Ecuador: A True Rainforest Adventure

So, all set to take a week long vacation in the jungles of Ecuador? Congrats on your decision, you will be having a blast with your close friends and family members. South America as a whole is a great place to enjoy your vacation but taking a trip to Ecuador would be really rejuvenating. There a lot you can actually see and feel loving the nature.

While in Ecuador, you can go to the city of Tena, a quiet city which is also popularly known as a good gateway for journey to the jungle of the country. Thousands of tourists come here and enjoy the specialty of Tena and enjoy a clean, peaceful and neatly ordered environment of the city. Most people prepare here for their adventure in the rainforest.

Getting to Tena: To reach Tena from Quito, another ancient city and the capital city of Ecuador, tourists have to explore jungle along the famous Pan American Highway. You can further move towards Ambato which is about 3 hour’s journey from Tena. People who want to explore the country can actually visit marvelous towering Andes Peaks on either side of the roadway.

The highway is situated through a central valley located between the two main ranges of the Ecuadorian Andes. Also known as the “Avenue of the Volcanoes,” the Ecuadorian Andes was originally described by Alexander Von Humboldt, a Prussian scientist who studied Ecuador’s volcanoes in the early 1800s. Von Humboldt was highly fascinated by volcanoes in the area seemed to form an avenue through the central valley.

Fort Humboldt, a landmark in Humboldt County, showcases the history of the North Coast, and honors one of its past soldiers, Ulysses S. Grant. From 101 Milestones by Bill Morrill.

Lima’s Colonial Treasures

Lima is an expansive city, incorporating nearly 9 million people in its sprawling districts. When the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizzaro moved the capital of the Inca Empire from Cusco to Lima, the city represented a new power, one that is reflected most prominently today it the city´s central plaza architecture. Its rare to find a place quite like Lima, where electronics stores are adjacent to Baroque churches, but that is the gift of a well-preserved colonial past mixed with a thriving contemporary city.

Tucked in next to shopping malls, hotels, and eateries, the Plaza Mayor is surrounded by five colonial buildings, the Palace of Lima, the Government Palace, the Cathedral, the Archbishop´s Palace, and the Municipal Palace. Lined by tropical palm trees and painted in a distinctive, colonial yellow, the buildings in the plaza remain an imposing display of Spanish influence.

The Cathedral, with its grandiose steps stretching along one side of the square, is reminiscent of the famous Spanish cathedrals. Its later date of construction – construction began in 1535 and was finished in 1622 – explain the Baroque facade. The main altar, reconstructed in 1800, is neoclassical in style. There is also a brilliantly decorated mosaic chapel housing Pizarro´s tomb.

Also in the heart of the city is the Palace de Torre Tagle, a gem of Spanish Baroque architecture. Built around 1730 as the home of the Royal Spanish Fleet´s treasurer, the building is now used as the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The façade has a Baroque doorway, and materials were brought from Spain and Central America.

Another highlight from the colonial era is the port of Callao, located in the La Punta district, close to Lima. From this port have launched many famous expeditions, including those of the scientist Charles Darwin and the explorer Alexander Von Humboldt. Callao, founded soon after Lima, quickly became the center of shipping, and thus also of pirating. The Fotaleza del Real Felipe is the most famous colonial site, as this was the fort that protected against pirates.

Lake Tahoe

Geography

Rocky terrain is highlighted by a recent snow on US Highway 50 southwest of South Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the U.S., with a maximum depth of 1,645 feet (501 m), trailing only Oregon’s Crater Lake at 1,949 ft (594 m). Tahoe is also the 16th deepest lake in the world, and the fifth deepest in average depth. It is about 22 mi (35 km) long and 12 mi (19 km) wide and has 72 mi (116 km) of shoreline and a surface area of 191 square miles (490 km2). Washoe Indians used the lake. Approximately 2/3 of the shoreline is in California. The south shore is dominated by the lake’s largest city, South Lake Tahoe, California, which adjoins the town of Stateline, Nevada, while Tahoe City, California is located on the lake’s northwest shore. Although highways run within sight of the lake shore for much of Tahoe’s perimeter, many important parts of the shoreline now lie within state parks or are protected by the United States Forest Service.

The lake situates in parts of two counties in California and three in Nevada. According the Census Bureau, it has a surface area of 496.210 km (191.588 sq mi) distributed among these five counties in the given percentages:

Placer County, California (40.961%)

El Dorado County, California (28.626%)

Douglas County, Nevada (13.207%)

Washoe County, Nevada (10.955%)

Carson City, Nevada (6.251%)

Natural history

Geology

Lake Tahoe from space

The Lake Tahoe Basin was formed by a geologic block (normal) faulting. A geologic block fault is a fracture in the Earth’s crust causing blocks of land to move up or down. Uplifted blocks created the Carson Range on the east and the Sierra Nevada on the west. Down-dropped blocks (a graben) created the Lake Tahoe Basin in between.

More technically, Lake Tahoe is the youngest of several extensional basins of the Walker Lane Deformation Belt that accommodates nearly 12 mm/yr of dextral shear between the Sierra Nevada Microplate and North America. The Lake Tahoe basin is formed by a series of large down-to-the-east normal faults, including the West Tahoeollar Point fault, Stateline/North Tahoe fault and the Incline Village fault. These right-stepping en-echelon faults are capable of large magnitude 7 earthquakes, with the most recent M7 paleoquake (~1500 AD) occurring on the Incline Village fault with nearly 9.7 ft (3.0 m) of vertical offset. The West Tahoe-Dollar Point Fault (WTDPF) appears to be the most active and potentially hazardous fault in the basin. A study in Fallen Leaf Lake, just south of Lake Tahoe, used seafloor mapping techniques to image evidence for paleoearthquakes on the WTDPF and revealed the last earthquake occurred between 4,100-4,500 years ago.

Some of the highest peaks of the Lake Tahoe Basin that formed during process of Lake Tahoe creation are Freel Peak at 10,891 feet (3,320 m), Monument Peak at 10,067 feet (3,068 m), Pyramid Peak at 9,983 feet (3,043 m) (in the Desolation Wilderness), and Mount Tallac at 9,735 feet (2,967 m).

Eruptions from the extinct volcano Mount Pluto formed a dam on the north side. Melting snow filled the southern and lowest part of the basin to form the ancestral Lake Tahoe. Rain and runoff added additional water.

Modern Lake Tahoe was shaped and landscaped by scouring glaciers during the Ice Ages, which began a million or more years ago. Lake Tahoe is fed from 63 tributaries with the Truckee River as the only outlet. The Truckee flows northeast through Reno, Nevada and into Pyramid Lake, Nevada which has no outlet.

Soils of the basin come primarily from andesitic volcanic rocks and granodiorite, with minor areas of metamorphic rock. Some of the valley bottoms and lower hill slopes are mantled with glacial moraines, or glacial outwash material derived from the parent rock. Cryopsamments, Cryumbrepts, rockland, rock outcrops and rubble and stony colluvium account for over 70% of the land area in the basin (see USA soil taxonomy). The basin soils (in the < 2 mm fraction) are generally 65-85% sand (0.052.0 mm).

Given the great depth of Lake Tahoe, and the locations of the normal faults within the deepest portions of the lake, modeling suggests that earthquakes on these faults can trigger tsunamis. Wave heights of these tsunamis are predicted to be on the order of 10 to 33 ft (3 to 10 m) in height, capable of traversing the lake in just a few minutes. A massive collapse of the western edge of the basin that formed McKinney Bay around 50,000 years ago is thought to have generated tsunami/seiche wave with height approaching 330 ft (100 m).

Climate

Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe in background from Angora Ridge Rd. to the Angora Lakes Resort

Mean annual precipitation ranges from over 55 in (1,400 mm) in watersheds on the west side of the basin to about 26 inches (660 mm) near the lake on the east side of the basin. Most of the precipitation falls as snow between November and April, although rainstorms combined with rapid snow melt account for the largest floods. There is a pronounced annual runoff of snowmelt in late spring and early summer, the timing of which varies from year to year. In some years, summertime monsoon storms from the Great Basin bring intense rainfall, especially to high elevations on the east side of the basin.

August is normally the warmest month at the Lake Tahoe Airport (elevation 6,254 ft (1,906 m)) with an average maximum of 78.7 F (25.9 C) and an average minimum of 39.8 F (4.3 C). January is the coolest month with an average maximum of 41.0 F (5.0 C) and an average minimum of 15.1 F (-9.4 C). The all-time maximum of 99 F (37.2 C) was recorded on July 22, 1988. The all-time minimum of -29 F (-33.9 C) was recorded on December 9, 1972, and February 7, 1989. Temperatures exceed 90 F (32.2 C) on an average of 2.0 days annually. Minimum temperatures of 32 F (0 C) or lower occur on an average of 231.8 days annually, and minimum temperatures of 0 F (-17.8 C) or lower occur on an average of 7.6 days annually. Freezing temperatures have occurred every month of the year.

Ecology

Salmon (Oncorhyncus nerka) jumping beaver dam

Vegetation in the basin is dominated by a mixed conifer forest of Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi), lodgepole pine (P. contorta), white fir (Abies concolor), and red fir (A. magnifica). The basin also contains significant areas of wet meadows and riparian areas, dry meadows, brush fields (with Arctostaphylos and Ceanothus) and rock outcrop areas, especially at higher elevations. Ceanothus is capable of fixing nitrogen, but mountain alder (Alnus tenuifolia), which grows along many of the basin streams, springs and seeps, fixes far greater quantities, and contributes measurably to nitrate-N concentrations in some small streams.

Beaver (Castor canadensis) were re-introduced to the Tahoe Basin by the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) and the U. S. Forest Service between 1934 and 1949. Descended from no more than nine individuals, 1987 beaver populations on the upper and lower Truckee River had reached a density of 0.72 colonies (3.5 beavers) per kilometer. At the present time beaver have been seen in Tahoe Keys, Meeks Creek at Meeks Bay on the western shore, and King’s Beach on the north shore, so the descendants of the original nine beavers have apparently migrated around most of Lake Tahoe. It has been shown that trout and salmon move freely across beaver dams.

See also: Beaver in the Sierra Nevada

Human history

Native people

The area around Lake Tahoe was originally inhabited by the Washoe tribe of Native Americans. Lake Tahoe was the center and heart of Washoe Indian territory, including the upper valleys of the Walker, Carson, and Truckee Rivers. The English name for Lake Tahoe derives from the Washo dw, “lake”.

Exploration

Lt. John C. Frmont was the first person of European descent to see Lake Tahoe, during Fremont’s second exploratory expedition on February 14. 1844. John Calhoun Johnson, Sierra explorer and founder of “Johnson’s Cutoff” (now U.S. Route 50), was the first white man to see Meeks Bay and from a peak above the lake he named Fallen Leaf Lake after his Indian guide. His first job in the west was in the government service, carrying the mail on snowshoes from Placerville to Nevada City, during which time he named the lake “Lake Bigler” in honor of California third governor John Bigler. In 1853 William Eddy, the surveyor general of California, identified Tahoe as Lake Bigler. In 1862 the U.S. Department of the Interior first introduced the name Tahoe. Both names were used until well into the next century. The lake didn’t receive its official and final designation as Lake Tahoe until 1945.

California and Nevada reached the compromise to partition Tahoe between the two when Nevada became a state in 1864. With the state line east of the approximate centerline of the lake and then at 39 degrees north latitude, the state border runs southeasterly towards the Colorado River.

Mining era

Boat at Lake Tahoe

Upon discovery of gold in the South Fork of the American River in 1848, thousands of gold seekers going west passed near the basin on their way to the gold fields. European civilization first made its mark in the Lake Tahoe basin with the 1858 discovery of the Comstock Lode, a silver deposit just 15 miles (24 km) to the east in Virginia City, Nevada. From 1858 until about 1890, logging in the basin supplied large timbers to shore up the underground workings of the Comstock mines. The logging was so extensive that loggers cut down almost all of the native forest. In 1864, Tahoe City was founded as a resort community for Virginia City, the first recognition of the basin potential as a destination resort area.

Development

Public appreciation of the Tahoe basin grew, and during the 1912, 1913, and 1918 congressional sessions, congressmen tried unsuccessfully to designate the basin as a national park.

While Lake Tahoe is a natural lake, it is also used for water storage by the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District (TCID). The lake level is controlled by a dam built in 1913 at the lake’s only outlet, the Truckee River, at Tahoe City. The 18-foot (5.5 m) high dam can increase the lake’s capacity by 744,600 acreft (0.9185 km3).

During the first half of the 20th century, development around the lake consisted of a few vacation homes. The post-World War II population and building boom, followed by construction of gambling casinos in the Nevada part of the basin during the mid-1950s, and completion of the interstate highway links for the 1960 Winter Olympics held at Squaw Valley, resulted in a dramatic increase in development within the basin. From 1960 to 1980, the permanent residential population increased from about 10,000 to greater than 50,000, and the summer population grew from about 10,000 to about 90,000. Since the 1980s, development has slowed due to controls on land use.

Government and politics

Lake Tahoe lies within the borders of both California and Nevada, and as such is not governed by any single entity. In California, Lake Tahoe is divided between Placer County and El Dorado County. In Nevada, Lake Tahoe is divided among Washoe County, Douglas County and Carson City (an independent city).

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is a bi-state compact between California and Nevada, that is charged with environmental protection of the Lake Tahoe Basin through land-use regulation and planning.

Mansions

Lake Tahoe is also the location of several 19th and 20th century palatial homes of historical significance. The Thunderbird Lodge built by George Whittel Jr once included nearly 27 miles of the Nevada shoreline. Vikingsholm was the original settlement on Emerald Bay and included an island teahouse and a 38 room home. The Ehrman Mansion is a summer home built by a former Wells Fargo president in Sugar Pine Point and is now a state park.

Environmental issues

Water quality

Secret Beach on Lake Tahoe’s Nevada side

In spite of land-use planning and export of treated sewage effluent from the basin, the lake is becoming increasingly eutrophic (having an excessive richness of nutrients), with primary productivity increasing by more than 5% annually, and clarity decreasing at an average rate of 0.25 meters per year. Until the early 1980s, nutrient-limitation studies showed that primary productivity in the lake was nitrogen-limited. Now, after a half-century of accelerated nitrogen input (much of it from direct atmospheric deposition), the lake is phosphorus-limited.

Test results over the last eight years have shown a stabilization in lake clarity, announced the Lake Tahoe Research Group in March 2009. Fine sediment, much of it resulting from land disturbance in the basin, accounts for about half of the loss in clarity. Charles Goldman from UC Davis was directly responsible for prompting Tahoe officials to pump all sewage effluent from the basin when Tahoe was being greatly developed in the 1950s. Goldman made local officials understand that even treated sewage would greatly affect the water quality of Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe is a tributary watershed drainage element within the Truckee River Basin, and its sole outlet is the Truckee River, which continues on to discharge to Pyramid Lake. Because of the sensitivity of Truckee River water quality (involving two protected species, the cui-ui sucker fish and the Lahontan cutthroat trout), this drainage basin has been studied extensively. The primary investigations were stimulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who funded the development of the DSSAM model to analyze water quality below Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe never freezes. Since 1970, it has mixed to a depth of at least 1,300 ft (400 m) a total of 6 or 7 times. Dissolved oxygen is relatively high from top to bottom. Analysis of the temperature records in Lake Tahoe has shown that the lake warmed (between 1969 and 2002) at an average rate of 0.015 C per year. The warming is caused primarily by increasing air temperatures, and secondarily by increasing downward long-wave radiation. The warming trend is reducing the frequency of deep mixing in the lake, and may have important effects on water clarity and nutrient cycling.

Ecosystem changes

Since the 1960s, the Lake’s food web and zooplankton populations have undergone major changes. In 196365, opossum shrimp (Mysis relicta) were introduced to enhance the food supply for the introduced Kokanee salmon (Onchorhynchus nerka). The shrimp began feeding on the lake’s cladocerans (Daphnia and Bosmina), and their populations virtually disappeared by 1971. The shrimp provide a food resource for salmon and trout, but also compete with juvenile fish for zooplankton. Since the 1970s, the cladoceran populations have somewhat recovered, but not to former levels.

In June 2007, the Angora Fire burned approximately 3,100 acres (1,300 ha) throughout the South Lake Tahoe area. While the impact of ash on the lake’s ecosystem is predicted to be minimal, the impact of potential future erosion is not yet known.

Environmental protection

Until recently, construction on the banks of the Lake had been largely under the control of wealthy real estate developers. Construction activities have resulted in a clouding of the lake’s blue waters. Currently, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is regulating construction along the shoreline. (and has won two Federal Supreme Court battles over recent decisions). These regulations are unpopular with many residents, especially those in the Tahoe Lakefront Homeowners Association.[citation needed]

Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe

The League to Save Lake Tahoe (Keep Tahoe Blue) has been the public interest watchdog in the Lake Tahoe Basin for 50 years. Founded when a proposal to build a four-lane highway around the lakeith a bridge over the entrance to Emerald Bayas proposed in 1957, the League has thwarted poorly designed development projects and environmentally unsound planning. Currently evaluating the “Pathways 2007” comprehensive plan being developed by TRPA, the League embraces responsible and diversified use of the Lake’s resources while protecting and restoring its natural attributes.

Since 1980, the Lake Tahoe Interagency Monitoring Program (LTIMP) has been measuring stream discharge and concentrations of nutrients and sediment in up to 10 tributary streams in the Lake Tahoe Basin, California-Nevada. The objectives of the LTIMP are to acquire and disseminate the water quality information necessary to support science-based environmental planning and decision making in the basin. The LTIMP is a cooperative program with support from 12 federal and state agencies with interests in the Tahoe Basin. This data set, together with more recently acquired data on urban runoff water quality, is being used by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board to develop a program (mandated by the Clean Water Act) to limit the flux of nutrients and fine sediment to the Lake.

Tourist activities

Much of the area surrounding Lake Tahoe is devoted to the tourism industry and there are many restaurants, ski slopes and casinos catering to visitors.

Winter sports

Ski slopes overlooking Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe Gondola Ride

During ski season, thousands of people from all over Nevada and California, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, flock to the slopes for downhill skiing. Lake Tahoe, in addition to its panoramic beauty, is well known for its blizzards.

Some of the major ski areas in Tahoe include:

Heavenly Mountain Resort: the largest ski area in California and Nevada, located near Stateline

Squaw Valley: the second largest ski area, known for its hosting of the 1960 Winter Olympics, located near Tahoe City

Alpine Meadows: a medium sized ski area on the north shore only a few miles from Squaw Valley

Diamond Peak: a small ski area located in Incline Village, Nevada

Northstar at Tahoe: a popular north shore ski area

Kirkwood Mountain Resort: a south shore ski area which gets more snow than any other ski area in Tahoe

Sierra-at-Tahoe: a medium sized south shore ski area

Boreal Mountain Resort: a small ski area on Donner Pass

Sugar Bowl Ski Resort: a medium sized ski area in Donner Pass

Donner Ski Ranch: a very small ski area on Donner Pass

Homewood Ski Resort: a medium sized ski area on the west shore

Mount Rose Ski Resort: a medium sized ski area north-east of the Lake, on Slide Mountain

The majority of the ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe region are on the northern end of the lake, near Truckee, California and Reno, Nevada. Kirkwood, Sierra-at-Tahoe and Heavenly are located on the southern side of the lake, approximately 80 miles (129 km) from Reno. It is common for visitors to ski amongst these 3 resorts when staying in Southern Lake Tahoe and not venture to the northern lake resorts (Squaw Valley, Northstar at Tahoe, Sugar Bowl, etc.).

Scattered throughout Tahoe are public and private sled parks. Some, such as Granlibakken are equipped with rope tows to help sledders get up the hill.

Many ski areas around Tahoe also have snow tubing, such as Squaw Valley. Snow tubing is popular among people who are interested in alternative sports. Throughout Tahoe, cross country skiing, snowmobile riding, and snowshoeing are also popular, thus there are many trails for them.

Water sports

During late Spring to early Fall, the lake is popular for water sports and beach activities. The two cities most identified with the Lake Tahoe tourist area are South Lake Tahoe, California and the smaller Stateline; smaller centers on the northern shoreline include Tahoe City and Kings Beach.

Boating is a primary activity in Tahoe in the summer. There are lake front restaurants all over the lake, most equipped with docks and buoys (See the restaurants section). There are all sorts of boating events, such as sailboat racing, firework shows over the lake, guided cruises, and more. As an interstate waterway, Lake Tahoe is subject to the United States Coast Guard. Lake Tahoe is home to Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe.

SCUBA diving is popular at Lake Tahoe, with some dive sites offering dramatic drop-offs or wall dives. Diving at Lake Tahoe is considered advanced due to the increased risk of decompression sickness (DCS) while diving at such a high altitude.

Hiking and bicycling

view from the Tahoe Rim Trail

There are hundreds of hiking and mountain biking trails all around the lake. They range in length, difficulty, and popularity. One of the most famous of Tahoe’s trails is the Tahoe Rim Trail, a 165 mile (270 km) trail that circumnavigates the lake. Directly to the west of the lake is the Granite Chief Wilderness, which provides great hiking and wilderness camping. Also, to the southwest is the very popular Desolation Wilderness. One of the most popular trailheads is the Eagle Lake Trailhead. There are also several paved off-road bicycle paths.

Gambling

Casinos in Stateline, Nevada

Gambling is legal on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. Casinos, each with a variety of slot machines and table games, are located on the South Shore in Stateline, and on the North Shore in Crystal Bay and Incline Village.

North Shore – Crystal Bay:

Cal Neva Lodge & Casino

Crystal Bay Club

Jim Kelley’s Tahoe Nugget

Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino

North Shore – Incline Village:

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino

South Shore – Stateline:

Bill’s Casino Lake Tahoe

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe

Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Casino and Resort – owned by Harrah’s

Horizon Casino Resort

Lakeside Inn

MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa

Transport

Cave Rock Tunnel on US 50

U.S. Route 50 in South Lake Tahoe

The nearest passenger train service is the Amtrak station in Truckee.

Airports serving Lake Tahoe

Reno-Tahoe International Airport/KRNO (Reno, Nevada)

Sacramento International Airport/KSMF (Sacramento, California)

Lake Tahoe Airport/KTVL (South Lake Tahoe, California)

Truckee-Tahoe Airport/KTRK (Truckee, California)

Minden-Tahoe Airport/KMEV (Minden, Nevada)

Highways

Visitors can reach Lake Tahoe under ideal conditions within 2 hours from the Sacramento area, 1 hour from Reno or 30 minutes from Carson City. In winter months, chains or snow tires are often necessary to reach Tahoe from any direction. Traffic can be heavy on weekends due to tourists if not also from weather.

The primary routes to Lake Tahoe are on Interstate 80 via Truckee, U.S. Highway 50, and Nevada Highway 431 via Reno. Most of the highways accessing and encircling Lake Tahoe are paved two-lane mountain roads. US 50 is a four-lane highway passing south of the lake and along part of the eastern shore.

California Highway 89 follows the western shore of the lake through the picturesque wilderness and connects camping, fishing and hiking locations such as those at Emerald Bay State Park, DL Bliss State Park and Camp Richardson. Farther along are communities such as Meeks Bay and Tahoe City. Finally, the highway turns away from the lake and heads northwest toward Truckee.

California Highway 28 completes the circuit from Tahoe City around the northern shore to communities such as Kings Beach, Crystal Bay, and into Incline Village, Nevada where the road becomes Nevada Highway 28. Highway 28 returns along the eastern shore to US Highway 50 near Spooner Lake.

In the media

The Ponderosa Ranch of the TV series Bonanza was formerly located on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. The opening sequence of the TV series was filmed at the McFaul Creek Meadow, with Mount Tallac in the background. In September 2004 the Ponderosa Ranch closed its doors, after being sold to developer David Duffield for an undisclosed price.

In the motion picture The Godfather Part II, the Corleone family lived in a compound on the shores of the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. In a famous scene from the final minutes of the film, Fredo Corleone is taken out onto the lake for a fishing trip, only to be executed for treachery, on the orders of his brother Michael (Al Pacino), who watches from the shore. The house and grounds portrayed in the film are actually located on the California side of Lake Tahoe: Fleur du Lac, the summer estate of Henry J. Kaiser. The only structures used in the movie that still remain are the complex of old native stone boathouses with their wrought iron gates. Although Fleur du Lac is private property and no one is allowed ashore there, the boathouses and multi-million dollar condominiums are easily viewed from the lake.

Most of the film Smoking Aces was filmed In South Lake Tahoe and Stateline. Many of the hotels and casinos are visible in the film with their older names. The climactic scenes of the 1987 Charles Bronson film Assassination were filmed around and on Lake Tahoe. Tahoe features prominently in the plot of the noir classic Out of the Past. Both The Bodyguard and City Of Angels filmed their climactic scenes at and around Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Fallen Leaf Lake (California). Meg Ryan’s bike-riding scene prominently features Lake Tahoe in the background.

The British TV program Top Gear filmed at Lake Tahoe in Episode 2 of Series 12 in 2008.

Peaks and mountains

Pyramid Peak

Mount Tallac 9,735 ft (2,967 m)

Mount Pluto 8,610 ft (2,624 m)

Rubicon Peak 9,183 ft (2,799 m)

Genoa Peak 9,150 ft (2,789 m)

Freel Peak 10,881 ft (3,317 m)

Mount Rose 10,778 ft (3,285 m)

Ellis Peak 8,740 ft (2,664 m)

Scott Peak 8,289 ft (2,526 m)

Ward Peak 8,637 ft (2,633 m)

Dick’s Peak 9,974 ft (3,040 m)

Maggies Peak 8,699 ft (2,651 m)

Jakes Peak 9,187 ft (2,800 m)

Monument Peak 10,067 ft (3,068 m)

Duane Bliss Peak 8,729 ft (2,661 m)

Jobs Peak 10,633 ft (3,241 m)

Jobs Sister 10,823 ft (3,299 m)

Stevens Peak 10,061 ft (3,067 m)

Red Lake Peak 10,061 ft (3,067 m)

Relay Peak 10,324 ft (3,147 m)

Mount Houghton 10,483 ft (3,195 m)

Pyramid Peak 9,983 ft (3,043 m)

Snow Valley Peak 9,214 ft (2,808 m)

See also

South Lake Tahoe

Emerald Bay State Park

Rubicon Trail

Mono Lake

Clear Lake

Pyramid Lake

Washoe Lake

Fallen Leaf Lake, California

Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park

Notes

^ a b c d e f g  ^ a b “Amazing Lake Tahoe”. Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. http://www.bluelaketahoe.com/page.php?p=amaz&l=1. Retrieved 2008-10-26. 

^ “Water Quality”. The League To Save Lake Tahoe. http://keeptahoeblue.org/facts/water.php. Retrieved 2008-10-26. 

^ a b “Lake Tahoe Resorts Winter sports”. porterstahoe.com. http://www.porterstahoe.com/lake-tahoe-resorts.asp. Retrieved 2008-10-26. 

^ Munson, Jeff (2008-10-21). “In rocky economy, ski-resort jobs are seen as more than free passes”. Nevada Appeal. http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20081021/NEWS/810209953/1070. Retrieved 2008-10-29. 

^ a b The World’s Deepest Lakes – US Department of the Interior: National Park Service|accessdate=2008-10-31

^ “Deepest Lake in the World Deepest Lake in the United States”. Geology.com. http://geology.com/records/deepest-lake.shtml. Retrieved 2008-10-31. 

^ Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority (2005-06-10). “Lake Tahoe Trivia”. Press release. http://www.bluelaketahoe.com/media/release.php?p=p_display&l=2&t=1&id=128. Retrieved 2008-10-26. 

^ Lake Tahoe census tract blocks, 2000 Census, United States Census Bureau

^ Oldow, J.S.; C.L.V. Aiken, J.L. Hare, J.F. Ferguson and R.F. Hardyman (January 2001). “Active displacement transfer and differential block motion within the central Walker Lane, western Great Basin”. Geology 29 (1): 1922. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(2001)029<0019:ADTADB>2.0.CO;2. 

^ Unruh, Jeffrey; James Humphrey and Andrew Barron (April 2003). “Transtensional model for the Sierra Nevada frontal fault system, eastern California”. Geology 31 (4): 327330. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(2003)031<0327:TMFTSN>2.0.CO;2. 

^ Kent, G.M.; J.M. Babcock, N.W. Driscoll, A.J. Harding, J.A. Dingler, G.G. Seitz, J.V. Gardner, L.A. Mayer, C.R. Goldman, A.C. Heyvaert, R.C. Richards, R. Karlin, C.W. Morgan, P.T. Gayes and L.A. Owen (May 2005). “60 k.y. record of extension across the western boundary of the Basin and Range province: Estimate of slip rates from offset shoreline terraces and a catastrophic slide beneath Lake Tahoe”. Geology 33 (5): 365368. doi:10.1130/G21230.1. 

^ Seitz, G.G.; Kent, G., Dingler, J., Karlin, R., Babcock, J., Driscoll, N., and Turner, R. (2005). “First paleoseismic results from the Lake Tahoe Basin: Evidence for three M7 range earthquakes on the Incline Village fault”. Annual Meeting. Seismological Society of America. 

^ Brothers, D.S.; G.M. Kent, N.W. Driscoll, S.B. Smith, J.A. Dingler, R. Karlin, A.J. Harding, G.G. Seitz, J.M. Babcock, (April 2009). “New Constraints on Deformation, Slip Rate, and Timing of the Most Recent Earthquake on the West Tahoe-Dollar Point Fault, Lake Tahoe Basin, California”. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 99 (2a). 

^ “Frequently Asked Questions about Lake Tahoe and the Basin”. Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/faqs/. Retrieved 2007-06-20. 

^ Ichinose, G.A.; Anderson, J.G.; Satake, K.; Schweickert, R.A.; Lahren, M.M. (April 2000). “The potential hazard from tsunami and seiche waves generated by large earthquakes within Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada”. Geophysical Research Letters 27 (8): 12031206. doi:10.1029/1999GL011119. 

^ Gardner, J.V. (July 2000). “The Lake Tahoe debris avalanche”. 15th Annual Geological Conference. Geological Society of Australia. 

^ “TAHOE, CALIFORNIA – Climate Summary”. Desert Research Institute. http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca8758. Retrieved 2008-10-31.  (1903-2007 climate data)

^ “Climate Data – North Lahontan Hydrologic Region”. State of California, Department of Water Resources. http://www.water.ca.gov/floodmgmt/hafoo/csc/climate_data/nlahontan.cfm. Retrieved 2008-10-31.  (30-year climate data)

^ “Trees Indigenous to Lake Tahoe”. [[ Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort]]. Booth Creek Ski Holdings, Inc.. http://www.northstarattahoe.com/info/ski/media/tahoe_environment.asp. Retrieved 2008-10-31. 

^ Beier P, Barrett RH (1989). “Beaver Distribution in the Truckee River Basin, California”. California Fish and Game. http://oak.ucc.nau.edu/pb1/vitae/Beier-Barrett.1987.CDFG_Beaver.pdf. Retrieved Jan. 17, 2010. 

^ “The Beavers of the Truckee River”. Tahoe Arts and Mountain Culture. July 20, 2009. http://www.tahoeculture.com/2009/07/20/the-beavers-of-the-truckee-river-going-to-town/. Retrieved Jan. 19, 2010. 

^ Michael M. Pollock, Morgan Heim, Danielle Werner (2003). “Hydrologic and Geomorphic Effects of Beaver Dams and Their Influence on Fishes”. American Fisheries Society Symposium 37. http://www.albergstein.com/cao/Best Available Science/Fish/Beaver dam effects paper final.pdf. Retrieved Jan. 17, 2010. 

^ Bright, William (2004). Native American Place Names of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, pg. 34

^ “Lake Tahoe Facts and Figures”. Tahoe Regional Planning Association. http://www.trpa.org/default.aspx?tabindex=5&tabid=95. Retrieved 2008-10-26. 

^ “Truckee River Chronology”. Nevada Department of Conservation & Natural Resources. http://water.nv.gov/WaterPlanning/truckee/truckee1.cfm#N_13_. Retrieved 2008-10-26. 

^ Brean, Henry (2009-04-27). “Four Corners mistake recalls long border feud between Nevada, California”. Las Vegas Review-Journal. http://www.lvrj.com/news/43760307.html. Retrieved 2009-04-27. 

^ a b c  ^ “Water Delivery Projects and Facilities”. Lahontan Basin Area Office. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. http://www.usbr.gov/mp/lbao/water_projects.html. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 

^ “Tahoe Regional Planning Agency”. http://www.trpa.org. 

^ “Charles Goldman: Environmental Studies Recipient 1992-1993”. UCDavis. http://academicsenate.ucdavis.edu/award/bios/goldman.html. Retrieved 2007-11-09. 

^ Gimenez Dixon (1996). Chasmistes cujus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 10 May 2006. Listed as Critically Endangered (CR B1+2b v2.3)

^ “Lake Tahoe Q&A”. Heavenly Mountain Resort. http://www.skiheavenly.com/lake_tahoe/things_to_do/points_interest/q_a/. Retrieved 2008-10-26. 

^ Goldman, C.R.; M.D. Morgan, S.T. Threlkeld, N. Angeli (1979). “A Population Dynamics Analysis of the Cladoceran Disappearance from Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada”. Limnology and Oceanography 24 (2): 289297. 

^ Carl T. Hall (June 26, 2007). “Raging Tahoe Fire’s Roots: 150 Years of Mismanagement”. San Francisco Chronicle: p. A-1. 

^ “Construction Monitoring”. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. http://www.trpa.org/default.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=40. 

^ “History of The League to Save Lake Tahoe”. keeptahoeblue.org. http://www.keeptahoeblue.org/about/history.php. Retrieved 2008-09-25. 

^ Hartman, Joanna. “Tahoe Coast Guard changes command”. tahoe.com (Sierra Sun). http://www.tahoe.com/article/SS/20070805/NEWS/70805008/0/COMMUNITY06. Retrieved 2008-10-26. 

^ Egi, S. M.; Brubakk, Alf O. (1995). “Diving at altitude: a review of decompression strategies”. Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine 22 (3): 281300. ISSN 1066-2936. OCLC 26915585. PMID 7580768. http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/2194. Retrieved 2009-03-11. 

^ “Altitude Diving”. http://www.tdconline.com/training/specialty/altitude.html. Retrieved 2008-10-26. 

^ “Bonanza”. TVLand. Viacom International Inc.. http://www.tvland.com/shows/bonanza/. Retrieved 2008-10-31. 

^ See http://www.tvacres.com/farms_ranches_ponderosa.htm, http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/laketahoe/a/ponderosa.htm

References

Becker, Andrew. “The naming of Tahoe’s mountains”. tahoe.com. http://www.tahoe.com/article/20060201/COMMUNITY07/11113035. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 

Byron, Earl R.; Charles R. Goldman (1 January 1989). “Land-Use and Water Quality in Tributary Streams of Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada”. Journal of Environmental Quality 18 (1): 8488. http://jeq.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/18/1/84. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 

Chang, C. C. Y.; J. S. Kuwabara, and S. P. Pasilis (1992). “Phosphate and iron limitation of phytoplankton biomass in Lake Tahoe”. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 49: 12061215. 

Coats, R. N., and C. R. Goldman. 2001. Patterns of nitrogen transport in streams of the Lake Tahoe basin, California-Nevada. Water Resour. Res. 37: 405-415.

Coats, R. N., J. Perez-Losada, G. Schladow, R. Richards and C. R. Goldman. 2006. The Warming of Lake Tahoe. Climatic Change (In Press).

Crippen, J. R., and B. R. Pavelka. 1970. The Lake Tahoe basin, California-Nevada U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1972.

Gardner, James V.; Larry A. Mayer and John Hughes-Clarke (2003-01-16). “THE BATHYMETRY OF LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA-NEVADA”. Open-File Report 98-509. U.S. Geological Survey. http://tahoe.usgs.gov/openfile.html. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 

Goldman, C. R., A. Jassby, and T. Powell. 1989. Interannual fluctuations in primary production: meteorological forcing at two subalpine lakes. Limnol. Oceanogr. 34: 310-323.

Goldman, C. R., A. D. Jassby, and S. H. Hackley. 1993. Decadal, interannual, and seasonal variability in enrichment bioassays at Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada, USA. Can.J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 50: 1489-1496.

Hatch, L. K., J. E. Reuter, and C. R. Goldman, 2001. Stream phosphorus transport in the Lake Tahoe Basin, 1989-1996. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 69: 63-83.

Jassby, A. D., C. R. Goldman, and T. M. Powell. 1992. Trend, seasonality, cycle, and irregular fluctuations in primary productivity at Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada, USA. Hydrobiol. 246: 195-203.

Jassby, A. D., J. E. Reuter, R. P. Axler, C. R. Goldman, and S. H. Hackley, 1994. Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and phosphorus in the annual nutrient load of Lake Tahoe (California-Nevada). Water Resour. Res. 30: 2207-2216.

Jassby, A. D., C. R. Goldman and J. E. Reuter. 1995. Long-term change in Lake Tahoe (California-Nevada, U.S.A.) and its relation to atmospheric deposition of algal nutrients. Arch. Hydrobiol. 135: 1-21.

Jassby, A. D., C. R. Goldman, J. E. Reuter, and R. C. Richards. 1999. Origins and scale dependence of temporal variability in the transparency of Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada. Limnol. Oceanog. 44: 282-294.

Jassby, A., J. Reuter, and C. R. Goldman. 2003. Determining long-term water -quality change in the presence of climate variability: Lake Tahoe (U.S.A.). Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 60: 1452-1461.

Leonard, R. L., L. A. Kaplan, J. F. Elder, R. N. Coats, and C. R. Goldman, 1979. Nutrient Transport in Surface Runoff from a Subalpine Watershed, Lake Tahoe Basin, California. Ecological Monographs 49: 281-310.

Nagy, M., 2003. Lake Tahoe Basin Framework Study Groundwater Evaluation Lake Tahoe Basin, California and Nevada. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento, CA.

Naslas, G. D., W. W. Miller, R. R. Blank and G. F. Gifford, 1994. Sediment, nitrate, and ammonium in surface runoff from two Tahoe basin soil types. Water Resour. Bull. 30: 409-417.

Richards, R. C., C. R. Goldman, E. Byron, and C. Levitan, 1991. The mysids and lake trout of Lake Tahoe: A 25-year history of changes in the fertility, plankton, and fishery of an alpine lake. Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 9: 30-38.

Schuster, S., and M. E. Grismer, 2004. Evaluation of water quality projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 90: 225-242.

Scott, E. B. 1957. The Saga of Lake Tahoe. Early Lore and History of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe Hotel Reservations – a simple site about Lake Tahoe Hotels

Lake Tahoe Data Clearinghouse – USGS/Western Geographic Science Center

Tahoe Environmental Research Center – UC Davis research & outreach

The Lake of the Sky by George Wharton James

VisitRenoTahoe.com – Lake Tahoe pages

Lake Tahoe REMOTE Meteorological Data Sites

Lake Tahoe Watershed- California Rivers Assessment database

Lake Tahoe Photos and Reviews- Lake Reviews and Photos

Lake Tahoe at the Open Directory Project

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Why You Would Want To Climb A Glacier Near The Equator

Climbing the glaciers to the summit of Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador isn’t highly technical. It is mountaineering, but how hard can it be, considering I went to 20,600 feet the first time I used crampons and an ice axe? Okay, I used them once for practice, on a sledding hill near my house. I climbed forty feet while people walked by with their sleds, telling their kids to stay away from me.

It’s also easier to climb when the guide drives you to 15,000 feet. Don’t get me wrong. Climbing the last 5,600 feet was incredibly difficult, but not for the skill required. The air missing half of its oxygen is what had me quitting twenty times on the way up. It just gets difficult to move up there.

The Chimborazo Graveyard

The monuments near the first refuge weren’t for climbers without skill. The graveyard is a warning of the unpredictability of all high places. Chimborazo is very high, it randomly shruggs off large rocks, and has weather that changes by the minute. While hiking to the second refuge, we could hear the rocks and pieces of ice falling somewhere above.

El Refugio Edward Whymper is an unheated hut at 16,000 feet, named after the English climber who first summitted the mountain. Okay, it isn’t entirely unheated. There’s a fireplace, and if somebody feels like carrying wood up to 5000 meters, the fire may raise the temperature in the hut by 3 degrees.

We had hot mugs of “mate de coca” a tea of coca leaves, which are also used to make another product – one that’s taken up the nose. We went hiking for twenty minutes – my acclimatization. We ate, and I slept for an hour before starting the ascent at eleven that night.

About Mount Chimborazo

Chimborazo is in Ecuador, near the Equator (100 miles south). The elevation in the center of the country, and the moderating effect of the Humboldt Current along the coast, gives the country near perfect weather. A bit hot in the lowlands, but spring-like in Quito (the capital) , with highs in the sixties to low seventies every day of the year. Great weather almost everywhere–until you get high enough.

The summit of Chimborazo is the furthest point from the center of the Earth. Our planet bulges at the equator, making Mount Chimborazo even futher out there than Everest. It has the distinction of being the closest point to the sun on the planet. Unfortunately, it’s also the coldest place in Ecuador.

Climbing Chimborazo

Paco, my guide, didn’t care for the lightweight part of my mountain climbing adventure. He frowned at my sleeping bag, which packed up smaller than a football, and weighed a pound. My 13-ounce frameless backpack didn’t impress him either. It did get below freezing in the hut, just as he said it would, but I stayed warm – as I said I would. No problems so far.

Unfortunately, Paco didn’t speak any English, and I was just learning Spanish. Since our whole group consisted of him and me, we had some communication problems. I thought, for example, that the fee for the “night” (a few hours) in the hut was included in the 0 guide fee. He thought I was a mountain climber.

I think he said he didn’t like the papery rainsuit I was using, and he frowned at my homemade ski mask. When he saw my insulating vest, a feathery piece of poly batting with a hole cut in it for my head, I just pretended not to understand what he was saying.

I hadn’t intended to go climb Chimborazo with such lightweight gear, but I’d come to Ecuador on a courier flight, and could bring only carry-on luggage. I had12 pounds in my pack to begin with, so by the time I put on all my clothes that night, the weight on my back was irrelevant. The weight of my body, however, wasn’t. Paco had to coax me up that mountain.

Hiking On Glaciers

The glaciers start near the hut, and hiking became mountaineering. I put on crampons for the second time in my life (there was that sledding hill). During one of my many breaks (“Demasiado” – too many, which I pretended not to understand), I noticed my tiny, cheap thermometer had bottomed out at 5 degrees fahrenheit. I wasn’t cold, but I was exhausted at times – the times when I moved. When I sat still I felt like I could run right up that hill.

We struggled (okay, I struggled) up Mount Chimborazo, hiking, climbing, jumping crevasses, until I quit at 20,000 feet. Of course I had quit at 19,000 feet, and at 18,000 feet. Quitting had become my routine. Lying had become Paco’s, so he told me straight-faced that the summit was only fifty feet higher. I wanted to believe him, or the lack of oxygen had scrambled my brain. I started up the ice again.

The Summit of Mount Chimborazo

We stumbled onto the summit at dawn. Well, okay, I stumbled. Paco, who seemed slow and tired down at the refuge, was energetic at 20,600 feet. Dirtbag Joe, a nineteen-year-old kid from California with ten bucks in his pocket, borrowed equipment, and my Ramen noodles in his stomach, was waiting for us, smiling.

The sky was a stunning shade of blue you can never see at lower elevations. Cotapaxi, a classic snow-covered volcano, was clearly visible 70 miles away. We enjoyed the view for a few minutes.

Handshakes all around, and it was time to head down. I was told you don’t want to be on Chimborazo when she wakes up. She wakes up at nine a.m.

Paco kept looking at his watch and frowning. He got further and further ahead, like he planned to abandon me on the mountain. When I finally caught up, at the hut at nine a.m., I heard the rocks falling out of the ice above as the sun warmed it. Now I understood – we really did need to get down by nine. A thousand feet lower my mountain climbing adventure ended with a photograph that mercifully can’t show my shaking knees.

Note:

To climb Mount Chimborazo, it’s cheapest to wait until you get to Ecuador to make arrangements. Talk to almost any hotel manager in Riobamba, and he or she will find a guide for you. It’s also cheaper if you’re part of a group.

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Pelagic Birding Off The Coast Of Southern California

The Pacific Ocean is a vast, virtually unexplored frontier, enormous beyond comprehension, replete with seldom seen and little understood birds.  Stretching west 100 miles beneath the waves, Southern California contains submarine ridges, domes and banks which create rich life-zones that attracts a diverse and rich assortment of seabirds: albatross, shearwater, petrels (notably, pterodroma petrels), storm-petrels, auklets and murrelets. 

In addition to the life zones, the edge of the continental shelf is where we find rarely seen seabirds (birds like Laysan Albatross, Red-billed Tropicbird, Murphy’s Petrel, Cook’s Petrel, Flesh-footed Shearwater) and mega-rarities (Short-tailed Albatross, Hawaiian Petrel, Stejneger’s Petrel, Mottled Petrel, Bulwer’s Petrel, Streaked Shearwater, Red-tailed Tropicbird).  Searching for these seldom-seen rarities is the ultimate treasure hunt.   
Pelagic trips are truly trips into the land of the unknown and unexpected, a land of wonder and wonderful things, which is precisely why they are so addicting.  You never know what you will find “out there” even just a few miles out in the Pacific Ocean.

One sunny June morning Peter Ginsburg, Commander, USN (ret) and I were birding with Dave Povey on his 21-foot Parker fishing boat (Dave has done 33 consecutive years of pelagic Christmas bird counts from his boat).   No sooner were we five miles offshore when we spotted an enormous feeding flock of gulls, pelicans, cormorants and terns.  We motored over to find an amazing spectacle: several acres of suction-cupped tentacles protruding 24 inches above the surface of the sea, waving back and forth, surfacing for 2 seconds then submerging, only to reappear a second later — a surreal Alice In Wonderland spectacle of hundreds of reddish-brown “tentacle bushes” waving in the wind.

Neither Dave nor Pete had ever witnessed such an event in their combined 50 years at sea. These were probably Humboldt Squid — also known as Giant Squid — that typically inhabit depths of 2,000 feet but had evidently driven/followed a school of bait fish to the surface — and the birds were having a field day.  These are the types of mind-boggling scenes you find only by being “out there.”

Albatrosses, giant squid, shearwaters, Harbor Seals, murres, mola mola, fulmars, fast Minke Whales, Mew Gulls, scratched up Risso’s Dolphins, leucistic Black-vented Shearwaters, Gray Whales, California Sea Lions, California Flying Fish, skipjack, enormous Blue Whales, Albacore, jaegers, Elephant Seals, Brown Boobies, breaching Humpback Whales, Skua (the pelagic predator of the sky), Sei Whales, alcids, Common Dolphin, kittiwakes, Bottlenose Dolphin, Blue-footed Boobies, albatrosses, Pacific White-sided Dolphin, phalaropes, swordfish, Fin Whales, pelicans, oystercatchers, cormorant, Guadalupe Fur Seals, Arctic Terns — every trip yields a never-ending array of natural wonders never seen by those who seldom venture from their television sets.

For birders, the allure is even stronger — rare seabirds that never come near the mainland.  Within 150 miles of shore are birds that have only been seen by one in 100,000 human beings.  The secret to finding these rare birds (like Laysan Albatross, Red-billed Tropicbird, Murphy’s Petrel, Cook’s Petrel, Flesh-footed Shearwater) and mega-rarities (Short-tailed Albatross, Hawaiian Petrel, Stejneger’s Petrel, Mottled Petrel, Bulwer’s Petrel, Streaked Shearwater, Red-tailed Tropicbird) is to be out there, in deep water life-zones, with knowledgeable leaders who know where and when to look, following temperature and current breaks, chumming, watching, waiting….  and that’s why http://www.socalbirding.com/  was born. 

When you come to visit California to and go out to sea, you will need a good San Diego Hotel, and we recommend Inn at Moonlight Beach, a Bed and Breakfast perched on a hill.  You won’t find better San Diego lodging that the Inn at Moonlight Beach.  

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Log Furniture for Home

During the past decade the furniture made from whole wooden blocks has become very popular due to many reasons like durability, raw texture, the natural ambience.

Furniture cut out from logs of timber can just be the one you ever dreamt of. If you are a nature lover, then won’t miss a chance to furnish all the corners of your dream home with furniture giving you the feel of nature inside your house. The exclusivity of timber can have beneficial influence on the physical and emotional state of people . People consider it to be a good bargain when they buy furniture carved out of whole logs of wood as they can last for decades. The principal characteristic of lumber accessories is that very negligible amount of metal is used in them. People just love to have log beds in their bedrooms because everyone will prefer to sleep on bed of roses without thorns.

Log furniture and accessories can be used in living rooms, bedrooms, library, and kitchen . Lumber being a natural product does not have any fixed pattern, thereby the furniture carved from it also has a very unique look . Log fittings and furniture are also referred to as rustic furniture or fittings.

There are so many alternate stuffs available these days which are used for making furniture, however most of the people love to have wooden furniture adorn their habitats . Furniture has always been carved from logs for thousands of years .

Preferred species of wood for Log Furniture

Before going to select the type of furniture, we must be aware of the species of wood available for making furniture and their properties. Lumber is categorized into three types depending upon its hardness .

Some of the common species of softwood are pine, redwood, fir, cedar, and larch .

The timber from trees of walnut, sycamore, apple, maple, and oak is hard. Manufacturers may not love to make furniture from hardwood, but at the same time people like it for its endurance.

Boxwood, dogwood, locust, yew, and pistachio are very hard species.

It is common to use hard wood as overlaying in fittings and furniture to add durable look to them.

Therefore, in case you have decided to purchase a log bed, you have to get the right wood selected which is good for making log beds . So, depending upon your needs you can select the type of wood you need for your log furniture in consultation with some good expert .

5 Fun Things To Do On Vacation In The Sonoma Wine Country, California

Get ready to discover all the fun, exciting tourist things to do and see in the beautiful Sonoma Wine Country in Northern California has to offer you… and some are totally free.. yes FREE!

1. Wash Away Your Worries with an Enzyme Bath

At Osmosis Spa, you can get a private enzyme bath that purifies your body, moisturizes skin, and soothes your soul. Set in a Japanese tea garden, you start with an organic herbal tea that contains enzymes from 25 organic plants, triggering a metabolic process enhanced by the hot bath.

Then, you soak in the warm water. As your body sweats out the toxins, you can relax, listening to meta-music designed to balance brain activity. This is followed by a 75-minute massage and facial.

2. Bond with Family and Friends at Armstrong Redwoods

Bring a picnic basket, a camera, and your loved ones to Armstrong Redwoods, an 805-meter park filled with ancient tree groves, nature trails, and numerous picnic and recreational facilities. Here you’ll find some of the oldest and tallest redwoods in California—over 300 feet high, and dating back to over 1,400 years.

The park is located about two miles north of Santa Rosa, and is accessible from Highway 101. Just turn left on River Road, then drive down to Guerneville. At the second traffic signal, turn right on Armstrong Road. For more Information, call (707) 869-2015.

3. Feel Like a Pioneer on Pt Reyes’ Hiking Trails

Point Reyes offers about 140 miles of hiking trails— and a view that displays Nature at its most pristine and majestic. Escape from the noise and pollution of the city, and imagine how California looked centuries ago.

Visitors will be given a free trail map, which shows both the hiking and the biking trails (however, those who go on foot will be able to explore the wilderness area, for the complete ‘pioneer’ experience). You can also ride horses.

The terrain is quite diverse, shifting from pasture lands to chaparral rides and forests and meadowlands. Visitors can customize their hike according to personal preference and experience.

4. Celebrate California’s Creative Spirit

California has a thriving artists; community, and some of the best works of today’s most promising creative minds are on display at the Arts Council of Sonoma Country Gallery.

The Gallery is found in Santa Rosa’s Downtown Area, on 529 Fifth Street. It is open on Wednesday to Friday from 12 – 5 pm, and Saturdays from 12 – 4 pm. However, on October 13, 14, 20 and 21, the Gallery extends its hours from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is free. For more information, call 707-579-ARTS or visit http://www.artrails.org

5. Drink in Golden California

California’s Sonoma and Napa regions are renowned for their fine wine. Take a tour of the most renowned vineyards and discover how your favorite vintage is made—from how the grapes ripen under the golden California sun, to the centuries-old fermenting process.

You can also book a “scenic air tour” at http://www.SonomaCountyAirport.com. It’s an experience of a lifetime which takes your journey to “new heights” through an aerial tour of the region’s vineyards and famous wineries.

The site also helps busy tourists and businessmen with their travel needs—so you start relaxing even when you’re planning your vacation. Now that’s worth a toast!

Guiai Penin to Showcase 288 Tenerife Wines

Tenerife’s Humboldt sweet red wine is renowned as one of Spain’s most astounding wines.

The 2011 edition of the Guiai Penin, the guide to Spanish wine is set to feature 228 selections from the island of Tenerife. Last June the list’s editor and chief contributor Carlos Gonzales travelled to the Island for potential additions to the annual list. Gonzales visited Tenerife to taste wines at Cabildo’s wine centre in El Sauzal. All in all he visited and sampled wine from 5 regions in Tenerife, from which he picked a large number of the selection sampled.

The Guiai Penin is an influential annual publication, which holds much sway within the catering industry who use it as a marker to which wines to select for their menus. It has been, in many cases, the making of a wine selection, even wineries.

It is free fore wineries to offer their produce for consideration, but the value can be invaluable as it is one of the definitive publications for hoteliers and restaurateurs regarding wines from Spain, so the addition of 228 wines is great news for Tenerife.

The conditions for growing grapes have not necessarily been optimum in the island this year. In fact it has been uncharacteristically damp and all too humid.

The councillor for agriculture was therefore delighted to hear that so many wines had been added in spite of the adversity faced by wine growers. “Despite the adverse weather conditions for the last grape harvest, year after year the wines of Tenerife continue to improve in quality. Further proof of this is the reviews and scores obtained in the new Guide.” He said.

As with all Mediterranean countries and islands and some other nations on the continent, wine is a big selling point for potential tourists to Tenerife, a good wine is often associated with that all European notion of the good life.

Councillor Bethencourt was also keen to congratulate those that had had their wine selected for the list, “I encourage you all to carry on working together and keep going up the ladder in the regional, national and international wine scene.” He said.

63 wines from the region of Tacoronte-Ajeno have been selected for the list, among them is the Humboldt sweet red which has been defined in the guide as a ‘world class’ wine. There are 50 more wines from the Abona region which have been defined as exceptional wines. Tenerife is perhaps neglected as a wine holiday destination, with the continent taking most of the attention in regards to oenophile departures, as far as the Spanish faction of wine is concerned, the mainland receives most of the tourism.

Hopefully with these additions to this particular wine list Tenerife can enjoy an insurgency of wine lovers who wish to go  a little off the beaten track. Now with a great selection of world class wines to sample, in such a relatively small space it seems you can’t stray too far without running in to a good vino. For a relaxing break why not book one of the apartments in Tenerife and settle down with a nice glass of red?

More Humboldt Vacation Articles

Suggested Materials For Outdoor Decks

Outdoor decks have so many uses. They make beautiful additions at home. You can choose from many different types of materials.

Many people would prefer to buy a house with extra space to put up an outdoor deck. Others choose the houses that already have an outdoor deck. Why? This is because more people known that outdoor deck is one great place to have special party and entertain guests. They find outdoor decks more relaxing and give them space where they can invite guests. It is a good venue to have a drink, a meal or a party with friends or family. It also gives privacy to houses, as the guests are gathered in the outdoor deck.

An outdoor deck also provides a peaceful environment for students to study, for family to have a conversation or for businessmen to gather for a meeting. During cool nights, this is the perfect place to enjoy a warm drink like milk, coffee or tea. When the weather is hot, this is a nice place to relax and drink icy cold drinks like shake, juices or soda. It is a good place to be alone and collect your thoughts. A barbeque party can also be fun here.

As you can see, there are a lot of uses of an outdoor deck. It comes in so many styles and designs. You can customize it to your own style and design. You can have a pool deck, gazebo deck, spa deck, roofed deck as a few suggestions. There are even decks with small cabins or other items that can further beautify the place and add up to a peaceful atmosphere.

It is important that you plan your deck wisely to make it durable and last longer. The larger you deck is, the fresher it will be. You can enjoy the area much more if there are extra spaces. You must also make sure that your outdoor deck is durable and long lasting.

You should also be able to choose the right materials for your deck. The most common choice for decking material is wood because these are naturally sturdy and strong. They are also easy to install. Because wood are natural elements, they give a good feeling then you step on it bare foot.

However, one of the disadvantages of woods is that it is prone to rotting. It can also splinter and warp. It needs annual cleaning just like any other material that you use for decks. But if you are industrious and diligent in cleaning and re-staining, you do not have anything to worry about. Re-staining should be ideally done every two to three years.

One kind of wood you can use is called pressure treated wood. It is the least expensive material for decking and is made of Southern Yellow pine. This kind of wood easily develops splinters if not maintained well. Some people prefer this though because it is more affordable. It just needs regular maintenance.

Western Red Cedar is another wood material that usually is color light brown, tan or salmon pink. This should be treated well to maintain its color. Otherwise, it will easily turn to silver gray or dark brown. This wood is resistant to decay and is very durable.

Redwood has the color of light red to reddish brown. If you choose this kind of material, choose the clear heart grade because it is more durable.

Mahogany is made of true mahogany tree but not all of these materials are resistant to decay. As a tip, the medium dark red and brown colors are more sturdy and resistant to decays.

Redwood Cabins Wasaga Beach Ontario

Choose Style and Comfort by Staying at a Luxury Hotel in Rotorua

There are some parts of the world that have a magnetic effect. If you check out the international tourism statistics you’ll be able to identify just which towns and cities around the world experience forever increasing visitor numbers. It’s these parts of the world that remain at the top of people’s lists when it comes to travelling.

What makes a town or city internationally famous is generally the uniqueness on offer. Whether it be the scenery, activities or sights and sounds, there is certain appeal that many other parts of the world can’t compete with.

Even the smallest cities in some of the most under populated countries can drive in a huge number of tourists every year. One town that certainly fits into this category is New Zealand’s very own Rotorua. Also known as “Sulphur City”, Rotorua has catered to hoards of visitors for decades. This has placed a lot of pressure on the accommodation industry. Whether it’s a motel, backpackers, bed and breakfast or a luxury hotel in Rotorua, you’ll find no one in the hospitality market twiddling their thumbs.

So why do so many people flock to Rotorua? The answer is attractions and events. Other than the obvious unique attraction of being rich in Maori culture, Rotorua also has some of the biggest and most popular events in the Southern Hemisphere. From sport and fishing to expos and cultural events to fashion and conventions – Rotorua has it all.

If there’s one type of event other than cultural shows that springs to the mind of New Zealanders, it’s mountain biking and cycling. Rotorua is surrounded by forests and hills and it’s amongst these areas of the city that Rotorua often puts on a big show. People from all over the world are booking into a motel or even a luxury hotel in Rotorua when they enter top class, highly competitive mountain bike events. They take part in New Zealand’s highly famous Redwoods Forest Park, which has an array of some of the world’s leading mountain bike tracks.

During August Rotorua plays host to the NDuro Mountain Bike Series, which is New Zealand’s most popular series on one of the world’s finest single tracks. Then there’s the Kiwibikes Singlespeed World Mountain Biking Champs in October. Both of these events attract large numbers, all of whom end up staying at a bed and breakfast, motel or a luxury hotel in Rotorua. Whenever you visit this thriving city, you’re sure to arrive when there is a great event taking place.