winery tours, lectures, and ballroom dance and other demonstrations.
During the event, tours of the winery will be given to attendees once per hour beginning at 12:30 p.m. with the last one at 3:30 p.m. The tours, given by a member of the Tulip Hill collective, will take eventgoers from the crush pad to the cellar to the bottling room and everywhere in between.
In addition, the tour guide will give an overall view and explanation of the winemaking process – from the grape to the bottle. Grapevine pruning also will be demonstrated throughout the day.
A raffle will be held on the day of the Festival of Tulips for a gift basket of Tulip Hill wine and other Lake County products that are sold in the winery's gift shop. There also will be special deals on wine and wine-related products during the festival, and the gift shop will be open, as well.
Last year, guests of the Festival of Tulips came from as far south as Palm Springs, as far north as Oregon, as well as from Lake and nearby counties.
Tulip Hill Winery opened in 2004 on the site where the Bartlett Springs Water Bottling Plant once operated. The first owners of Bartlett Springs began bottling as early as the 1870s, claiming the mineral water cured all sorts of ailments, including their own.
Revered in Europe as well as the United States, the famous plant, which had changed hands over the years, closed down in the late 20th century. It wasn't until the Brown family arrived that the historic site would once again have a purpose – this time for wine.
According to Loretta Byrne, chief operations officer of Tulip Hill Winery, "When the Brown family discovered the property, they fell in love with the area. They completely landscaped the grounds and remodeled the facilities to become the winery and tasting room."
Tickets to the Festival of Tulips are $30 per person and may be purchased over the phone or at the winery on the day of the festival; tickets purchased in advance will be sold at the discounted price of $25 per person.
Tulip Hill Winery is located at 4900 Bartlett Springs Road. For more information about Tulip Hill or the Festival of Tulips, call (707) 274-9373 or visit www.tuliphillwinery.com.
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
How to resolve AdBlock issue?