September 20, 2009
The last several years we’ve been here in Alamitos Bay we have had a visiting sea lion every now and then. My mom in Arizona calls him “her seal” because we first saw him when she was visiting us. She always asks if we’ve seen him lately. We went for a long time without seeing him – once or twice a year. Today he was sunning himself on the breakwater. He didn’t seem to care at all that boaters were going by him all the time. This Google map has a red star in the center – the sea lion was on the breakwater just below the star – on the thin line jutting in the water. You can drag the map up and around so you can see how he made his way up to the houses from the ocean near Seal Beach. Here are some pictures I took of him this morning.
The Houses are all around this area of the Alamitos Bay. The sea lion is on the breakwater in the middle of the photo.
A dragon boat crew practices their rowing while the sea lion stretches out on the breakwater.
The sea lion sits up to watch the jetskier as the jetskier watches him.
This dragon boat crew is also so intent on rowing that they don’t see the sea lion either. But he’s laid back down again.
Kayakers go in for a closer look.
Time for him to check out what is going on.
The sea lion turns over on his side.
He stayed and napped for quite a while. Then he quietly slipped back into the water. Later this evening he was back on the breakwater. One of the boat owners we talked to when we took the photos this morning said the sea lion has been hanging around more in the last five days…..
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Places to Explore | Tagged: Alamitos Bay, breakwater, Dragon Boats, family, fun, Jet Ski Adventure, kayaking, Long Beach, nature, sea lion, Seal Beach | 
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Posted by mygrandmasue
September 18, 2009
Lots of parks and reserves are listed at the Orange County website. The Orange County Register has a link with outdoor actities and events that has great ideas for family fun! Enjoy!
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Posted by mygrandmasue
September 16, 2009
The back of my Autumn Nature Conservancy magazine had a little ad on the back for Nature Rocks: Let’s Go Explore. It is a fun website to click through – complete with children’s voices and ducks! Here is a Staycation Guide (takes a while to load – it is a pdf file) on things to do as a family close to home. A fun feature to play with is Find Nature. Great photos can be seen here. Enjoy!
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Posted by mygrandmasue
August 20, 2009
Summer days at the lake were always memorable! The August 2009 Sunset Magazine has two articles about lakes: Lake Tahoe – where Sand Harbor is the place to swim – and then the Top 10 Lakeside Camps – the on-line article has 15, including the best photo ops, sunsets, fun, small town feel, and four-star food!
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Posted by mygrandmasue
August 19, 2009
The August 2009 Sunset Magazine has a great article by Peter Fish and photographed by Ian Shive on National Parks With Amazing Views: Grand Teton National Park, Yosemite National Park, Channel Islands National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Yellowstone National Park. It has an on-line link to an interactive page with lots of information on Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Olympic National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Zion National Park. Watch the video of Sunset editor-in-chief Katie Tamony interviewing Ken Burns, who is the filmmaker of “National Parks: America’s Best Idea” – PBS will show it on September 27. The other videos are also very good. There are suggestions, photos and a map where you click on the park for even more info on activities, accommodations, campgrounds, and “top wow spots” from Sunset. I found it quite awesome!
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Posted by mygrandmasue
August 4, 2009
Letter I received from the National Wildlife Federation last week:
Join NWF and millions nationwide for the federal government’s United We Serve initiative dedicated to showcasing volunteer opportunities through September 11, 2009. One positive outcome of the economic downturn is a dramatic increase in volunteerism. During the week of August 3rd, United We Serve is highlighting projects related to Energy and the Environment.
Here’s how you can make a difference:
Pass on a love of nature – Support the Department of Interior’s United We Serve initiative to mentor a youth outdoors and pass on a love of nature. NWF offers several resources including:
NatureFind – Search by city, state, or zip code to access outdoor adventures nationwide, including activities and events, trails, regional parks, and more.
Wildlife Watch– Watch for animals and plants in your neighborhood and share sightings online to track the health of species. A fun and educational nature-watching program created for people of all ages.
Find a volunteer project near you – Visit United We Serve’s website to discover short and long-term volunteer opportunities in your community. Enter your zip code to get started.
Be part of the national volunteering movement for positive change!
Sincerely,
Eliza Russell
Director of Education
National Wildlife Federation
P.S. Remember, you can make a difference by mentoring a child outdoors. Join NWF’s Be Out There campaign to encourage increased outdoor time for kids and families.
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Posted by mygrandmasue
July 30, 2009
Here is a great little pamphlet on the Mt Rose Scenic Byway. It is on the Washoe County (NV) website. There are great trails (and wildflowers in the spring).
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Posted by mygrandmasue
July 17, 2009
Bolsa Chica Land Trust offers free tours for the public at the Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve on the third Sunday of the month from 10 till noon. Meet at the parking lot on Pacific Coast Highway across from the entrance to the Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach, CA. Call 74-846-1001 for more info or click the link here.
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Posted by mygrandmasue
July 11, 2009
In today’s Reno Gazette-Journal there is a great article by Maggie O’Neill called A Hike With A View. In it she relates her experience with meeting the author (Mike White) of the guide book she was using (Afoot & Afield: Reno-Tahoe). The one take-away I get from the article is how ordinary people need to follow the “Leave No Trace” mantra when enjoying the outdoors. With the cutbacks in staffing at the U.S. Forest Service, the limited maintenance on the Jones Creek-White’s Creek Loop is even less. The Nevada All-State Trail Riders have done on-going trail maintenance for years. Kudos to them! But the public needs to stay aware and pick-up after themselves (leave no trace that you’ve been there!) so that we all can enjoy the parks and outdoors for many more generations.
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Posted by mygrandmasue
June 29, 2009
This summer, the Tahoe Rim Trail Association and Sierra Nevada Journeys will be offering four sessions of three-day, two-night Youth Backcountry Camps. These camps are intended to engage high school youth in a true wilderness experience and a service learning project on the Tahoe Rim Trail.
From the website:
“The Youth Backcountry Camps provide a valuable wilderness experience to youth in the Lake Tahoe Basin and surrounding areas. These camps combine wilderness education, trail operations and maintenance, outdoor education, and Leave No Trace outdoor ethics, all while camping in the backcountry in a life-changing outdoor program. Participants learn valuable lessons and gain outdoor experiences that will help them to connect with the environment and infuse environmental stewardship for the future, allowing them to spread their new found knowledge and skills throughout their community.
The TRTA Youth Backcountry Camps engage young adults between the ages of 13-18 who love the outdoors and want to learn more about backpacking, trail operations, ecology and outdoor leadership skills in an advanced wilderness setting.
Dates:
* Session 1: July 13-15th
* Session 2: July 16-18th
* Session 3: July 19-21st
Several topics incorporated will be:
* Map and Compass Orienteering
* Leave No Trace: 7 Principles for Minimum Impact Recreation
* Shelter building skills
* Flora and Fauna Identification
* Backcountry survival skills
* Team building exercises
* Leadership skills
Each camp has the capacity for 12 students and will be fully supported by TRTA and SNJ staff. The cost for the program is $99 (scholarships are available). Participants are provided with all necessary camping gear and food for the program. Participants only need appropriate footwear and a passion for the outdoors!
For more information or to register, contact Katy Washington
775.298.0238 or.katyw@tahoerimtrail.org”
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Posted by mygrandmasue
The Houses are all around this area of the Alamitos Bay. The sea lion is on the breakwater in the middle of the photo.
A dragon boat crew practices their rowing while the sea lion stretches out on the breakwater. 
This dragon boat crew is also so intent on rowing that they don’t see the sea lion either. But he’s laid back down again. 
Kayakers go in for a closer look.
Time for him to check out what is going on.
The sea lion turns over on his side.
MyGrandmaSue 