CalActive.com Activities Blog

Thank heavens for all the surfers, beachgoers, environmentalists, and other concerned individuals and organizations for standing up and being counted, for it is thanks to them, the Californian Coastal Act and brilliant organizations such as Surfrider, that Trestles and the San Mateo campground in San Diego county have been saved from destruction by the proposed 241 toll road extension, following what was referred to as a “David vs. Goliath” battle.

According to Surfrider’s Save Trestles website, surfers across the country were asked in a recent poll which surf spot they would most like to have in their own back yard. Over a quarter of those who responded said that they would choose Lower Trestles – just behind Australia’s Snapper Rocks and ahead of such legendary breaks as Pipeline and Macaroni’s. Yip, it’s that good! Check out the Save Trestles blog for all the latest news including a very thoughtprovoking article on the 10 reasons why the Foothill South Toll road extension failed.

Some of you may remember the big swell that came through SoCal last April – here are some snaps that I took, thinking that maybe it would be one of the last chances I would get. I am so very thankful that this is not the case.

I took advantage of an absolutley gorgeous Saturday afternoon this past weekend and ventured out for some Stand Up Paddle Surfing. My first attempt at this sport was a couple weeks ago where I was forced to learn amongst the choppy waters during a extremely gusty day. Not recommended. I was so frustrated that I couldn’t paddle consistently and vowed I would never do it again. For all those who have had a similar experience, DON’T GIVE UP! Second time around was much better.

I departed from an enclosed beach within the Dana Point Harbor where the conditions were perfect. May I add, a great place to depart from beacuse you get to look at the cool boats and yachts as you paddle out of the jetty. This spot is a good start for beginners, but for those wanting a little more adventure, I discovered another cool blog where you can find some fun spots to paddle surf, or anything else you want to know about this sport. A new favorite of mine, this site has inspired me to head down to San Onofre this weekend and surf the ‘Dog Patch.’ Thanks for the information John!

Take a break from getting radical and hang with Thor as he and friends impart musical mischief and poetic pandering on your hot sweet booties.

Inevitably, each year we have the pleasure of turning another year older. Lucky me, I turned 30 last Friday. While I’ve always yearned for a weekend of wine tasting, I haven’t been fortunate enough until last weekend. For a birthday surprise, my boyfriend spoiled me with a week of wine tasting in Napa Valley and a private limo to tour us around (may I add, the best way to go!).

The Napa region tends to grow some of the greatest grapes that produce the finest wines. How nice to have the option of visiting wineries in this renowned winegrowing region. My favorites are Cakebread Cellars, Robert Mondavi and Mumm Napa (great for the bubbly connoisseurs). At each winery “the pourer” led a little 101 training about how to wine taste starting with the basics – look, smell and taste. Expand from their and you’ll be tasting like the pros in no time. With wine tasting comes wine pairing. Choosing a wine, pulling the cork and exercising arm to mouth with full glass in hand comes quite easy to me, but knowing how to pair wine with foods, well….not so much. I’ve been told from the “wine experts” (a.k.a my sisters) that white wine should be paired with fish, red with beef and the sweet wines are to be enjoyed with dessert. If I shall fall out of bounds from any of those categories, the wine police may track me down. My Napa wine tasting 101 taught me the best rule of thumb is to go for flavors that complement each other. My advice…stay open minded and taste frequently! It will make for a fabulous day.

Water is somehow always a lucid metaphor for a simple understanding of life’s many introspective experiences and moments. Like the mountain stream that always flows towards the sea, the movement of aqua is form and direction for sustaining an acute emotional meaning into the domino of nuances that compose our experiences.

Today I showed a young woman how to surf for the first time.

The cold refreshing sea water, the thrill of the rides, the newness and exoticism of it all was an awakening. We began to talk about our lives, our decisions, and living with them. The brilliant clear water made a much needed window into the divergent paths from which our lives were now intersecting. As the waves washed us over we shared a moment of lucidity. It was understood that just for this brief moment away from land, we were both free from the trappings of things and people from which our spirits yearned to escape, but from which our rationalities would never allow. However, this freedom also made us more aware of the prisons we have designed for ourselves in forced relationships, cages we’d become so resigned to we hardly notice the bars.

After smiles we departed. But the water in our ears and the sand between our toes always lingers a while longer, subtle reminders of those brief moments of shared solemn clarity; And perhaps a new compass by which to navigate the unriden waves of the future.

Tomorrow, February 6, 2008, The California Coastal Commission will have a hearing for arguments for and against the proposal for a six land toll road that would eliminate 60% of the state park. In 1971, President Ronald Regan set aside this land specifically for recreational use and to be preserved FOREVER!!!

The Coastal Commission hearing is the last chance to stop the Toll Road through San Onofre State Park. Many argue the Toll Road will relieve traffic congestion, the park will continue to operate the same as it does today, there will be no cost to the taxpayer, and this plan is an “environmentally friendly” alternative. Personally, those arguments are BS!! I wonder how a transportation project can be “environmentally friendly” when it’s about to plow through a 16 mile stretch of undeveloped and protected space and degrade all outdoor fun within the park. In a recent poll, San Onofre is a surf spot that most would love to have in their own backyard. We want this land to be preserved forever as open space and for future generations to enjoy it as much as we have.

Surfrider Foundation will be webcasting for those who want to stay updated throughout the day. If you can’t participate in the day’s events, you can take action by sending a letter to the Commissioners asking them to Save Trestles and San Onofre by clicking here. Your voice counts!

SAVE TRESTLES!!

I watched my first Superbowl yesterday (last year I took advantage of the fact that I was going to be the one of the very few people in America not watching the game and so went snowboarding instead - had the slopes all to myself. Brilliant) and what an experience it was. I showed my absolute ignorance of all things Superbowl on Friday evening when I told a friend that I wasn’t bothered about watching because of all the ad breaks: he swiftly pointed out that that was The Point and so I decided to keep an open mind and see what it was all about. Myself and a few friends watched at a local bar and although I really didn’t (and still don’t) have much of a clue about what exactly was going on, I did get swept up in the excitement and found myself whooping enthusiastically, especially in the last few minutes - what a disappointment for the blue guys though, after such a great unbeaten run. Or was that the white jerseys? Hmm. I was intrigued by how slowly the clock ticked: when there were only 3 minutes left, I decided to hang on going to the loo as I didn’t want to miss the final whistle, and then half an hour later when I saw that there were still 2 minutes and 36 seconds left, I decided to take the chance. What I found even more interesting though is the fact that whilst the folk in the bar would chat and eat and drink while the ball was live, you could have heard a pin drop the second an ad came on: everyone stopped talking instantaneously and had their eyes glued on the screen. And although I heard a few people say that they thought the ads were better in previous years, I still really enjoyed them, in particular the Budweiser dog and pony (which took USA Today’s top Admeter spot), even more so when I watched a video of the inspiration for the ad on another blog . Thanks guys - very funny indeed.

Man it’s shaping up to be an epic ski season in California! It’s only February and Mammoth already has a 100″ base, with more dumping! This is what I love about California. In a mere 5 hours you can drive from sunny SoCal to the Sierras where there’s some of the highest snowfall accumulation in these here United States. Whoa! You might even start with a surf or a kayak before hitting the slopes. How cool. And what else do I love about Mammoth? Let me recite the many things. First, the drive. While tedious, it’s also mind expanding as you travel the eastern Sierras through the Owens Valley. It’s vast and open and beautiful, with the mighty Sierras on one side, and the impressive White Mountains on the other. You’ll pass the true cowboy towns of Olancha (gateway to Death Valley), Lone Pine (gateway to Mt. Whitney), Independence (home to the ignominious Manzanar Japanese internment camp from WWII), Big Pine (gateway to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to the oldest living things on Planet Earth - a 4,000 year-old tree??? Come on), Bishop (home to crazy wilderness outback mountaineers), and finally Mammoth, home of the the LA powder cowboys. How does Mammoth stack up against world class mountains like Vail, Aspen, Park City, Jackson Hole and Whistler? Well, it may not have the light, fluffy powder of Utah, or the swanky private jets of Aspen, or the sheer size of Vail, or the steeps of Jackson, but it has more annual snowfall than any of them, more sunny California days, more ski days (usually staying open through June and sometimes July), less crowds (see 5 hour drive), a gracious layout that allows you to traverse the mountain without skiing the same run twice, modest pricing, cheap accommodations, lots of high speed lifts, and, oh yes, thermal hot springs that are free (if you know where to look). They can be the highlight of your holiday. Imagine skiing all day, getting that major thigh burn, then driving 20 minutes into the Owens Valley where you will discover a perfect tub in the wilderness with 110 degree mineral water for soaking those tires bones. You’ll have a 360 degree view of the Sierras and Whites just as the sun drops behind them. Ahhh. Life is good!

I was telling my colleagues about the Tomato Festival that goes on in Bunol, Spain, each year and was wondering how something like that would go down in a town like Laguna Beach. Bunol is situated only 30 kilometers inland from the Mediterranean Sea, and well-connected by motorway and rail to Madrid and Valencia, and each year this charming town erupts into a fiery blaze of tomato-hurling on the last Wednesday of every August. Can you imagine Laguna’s powers that be allowing something like that to happen in our neat and orderly town? I take enjoyment out of reading the weekly police blotter in the town’s papers, just to see how ‘disorderly’ the inhabitants have been over the previous 7 days - I kid you not: one report actually documented someone calling the police to report a ‘large hummingbird, flying aggressively around his/her apartment’. Compare this to the pippy mania documented in this blog that I stumbled upon - thanks Brian and Louise.

Apparently ‘La Tomatina’ (as the festival is called) started during the forties when a bunch of bu