Getting the Big Picture at Calaveras Big Trees

If California knows how to do something well, it is how to go big. Big state, big deficit, (oh wait, did I say that out loud?) and really big trees. You may say, “don’t most trees look big?” But we are talking Jack-and-the-beanstalk-could-have-lived-here type of big. If anything could touch the sky, it would be these redwoods.

Visiting Calaveras Big Trees was a day trip during our trek through California’s Gold Country. I do wish we could have stayed longer, you could easily fill a few days with the hiking and exploring that is available. Located between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, two of California’s tourist hot spots, Stanislaus National Forest offers a less crowded and equally unique experience for families.

 

Open year-round, 129 campsites are available – some by reservation and some for walk-in only. If you prefer less rustic accommodations, check out the nearby town of Arnold. There are five hiking trails to choose from that accommodate hikers of all levels. One of the most popular is the North Grove loop. It is both flat and shaded. Totaling 1.5 miles, it leads you through a tree with a hole in the center that you can walk through and also passes a large stump you can walk across (including a small staircase you need to reach the stump). How big are these trees really?  The largest redwood, located in the south grove, measures 25 feet in diameter even at six feet above ground!  A typical redwood here is as tall as the Statue of Liberty, weighs over 4,000 lbs., and one tree could be used to build 40 five-room homes. Its really hard to convey (let alone photograph) the enormousness of something that has been living there for centuries.

After our hike we also spent a lot of time in the Visitor’s Center at the North Grove. As far as visitor’s centers go, and we’ve been to many, this ranks among the best. There are many things to touch, try, and take home which add to the experience of exploring a state park. Other attractions in the Park include the Stanislaus River, Beaver Creek, the Lava Bluff Trail and Bradley Trail. Activities include (Winter) cross-country skiing, (Summer) evening ranger talks, numerous interpretive programs, environmental educational programs, junior ranger programs, hiking, mountain biking, bird watching and activities for school children.

 A special “Family Day” is scheduled for August 21, 2010. From 10am – 4pm there will be rangers with live birds of prey, wagon rides, reptiles, Miwok demonstrations, nature crafts and more. You can also check out other Calaveras events taking place nearby.

Because of budget cuts, nearly 150 state parks have either been shut down part-time or have suffered deep service reductions. If you are thinking of planning an economical vacation in California this summer that will still leave everyone talking for years to come, take advantage of the beautiful state parks now. You can’t find places like this anywhere else!

For more on national parks visit Trekaroo’s spotlight Thursday

MORE summer camps

I received some great responses from folks about more local and national summer camps. I thought it worth updating the post. Check here for the extended version. And if you have more favorites, let me know!

Tricks to Treasure Hunting

During the month of May, I am holding a Geocache Blogging Event. Geocaching is where you hunt for caches that have previously been hidden, using GPS coordinates and occasionally some hints. (The coordinates and hints are listed at www.geocaching.com.) 

I hope you will join me in geocaching sometime in May, then post your experience about it. If you are unsure about how to geocache, you can read more about it in this post or browse through any of my earlier posts under “geocaching”.  This weekend I planned our own geocache hunt. Of course to the kids, I called it our treasure hunt. There were several geocaches within walking distance from our home. I am pretty new to this myself, so I will share with you a few lessons I learned along the way.  

Cache #1

We headed for our first cache which seemed like it would be a pretty easy find. The possible hiding locations were limited and yet, we found nothing. After going back to the website for this particular cache, I noticed a symbol that looked like a red cross sign on the far right side of the web page. This, apparently, means that maintenance is needed… i.e. the cache is gone. Also in the log notes of the cache web page several people noted that the cache was missing. DOH! Wish I had noticed that before we had set out for this spot. Lesson learned: Check for maintenance issues. This can be accomplished by either glancing at the right column to see if the cross symbol is there (it’s actually blue and white), or the cache website also lists the last date someone found the cache. If it has been a long time, there may be a good reason. The cache web page also lists “log notes,” comments left by prior cache seekers. Sometimes the notes have big hints about the cache’s location, so depending on if you want those hints or not you may decide to read the notes ahead of time.  So now, after checking the notes for another nearby cache, we went a hunting again. 

Cache #2 

After some hunting and some hints by my husband, who had been to this cache before, we found the cache of our second location. It is customary to bring something of your own to exchange for something already in the cache. Most of the items that the kids had picked out as exchange items would never have fit in this container. Luckily I had grabbed a tiny item as a back up, so we were able to make an exchange. It was a good thing too, the kids couldn’t wait to adorn themselves with the two stickers that were waiting in the cache. Lesson learned: Bring small items for the exchange. Feeling good from our success, we decided we could fit in one more hunt. 

Cache #3

This one was actually quite tricky for us. We read the description, read the cache notes (and cursed at those who added that it was a simple find), even looked at the hint. We never found the cache. I understand that urban geocaches can be more difficult sometimes than rural geocaches, simply because the urban hider has to make sure that the cache is not randomly spotted and removed. Only someone looking for the treasure should be able to locate it. Additionally, buildings can sometimes interfere with the GPS device’s ability to get you close to the exact coordinates. I felt sad for the boys that we went to three places and only found one treasure. As we had a snack at home, my oldest proudly emptied his pockets of the bottlecaps he had picked up while looking for the cache (unknown to me). Lesson learned: Treasure is in the eyes of the beholder.

It’s Photo Friday at Delicious Baby. Go check her out for more travel photos and stories!

Summer Camps in and near Sacramento

Do you remember looking forward to the beginning of summer? Practically three whole months with no school! Now the thought of three whole months seems just as long, but for different reasons. Lucky for me, I am surrounded by some excellent summer camps. By this time, however, they are filling up fast. Here are a few that merit checking out if you are still looking:

(Be sure to click on the name to get more information about that specific camp.)

  

Explorit:

For kids entering preschool and K (no younger than 4 yrs.): Where the Wild Things… Say Cheese Please (world of film and photography), Splish Splash (oceans).
For kids entering grades 1-2: Science Then and Now, Good Senses
For kids entering grades 3-5: Making Sense of your Senses, Hello H2O (about oceans) and Science Time Travellers

 

Sacramento Zoo:

Little Ducklings (ages 3-5): two hour classes, parents required to attend
Zoo Camp (grades K-6): option of half-day or full-day camps, full week or partial week
Zoo Quest (grades 7-9): classes which tag along the zoo keeper or zoo vet for a week, includes an overnight at the zoo on the last day of camp.

 

Mad Science:

Mad Science summer camps are run in many locations throughout the Sacramento area. (Click on their name for a list of the addresses.) Each location has different age parameters and a different focus. The main Mad Science campus, on Tribute way, is filling up the fastest, but so far all areas are still accepting summer camp applications.

 

Fairy Tale Town Fun Camps:

Ages 4-6 (9am – 12pm): Farmer Brown’s Junior Farmers, Once Upon a Puppet, Art with Andy
Ages 6-12 (1pm – 4pm): Drama Rama, Mr. Sean’s School of Rock, Comic Art Basics, Sing-a-Long, Art with Andy

 

Play-Well

This one is all about learning building technicques using Legos. In the Sacto. area  there are two campuses, one in Elk Grove and one in Folsom. These camps can be found throughout the US. Check website for more locations. Thanks Debi!

Ages 5-6: Pre-engineering
Ages 7-9: Engineering FUNdamentals, Robo Camp,
Ages 9-12: Robot Challenge

 

Champions Summer Science Camps

Camps are geared at ages 5-12 yrs. They run half-day (9am – 12pm) or full day (9-3:30). Locations are throughout the US. Locally they include Davis, Sacramento, El Dorado, Folsom, Roseville, and Elk Grove. Below are the program titles. Thanks Becky!
Whiz Bang Boom, Camp Concierge, Mystery of the Pharoh’s Treasure, Space and Rocketry 2010, Gizmo’s Robot Factory, Go Wild!

 

Spanish Immersion Summer Camp

All ages are welcome, the groups are divided by their level of Spanish. Camps are from 9-12am or 1-4pm. During three weeks in July an all day camp is also offered. Locations are in Folsom and Sacramento. There are also adult evening classes. Thanks Blanca!

 

reCREATE Camps

These classes are from 9:30 – 12:30 and are in Roseville. Thanks Donna! 

Ages 6-12: Cars, Planes, Trains, Rockets and More, Under the Sea, Art from Storybooks, Paper and Bookmaking, Labyrinths, Catapults and More
Ages 8-14: Jewelry Arts Camp

 

Maidu Museum and Historic Site

These classes are from 9:15 – 12:15 and are located in Roseville. Thanks Linda!

Ages 5-6: Birds, Bees, Flowers, & Trees, Indian Ways, Animal Fun, Ingenious Insects, Tiny Treks, Animals and Art
Ages 7-9: Wet and Wild, Wild Things, First Hunters, Methods of the Maidus, Stones, Bones, Plants, and Shells
Ages 9 – 12: Hands on Archeology, Water Zone, First Hunters
Also offered from 1pm – 3:30pm, for ages 9-16: Archery Fun, Archery II, and Archery Competition

 

Child Development Centers’ Summer Camps

For children ages 5 – 12yrs. These programs are available throughout schools all over. The programs offer  biking, hiking, picnics, music, inventing, investigating, swimming, games, arts and crafts, photography, performances, recycling, sports, legos, bowling, parks, overnight camping, and more. You can put in your zip code to find the nearest location. Specific programs vary by location. You can also call: 916-286-7882 for more information. Thanks JStone.

 

Star Eco Station

For kids entering grades 1-7. Camps are Monday – Friday from 9am – 3pm. This camp features rescued wildlife. (Tropical birds, snakes, lizards, bugs, fish and more!) Thanks JHudson! Weekly themes include:

Junior Eco Staff, Mad Scientist Gone Green, Team ECO Environmental Adventures, Totally H2O, Biomes of the World, Winged Wonders, Reptiles Rock, Best of ECO.

 

 Sacramento Theatre Company

For kids entering 1st – 4th grades:  July 12th – July 23rd and July 26th – August 6th (9am – 2pm)  ACT, DANCE, and SING
For kids entering 5th – 9th grades: July 12th – July 23rd (9am – 4pm) -  CREATE AN ENSEMBLE
For kids entering 7th – 12th grades: July 26th – August 6th (9 am – 4pm) – SHAKESPEARE ALIVE

 

Exclusive Offer from Tripping with Kids

Back in February I found a beautiful spot in Mexico which would completely fulfill my fantasy vacation: natural beauty, excellent food, cultural excursions, AND it is hosted by a top notch chef who will teach me how to make authentic Mexican cuisine. My heart is a flutter just thinking about La Villa Bonita again.

The hosts, Ana and Robb, have upped the ante. They are offering an entire week where kids are invited to join the fun. The first Parent-Child event will be offered as early as this summer, July 11 – 18, 2010. Parents and kids alike will be able to create authentic, regional, mouth-watering cuisine.

Kids will enjoy being around other kids. They will also have the opportunity to visit and learn about a foreign culture from the inside out. Parents will enjoy turning their children on to fun, healthy eating habits (cleverly disguised as a vacation)!  Ana and Robb, parents of young kids themselves, also share the philosophy that you are never too young to appreciate healthy foods. That’s why they have created a weeklong program specifically geared toward young chefs, ages fourteen and below.

Now, to make this vacation plan even more delicious… prices for the kids are sliced (couldn’t help myself) in half! For a full week of invaluable culinary training, lodging in a gorgeous villa, excursions (to nearby local markets as well as cultural attractions), adults pay $1750 USD and the first child can attend at only half that price. Special packages are available for multiple children. On top of this… mention Tripping with Kids and receive an additional $100 USD off!  What family can pass up both a slice of paradise AND a great deal? I hope you will set aside those dates and start looking at airfares into Mexico City. For more details about this culinary school that was rated “One of the five best culinary vacations worldwide” by the Food Network, either check out my earlier post or go straight to Chef Ana’s website (where you can also watch her tv segments and grab some tantalizing recipes).

There has been a lot of news recently about traveling in Mexico. According to the State Department’s travel warning, cities and states along the northern border of Mexico, as well as some other states that include drug trafficking routes, are not recommended for travel at this time. I want to mention that La Villa Bonita is 45 minutes from Mexico City. This is not near the border states nor along the west coast, where most of the warnings for travelers have been issued. I would not advise going anywhere you don’t feel safe. However, keep in mind that Mexico is one fifth the size of the U.S.  Tepoztlan has a much lower crime rate than most cities that we travel through every day in the U.S. I can’t imagine a more peaceful retreat than a week at La Villa Bonita.

Salud!

This article is part of the Mondays are for Dreaming series hosted by Mara at Mother of All Trips. Check out her site for other travel dreams.