Redwood National forest in pictures looks amazing and my friend and I (both from Kentucky) would like to backpack in there for a couple of days. Is this a good idea or do you have other suggestions on where to backpack in California?

Russian River Canoe Trip Ideal for Families

People of all ages will enjoy a gentle canoe trip down the Russian River, one of California’s most scenic bodies of water.

The Russian River flows through such famous Wine Country destinations as Geyserville and Healdsburg before it makes its way out to the sea through gentle hills covered with thick redwood forests and teaming with rare birds and other wildlife. About a 10-mile stretch of the river from Forestville to Guerneville is ideal for calm-water canoeing or kayaking and a local company called Burke’s Canoe Trips helps make it even easier by providing canoes, kayaks and a shuttle service that will return you to your car near Forestville.

The Russian River, in this case, is not exactly the “rushin'” river. If you’re looking for a lot of fast water and river rapids, there are other California rivers that will fill that bill, but not this one. In fact, the water here is so tame that it’s really not all that good for inner-tubing because in some parts you can’t keep enough forward motion without a lot of paddling. For that reason, canoes and kayaks — which seem to glide over the water with little effort — are ideal.

It’s not that you won’t get a few thrills. As the people from Burkes’ Canoes told us, there is just enough fast water to make things interesting. There are a few points in the river where channels of current can carry you into tree branches along the shore, or get your canoe turned around in a whirlpool if you don’t guide your canoe to the right area. But the good news is that, even if you flip, the water’s relatively warm, not very deep and you’ll be carried forward to a calm area in literally just seconds.

We opted for a canoe on our trip down the river and were advised to keep all of our cameras or anything that could be water-damaged in a safe water-tight plastic bag. We also had been told to wear our swim suits, and were required to wear lightweight life-preservers. Looking at the calm water near the launch area, it almost seemed silly to worry about flipping over and we were wondering why there was so much emphasis on preparing to get wet.

We put a cooler full of drinks and sanwiches in our canoe and set off somewhat tentatively on our journey. Canoes are inherently unstable – at least if you haven’t been around them for awhile – and it took us a few minutes to get comfortable with our balance and to get some confidence we could maneuver properly. But alas, our Boy Scout training soon kicked in just fine even though it had been decades – and probably a 20 percent weight gain — since we had last put paddle to water.

Within about two minutes we faced our first challenge – avoiding a fairly fast river current pushing everything toward the wooded right shore. We aimed our canoe to the left bank, paddled quickly and managed to coordinate our front and rear paddles just enough to avoid the hazard. It wasn’t a perfect approach, but it was a confidence builder. We looked forward to honing our paddling skills as we faced new challenges further down the river.

Soon we were into a calm stretch of water, barely moving but only requiring a gentle paddle to keep making good forward progress. This was when we really started to take in the natural beauty of the river – the thick forests of giant trees and the continuous ballet performed by the birds of the Russian River such as the Great Blue Heron and osprey. Along the way we would see turtles and deer as well. We also enjoyed paddling by the charming vacation cabins that are perched above the river in many strategic locations along this stretch of the Russian. Spectacular bridges span the river at various points although most of this float was away from the highway, making it feel even more remote than it actually is.

We spent the next four hours or so alternating between negotiating some of the stronger currents – or what you might call very small rapids — and quietly paddling on a beautiful blue-sky spring day. We stopped only for a few minutes to have a sandwich on a spectacular sandy beach – although we’re told most people linger at these beaches to swim, sunbathe and just hang out with their fellow travelers for hours on end.

After mastering maybe a dozen fast-current bottlenecks and with less than a few hundred yards to go to our finish, we were feeling supremely confident that we had regained the canoeing prowess of our youth. And then the unthinkable happened: we flipped. We had run aground in some shallow water and momentarily forgot that you don’t dislodge a canoe by shifting your weight. Yes, we did get a little wet, but we weren’t really cold on this bright sunny day and we were able to retrieve our belongings in short order.

Our pride was wounded. But we did feel better later when the Burke’s Canoe people told us that fully one half of their customers flip at some point along this seemingly calm and idyllic stretch of river.

Nearby accommodations

Back in our car, we now drove the 10 miles back down to Guerneville where we would spend the night. With parks and trails and redwood scenery all just minutes from downtown, Guerneville is a popular destination for outdoors enthusiasts as well as those who love the charm of colorful small towns. Guerneville has a quiet Main Street – much busier on weekends – that offers a number of crafts shops and hometown restaurants. We enjoyed taking a couple of drives outside of town to places like Armstrong Woods with its trails through deep redwood forests. Many visitors drive just a few miles down to Jenner where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean.

We spent the night at the West Sonoma Inn and Spa, a stylish group of buildings at the edge of Guerneville where the resort takes advantage of the natural redwood scenery and nearby vineyard views. The innkeepers here have gone the extra mile in providing a lot of extras for guests that often are not found in small-town lodging facilities – plush beds, fireplaces, granite counter tops, wet bars, private decks and mini-kitchens. Our unit was unusually spacious and, because of a more spread-out configuration, each unit seemed quite private and very quiet. Grounds were richly landscaped and maintained.

A light European breakfast is offered at the West Sonoma Coast Inn that includes gourmet organic coffee, juice, fresh fruit and pastries. Prices at the inn start at less than 0 which, today, is a bargain in a highly desirable tourist area. That’s especially true when you realize that the inn is considered by many to among the best and most luxurious lodging options in Guerneville.

AT A GLANCE

WHERE: The Russian River is in Sonoma County and the put-in point for Burke’s Canoe Trips is about 70 miles northwest of San Francisco.

WHAT: Burke’s Canoe Trips have been popular with couples and groups of all sizes for decades and are self-guided trips down a 10-mile stretch of the Russian River. The company furnishes the canoe and safety gear and then picks you up in their shuttle bus at the end of your trip, near Guerneville.

WHEN: The trips start each year at the end of May and continue throughout the summer. Weather is generally sunny and in the 80’s.

WHY: Russian River canoe trips are a great way to see river scenery in a spectacular part of California where you’ll enjoy both redwood forests and abundant wildlife. It’s also a social experience since many people do the trip in groups.

HOW: For more information on Russian River canoe trips, phone 707-887-1222 or visit www.burkescanoetrips.com. Burke’s Canoes charges per canoe for use of the canoe, safety gear and pick up on the company shuttle. For more information on the West Sonoma Coast Inn, phone 1-800-551-1881 or visit www.westsonomainn.com.

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Lake Berryessa is California vacation jewel

You’ve got kids – lots of kids – and you’re wondering how you’re going to fit them into that resort condo unit. You also wonder how you’re going to keep them all happy and, maybe most important, how you’re going to be able to get away from them. Even the most devoted parent, now and then, needs to de-compress.

The answer: a really big houseboat. Being confined to a boat might not immediately top your list of good things to do with large numbers of kids. But if our recent experiment is any indication, the houseboat thing really does work.

So just how many kids are we talking about here? In our case, a total of eight: our grade-school age daughter and our grown-up daughter’s seven kids, ages 1 through 13. Figure in three adults and you can see that planning for this trip would be only slightly less complex than the Normandy invasion.

If you haven’t rented a houseboat before, the first thing to understand is that these boats are far bigger and more spacious than regular boats. In our first houseboat articles we used to compare them to waterborne RV’s, but the truth is houseboats nowadays are much bigger than even the most spacious RV’s. On this particular trip to Northern California’s Lake Berryessa, we rented a 70-foot Millenium – which is to a small power boat what a 747 is to a Cessna 150.

The 70-foot Mellennium features a kind of great room in the front salon along with a large dining table and chairs. There is a breakfast counter and fully equipped kitchen along with four private bedrooms, six queen beds, two full baths, a wet bar, sun canopy and a hot tub on the top deck. Like most houseboat rentals, this also featured a waterslide on the top deck that kids find irresistible.

The setting for our experiment – Lake Berryessa – is less than an hour’s drive east from Napa, and shares with the Napa Valley a landscape of sun-drenched scenery that is as pretty as anyplace you’ll find in California. The wooded hills, forests and country roads in this part of the state are perfect for enchanting Sunday drives or picnics or hikes. Adding to that is the 23-mile-long Lake Berryessa, a turquoise jewel that is as practical as it is scenic. This man-made lake is actually a reservoir known for excellent fishing and warm summer temperatures that make it ideal for swimming and other water sports.

Endless water recreation is one reason houseboats work for large families. It’s not like you’re crammed into a boat for your entire vacation – the boat is just a place to hang while you’re putting meals together or watching a movie on the elaborate satellite wall-mounted television. When you are beached, the water in that particular cove is now your swimming pool and a pretty big one at that. More than likely, you’ll find trails from your beach leading to hours of fun hikes and exploration, another activity that will keep the kids occupied and completely engrossed in what they’re doing.

With a houseboat, you can be as stationary or mobile as you want to be. We’ve done houseboat trips where we spent hours each day cruising and then found a new beach mid-afternoon to explore and settle in for the night. On our Lake Berryessa trip, we found the kids especially enjoyed the shore activities, so we kept our cruising to a minimum and set up camp sometimes two nights in a row in the same location. The point is, you can do whatever you want to do – there is no itinerary to keep, no deadlines to worry about. Just go where the spirit takes you.

It will come as no surprise to parents that kids can have a lot of pent up energy when they’re confined too long to one area — so spending a lot of our time on the beach solved this particular problem. But even that was not a big problem due to the size and design of the Millenium. The upper deck is so large that it was the perfect place to send the older kids to burn off their energy, leaving the main salon in relative silence as we cruised the Berryessa shoreline enjoying the coastal scenery. The other advantage to this boat was that, with so many bedrooms and separate quarters, the kids had places to put all of their belongings so that nothing was under foot — except maybe once in awhile when the youngest brought toys to play out on the huge 16-foot-wide salon floor.

Meals on the Millenium were easy to prepare with lots of counter space available and cupboards and drawers fully stocked with dishes and kitchen utensils. Hot dishes were easily prepared in the microwave as well as on the multi-burner stove. The refrigerator had plenty of capacity for a family this size, assuming you put cold drinks in the many ice chests available on the boat.

If you’re a first-time boat captain, the Millenium will seem huge when you first step onboard. But Forever Houseboats has figured out a way to make your first rental experience easy and stress-free. For starters you never actually are required to dock your houseboat or even operate it in close quarters – rental company personnel will take your boat from the dock to an open-water area before they hand you the controls. Then, when it’s time to bring the boat back, they’ll come out and meet your boat and dock it for you.

When you do take the controls you notice that everything’s been simplified and automated. You’ve already been given detailed instructions before you even leave the dock, so you’re completely versed on the throttles and shifting as well as electrical and other systems on your boat. An easy-to-read manual is always at the ready just in case you don’t remember everything.

The main thing a new captain has to remember is to stay away from shallow water where your prop can get damaged. The most technical thing you’ll be asked to do – and it’s not difficult – is to beach your boat. As we’ve done on previous houseboats, we determined ahead of time who would be our “stake-drivers” and then it was just a matter of A/ the captain driving the boat at low speed straight onto the beach and B/ the stake-drivers, one on each side, advancing onto the beach at 45 degree angles from the boat to pound stakes and tie lines from the stern of the boat.

One rule we imposed on this trip — because we had so many kids on board — was to put someone in charge of all the kids and take them to their cabins during the landing process. We didn’t want to have one of them jumping off too soon or distracting the landing crew.

The kids loved it all and looked forward to new spots to explore with every new beach we visited. Each new cove – and there are many on Lake Berryessa – was like a new Robinson Crusoe adventure. It all added up to a vacation the kids will long remember and one they say they can’t wait to do again.

AT A GLANCE

WHERE: Forever Houseboats are available at Pleasure Cove Marina, less than an hour’s drive from Napa. Because the lake level has been down in recent years, be prepared for carrying your supplies down and up a steep grade between the parking area and the dock. While the marina-supplied handcarts help, we found it much easier to drive our car down the boat launching ramp and then cut over to dock area where we parked our vehicle for unloading.

WHAT: Lake Berryessa is 23 miles long and three miles wide and is known for warm temperatures in summer and fishing for such species as rainbow trout, bass, catfish, crappie, and bluegill. With numerous coves, the area offers many places to safely beach a houseboat.

WHEN: Houseboats on Lake Berryessa are available year-round. Our August trip had ideal weather and water temperatures above 75 degrees. The downside is that peak summer dates also are the most expensive.

WHY: Houseboating is an excellent family adventure that combines boating, hiking, fishing, water sports and relative solitude in the Great Outdoors.

HOW: For more information on renting a houseboat on Lake Berryessa, call 800-255-5561 or visit www.foreverresorts.com.

The beauty of Northern California’s coast along highway 101.
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My wife and I have lived in the Chicago area since we got married over 20 years ago. I absolutely hate, hate, hate, HATE it here, and the thought of living here much longer makes me literally suicidal.

I am a real outdoorsy person. I need to get out into wild country and enjoy some solitude and natural beauty. But within 200 miles of where we live there isn’t even a decent place to go camping or take a hike. (Believe me, I’ve looked very hard to find such a place. There’s nothing!) In fact, nothing but endless subdivisions and malls, surrounded by endless fields of corn and soybeans.

For complicated reasons, I had to work in the San Francisco area for an extended period a few years ago, and I really loved it. (She resented every day I was out there.) Northern California is everything Illinois isn’t. It’s paradise! In fact, any place on the west coast, from Santa Barbara CA to Vancouver BC would be a vast improvement in living conditions.

The problem is, my wife loves it here, and will not consider moving. She says the cost of living on the west coast is too high, we would both have to change jobs (actually, not a problem since we both have highly valuable skills). She says she doesn’t see anything wrong with living here, and, no matter how many times I explain my feelings, she can’t seem to understand why I’m not happy here. I’ve traveled with her to San Francisco on vacation to show her how beautiful it is, but she was unmoved by the experience.

At one point she agreed to move when our younger child finishes high school in a few years, but now she has made it clear that she has absolutely no intention of ever doing that.

So now I’m out of ideas. What can I do?

California Vacations – What You Haven’t Seen

It is understandable why California attracts a lot of people. There it is warm and sunny most part of the year, Los Angeles is full of movie stars, rollerblading babes can be found all over the place in Venice Beach. Even if it is exaggerated, this part of the California mystique is real and not very hard to find.

But California has other things too, that are not scripted, sanitized, and broadcast to the mesmerized masses of the world. The glitter and glamour are only the surface of an incredibly diverse state that would be a productive and powerful nation in the event of ever getting separated from the Union. California has it all: redwood forests, an incredibly verdant Central Valley, the Sierra Nevada, deserts, a lot of well-known cities, and hundreds of miles of beautiful coastline.

Despite the crime, pollution, traffic, and earthquakes, which have made California famous as well, people here are still the golden children of the United States, America’s spoiled rich kid that is either loved or loathed by everyone. (In Oregon, for example, they sell lots of license-plate rims stating “I hate California.”) To be perfectly sincere, people here don’t really care. Californians are aware of the fact that they live in one of the most interesting places in the world, and they’re proud of their state. Nobody can guarantee you that you’ll meet Arnold Schwarzenegger or learn how to surf here, but with a little time, a little money, and an adventurous spirit, you will be guided by us and offered one of the most fulfilling vacations of your life. The four of us do nothing but travel, but we chose to live in California because this place has so much to offer.

While I am no travel advisor or expert on tourist attractions and what have you, I can speak to the beauty and wonder of Half Moon Bay, California, having just lived in the area for fourteen months, and having friends who live, work, and shop there. Between nature and industry, then, the combination, the symbiosis of two styles fitting and working together so beautiful is only bested by the dual joys of an ideal location. In other words, Half Moon Bay, California is a coastal town with residences and businesses both on the shoreline and inland and with farming, produce, supplies, and services both “natural” and technologically and industrially advanced.

The coast of Half Moon Bay, California is a surfers’ Valhalla: just a couple of weeks back, for instance, the Mavericks surf competition saw hundreds of fans and viewers taking the day off and hanging on the beaches to witness Grant Twiggy Baker of South Africa take first, and Tyler Smith and Brock Little take second and third, respectively, on waves surprisingly sufficient considering the weather—which was nearing hot—and the area—which is relatively calm in ocean action.

The weather in general in Half Moon Bay, California is some of the most appealing in the nation, temperate for the most part, save the few months of rain and wind storms that take out a power line here and there. But the farmers on their ranches and the growers, of pumpkins, brussel sprouts, and other staple veggies, have back-up generators and three other “seasons” without snow or sleet or ice to threaten crops or livelihoods. Small businesses thrive, from art shops to flower bodegas like Aloha, a shop specializing in orchids—live orchids, glass orchids, and orchid portraits; and large, recognized companies serve the population by way of Safeway, Albertson’s, Longs, and banks and gas stations that are accessible but not overbearing in number of prices.

Some of the finest cuisine can be found on the shoreline and a few blocks inland—from fresh seafood to Italian to Asian, and visitors and locals alike can walk down to the pier, to the signed up fishermen on their boats, and buy live crab and/or lobster, which can be brought back to the house and cooked up in lieu of sitting in at the restaurants…which are ambient and amiable and lovely (and reasonable in price, as well).

Numerous hotels, motels, inns, and bed and breakfast sites offer comforts from cozy to chic, and such places as the Farallon Inn (on highway 1 in Moss Beach, five miles north of Half Moon Bay) even come with a small but superbly satisfying fare of Indian food and pizza, which the Faralon’s owners cook in and run. The place is so good that locals and tourists alike sign the walls with sharpies, thanking the owners and gushing over the food, which is absolutely perfect—authentic to the Indian owners and surprisingly top notch as “Italian” fare, too.

The weather is perfect, really. The beaches are many and easy to get to. And the people are direct, friendly, and helpful. There is, of course, a public library, a sanitation department, and fairly easy-going but still by-the-book fire and police departments, as well as a chamber of commerce. With these and with the online tour information sites, you will be happy you decide to travel to, pass through, stay for a visit in, or live in Half Moon Bay, California.

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A Great Alternative to Traditional Porch Swings

Often when you think of porch swings, you think of the traditional swing that your Grandparents had, a nice wood swing hanging from the porch rafters. But, like many other things today, there are other options out there that are not your father’s porch swing! Let’s take a look at one of these great options.

The one that I have seen recently which I am really impressed with is Pawleys Island Hammocks. Hammocks? You ask, what does that have to do with porch swings. Well, they took their traditional, successful hammock and expanded into the porch swing market. What they have done is taken the hammock and modified the concept into hanging porch swings, both single and double. But lets first take a look at the company, and then what they have to offer.

The name of Pawleys Island Hammock comes from Pawleys Island, an old summer resort on the South Carolina coast. That is where Captain Joshua John Ward invented his knot-less, rope bed that we call the hammock. Today, the company that makes these hammocks is based out of Greenville, NC, but they continue to use the same, tradition and innovative design that Captain Ward developed, but with modern, weather and stain resistant materials, making their products extremely durable.

To make sure that they have the highest quality rope, they weave their own. You can get a porch swing in 100% natural cotton, weather durable polyester or the new, synthetic DuraCord. Which is not only stain, weather and fade resistant, but is also as soft as cotton. Their rope is heavier than any rope used by other hammock brands, exceeding even US military standards.

This same quality is carried over to the fabrics, hardware and wood that they use when manufacturing any of their products. All materials are chosen and treated to be weather and stain resistant as well as supremely durable. These all contribute to a long life, longer than expected for such an item.

When it comes to comfy porch swings, Pawleys’ offers a few different products. The first is a cushioned single swing. It comes in a variety of fabrics and it is all supported by braided ropes that attach to the swing fully along the sides and bottom. This is very great for swinging in single solitude.

Pawleys’ also offers single porch swings in rope, either 100% cotton or polyester, both made with the same tradition as the rope hammocks. All single swings are supported by a hardwood spreader bar, and are great for hanging up on a patio, under a tree or from a swing stand.

Another great single swing that they have is the Air Chair. It is extremely lightweight, made of soft polyester and hung by multiple solid wood supports. A couple of cool things about this chair swing is that there is a hanging foot support and cup holder that hangs from the upper support – so you get comfort and convenience!

So far all the porch swings we have looked at are single, but they also make a double hanging rope swing. It is a very attractive swing with beautiful oak, curved rocker arms, and embroidered head cushions. Like their other products, there are no knots because it is woven from a continuous three-ply 100% polyester rope. Very cozy for you and a friend.

So, if you are already dreaming of spring days and sitting outside to enjoy the sunshine and a warm and gentle breeze, make sure you check out Pawleys Island Hammocks and their take on nontraditional porch swings.

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The Ultimate Wine Experience in Northern California

California has become a dominant wine region in the world. The quality of wine produced by the vineyards is simply outstanding. The Napa Valley and Sonoma County areas are where the action is at. Fortunately, there is an inexpensive, tremendous way to experience them.

The Napa and Sonoma wine regions consists of two long valleys with branches extending off of them. The valleys are jam packed with vineyards as you might imagine. These valleys reek of money, but are actually a conflicted destination. Yes, there are some unholy expensive resorts that are tucked back into the area. If you want to break the bank, you can certainly stay at any of the places advertised online. If money is tight like with most of us, there is a cheaper approach that is actually better.

Napa and Sonoma are both pretty quiet areas. The nightlife is very limited, which seems odd until you realize something. Both valleys are full of little towns where people live their normal lives. The valley is not really oriented towards massive tourism. It is more subtle. One of the subtleties is the weekend housing rental market.

You can use Craigslist and other sites to find weekend rentals in Napa and particularly in Sonoma. These homes are cheap, but incredible. A few years back, I stayed in a 3 bedroom home with a one bedroom guest house for a wedding. There were 3 couples splitting the rental and it ran us about each a day. Oh, the home was situated on the top of a hill overlooking the valley and had its own vineyard as well as a huge hot tub. It was a tremendous experience.

Now a word about transportation should be mentioned. Visiting vineyards entails a certain amount of alcohol consumption. You can get a DUI in either of these areas just like you can anywhere. To avoid this, you can get a cab or retain the services of a wine tour limo. Either is worth the cost and money well spent. There is little reason to ruin an otherwise perfect weekend by getting a DUI!

Napa Valley and the Sonoma region are both excellent places to visit. The vineyards have quality offerings and the locations are simply beautiful. If you are considering a trip, try checking for short term vacation rentals to get the most for your money and a great experience to boot.

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I’m creating a spreadsheet for my boss of the staffs sick/vaca time. But staff keeps asking me when they will have more time. How do I calculate that?