Milpitas Camera Club 2009 Field Trip Schedule

JANUARY

• January 10 (Saturday) - Ano Nuevo State Reserve, Elephant Seals (morning trip)
  Año Nuevo State Reserve is the largest mainland breeding colony of northern elephant seals in the world. Peak viewing season is winter - late December through early January is the best time to see the huge males fight each other for mating dominance. Seal breeding season is December 15 through March 31 and access to the beach is through guided walks only.
  There is a $5-per-car parking fee and a $4-per-person seal tour charge. We have no reservations for the tour, so our strategy is to arrive at the park when it opens and get on the waiting list. This has worked very well in past years - especially during inclement weather. (Don’t forget to bring rain protection for yourself and your equipment.)
  Año Nuevo is on the San Mateo coast South of Half Moon Bay.
  More info: www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523
• January 24 (Saturday) - Pinnacles National Monument (morning trip)
  The Pinnacles National Monument is located east of the Salinas Valley in the Gabilan Mountains. The massive monoliths, spires and passages through fields of giant boulders are the remnants of an ancient volcano. There are also sheer-walled canyons, a lake and 30 miles of hiking trails in this 24,000-acre park. There are two visitors’ centers, Bear Gulch Visitors’ Center and the Chaparral Visitors Center on the east and west sides of the park. In past years we’ve chosen the east entrance - accessible via Highway 25 through Hollister and then on Highway 146 to the park entrance. The trail on the east side is steep and spectacular, so if you have health problems or do not want to hike, please stay home.
  Entry fee is $5 per vehicle. The Pinnacles is a day-use park, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but camping options are also available.
  Wildflowers are abundant and spectacular later in the spring, but will not be present in January. This is one of the places in California where there is a good possibility of seeing the rare California Condor.
  Pinnacles is about a 200-mile round trip drive from Milpitas.
  More info: www.nps.gov/pinn/
• OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST:
  
  • San Jose International Auto Show at the McEnery Convention Center in downtown San Jose (Held Thursday, January 8 to Sunday, January 11.)
  • Napa Valley Mustard Festival (Various events held from late January through March.)
  • Chinese New Year’s Parade and celebration, Chinatown in San Francisco (Chinese New Year’s in January 26) Check the web for details on date of parade and related festivities.

FEBRUARY

• February 7 (Saturday) - Pt. Lobos State Reserve (morning trip, lunch in Monterey or Moss Landing)
  Point Lobos State Reserve is a perennial crowd-pleaser. Fond memories of past trips still linger and this is your chance to see the landscape in its full winter greenery. The park opens at 9 a.m., so we should get to the gate close to that time so we won’t have to wait for parking. There are numerous trails to hike and group consensus will determine the trail. On past trips, we’ve parked at the Sea Lion Point parking lot (straight out on the road) and fanned out from there.
  Those interested in making a day of it can decide whether they want to see the sights in Monterey’s Cannery Row and take people pictures. Our Monterey trips usually end up at a restaurant on the south wharf - not a usual tourist café, but a real local restaurant. We could also go to Bubba Gumps - group consensus will decide.
  The city of Monterey is a 160-mile round trip drive. Add about 10 to 15 additional miles for Point Lobos.
  More info: www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=571
• February 21 (Saturday) - Butano State Park (morning trip, lunch at Duarte’s, Pescadero)
  Butano State Park is located on the San Mateo Coast, off Highway One. Three miles northeast of the Gazos Creek Coastal Access Point by way of Gazos Creek Road, and about 4.5 miles southeast of Pescadero by way of the Pescadero and Cloverdale Roads.
  Butano offers beautiful views of an old-growth coastal redwood forests - spectacular green trees, gurgling brooks and trails that burrow into a remote, relatively untouched redwood forest. If the weather is wet, you can expect to see many species of mushrooms - if the winter is dry, it will still be beautiful.
  Lunch will also be beautiful and bountiful at Duarte’s Restaurant in the nearby village of Pescadero.
  If you wish to visit some exquisite local seascapes, go see Pescadero, Pebble Beach, Pompano, Ano Nuevo, Pigeon Point etc.
  More Butano info: www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=536
  More Duarte's info: www.duartestavern.com/
• OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST:
  
  • Vietnamese Spring Festival and Parade in downtown San Jose (Held Sunday, February 8.)
  • Santa Cruz Clam Chowder Cook-off at the Santa Cruz Wharf (Held Saturday, February 21, 10 a.m.)
  • Amgen Tour of California (bicycles) (Held Tuesday, February 17.)
  • San Jose Cycling Classic (Held Saturday, February 14 to Sunday, February 22.)
  • The Great San Francisco Crystal Fair at Fort Mason Center (Held Saturday, February 29 and Sunday, March 1.)

MARCH

• March 7 (Saturday) - Mission Santa Cruz/UC Santa Cruz Arboretum (morning trip)
  Located at 126 High Street in the city of Santa Cruz, (corner of Emmet and High streets) this mission was established on August 28, 1791. Mission Santa Cruz was known as "The Bad Luck Mission" because it suffered a flood, two strong earthquakes and an attack by pirates as well as looting and a murder by the locals. Many of the settlers who came to the mission were criminals, and often raided the mission's crops and antagonized the natives. In1818, the pirate Bouchard was spotted off the coast (news of his earlier attack on the Monterey Presidio preceded him), and along with the natives, the friars quickly retreated to Mission Santa Clara. Upon their return, they found the mission plundered - not by Bouchard - but by the pueblo residents, who helped themselves to everything of value.
  Mission Santa Cruz had the lowest population of all the California missions and the natives were strictly confined. Some of them behaved badly under strict regulation, and the situation eventually led to the murder of one of the padres (who was the subject of the first autopsy performed in California).
  In addition to the strife, earthquakes - in 1840 and 1857 - destroyed the mission church. In 1889 a white-washed brick church replaced it. In 1931 a small replica of the original mission church was built near the original site.
  Admission is free, with a suggested donation. Mission opens at 10 a.m. After the mission, we will go over to the beautiful campus of UC Santa Cruz and visit the UCSC Arboretum. The Arboretum occupies one of the most propitious horticultural sites in the world, with a climatic and topographic diversity for experimenting with almost every species that might be grown along the California coast between San Diego and Crescent City, and a diversity of soils that can scarcely be matched anywhere.
  Admission is $5 per person and is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
  More info about Mission Santa Cruz: www.geocities.com/missionbell/
  More info about UC Santa Cruz Arboretum: www2.ucsc.edu/arboretum/
• March 20-22 (Friday-Sunday) - Woodburn Tulip Festival near Portland, Oregon (Long-distance weekend)
  The Woodburn Tulip Festival takes place on the Wooden Shoe Farm (Iverson Farm) just outside of Woodburn, Oregon. According to Barb Iverson, "This is a festival that takes place in working tulip fields, in April... Make sure you don't wear your church clothes."
  The event started in 1983 when the family decided to open the fields up to the general public - the event grew and now attracts as many as 20,000 to 30,000 people at the April event. The festival normally starts at the end of March and runs through late April.
  If the tulips aren’t at peak then there are plenty of other attractions in the Portland area, including Multnomah Falls, the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Hood (be careful you can get snowed-in on the mountain) and, of course, the Portland metro area. Personally I would prefer to spend most of my time in the Portland area with a day-trip to Woodburn.
  If you want to visit the farm during peak bloom of specific flowers, use the "field report" tool on Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm's web site at: www.woodenshoe.com/fieldreport.html. The report is updated regularly and prior to the start of the event, you can see the progress of the different flowers and plants. (This field trip may not coincide with the peak of the flowers - if you are shooting for that time, then April is probably a better month.)
  More info: www.woodenshoe.com/springshow.html
• OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST:
  
  • Annual Monterey Dixieland Festival (Held Friday, March 6 to Sunday, March 8)
  • Pacific Orchid Exposition at Fort Mason Center, San Francisco (Held Thursday, March 5 to Sunday, March 8.)
  • St. Patrick’s Day Parade in San Francisco (Held mid-March)
  • San Francisco Flower and Garden Show at the Cow Palace (Held Wednesday, March 18 to Sunday, March 22.)

APRIL

• April 2-5 (Thursday - Sunday) - Death Valley National Park (Long-distance weekend)
  The Death Valley National Park trip continues to be one of the most popular events offered in the club’s field trip schedule. This year’s trip will be based in Lone Pine, California on the west side of the park. I would like to return to the charcoal kilns near Telescope Peak. Others may be interested in the spectacular views at Dante’s View or the early morning light at Zabriskie Point.
  Zabriskie is close to the Artist’s Palette and the Furnas Creek visitors’ center on the east side of the valley, both worthwhile side trips. To get to the morning light we’ll have to drive about 80 miles - that means a pre-dawn wake-up call. We haven’t visited the Eureka Dunes or attractions at the south end of the park yet - Devil’s Hole etc.
  Specific trip details will be discussed at a meeting to be held a few weeks prior to this trip. All participants are required to furnish their own transportation and lodging.
  Death Valley is approximately 450 miles from Milpitas and you can either take I-5 to Bakersfield and through the Mojave Desert or via Highway 395 east of the Sierras - in both cases it is at least an eight-hour drive.
  More info: www.nps.gov/deva/
• April 25 (Saturday) - Filoli (morning trip)
  Preserved by the National Trust for Historic Places, this Georgian revival style mansion was designed by California architect Willis Polk. The Filoli mansion is surrounded by a 16-acre formal garden and 600 acres of woodland. It is located just off Interstate 280 on the Peninsula, halfway to San Francisco.
  The admission cost is $12 per person, free if you are under 5 or a member of the National Trust for Historic Places. The grounds of this estate, one of the few remaining intact, are open to visitors from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. until the last tour at 2:30 p.m. Tours and docent-led nature hikes are available or you can wander aimlessly. The web site says that tripods are not allowed, but if you conceal a small one, you may be able to use it discreetly.
  Note: Filoli offers "Artist Tours" on Thursdays where tripods and easels are allowed - if you want to arrange for an artist tour, please Google Filoli and go to the web site. You’ll need to make arrangements almost two months in advance because the artist tours fill up fast.
  The estate, named Filoli, (a contraction of the family motto: "Fight, Love, Live") was shown on the opening credits of the 1980s hit-television show Dynasty and has served as a background for numerous other television shows and movies.
  Please join us for a beautiful day at this most meticulously groomed estate and formal garden. We will meet in Milpitas and get to the park before the 10 a.m. opening.
  Filoli is a 70-mile round trip drive from Milpitas.
  More info: www.filoli.org
• OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST:
  
  • Grand Nationals Rodeo at the San Francisco Cow Palace (Held Wednesday, April 1 to Sunday, April 5.)
  • Extraordinary Egg Hunt at Bear Mountain via Roaring Camp Railroads (Easter weekend - Easter is Sunday, April 12.)
  • Cherry Blossom Festival at Japan Town in San Francisco (Festival held the weekends of Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12 and Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19; parade is Sunday, April 19.)
  • Nikkei Matsuri San Jose Japan Town (Held on Sunday, April 26.)

MAY

• May 2 (Saturday) - Mt. Diablo State Park (early-morning trip)
  Mt. Diablo State Park is one of the most beautiful parks in the San Francisco Bay Area, known for its beautiful wildflowers, its extensive trail system, fascinating wildlife and distinctive rock formations, its 3,849 foot summit rises over nearby Walnut Creek and dominates the horizon of the East Bay region. The park offers something for visitors the year round, with hot and dry summers and a rainy season that extends from November through mid-March. Visitors in the winter occasionally experience a snowfall on the mountain peak.
  Those who go on this trip will probably have to meet prior to the trip and decide on what trails they wish to hike or whether they want to hike or just drive to the summit.
  More info: www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=517
• May 16 (Saturday) - Sunol Regional Park (morning trip)
  Little Yosemite is a scenic gorge on Alameda Creek about two miles upstream from the visitors’ center. Out past year’s trips have been delightful and this trip continues to be a favorite of club members. Fellow photogs have reported seeing Tule Elk at various places in this park and surely there will be wildflowers, green hills and plentiful flora and fauna. Last year we saw wild turkeys, turkey vultures, a host of other birds, numerous insects and a nice selection of wildflowers - there was even a herd of domestic bovine to chase around the pasture.
  Our group will gather at the park in the morning. Parking fee is $4. The park entrance is over the 680 "hump" near Sunol, California.
  The park headquarters near Little Yosemite is about a 35-mile round trip drive from Milpitas.
  More info: www.ebparks.org/parks/sunol
• OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST:
  
  • Cinco de Mayo Celebration and Parade in San Jose (May 5 is Tuesday - no information on parade as of yet.)
  • Bay to Breakers Run in San Francisco - starts in Financial District and ends at Foodstock in G. G. Park (Held Sunday, May 17.)
  • Civil War Battle and Encampment at Roaring Camp in Felton (Held Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24 - Memorial Day weekend.)
  • Milpitas Memorial Day Ceremony, Veterans’ Memorial Park (Held Monday, May 25 at 9 a.m.)
  • Maker’s Faire San Mateo County Fairgrounds (Held Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31.)
  • San Francisco Carnaval celebration and parade in the Mission district of San Francisco (Held Saturday, May23 and Sunday, May 24 - Memorial Day weekend.)
  • Sacramento Jazz Jubilee in Old Town (Held Friday, May22 through Monday, May 25.)
  • Watsonville Fly-in and Air Show (Held Memorial Day weekend May 22 to 24)
  • Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee, Angels Camp (Held in May.)
  • Santa Clara County Fair, San Jose - this event may be discontinued this year - check for details on the web. (Held in May.)

JUNE

• June 6 (Saturday) - Tilden Botanic Garden (midday trip)
  The Tilden Botanic Garden contains the world's most complete collection of California native plants, including rare and endangered species. Its visitor center offers tours and lectures throughout the year. The Botanic Garden offers accessible drinking and restroom facilities.
  The park is situated in a small canyon with trails that wind through collections representing the various ecosystems found in the state. Something is in bloom the year round, however spring and early summer tend to be the best times to visit. There is something interesting to see during all seasons. We can find dinner at a nearby East Bay city - Berkeley, Albany, etc.
  Park info: www.ebparks.org/parks/tilden
  Garden info: www.nativeplants.org
• June 20 (Saturday) - Chabot Space & Science Center (after-dark trip)
  The Chabot Space & Science Center has telescopes and a very interesting space museum and planetarium, but perhaps the most interesting are the "star parties" they host on the plaza near the telescope domes. Usually there are several amateur astronomers with their telescopes focused on interesting points in the heavens. Bay Area views from the observatory are also spectacular from its location high in the East Bay hills.
  General admission to the museum (including planetarium show) is $13 for adults and $10 for seniors over 65. Saturday museum hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  More info: www.chabotspace.org
• June 26-28 (Friday - Sunday) - California Gold Country/Sequoia National Park/Caverns (Long-distance weekend)
  California Gold Country stretches from Shasta County to the region northeast of the Los Angeles metro area. Our drive through history will probably begin in Nevada City, California and follow the historic Highway 49 into Mariposa County to the former southern gold camps. Some of the highlight include the former gold camp of Columbia at the Columbia State Historic Park, the Sequoia National Park with its 270-foot old-growth Sequoia giants, and possibly a cave tour at Crystal Cave in the Sequoia National Park.
  Participants will meet prior to this trip to plan a tentative itinerary.
  Gold Country info: www.calgold.org
  Columbia info: www.columbiacalifornia.com
  Giant Sequoia National Monument info: www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia/gsnm.html
  Sequoia National Park info: www.nps.gov/seki/
  Crystal Cave info: www.sequoiahistory.org/cave/cave.htm
• OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST:
  
  • Greek Festival San Jose (Usually held first weekend in June.)
  • San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Palace of Fine Arts (Held four weekends in June from June 6 to June 28.)
  • Union Street Festival, San Francisco (Held Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7 - first weekend in June.)
  • Italian Street Painting Festival in downtown San Rafael (Held Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14.)
  • Dia de Portugal Festival at San Jose History Park in Kelly Park (Probably held the weekend of June 13 and 14.)
  • Fiesta Filipina, San Francisco - Philippine Independence Day (Held in June.)
  • Accordion Festival and Main Squeeze Pageant at the Cannery near Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco (Held in June.)
  • Haight Street Fair, San Francisco (Held Sunday, June 14 - the second Sunday of June)
  • San Jose Gay Pride Celebration in downtown San Jose (Held Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14.)
  • Woodies on the Wharf in Santa Cruz (Held Saturday, June 27.)
  • San Francisco Lesbian, Gay Bisexual & Transgender Parade (Parade held Sunday, June 28.)
  • Alameda County Fair, Pleasanton (Held from June to July.)
  • Contra Costa County Fair, Antioch (Held in June.)
  • Sonoma-Marin County Fair, Petaluma (Held in June.)

JULY

• July 18 (Saturday) - Sunset Magazine garden tour (midday trip)
  Sunset Magazine is the premier resource for achieving the ultimate Western lifestyle - so states the company mission statement. Published monthly, Sunset features slick articles about upscale travel, food and garden and home improvements for its nearly five million readers.
  Located at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park, the handsome headquarters building features a meticulously-manicured garden in the back. Many of the photos used for the garden and lifestyle articles are taken in their very own garden. I have submitted a request for a tour and hope to add more details about any cost or other requirements. Stand by for more trip developments.
  More info: www.sunset.com/garden/landscaping-design/sunset-garden-tour-00400000015024/
• July 10 - 12 (Thursday - Sunday) - Zion Nat. Park/Bryce Canyon, etc. (Long-distance weekend)
  Zion National Park is one of the most beautiful parks in the country. Located in southwestern Utah, Zion is a short drive from Bryce Canyon National Park - another top location for scenery. Other parks in the region include Arches National Park, Grand Canyon, Capitol Reef National Park, Lake Powell National Recreation Area, Canyonlands National Park and the spectacular Escalante Wilderness and Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument.
  Those who wish to go will have to convene at a planning meeting well in advance of this trip. Because of the great number of attractions in the Zion area we’llhave to put our heads together and decide which ones we want to visit.
  Zion info: www.nps.gov/zion
  Bryce Canyon info: www.nps.gov/brca
• OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST:
  
  • Festival for Independence in downtown San Jose (Held Friday, July 3 to Sunday, July 5.)
  • Milpitas Fireworks Display (Held Saturday, July 4.)
  • Tahite Fete of San Jose - three day event of French Polynesian culture and Bastille Day, held at San Jose State University. (Held Friday, July 3 to Sunday, July 5.)
  • San Francisco Waterfront Festival - fireworks (Held Saturday, July 4)
  • Fillmore Jazz Festival in the Fillmore district of San Francisco (Held Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5.)
  • Hot San Jose Nights car show (Held Thursday, July 9 to Sunday, July 12.)
  • Obon Festival San Jose Japan Town (Held Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12.)
  • Gilroy Garlic Festival (Held Friday, July 24 to Sunday, July 26)
  • North Beach Jazz Festival San Francisco (Held Monday, July 20 to Monday, July 27, including 2 days of free jazz at Washington Square Park.)
  • Mime Troupe in the Park, at San Francisco Washington Square. (Held on weekends in July.)
  • Marin County Fair, San Rafael (Held from late June to July.)
  • Sonoma County Fair, Santa Rosa (Held from late July to August.)

AUGUST

• August 7 - 9 (Friday - Sunday) - California International Air Show, Salinas (morning trip - choose a day)
  The Salinas Air Show is one of the top air shows on the West Coast. Held at the Salinas Airport, south of town, you’ll thrill to the aerobatics of the US Navy Blue Angels. Treat yourself to the many interesting aircraft parked around the airfield - both military and private - and see the exhibits and watch all the strange people (there will be plenty of people).
  We can breakfast at the Big Bear Diner in Gilroy on the way down and caravan to the Salinas Airport. We have to decide which day is best for the trip - Saturday or Sunday. If you are interested in this trip, please let me know your preference.
  More info: www.salinasairshow.com
• Dates TBA - Mendocino-Gulala cabin (Long-distance weekend, reservations required)
  Although plans have yet to be finalized for this trip (date subject to change) you need to make your room reservations at the cabin in Gualala. Space is limited, so please let the trip planner know early (Trip planner was Brenda for last year’s trip). Generally some participants arrive at the cabin on Thursday or Friday and some participants come only for the weekend. (Weekenders may arrive later Friday night for a nice fire.)
  On Saturday night the group usually contributes to a community dinner night followed by ghost stories and s'mores by fire ring. I may bring a canoe for a trip up one of the beautiful rivers in the area. I’m thinking of the Gualala River for this particular outing.
  More info: www.geomendo.com
• August 22 (Saturday) - The new California Academy of Sciences (morning trip)
  Recently renovated, the California Academy of Sciences/Steinhart Aquarium has been a favorite attraction in Golden Gate Park for many years. Admission cost is about $25 per person. If we get to the park before 9 a.m., we can find available street parking, otherwise we’ll have to "rent" a space in the parking garage for $3 an hour.
  The facility combines a natural history museum with an aquarium. The most talked-about features are the coral reef and the "living roof."
  Other nearby attractions include the Japanese Tea Garden, the Asian Museum, the Strybing Arboretum and the Conservatory of Flowers. If you have the energy and a few sheckels left in your pockets, you could drop in at one of the other attractions. The group could also gather for lunch or dinner at a local Thai restaurant on nearby Haight Street.
  More info: www.calacademy.org
• OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST:
  
  • Monterey Scottish Games and Celtic Festival (Held Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2 - first weekend in August.)
  • Monterey Turkfest at the Custom House Plaza near the Monterey Wharf (Held the first weekend in August.)
  • San Francisco Nihonmachi Street Fair, Japan Town (Held in early August)
  • Comcast Jazz Festival in downtown SanJose (Held Friday, August 7 to Sunday, August 9.)
  • California State Fair at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento (Held mid-August through early September.)
  • Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca (Held Friday, August 14 to Sunday, August 16)
  • Pacific Grove Concours Auto Rally (Held in August.)
  • Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance (Held in August.)
  • Concorso Italiano in Monterey (Held in August.)
  • Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (Held Sunday, August 16.)
  • Aloha Celebrity Races & Polynesian Festival at the Santa Cruz Wharf (Held Sunday, August 16 - canoe races at 9 a.m. festival starts at 11 a.m.)
  • San Francisco Aloha Festival (Held in August.)
  • Polynesian Pride Festival, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco (Held in August.)
  • Burning Man 2009 in the Black Rock Desert north of Reno (Held Monday, August 31 to Monday, September 7.)
  • San Mateo County Fair & Floral Festival, San Mateo (Held in August)
  • Napa Town and County Fair, Napa (Held in August)
  • Nevada County Fair, Grass Valley (Held in August.)
  • Western States Horse Expo, Sacramento (Held in August.)

SEPTEMBER

• September 19 (Saturday) - Coyote Pt. Environmental Museum (midday trip)
  The Coyote Point Museum for Environmental Education is a learning center featuring wildlife exhibits, gardens and programs that relate to the global environment. Founded in 1954, the museum is one of the country’s foremost environmental institutions with its Environmental Hall, with natural history exhibits of the bay and its six distinct ecosystems; its gardens with California wildflowers including a hummingbird garden, butterfly habitat and an exhibit of plants used by California’s Native Americans. The musuem has a "zoo" with natural settings and 150 live animals indigenous to the Bay Area and a bird aviary with more than four-dozen indigenous species of birds.
  Located in Coyote Point Park at 1651 Coyote Point Drive in San Mateo is just off Highway 101 near San Francisco Bay. Admission is $7 per adult and $5 for seniors over age 62.
  More info: www.coyoteptmuseum.org
• OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST:
  
  • San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Golden Gate Park near Conservatory of Flowers(Held Saturdays and Sundays through September)
  • San Francisco Fringe Festival - theater for "open-minded" audiences (Held September 9 to September 20.)
  • The Great Reno Balloon Race in Reno, Nevada (Held Friday, September 11 to Sunday, September 13.)
  • The Virginia City Camel Races in Virginia City, Nevada (Usually coincides with the Reno Balloon Race weekend.)
  • Chocolate Festival at Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco (Held the second week of September)
  • Antique Autos in History Park at the San Jose History Park, Kelly Park (Mid-September)
  • Tapestry Arts Festival held in downtown San Jose (Held Saturday, September 5 to Sunday, September 6.)
  • Fiestas Patrias San Jose (Possibly held September 12 or 13)
  • San Jose International Mariachi Festival (Held Wednesday, September 23 to Sunday, September 27.)
  • Autumn Moon Festival/Dragon Boats San Francisco Chinatown(Held inSeptember - No information as of yet.)
  • Folsom Street Fair, San Francisco - leather, exhibitionists, etc. (Held Sunday, September 27.)
  • Renaissance Faire at Casa de Fruta (Held on weekends from September to October.)

OCTOBER

• October 10 (Saturday) - USS Hornet Musuem (morning trip)
  This former World War II aircraft carrier (Essex class) is now a floating museum at the former Alameda Naval Air Station on Alameda Island, across the estuary from Oakland. Several craft have carried the name Hornet, including its predecessor, a Coral Sea class carrier that was sunk at the Battle of Santa Cruz in October of 1942. Her replacement (Hornet - CV-12) saw 18 months of active battle in the Pacific Ocean before the surrender of Japan in 1945. The carrier was under heavy attack 59 times and participated in the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato.
  The ship opens daily from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and offers numerous tours (it is so large that you cannot tour it all at one time). Personally, I took the flight deck and superstructure tour, which was excellent. I will probably take the engine room tour next, but you can take whatever tour you wish or simply roam around the ship at your leisure. Adult admission price is $14 per person and $12 for seniors (age 65 and over). A special $12 group rate applies to groups of 15 or more persons - If you bring some friends let me know because we may be able to qualify for group rates.
  More info: www.uss-hornet.org
• October 17 (Saturday) - Locke, Sacramento River Delta (Full-day trip)
  Locke was founded in 1915 after the Chinese section of nearby Walnut Grove was burned to the ground by a "suspicious" fire - it was most likely set by the usual racist suspects. The Chinese, who were mostly laborors who built levees or worked in the fields, decided to establish a town of their own; and a new town was laid out by Chinese architects and became the town of Lockeport - later called Locke - behind the levee next to the Sacramento River. By 1920, Locke took its present-day form (It just had more paint on the buildings than it does today.) Locke is neither a tourist trap nor is it a ghost town, but a unique little piece of history that stubbornly clung to one of the river levees in the Delta. (Think of it as a smaller, more compact "Bodie" with people still living in the buildings.)There are many such odd little communities nearby - Isleton, Rio Vista, Walnut Grove, Ryde, etc. (We can check out other odd, local attractions such the Ryde Hotel and Foster’s Bighorn bar in Rio Vista - we may be there in time for the Bass Festival, held annually in October.)
  On August 2, 1970, Locke was added to the registry of the National Trust of Historic Places because of its unique status as the only town in the US built exclusively by Chinese for Chinese. Currently, there are about 90 persons who live in Locke. The Chinese population is down to about ten. There is a pretty good Chinese restaurant in Locke and other restaurants in nearby towns.
  For those who want to go on this trip, we should have a pre-trip meeting and come up with a tentative tour route and itinerary, because the roads in the Delta are like a maze. (One word of warning: If you take this driving tour be very careful because the two-lane roads can be quite hazardous and the local police make a business of giving tickets to tourists - most of these little towns have zero-tolerance policies as far as traffic regulations are concerned.)
  More Locke info: www.locketown.com
  More Delta info: www.sacdelta.com
• OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST:
  
  • Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, New Mexico (Held Friday, October 2 to Sunday, October 11)
  • Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in downtown San Jose (Held Sunday, October 4.)
  • Oktoberfest by the Bay, San Francisco at Ft. Mason Center (Held in early October.)
  • Red Bull Soapbox Race, San Francisco hill plunge on Deharo Street at Mariposa (Held in October.)
  • Fleet Week, San Francisco (Held Thursday, October 8 to Tuesday, October 13.)
  • Half Moon BayArt & Pumpkin Festival (Held Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18.)
  • Milpitas Spooktacular Halloween Event (Held Saturday, October 24.)
  • Haunt the Hollow at San Jose History Park in Kelly Park (Halloween time)
  • Spider Night at Santa Teresa County Park (Halloween time)
  • Halloween on the Castro was disbanded because of violence.

NOVEMBER

• November 14 (Saturday) - Rancho San Antonio County Park (morning trip)
  Rancho San Antonio County Park is one of the most popular parks in Santa Clara County. Because of that parking may be a challenge, but if you wait for a while, places usually open up. Rancho San Antonio is located just west of Los Altos Hills, right off Interstate 280.
  We can visit the Deer Hollow Farm and possibly take a beautiful hike through oak forests up to a ridge that overlooks the Bay Area. Deer Hollow Farm is an interpretative farm exhibit stocked with ducks, chickens, rabbits, goats, cattle and numerous other barnyard animals.
  Rancho San Antonio is a 40-mile round trip drive from Milpitas.
  More info: www.sccgov.org/portal/site/parks
• OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST:
  
  • Dia de los Muertos Procession in the Mission district of San Francisco (Probably to be held Sunday, November 1.)
  • San Jose Harvest Festival at the San Jose Convention Center(Held three days in late November.)
  • Milpitas Veterans’ Day Ceremony at Veterans’ Memorial Park (Held Wednesday, November 11 at 9 a.m.)
  • Macy’s Union Square Tree Lighting Ceremony, San Francisco (Held the day after Thanksgiving - Friday, November 27.)
  • Tree Lighting Ceremony at Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco (Held in November)

DECEMBER

• December 5 (estimate) - Heritage Holiday - Christmas at Kelley Park (noon to 6 p.m.)
  Kelley Park in San Jose has several attractions, including the San Jose History Park, Japanes e Friendship Garden and teahouse, Kelley Park Zoo and a community center and picnic facilities on its expansive grounds.
  We’ll begin at the San Jose History Park and view the buildings that were saved from the wrecking ball and relocated to the park. The park is decked out in its holiday finery every Christmas season. History San Jose offers interpretative, interactive exhibits involving volunteers in costumes, a trolly system, ice cream parlor, a replica of San Jose’s light tower and numerous historical exhibits and demonstrations in various buildings arranged in the style of a Victorian-era town. Photo opportinities should be numerous and if we have time we can explore other parts of the park or even have a picnic, if participants would like to bring food items.
  Kelley Park is about a 30-mile round trip drive from Milpitas.
  More info: www.historysanjose.org
• December 6 (estimate) - San Jose Holiday Parade (Early-morning start)
  The San Jose Holiday Parade is one of the largest Christmas parades in the United States and rated among the top 25 parades in the nation. It includes large animated balloons and numerous marching bands competing for prizes. Local celebs and politicians also climb into convertibles and grin for the crowd. The parade ends at the reviewing stand at Plaza Park - the location of San Jose’s Christmas In the Park.
  The parade began in 1981 with one Santa Claus in a sleigh opening Christmas in the Park festivities, the next year it became the Christmas In the Park parade and became much larger over the years.
  Since the parade begins early, our group should come early to downtown San Jose and meet for breakfast before the 8:30 a.m. start of the parade. (Parade assembly closes at 8 a.m. - most of you should be aware that this is the best time to take pictures.) After the parade we can stroll through Christmas In the Park and get in the mood for the coming holiday season.
  More San Jose info: www.sanjoseholidayparade.com
  More Christmas in the Park info: www.christmasinthepark.com
• OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST:
  
  • San Jose Christmas in the Park (Held from November 27 to January 1.)
  • Dickens Christmas Fair at the Cow Palace in San Francisco (Held in early December.)
  • Holiday Festival of Lights at San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf (From late November to December 31)
  • Milpitas Tree Lighting Ceremony (Held in Early December.)
  • Milpitas Breakfast with Santa at the Community Center (Held Saturday, December 5.)