We have 10 year old twins and we live in Ontario, Canada. We would like to take a vacation to California, so we’re thinking of driving there either this summer or next. The reasons I chose California are because our family is interested in movies/TV and also because it’s a little different than the usual "Florida" trip that everyone around here seems to take. I am just wondering which city we should stay in and which attractions we should check out. Also, any recommendations on good hotels would be helpful too!

Japan Nuclear Disaster Update 30: It was, is, and will be worse than you thought [Greg Laden’s Blog]
Perhaps the most interesting single thing on the table in today’s update is the revelation that at least one of Fukushima’s reactors suffered sufficient damage from the earthquake that hit the region … prior to the tsunami … to have likely gone out of control or melted down. This is hard to assess because the tsunami caused so much additional damage as to obscure earlier damage, and because …
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Boys U9 All-Stars represent Paso Robles with a positive attitude
Paso Robles has a fantastic group of boys who love to play baseball while representing our city in a positive manner. The Paso Robles Boys U9 All-Stars team played their first game Saturday, July 2 against Los Altos, a town located on the San Francisco Penninsula.
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Local news briefs
‘Tokyo Tramps’ at Winnekenni Castle The Winnekenni Castle lawn will be the setting for some lively summer music by The Tokyo Tramps on Sunday, July 17, at 2 p.m. Contestants for the International Blues Challenge 2011 in Memphis, the Tokyo Tramps have been on the Boston music scene for 10 years. These three Japanese musicians play American blues in their own unmistakable style. The concert will …
Read more on The Haverhill Gazette

Photos among man’s talents
At age 74, Daniel Ryan does not leave himself much time for sitting around his Columbia home. He’s an avid amateur photographer and will have 23 pictures on display at the Mother Lode Fair in Sonora, which begins today and goes through Sunday. A retired history teacher, he focuses on Civil War history as a hobby, attending roundtable discussions on that epic time of American history and learning …
Read more on The Union Democrat

An Argentine Seduction
Months after our reluctant departure from Buenos Aires , its jacaranda-scented breezes and seductive mix of music and laughter continue to unfold in my dreams.
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Lance’s Lungs
(July 7, 2011) Lance Madsen didn’t realize how serious his lung problems were until one of his doctors used the word “transplant.” It was last summer.
Read more on The North Coast Journal

What’s Happening
Special Events Thursday, July 7 – Otis R. Johnson Wilderness Park closed for construction activities.
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Photos: Royal wedding — hats and fascinators
Images of eye-catching headwear worn by guests and spectators at the historic royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.
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Vegas, Schmegas: Best Places to Elope In the Bay
You don’t need to take the next flight out to the middle of the desert to get hitched. Keep it local with these sweet spots to tie the knot without the hoopla.
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165 Comments
Patty Norris, whose great-great-great grandfather and seven other relatives were murdered at Mountain Meadows more than 150 years ago, was overcome with emotion at Thursday’s news that the southwestern Utah site has been designated a national historic landmark.
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Economy, still-high gas prices flatten holiday travel plans, AAA says
The slings and arrows of the economy apparently have cut into the Fourth of July travel plans of some Californians.
Read more on The Sacramento Bee

Architecture 101: No permits, no parents, no clients, plenty of plywood for architect Sellers and friends
Mount Raspberry? The Mad River Valley mountain where David Sellers and various artist and carpenter compatriots built houses in the mid-1960s had no name when they got there and started messing around with lumber and tools.
Read more on The Burlington Free Press

Resorts, hotels hoping for a full house for July Fourth
SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort is expecting a full house for the Fourth of July. The Felton RV park will offer guests an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast Saturday for $ 2 and a cookout Sunday afternoon for $ 5.
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Lars Anderson: Tony Stewart, Marcos Ambrose vie for first Cup wins of ’11 at Sonoma
The majority of NASCAR drivers love everything about the Sonoma Valley in northern California. When they’re not on the track at Infineon Raceway — one of two road courses on the Sprint Cup schedule — drivers take their families on lazy field trips into the rolling countryside, visit wineries and shop at those charming boutiques that seem to be around every bend. Yes, this is one race weekend …
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Northboro couple on a quest to eye all butterflies
NORTHBORO – The couple has seen almost every bird species in North America.
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The Fishing Report — July 1, 2011
The Fishing Report — July 1, 2011
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