Outdoor Adventures

This page tracks my weekend adventures around the Golden State of California. The reference links on this page are used to plan these great trips.

Trip Planning Websites

	See travel page.
	See weather page.
	See maps page
	Get Northern California day trip ideas at KRON's Bay Area Backroads and OpenRoad.tv.
	Preparing a car emergency kit
	AAA Winter Car Survival Kit

Park Information

	National Park Service
	Wildernet USA website
	Wildernet California Recreation [Parks] website
	California State Parks website
	Wildernet East Bay Regional Parks
	East Bay Regional Park District Home Page
	EBMUD recreational trails and permits.
	Trails.com allows you to find and plan outdoor adventures. Plenty of good info but the free information is limited.
	Scout the road trip route with the most charm on the byways web site at http://www.byways.org/.
	Hayward Regional Shoreline Map
	Roaring Camp Railroads

Outdoor Equipment

	Personal emergency locator from ACR Electronics.
	Spot satellite GPS messenger.
	Wilderness survival tips Cnet news.com article. (local copy)
	http://www.sportsmansguide.com/ outdoor equipment including hiking and survival gear.
	Adam Paul's hiking resources page and photography page contain very useful links for the casual outdoors person.
	Check out my GPS navigation systems that I've used to get me to my destinations and track my hikes.
	nemo equipment inflate-a-tent.
	Burton outdoor clothing, packs, etc.
	REI www.rei.com. Also offers a outdoor training school. Info at www.rei.com/outdoorschool

Travel & Trip Photography Websites

	Visit my travel photography website for a pictorial record of my recreational adventures.
	Adam Paul's website is a great review of his hiking and biking trips.
	Kevin Gong's hiking website is a great resource for hiking in northern California.
	NFL player Dhani Jones has a show on the Travel Channel called Dhani Jones Tackes the Globe. In this show he travels the world exploring local cultures.

Mapping Sites & Resources

NASA maps online

Trip Log

Date

Destination

Trip Report

Resources

8/__/2003

Monteray Bay Aquarium

During this trip I used a Garmin Streetpilot III GPS navigation system. It performed flawlessly.

We parked at a lot about 4 blocks away from the aquarium. It was a nice short walk. Paid $6.00 for parking.

The new jellyfish exhibit was spectacular. The other exhibits were great as always. See the trip photos.

Rather than eat in Monteray at Bubba Gumps as planned, I decided to head back to Santa Clara and eat at Pedro's Cantina. I had a taste for the Enchiladas Del Mar (Crab enchiladas).

Finally returned back home satisfied and tired.

9/20/2003

Point Reyes National Seashore

	Point Reyes lighthouse
	Woodpecker trail near the Bear Valley visitors center

I started out around 9:30am with a brief stop in Oakland to pickup my buddy Clinton.

We set the GPS streetpilot 2610 destination to the Point Reyes Lighthouse and let it guide us. The weather was very warm through San Rafael. Sir Francis Drake was a nice scenic drive. Be sure to roll the windows down and smell the trees.

At the lighthouse (photos) we had a brief snack and then trek'd down the 306 steps to the lighthouse. It was spectacular. The walk back up the stairs will tell you what kind of shape you're really in.

We set the GPS to point to the Bear Valley visitors center and headed off. About 35 minutes later we arrived. Had lunch under some very old trees complete with moss hanging from the branches. Set off on the .9 mile Woodpecker trail (photos) and a few other trails before returning to the car.

We were slightly disappointed that there was no real water in the creeks on this trip. Just one very small meandering creek near the road. But what the heck.