tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63872011647486690362024-03-18T21:07:40.901-07:00Our escapades!Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-21958858225630057222013-06-26T11:30:00.001-07:002013-06-26T11:30:49.941-07:00New Blog, New Look & Feel, New Content<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We are excited to announce that Our Escapades now has a new home, new look & feel and new content.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please check out <a href="http://www.ourescapades.com/">http://www.ourescapades.com/</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Contents from this blog will be moved to the new blog soon!</span></span></div>
Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-80405326200729430522012-09-22T23:30:00.000-07:002012-10-29T23:36:40.611-07:00Vasona Lake County Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cd40c122cc7a79660&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.250554,-121.967812&spn=0.095649,0.145912&z=12&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cd40c122cc7a79660&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.250554,-121.967812&spn=0.095649,0.145912&z=12&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Vasona Lake County Park - September 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Lake</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Biking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hiking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Boating</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Fishing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Canadian
Geese</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Playground
for kids</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">$6/car
parking fee</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Several
parking lots in the park and ample parking space</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Restrooms
at several places in the park</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Boat
rentals are $10 for 30 minutes and $15 for 60 minutes; Credit cards accepted</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No
swimming permitted in the lake</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Several BBQ pits and picnic benches in the park</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On a
warm Saturday afternoon, a bunch of us went to the Vasona Lake County Park. As
we were driving on CA 17 freeway, we saw glimpses of the beautiful lake to the
right, glittering in the sunlight. After paying at the park entrance, we drove
past the playground area for kids and parked the car in the parking lot next to
the lake. There are multiple parking lots inside the Vasona Lake County Park.</span></div><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PxeajJV_b10/UI9yJAc_f5I/AAAAAAAAKeY/9l2TyiMhgMg/s1600/Vasona+Lake+00.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PxeajJV_b10/UI9yJAc_f5I/AAAAAAAAKeY/9l2TyiMhgMg/s400/Vasona+Lake+00.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vasona Lake, with the iconic bridge</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There
is a kayak rental place just next to the parking lot and the undisturbed lake
was just so beautiful that we couldn’t resist the temptation to kayak on the
lake. A small island in one corner of the lake is home to several birds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There
are several picnic benches and BBQ pits in the park and the meadows are ideal
to relax while enjoying the peaceful lake. The popular Los Gatos Creek Trail
runs along the Vasona Lake and one can also walk on the iconic red bridge that
runs across the lake. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-REcgHuM11O4/UI9yJul3fEI/AAAAAAAAKeo/MvMNsXq5ydI/s1600/Vasona+Lake+Canadian+Geese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-REcgHuM11O4/UI9yJul3fEI/AAAAAAAAKeo/MvMNsXq5ydI/s400/Vasona+Lake+Canadian+Geese.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Creek with Canadian Geese</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
walked from the kayak rental place to the Oak Meadow Park, which took us about
15minutes. On the way, we stopped at the Creek Lot, where the water is so
shallow that one can jump into the water to get his/her feet wet. Several kids
were playing around in the creek and all of us jumped into the creek, which was
occupied by a gaggle of Canadian geese. It was so much fun!</span></div><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RGh9I7bJlJs/UI9yKPPIcpI/AAAAAAAAKew/NTXp9UBFtZk/s1600/Vasona+Lake+Train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RGh9I7bJlJs/UI9yKPPIcpI/AAAAAAAAKew/NTXp9UBFtZk/s400/Vasona+Lake+Train.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Billy Jones Train</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">After
playing in the creek for a few minutes, we continued walking to the Billy Jones
Train Station of the Oak Meadow Park and took the 10min train ride around the
park. There is also a carousel right next to the train ticket booth. We snacked
on one of the picnic benches nearby, relaxed on the green meadows and called it
a day.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tips<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Park
the car in one of the parks, either Vasona or Oak Meadow and you can walk to
the other one. Separate parking fee for both the parks</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Christmas
lights are put up in Vasona from the end of November to the end of December.
Click <a href="http://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/Pages/Welcome-to-Santa-Clara-County-Parks.aspx" target="_blank">here</a> for more information</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Useful
Resources<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/Maps%20Here/Pages/Vasona-and-Los-Gatos-Creek-County-Parks.aspx" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Official Website</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/vasona-lake-county-park-los-gatos" target="_blank">Yelp Reviews</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nearby
Locations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.sjparks.org/Trails/LosGatos/LosGatos.asp" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Los Gatos Creek Trail</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.losgatosca.gov/index.aspx?NID=910" target="_blank">Oak Meadow Park</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Vasona Reservoir, Los Gatos, CA, USA37.2438075 -121.969350937.231167 -121.98909189999999 37.256448000000006 -121.9496099tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-49282402422978411262012-09-21T23:30:00.000-07:002012-10-22T21:07:37.944-07:00Stanford Dish<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004ccb1bd923002034b2&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.414346,-122.13089&spn=0.190882,0.291824&z=11&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004ccb1bd923002034b2&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.414346,-122.13089&spn=0.190882,0.291824&z=11&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Stanford Dish - September 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hiking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of the Bay Area, Dumbarton Bridge</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Wildlife - Squirrels, Lizards</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
admission</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No
restrooms</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No
biking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No
dedicated parking space</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I
had been planning to hike the Stanford Dish for a very long time and jumped up
and down merrily when a meeting invite that read “Annual Company Hike –
Stanford Dish” came to my calendar. Believe it or not, I was on the fence until
30minutes before everyone stepped out to carpool to the Dish. I knew that the
trail is not shaded and I did not really want to hike in the hot sun and get
burnt. But, as I know “me”, I came prepared with my sunscreen lotion, cap and
comfortable clothing and on the whim decided to join the group.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Stanford
Dish Trail</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Length:</b>
3.5 miles; <b>Elevation:</b> 515 feet; <b>Time:</b> 1.5 hours; <b>Difficulty:</b> Easy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There
are a few entrances to the park; we parked at the intersection of Junipero
Serra Blvd and Stanford Ave. There is no dedicated parking lot, so one needs to
find parking on the streets. Several streets have permit parking, so unless you
want to get your car towed you do not want to park there. Parking is really a devil
of a job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tAm_UDPrSHY/UIYVzrygGuI/AAAAAAAAKeA/VjWWOPESpgo/s1600/Stanford+Dish+Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tAm_UDPrSHY/UIYVzrygGuI/AAAAAAAAKeA/VjWWOPESpgo/s400/Stanford+Dish+Trail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stanford Dish trailhead</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
trail started with a fairly steep and continuous ascend for a while and in a
few minutes we were at an elevation, looking at the beautiful Bay Area. It so happened
this was the day that the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/events/2012/9.20.12_Shuttle_Endeavour.html" target="_blank">Endeavor Space Shuttle</a> was flying over the Bay Area
to Los Angeles. At exactly 10.30am, we saw the space shuttle flying all the way
from Redwood City to the south.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EddQSDEVQtE/UIYVyvg6QXI/AAAAAAAAKdg/iSGcjIZtkV0/s1600/Stanford+Dish+Endeavor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EddQSDEVQtE/UIYVyvg6QXI/AAAAAAAAKdg/iSGcjIZtkV0/s400/Stanford+Dish+Endeavor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hazy View of Endeavor Space Shuttle</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">After
watching the space shuttle fly by, all of us in the group started together and
eventually everyone got split up into smaller groups. The trail soon split into
two and we took the one to the left. After the first steep ascend, the trail
was so gradually ascending that I hardly noticed. I was so keen on looking
around and trying to identify landmarks that I knew and taking pictures. The
Dumbarton Bridge was clearly visible from the trail. I even captured a hazy
view of the iconic Oracle buildings in Redwood City.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKN9PhUzic4/UIYVzjK5ceI/AAAAAAAAKd0/xAOEBeYng28/s1600/Stanford+Dish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKN9PhUzic4/UIYVzjK5ceI/AAAAAAAAKd0/xAOEBeYng28/s400/Stanford+Dish.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stanford Dish</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
trail is mostly barren and not rich in wildlife. However, there were lots of
squirrels running around everywhere. The Dish could also be seen from several
points in the trail.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After
crossing the Dish, the trail gradually descended. I thought I almost reached
the parking lot and thought that the hike was a cake walk. Oh boy, I was wrong.
The last leg of the trail was exactly when the fun began. The trail alternately
ascended and descended and made me palpitating. At the end of the hike, I
thought it was a decent workout.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ur8ckrq5SCQ/UIYVytqMFNI/AAAAAAAAKdo/mQxOub8_NQI/s1600/Stanford+Dish+Trail+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="327" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ur8ckrq5SCQ/UIYVytqMFNI/AAAAAAAAKdo/mQxOub8_NQI/s400/Stanford+Dish+Trail+02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last leg of the trail</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Tips</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Not
a summer hike because the trail is not shaded at all</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Useful Resources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://dish.stanford.edu/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Official Website</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-dish-stanford-foothills-palo-alto" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Yelp Reviews</a></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Nearby Locations</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/04/rancho-san-antonio-open-space-preserve.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve</a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/02/big-basin-redwoods-state-park.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Big Basin Redwoods State Park</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.openspace.org/preserves/pr_thornewood.asp" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thornewood Open Space Preserve</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.openspace.org/preserves/pr_la_honda.asp" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.openspace.org/preserves/pr_windy_hill.asp" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Windy Hill Open Space Preserve</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.pvranch.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Portola Valley Ranch</span></a></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0The Dish, Stanford Dish Hiking Trail, CA 94305, USA37.4085637 -122.179598837.3959507 -122.19933979999999 37.421176700000004 -122.1598578tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-44925643293894393452012-09-15T23:30:00.000-07:002012-10-18T10:42:20.408-07:00San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cc456b2c10d0c639d&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.782655,-122.391815&spn=0.189939,0.291824&z=11&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cc456b2c10d0c639d&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.782655,-122.391815&spn=0.189939,0.291824&z=11&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival - September 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Annual
Dragon Boat Racing in Clipper Cove of Treasure Island</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Lots
of fun activities for families and kids</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">More
Info<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
parking in Treasure Island</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
shuttles from a few places in San Francisco. Click </span><a href="http://www.sfdragonboat.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45&Itemid=59" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> for more information</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
admission</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Click </span><a href="http://www.sfdragonboat.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=88&Itemid=87" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> to see the schedule
of events </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">On a
bright Saturday morning in September, we started on our way to San Francisco to
watch the annual international dragon boat festival in the Treasure Island.
This was also the day we learned our lesson to not drive to the city during
such occasions. It took us 3 hours to drive to the Treasure Island and by the
time we reached the place and found parking, we were worn out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Luckily,
the bright day with the beautiful view of the Bay Bridge and the San Francisco
downtown brought us back to life. This was our first time visiting the Treasure
Island and we were captivated by the view of the downtown that one could
capture from this artificial man-made island. It is certainly an apt place to
come during twilight to see the beautiful city lights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZC_n_nCMGgY/UH-bS_UilUI/AAAAAAAAKdM/5OBHynbN_q8/s1600/San+Franscisco+Downtown+From+Treasure+Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZC_n_nCMGgY/UH-bS_UilUI/AAAAAAAAKdM/5OBHynbN_q8/s400/San+Franscisco+Downtown+From+Treasure+Island.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of San Francisco downtown and Bay Bridge from Treasure Island</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
found parking a few blocks away from the Clipper Cove, where the festival was
held. The place was thronged with folks, primarily college kids waiting for
their turn to participate in the boat race. There are plenty of rocks by the
shore, where one can sit and watch as the teams race. It was reminiscent of my
school and college days when you are cheering the participants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yOf7vWNd6CA/UH-bLpBc5FI/AAAAAAAAKdA/TqwjthQrPMs/s1600/Dragon+boat+festival+Treasure+Island+San+Francisco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yOf7vWNd6CA/UH-bLpBc5FI/AAAAAAAAKdA/TqwjthQrPMs/s400/Dragon+boat+festival+Treasure+Island+San+Francisco.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boat Race in Clipper Cove</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
then walked around to see all the festival booths and food vendors lined up.
There are other fun activities planned for the two-day festival and you can
check out the schedule </span><a href="http://www.sfdragonboat.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=88&Itemid=87" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
spent a few hours here and returned home. We felt it was more of a onetime thing,
the festival would not draw us to attend it the following year.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Tips<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Take the public transportation to the festival</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Useful Resources<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.sfdragonboat.com/" target="_blank">Official Website</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/san-francisco-international-dragon-boat-festival-san-francisco" target="_blank">Yelp Reviews</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
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</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Nearby Locations</b></span></div>
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/05/fort-funston-national-park.html" target="_blank">Fort Funston National Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/04/lands-end.html" target="_blank">Lands End</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/01/muir-woods-and-scenic-viewpoint-of.html" target="_blank">Muir Woods</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/08/muir-beach.html" target="_blank">Muir Beach</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/08/angel-island.html" target="_blank">Angel Island</a></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA, USA37.8229361 -122.370261137.8103936 -122.39000209999999 37.8354786 -122.3505201tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-31385341887249808312012-09-03T23:30:00.000-07:002012-10-10T22:56:31.001-07:00Point Arena Lighthouse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cbc168e28c7c7d64d&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=38.950598,-123.700562&spn=0.093449,0.145912&z=12&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cbc168e28c7c7d64d&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=38.950598,-123.700562&spn=0.093449,0.145912&z=12&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Point Arena Lighthouse - September 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Point
Arena lighthouse (115 feet)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Punchbowl, Manchester State Beach and Mendocino coastline from the top of the lighthouse</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Coastal
trails on Lighthouse Road (a little away from the lighthouse)</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
car parking in the lighthouse grounds</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
tallest lighthouse on the Pacific Coast where one can climb to the top; Fee is
$7.50/adult</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Guided
and self-guided tours available</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Check
out the lighthouse hours <a href="http://www.pointarenalighthouse.com/default.html" target="_blank">here</a> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gift
shop near the lighthouse</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">After
spending the long Labor Day weekend in Mendocino and Fort Bragg, we decided to
stop at Point Arena lighthouse while returning to the Bay Area. The
lighthouse is located to the south of Mendocino and can be reached within an
hour’s drive from Mendocino. Point Arena is the tallest lighthouse in
California, where one can actually climb to the top! Although I wonder why
<a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/03/beaches-in-south-of-half-moon-bay.html" target="_blank">Pigeon Point lighthouse</a>, which is of same height as Point Arena is considered
to be the tallest in California. The Pigeon Point lighthouse has been closed to the public since December 2001.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Unfortunately,
the day was overcast when we started in the morning, but we still adhered to our plan to go to the lighthouse hoping the fog would clear up. The weather
website claimed it to be a warm and sunny day and undoubtedly it was wrong, so wrong! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The drive from Mendocino to Point Arena was amazing. The roads were not as coiling as I expected and the views of the ocean were unsurpassable. We specifically remember driving on the road that offered a fantastic view of the serene Navarro River from an elevation. We pulled over to capture a quick picture and we on our way to Point Arena.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gr-q8qyBBWY/UHZZbhraX-I/AAAAAAAAKcI/rOmvZbt4s4Q/s1600/Mendocino+to+Point+Arena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gr-q8qyBBWY/UHZZbhraX-I/AAAAAAAAKcI/rOmvZbt4s4Q/s400/Mendocino+to+Point+Arena.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Navarro River</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Ideally,
I think one can see the beautiful white lighthouse as soon as you take the
Lighthouse Road, which splits from CA1. The foggy weather did not reveal the
lighthouse, no matter how hard we tried to find the 115 feet tall structure. As
we approached the lighthouse grounds, we saw the beautiful white lighthouse
emerging from the fog.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KZpXX5U5LVE/UHZZceBwQLI/AAAAAAAAKcQ/YpOefLgjhic/s1600/Point+Arena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KZpXX5U5LVE/UHZZceBwQLI/AAAAAAAAKcQ/YpOefLgjhic/s320/Point+Arena.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Point Arena Lighthouse</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
went inside the gift shop that sold souvenirs, sweaters, jewelry made of
abalone, etc. And needless to say, they were pricey. We badly wanted to go up
to the lighthouse, but knew it would be waste of money ($7.50/adult) and time given the bad
weather. On a bright day, I can bet that the view from the top would blow one’s
mind.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ciSi2G7DHY/UHZcbXQXoXI/AAAAAAAAKcs/OoYaUU6pKMQ/s1600/Grotto+Point+Arena+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ciSi2G7DHY/UHZcbXQXoXI/AAAAAAAAKcs/OoYaUU6pKMQ/s400/Grotto+Point+Arena+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View from the coastal trail</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We waited here for a while and there was still no luck
with the fogs clearing up. While returning via the Lighthouse Road, there was a
spot where several cars were parked on one corner and we noticed folks walking
on the rocks along the coast. We followed suit and were so glad we did it.
There was a plethora of grottos in the ocean and several places where one can
walk on those grottos. Simply beautiful! We continued on the trail for a bit
and noticed a farm at a distance where cows were grazing. This place is marked on the map in this blog post.</span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EDC3MRq6uk4/UHZZbsRhqtI/AAAAAAAAKcA/B9ZteH30Joo/s1600/Grotto+Point+Arena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EDC3MRq6uk4/UHZZbsRhqtI/AAAAAAAAKcA/B9ZteH30Joo/s400/Grotto+Point+Arena.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of natural grottos</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
would certainly love to return to Point Arena lighthouse on a clear day to
enjoy the breathtaking views from the top.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Tips</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Excellent
vantage point to see whales migrating between December and March</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Useful Resources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.pointarenalighthouse.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Official Website</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/point-arena-light-station-point-arena#query:point%20arena%20lighthouse" target="_blank">Yelp Reviews</a></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Nearby Locations</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/noyo-harbor.html" target="_blank">Noyo Harbor</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/mackerricher-state-park.html" target="_blank">MacKerricher State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/pomo-bluffs-park.html" target="_blank">Pomo Bluffs Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/mendocino-bay-overlook.html" target="_blank">Mendocino Bay Overlook</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/jug-handle-state-reserve.html" target="_blank">Jug Handle State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/point-cabrillo-light-station.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Point Cabrillo Light Station</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/glass-beach.html" target="_blank">Glass Beach</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=444" target="_blank">Casper Headlands State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/mendocino-headlands-state-park.html" target="_blank">Mendocino Headlands State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocinofun.com/big-river/" target="_blank">Big River Beach</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/russian-gulch-state-park.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Russian Gulch State Park</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=437" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Manchester State Beach</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Point Arena Lighthouse and Museum, 45500 Lighthouse Rd, Point Arena, CA 95468, USA38.9540851 -123.739778238.9293736 -123.77926020000001 38.9787966 -123.7002962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-75379396179892487062012-09-02T23:00:00.000-07:002012-10-08T18:11:01.197-07:00Russian Gulch State Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cb83a0b949837cb55&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.316769,-123.793945&spn=0.046482,0.072956&z=13&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cb83a0b949837cb55&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.316769,-123.793945&spn=0.046482,0.072956&z=13&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Russian Gulch State Park - September 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hiking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Pacific Ocean</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Devil’s
Punchbowl</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Waterfalls</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">$8/car
parking fee</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Multiple
parking spaces in the park</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As
soon as we entered the park entrance, we took the trail to the first right and
started walking on the trail surrounded by redwood and other tall trees. There
are several places along the trail that offer a magnificent view of the bridge
about the Russian River and several natural hole-in-the-rock formations. The
waters displayed a deep green color. There were several picnic benches and BBQ
pits along the trail.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uhcyj1ze2c8/UHJNRwo_JqI/AAAAAAAAKbU/81g2OUktkmE/s1600/Russian+Gulch+Bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uhcyj1ze2c8/UHJNRwo_JqI/AAAAAAAAKbU/81g2OUktkmE/s400/Russian+Gulch+Bridge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bridge above Russian River</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
continued walking until we reached the thing that I so desperately wanted to
see – Devil’s Punchbowl. The 100 foot diameter Punchbowl was formed by the formation
of a natural tunnel from the ocean. The view of the fierce waters making its
way through the tunnel into the Punchbowl was both freaky and fascinating. Ropes
and poles have been placed along the circumference for safety. We walked
around the Punchbowl and continued walking on the trail along the ocean. The
trails are not well marked and parts of the trail are narrow and have tall dry
shrubs on either sides.</span></div><br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R4pKBbJ0tfw/UHJNR3RoZCI/AAAAAAAAKbY/4PUr78w8nCU/s1600/Russian+Gulch+Devils+Punchbowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R4pKBbJ0tfw/UHJNR3RoZCI/AAAAAAAAKbY/4PUr78w8nCU/s400/Russian+Gulch+Devils+Punchbowl.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Devil's Punchbowl</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
Russian Gulch State Park also has a beautiful waterfall that one can hike to.
We were completely enervated after the long day and the park was going to close
in 30 minutes. Hence, continued on the trail to return to the parking lot.</span></div><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cb1WEgngk2U/UHJNRz31DjI/AAAAAAAAKbc/X6gxtFmOzxk/s1600/Russian+Gulch+Hole-in-the-Rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cb1WEgngk2U/UHJNRz31DjI/AAAAAAAAKbc/X6gxtFmOzxk/s400/Russian+Gulch+Hole-in-the-Rock.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Natural hole-in-the-rock formations</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Useful Resources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=432" target="_blank">Official Website</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/russian-gulch-state-park-mendocino" target="_blank">Yelp Reviews</a></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Nearby Locations</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/noyo-harbor.html" target="_blank">Noyo Harbor</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/mackerricher-state-park.html" target="_blank">MacKerricher State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/pomo-bluffs-park.html" target="_blank">Pomo Bluffs Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/mendocino-bay-overlook.html" target="_blank">Mendocino Bay Overlook</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/jug-handle-state-reserve.html" target="_blank">Jug Handle State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/point-cabrillo-light-station.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Point Cabrillo Light Station</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/glass-beach.html" target="_blank">Glass Beach</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=444" target="_blank">Casper Headlands State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/mendocino-headlands-state-park.html" target="_blank">Mendocino Headlands State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocinofun.com/big-river/" target="_blank">Big River Beach</a></span></li>
</ul>
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Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Russian Gulch State Park, Mendocino, CA 95460, USA39.3310732 -123.780105839.3065092 -123.81958780000001 39.3556372 -123.7406238tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-30229920020390574002012-09-02T22:30:00.000-07:002012-10-08T10:05:27.469-07:00Mendocino Bay Overlook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cb19e1d951bcc186a&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.300963,-123.788795&spn=0.046493,0.072956&z=13&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cb19e1d951bcc186a&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.300963,-123.788795&spn=0.046493,0.072956&z=13&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Mendocino Bay Overlook - September 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Scenic viewpoint
of the Big River Beach, Mendocino Headlands and Mendocino Bay</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
admission</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
parking on the streets</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mendocino
Bay Overlook, which is less than a mile away from the <a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/mendocino-headlands-state-park.html" target="_blank">Mendocino Headlands StatePark</a> is a not so popular, yet a beautiful scenic viewpoint of the Mendocino
Headlands and the Big River Beach. As soon as we drove past the bridge that crosses the Big River Beach, we took the first right, t</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">he Brewery Gulch Road and to the immediate right is the entrance to the Mendocino Bay Overlook. There is no dedicated
parking lot and it is easy to miss the small gate at the entrance, that has a little post reading “Mendocino
Bay Overlook”.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-49KcbzX0yb8/UHI4fkqH4yI/AAAAAAAAKas/7OQGYyaqs68/s1600/Mendocino+Overlook+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-49KcbzX0yb8/UHI4fkqH4yI/AAAAAAAAKas/7OQGYyaqs68/s400/Mendocino+Overlook+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of the Pacific and Mendocino Headlands State Park</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
parked the car on the narrow street and walked on the short trail for 2 minutes
to reach the breathtaking viewpoint. The vastness of the Pacific and the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Mendocino Headlands State Park </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">could also be seen from here. To the right is a closer view of the sandy, family-friendly Big River
Beach. The aerial view of mouth of the Big River Beach emptying into the
Mendocino Bay was simply fascinating.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1h_aAdDvGlA/UHI-Sr5rmhI/AAAAAAAAKbA/kBI3_FukQU8/s1600/Mendocino+Overlook+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1h_aAdDvGlA/UHI-Sr5rmhI/AAAAAAAAKbA/kBI3_FukQU8/s400/Mendocino+Overlook+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of the Big River Beach</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There
was nobody else here but an old couple sitting in their chairs
and relaxing by the Bay. It seemed like they had been here for hours, enjoying
the spectacular views and the placid waters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Useful Resources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=2663" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Official Website</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mendocinolandtrust.org/?Coastal_Access:Mendocino_Bay_Overlook" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Mendocino Bay Overlook</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Nearby Locations</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/noyo-harbor.html" target="_blank">Noyo Harbor</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/mackerricher-state-park.html" target="_blank">MacKerricher State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/pomo-bluffs-park.html" target="_blank">Pomo Bluffs Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=432" target="_blank">Russian Gulch State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/jug-handle-state-reserve.html" target="_blank">Jug Handle State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/point-cabrillo-light-station.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Point Cabrillo Light Station</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/glass-beach.html" target="_blank">Glass Beach</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=444" target="_blank">Casper Headlands State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/mendocino-headlands-state-park.html" target="_blank">Mendocino Headlands State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocinofun.com/big-river/" target="_blank">Big River Beach</a></span></li>
</ul>
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Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Mendocino, CA, USA39.3076744 -123.799459139.283101900000005 -123.83894110000001 39.3322469 -123.7599771tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-83447330062419167002012-09-02T22:00:00.000-07:002012-10-03T21:44:09.010-07:00Mendocino Headlands State Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cb198a655d632773e&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.303222,-123.757896&spn=0.092983,0.145912&z=12&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cb198a655d632773e&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.303222,-123.757896&spn=0.092983,0.145912&z=12&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Mendocino Headlands State Park - September 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hiking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Abalone
Diving</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Big
River Beach</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Mendocino Bay</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Pacific Ocean</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Natural
grottos</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
parking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
admission</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mendocino
Headlands State Park is a treat to people of all age groups and interests.
Whether you are a casual explorer or a hiker or an abalone diver or a
photographer or somebody who simply wants to relax in the beach, this state
park will satiate you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There
are a few parking lots in the state park, where one can park the car and walk
on the coastal trails. It all depends on you, whether you want to simply get
out of the car and capture gorgeous views or hike the ~5 mile coastal trail.
The plethora of natural grottos along the coastal bluffs amazed us and there
are a few places where one can safely walk on top of the grottos.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nUel4qlEM2Y/UG0TRR77lfI/AAAAAAAAKaM/8ccXzuNZYqk/s1600/Mendocino+Headlands+State+Park+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nUel4qlEM2Y/UG0TRR77lfI/AAAAAAAAKaM/8ccXzuNZYqk/s400/Mendocino+Headlands+State+Park+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Natural grottos</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
walked on the rugged coastal terrain and simply sat there for a long time
enjoying the beautiful waters, unique rock formations and the thunder-storm
like sounds of the water hitting against the rocks. To the far right was the
family friendly Big River Beach emptying into the Mendocino Bay. The Mendocino
Bay Overlook, a spectacular viewpoint of the Mendocino Bay can also be seen
from the trail.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pNiUJCSXMZQ/UG0TRXO-XBI/AAAAAAAAKaI/Opb_3rEA_3Y/s1600/Mendocino+Headlands+State+Park+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pNiUJCSXMZQ/UG0TRXO-XBI/AAAAAAAAKaI/Opb_3rEA_3Y/s400/Mendocino+Headlands+State+Park+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mendocino Bay to the far left</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">While
walking on the coastal trail, we noticed a couple of folks going abalone diving
in the ocean. We spent over an hour here and took off to our next destination,
Mendocino Bay Overlook which is less than a mile from the Mendocino Headlands
State Park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Tips</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Excellent
viewpoint to see the sunset</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Mendocino
Music Festival is held here in July; check out more about the music festival
</span><a href="http://www.mendocinomusic.com/gateway.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Useful Resources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=442" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Official Website</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/mendocino-headlands-park-mendocino" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Yelp Reviews</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Nearby Locations</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/noyo-harbor.html" target="_blank">Noyo Harbor</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/mackerricher-state-park.html" target="_blank">MacKerricher State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/pomo-bluffs-park.html" target="_blank">Pomo Bluffs Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=432" target="_blank">Russian Gulch State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/jug-handle-state-reserve.html" target="_blank">Jug Handle State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/point-cabrillo-light-station.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Point Cabrillo Light Station</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/glass-beach.html" target="_blank">Glass Beach</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=444" target="_blank">Casper Headlands State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=2663" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mendocino Bay Overlook</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocinofun.com/big-river/" target="_blank">Big River Beach</a></span></li>
</ul>
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Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Mendocino Headlands State Park, Mendocino, CA 95460, USA39.3089706 -123.806234139.2966846 -123.8259751 39.321256600000005 -123.7864931tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-80522067755870378982012-09-02T21:30:00.000-07:002012-10-01T21:20:34.000-07:00Glass Beach<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cb0b706b06543eaf9&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.472775,-123.766479&spn=0.185514,0.291824&z=11&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004cb0b706b06543eaf9&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.472775,-123.766479&spn=0.185514,0.291824&z=11&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Glass Beach - September 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Beach
with rounded sea glasses</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Beachcombing</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">More
Info<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
parking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
admission</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I am
not an early bird, but had to wake before the first light to watch
the sunrise from the Glass Beach. We found a parking lot near a bridge that is a
little past Old Haud Rd and Stewart St. The trail immediately next to the
parking lot took us on the coastal bluff and beach nearby looked very different
from what we saw in the pictures. This beach was sandy, as opposed to the pictures of
Glass Beach that had lot of stones that looked like glasses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><br>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rcWVmZnsEuY/UGpme0BJ8MI/AAAAAAAAKZY/f_gDVFGiK6g/s1600/Glass+Beach+Sunrise+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rcWVmZnsEuY/UGpme0BJ8MI/AAAAAAAAKZY/f_gDVFGiK6g/s400/Glass+Beach+Sunrise+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just before sunrise from the coastal bluff</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
knew that we had reached the wrong place and decided to return to the car when
suddenly we saw a tinge of a bright light behind the mountains. It was so beautiful
that we decided to stay on the coastal bluff for a few minutes to watch the big ball of fire rising.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3iasEkeRpq8/UGpmfDaV9uI/AAAAAAAAKZc/zZWlILj8Yng/s1600/Glass+Beach+Sunrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3iasEkeRpq8/UGpmfDaV9uI/AAAAAAAAKZc/zZWlILj8Yng/s400/Glass+Beach+Sunrise.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunrise from the coastal bluff</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Luckily
we saw somebody at the parking lot who directed us to the Glass Beach, which is
at the junction of Old Haul Dr and W Elm St. A short trail to the Glass Beach
soon split into two; the one to the right takes you to the Glass Beach State
Park.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HPnSk6ILIu8/UGpmfgiAshI/AAAAAAAAKZs/-jDxSqMxTEQ/s1600/Glass+Beach+With+the+Chick+and+Photographer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HPnSk6ILIu8/UGpmfgiAshI/AAAAAAAAKZs/-jDxSqMxTEQ/s400/Glass+Beach+With+the+Chick+and+Photographer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Glass Beach</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As
we were here at the crack of dawn, nobody else was in the beach. It was very
quiet, serene, undisturbed and peaceful. Stepping closer to the beach, we
noticed those shiny rounded sea glasses of all colors - red, blue, white, orange.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-weyRQoDVr5Q/UGpmfDI4QBI/AAAAAAAAKZg/NnGWXVc2VH0/s1600/Glass+Beach+With+Glass+Pebbles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-weyRQoDVr5Q/UGpmfDI4QBI/AAAAAAAAKZg/NnGWXVc2VH0/s400/Glass+Beach+With+Glass+Pebbles.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rounded sea glasses</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Apparently, from 1949 to
1967 this place was a public dump where people trashed all kinds of things
including glass bottles and even cars. Years of pounding action by the waves on
this trash caused the creation of these rounded sea glasses on the beach. Very interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It
is okay to pick up the sea glasses and enjoy its beauty, but you will be frowned upon
you if you take them home. So, don’t!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Useful
Resources<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=3721" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Official Website</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fortbragg.com/2012/02/glass-beach-everything-you-wanted-to-know/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fort Bragg - Glass Beach</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/glass-beach-fort-bragg" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Yelp Reviews</a></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nearby
Locations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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</div>
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</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/noyo-harbor.html" target="_blank">Noyo Harbor</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/mackerricher-state-park.html" target="_blank">MacKerricher State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/pomo-bluffs-park.html" target="_blank">Pomo Bluffs Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=432" target="_blank">Russian Gulch State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/jug-handle-state-reserve.html" target="_blank">Jug Handle State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/point-cabrillo-light-station.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Point Cabrillo Light Station</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=442" target="_blank">Mendocino Headlands State Park</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=444" target="_blank">Casper Headlands State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=2663" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mendocino Bay Overlook</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocinofun.com/big-river/" target="_blank">Big River Beach</a></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Old Haul Dr, Fort Bragg, CA 95437, USA39.452619 -123.80952939.449554 -123.8144645 39.455684 -123.8045935tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-39118623995194240792012-09-02T21:00:00.000-07:002012-09-26T10:12:09.092-07:00MacKerricher State Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004ca8b418537ac61318&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.414977,-123.626404&spn=0.371336,0.583649&z=10&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004ca8b418537ac61318&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.414977,-123.626404&spn=0.371336,0.583649&z=10&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">MacKerricher State Park - September 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
</center>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hiking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Fishing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Ten
Mile Beach</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sandhill
Lake</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Lake
Cleone</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Laguna
Point</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Seals</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Whales</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Ducks,
Pelicans, Seagulls</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Tidepools</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Pacific Ocean</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Skeleton
of a gray whale</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">$8/car parking fee </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Several
parking lots in the park</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Restrooms
nears Laguna Point</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qzelah1jbxw/UGMqFa0NVAI/AAAAAAAAKYk/ELmFoXzj6Xg/s1600/Lake+Cleone+MacKerricher+State+Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qzelah1jbxw/UGMqFa0NVAI/AAAAAAAAKYk/ELmFoXzj6Xg/s400/Lake+Cleone+MacKerricher+State+Park.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lake Cleone</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There
are several parking lots in this huge state park; we parked the car near Lake
Cleone, a very small freshwater lake popular for fishing. We walked to the beach, climbed
on the rocks nearby and saw the beautiful sight of the waves crashing against
the rocks. At a distance there were lots of birds sitting on the rocks off the
shore. To our right was the Ten Mile Beach and to our left, the Laguna Point.</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M92ZpfEAcWI/UGMqFaKk5cI/AAAAAAAAKYo/1RkK0SHP7cU/s1600/MacKerricher+State+Park+Birds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M92ZpfEAcWI/UGMqFaKk5cI/AAAAAAAAKYo/1RkK0SHP7cU/s400/MacKerricher+State+Park+Birds.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Birds near the Ten Mile Beach</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Laguna
Point Trail</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Length</b>: ~0.6 miles; <b>Elevation</b>: Insignificant; <b>Time</b>: 1 hour; <b>Difficulty</b>: Easy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
started walking on the beach towards the trailhead to the Laguna Point. From
the trailhead, there is a paved boardwalk that takes you along the coastline
and forms a loop. Along the trail, there were several scenic viewpoints to see
the beautiful and vast ocean. A couple of detours from the trail took us to the
tidepools, where we saw tidepool sculpins, starfish, mussels, hermit crabs,
etc. The water was so clear that we could see the ocean bed from parts of the
trail.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BSN-cbtbXXE/UGMqF8wz4EI/AAAAAAAAKYw/m948SIMVDAw/s1600/MacKerricher+State+Park+Laguna+Point.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BSN-cbtbXXE/UGMqF8wz4EI/AAAAAAAAKYw/m948SIMVDAw/s400/MacKerricher+State+Park+Laguna+Point.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Laguna Point to the left, from North Overlook</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We soon
reached the Laguna Point, which is a prime vantage point to see the migrating gray whales and humpback whales between November and March. Harbor seals can be seen throughout the year on the rocks nearby. California sea lions can be usually seen from here from fall through mid-spring. We even noticed several birds such as black oystercatchers, pelagic cormorants, western gulls, surf scoters, pelicans, herons, black turnstones. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
continued on the trail that soon took us back to the parking lot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Don’t
miss out the skeleton of a gray whale at the park entrance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-Yzj6PYxNY/UGMqFRA7sRI/AAAAAAAAKYg/yI6OaP10lXk/s1600/MacKerricher+State+Park+Gray+Whale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-Yzj6PYxNY/UGMqFRA7sRI/AAAAAAAAKYg/yI6OaP10lXk/s400/MacKerricher+State+Park+Gray+Whale.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gray Whale Skeleton</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Tips</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gray whale skeleton is at the park entrance</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Check out the time of low tides and come here during low tides to see the rich tidepools</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Excellent vantage point to see seals, sea lions and whales (between November and March)</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Useful Resources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=436" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Official Website</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/mackerricher-state-park-fort-bragg" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Yelp Reviews</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Nearby Locations</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/noyo-harbor.html" target="_blank">Noyo Harbor</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=3721" target="_blank">Glass Beach</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/pomo-bluffs-park.html" target="_blank">Pomo Bluffs Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=432" target="_blank">Russian Gulch State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/jug-handle-state-reserve.html" target="_blank">Jug Handle State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/point-cabrillo-light-station.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Point Cabrillo Light Station</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=442" target="_blank">Mendocino Headlands State Park</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=444" target="_blank">Casper Headlands State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=2663" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mendocino Bay Overlook</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocinofun.com/big-river/" target="_blank">Big River Beach</a></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com1MacKerricher State Park, 24100 MacKerricher Park Rd, Fort Bragg, CA 95437, USA39.5155294 -123.776912539.466530899999995 -123.8558765 39.5645279 -123.6979485tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-23534839033038655402012-09-01T23:30:00.000-07:002012-09-24T22:16:26.549-07:00Point Cabrillo Light Station<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004ca7efc3a2477a8a5b&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.334297,-123.788452&spn=0.092941,0.145912&z=12&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004ca7efc3a2477a8a5b&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.334297,-123.788452&spn=0.092941,0.145912&z=12&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Point Cabrillo Light Station - September 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Point
Cabrillo Lighthouse</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Pacific Ocean</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hiking
trails along the coast (North Trail and South Trail)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Seals</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Deer</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Frolic
Cove (place of the 1850 Frolic shipwreck)</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
parking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
admission</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Museum is opened from 10am to 4pm</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">0.5
mile walk from parking lot to the lighthouse</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
maps inside the lighthouse museum</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Restrooms
near the lighthouse</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gift
shop inside the lighthouse</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Vacation
rentals close to the lighthouse</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Lighthouse
grounds open all the time</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">While
driving on CA1, we tried hard to peek at the Point Cabrillo lighthouse that we had
only seen in pictures, but in vain. A detour from CA1 took us to the Point
Cabrillo Light Station. There are several parking lots next to each other, so I
cannot imagine a time when somebody would need to hunt high and low for a
parking space.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
took the paved Lighthouse Road and walked for about half a mile to reach the Point Cabrillo
lighthouse. Only authorized vehicles and vehicles displaying disabled placards are permitted to drive all
the way till the lighthouse. All along the way on the Lighthouse Road,
we saw several small posters that offered fun facts about whales.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GLvJG0wvrUU/UGE0voZVT_I/AAAAAAAAKV8/tZv4Y8_Pc5Q/s1600/Point+Cabrillo+Light+Station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GLvJG0wvrUU/UGE0voZVT_I/AAAAAAAAKV8/tZv4Y8_Pc5Q/s400/Point+Cabrillo+Light+Station.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Point Cabrillo Lighthouse</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Soon,
we saw the beautiful lighthouse against the unusually harmonious Pacific
waters. We went inside the lighthouse to take a look at the souvenirs and also
grabbed a free map from the gift shop. In addition, the gift shop has several
placards that offer a ton of information about the history of the lighthouse. The
lighthouse is actually over a century old! The construction of the lighthouse
started within a year or two after the 1906 devastating earthquake in San
Francisco.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NEiXBo1mS_k/UGE0vh4Zm3I/AAAAAAAAKV4/n_j12_oGT0o/s1600/Point+Cabrillo+Light+Station+Women+Dancing+Hula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NEiXBo1mS_k/UGE0vh4Zm3I/AAAAAAAAKV4/n_j12_oGT0o/s400/Point+Cabrillo+Light+Station+Women+Dancing+Hula.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hula dance performance</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Within
the lighthouse grounds, there were a few scenic viewpoints where one can
capture a picturesque shot of the lighthouse against the ocean. It is also an excellent viewpoint to see the migrating whales.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1WvwGcVHxPE/UGE4Na4gzsI/AAAAAAAAKWk/_hWIs_0YcAI/s1600/Point+Cabrillo+Light+Station+Frolic+Cove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1WvwGcVHxPE/UGE4Na4gzsI/AAAAAAAAKWk/_hWIs_0YcAI/s400/Point+Cabrillo+Light+Station+Frolic+Cove.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Frolic Cove to the far right end</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There
are also a couple of trails that commence here; North Trail takes one to the
north all the way till the Frolic Cove, which is the exact spot of the 1850
Frolic shipwreck. While majestically travelling to San Francisco from China,
the Frolic clipper hit the rocky Pacific shore and wrecked here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o5emtiWxqfs/UGE3UKEvurI/AAAAAAAAKWc/V32itmtfyzs/s1600/Point+Cabrillo+Light+Station+Seals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o5emtiWxqfs/UGE3UKEvurI/AAAAAAAAKWc/V32itmtfyzs/s400/Point+Cabrillo+Light+Station+Seals.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seals basking on the rocks off the shore</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Exhausted
us, we took the shorter South Trail. It was nice
simply walking along the coastal trail and looking behind every now and then to
see the lighthouse. We even noticed several harbor seals basking on the rocks
just off the shore, hence climbed down on the rocks nearby to get a closer view
of the seals. We even noticed deer hopping off into the fields.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F8kJ5I-Q8WE/UGE0vuWDVpI/AAAAAAAAKWA/scyJvUIrhxQ/s1600/Point+Cabrillo+Light+Station+Fields.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F8kJ5I-Q8WE/UGE0vuWDVpI/AAAAAAAAKWA/scyJvUIrhxQ/s400/Point+Cabrillo+Light+Station+Fields.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of the lighthouse from South Trail</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Tips</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Excellent vantage point to see whales</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Excellent viewpoint for sunset</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Although the lighthouse itself is opened only from 10am to 4pm, the lighthouse grounds are always accessible</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
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<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Useful Resources</b></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=22276" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Official Website</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.pointcabrillo.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Point Cabrillo Light Station</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/point-cabrillo-light-station-and-preserve-mendocino" target="_blank">Yelp Reviews</a></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nearby Locations</span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/noyo-harbor.html" target="_blank">Noyo Harbor</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=3721" target="_blank">Glass Beach</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/pomo-bluffs-park.html" target="_blank">Pomo Bluffs Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=432" target="_blank">Russian Gulch State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/jug-handle-state-reserve.html" target="_blank">Jug Handle State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=436" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MacKerricher State Park</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=442" target="_blank">Mendocino Headlands State Park</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=444" target="_blank">Casper Headlands State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=2663" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mendocino Bay Overlook</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocinofun.com/big-river/" target="_blank">Big River Beach</a></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Point Cabrillo Light Station, 45300 Light House Rd, Mendocino, CA 95460, USA39.3486426 -123.826189739.3363636 -123.8459307 39.3609216 -123.8064487tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-15047839823814495582012-09-01T23:00:00.000-07:002012-09-19T23:35:09.150-07:00Jug Handle State Reserve<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004ca07fab5e984219b9&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.346512,-123.788109&spn=0.092925,0.145912&z=12&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004ca07fab5e984219b9&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.346512,-123.788109&spn=0.092925,0.145912&z=12&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Jug Handle State Reserve - September 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
</center>
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Pacific Ocean</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Beach</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Coastal
hiking trails</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Deer</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
parking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
admission</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Trails
are not very well marked</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although the GPS did not take us to the exact spot, clear signs on CA1 highway led us to the right place. After parking the car, we headed on the trail that splits into two, the one to the right leads you to the beach and the one to the left leads you to the trails that run along the coastal bluffs.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PBZLScMrltY/UFq1jYVukuI/AAAAAAAAKU4/7L67E9PmI0A/s1600/Jug+Handle+State+Park+Beach+Bridge+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PBZLScMrltY/UFq1jYVukuI/AAAAAAAAKU4/7L67E9PmI0A/s400/Jug+Handle+State+Park+Beach+Bridge+01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of a bridge and the lagoon from the Jug Handle Beach</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
took the trail to the right and within 5-10 minutes we were in the white sands
of the beautiful, family-friendly beach. A small lagoon connects to the beach. We
noticed a tenacious pelican curled up on the beach sands, completely undaunted by
any of the humans around.</span></div>
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GfgIWViqcpY/UFq1jTPy7-I/AAAAAAAAKU8/JTMtCAvjiu8/s1600/Jug+Handle+State+Park+Beach+Bridge+From+Bluff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GfgIWViqcpY/UFq1jTPy7-I/AAAAAAAAKU8/JTMtCAvjiu8/s400/Jug+Handle+State+Park+Beach+Bridge+From+Bluff.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Jug Handle Beach from the top of the coastal bluff</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After
spending some time at the beach, we continued on our trail back to the parking
lot to take the other trail to walk along the coastline. One can see the beach
at Jug Handle from the top of the coastal bluff and as we walked along the
trail we noticed several hole in the rock formations. Our jaws dropped looking
at the beauty of the California coastline and the shades of blue in the water. The
water was so clear that we could see the ocean bed. The clear sunny day, revealing
the shades of colors in the ocean and added to the beauty of the Pacific.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TZdrMka56MY/UFq1kH589nI/AAAAAAAAKVM/wReOQjsc-z0/s1600/Jug+Handle+State+Park+Bluff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TZdrMka56MY/UFq1kH589nI/AAAAAAAAKVM/wReOQjsc-z0/s400/Jug+Handle+State+Park+Bluff.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of the ocean from the coastal bluff</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There
are trail markers along the way and they are marked with numbers. However, I
don’t believe the numbers mean anything at all. They were just so haphazard. We
simply continued walking on the trail assuming that it would form a loop and
take us back to the parking lot. All of a sudden, we heard rustling sounds in
the bushes nearby. Looking around, we noticed a herd of deer peeking at us. The
deer were camouflaged in the dry brown bushes and it was so cute to see their
two cute ears prominently sticking out. We continued walking slowly towards the
deer, but the intimidated animals hopped off.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2gR0nN346uY/UFq1k-XCgpI/AAAAAAAAKVY/d_hE6YsH_lk/s1600/Jug+Handle+State+Park+Deer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2gR0nN346uY/UFq1k-XCgpI/AAAAAAAAKVY/d_hE6YsH_lk/s400/Jug+Handle+State+Park+Deer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deer</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
so-called trail was way too narrow and bushy; there were certain times when we
did not even know whether it was a proper trail.
We continued walking and walking, just hoping that we would reach the parking
lot soon. Finally we saw the cars on CA1 from a distance. Phew! What a relief! However, the
trail did not lead us directly to the parking lot, it led us somewhere on CA1
and we walked for a bit to reach the Jug Handle parking lot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We returned to the Jug Handle State Reserve the next day to watch the sunset.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fUm9vhX3a-U/UFq1ktSDRpI/AAAAAAAAKVU/8cTo8Xo5CBw/s1600/Jug+Handle+State+Park+Sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fUm9vhX3a-U/UFq1ktSDRpI/AAAAAAAAKVU/8cTo8Xo5CBw/s400/Jug+Handle+State+Park+Sunset.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunset from a viewpoint</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Tips</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Take the coastal trail, but do not continue on the trail that forms a loop; the trail is narrow, bushy and just not worth it</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Excellent viewpoint to see the sunset</span></li>
</ul>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Useful Resources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=441" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Official Website</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/jug-handle-state-natural-reserve-caspar-2" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yelp Reviews</span></a></li>
</ul>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Nearby Locations</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/noyo-harbor.html" target="_blank">Noyo Harbor</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=3721" target="_blank">Glass Beach</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/pomo-bluffs-park.html" target="_blank">Pomo Bluffs Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=432" target="_blank">Russian Gulch State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.pointcabrillo.org/" target="_blank">Point Cabrillo Lighthouse</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=436" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MacKerricher State Park</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=442" target="_blank">Mendocino Headlands State Park</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=444" target="_blank">Casper Headlands State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=2663" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mendocino Bay Overlook</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mendocinofun.com/big-river/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Big River Beach</span></a></li>
</ul>
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Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com1Jug Handle State Reserve, Fort Bragg, CA 95437, USA39.3756082 -123.810422239.363333700000005 -123.8301632 39.3878827 -123.79068120000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-75305871264337102682012-09-01T22:30:00.000-07:002012-09-18T20:01:52.509-07:00Pomo Bluffs Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004ca04a161d2daae958&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.428569,-123.809395&spn=0.023204,0.036478&z=14&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004ca04a161d2daae958&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.428569,-123.809395&spn=0.023204,0.036478&z=14&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Pomo Bluffs Park - September 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
</center>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Pacific Ocean</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Noyo River, Noyo Bay and Noyo Harbor</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Chicken
Point</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Abalone
Diving</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Excellent vantage point to watch the migrating whales</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Deer
in the farm nearby</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Ample
free parking at several places along the park</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
admission</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No
restrooms</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Several
benches on the park</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
entered the Pomo Bluff Point, parked our car in one of the spots nearby and
walked along the coastal bluff to see the magnificent Pacific Ocean. It was one
of those unusual days when the Pacific looked as smooth as glass. While taking
pictures, an arbitrary person whom we later learned to be a localite offered to
take a picture of us. We somehow struck a conversation with this amicable
person who enlightened us about abalones.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Here
are a few facts about abalones that we learned:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">One
needs to get a license in order to go diving for abalones</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When
you get abalones, it is illegal to sell them; however you can offer them as a
gift to other people</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">One
is legally permitted to get only 3 abalones at a single point of time; anything
more is illegal</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A
person can get only a maximum of 24 abalones in a year</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Abalone
meat is incredibly delicious</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Abalone
meat is sold for anywhere between $500 and $800</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
minimum length of abalones that one can pick from the ocean is 8 inches;
anything smaller is illegal</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It
is illegal to use an oxygen mask and go abalone diving</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OpLzS5fxUNQ/UFky4EZhkLI/AAAAAAAAKUc/HzM-mQy9SpY/s1600/View+of+Noyo+Harbor+from+Pomo+Bluff+Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="101" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OpLzS5fxUNQ/UFky4EZhkLI/AAAAAAAAKUc/HzM-mQy9SpY/s400/View+of+Noyo+Harbor+from+Pomo+Bluff+Park.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Noyo Bay</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
then went to the Chicken Point in the park that overlooks the Noyo Bay. For
several years, this was the place where seafarers looked at the temperament of
the ocean waters and decided whether it was safe to go to the ocean or ‘chicken
out’ and stay on the land. The park also offers amazing view of the Noyo Bay
and the bridge above Noyo Bay.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BUYHkB3E7Hs/UFky3GjV4GI/AAAAAAAAKUQ/ZIMlS4-y1EE/s1600/Sunset+At+Pomo+Bluff+Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BUYHkB3E7Hs/UFky3GjV4GI/AAAAAAAAKUQ/ZIMlS4-y1EE/s400/Sunset+At+Pomo+Bluff+Park.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View from Chicken Point (Just a few minutes before sunset)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We noticed
a herd of deer in the farms near the Pomo Bluffs Park. As recommended by our
hotel owner, we returned to the park in the evening to watch the gorgeous
sunset. That was probably the first time I saw the sun’s reddish orange hue
reflecting on the calm ocean waters and like us there were several other folks
who had come here to watch sun set behind the Pacific Ocean.</span></div><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjIj3r0jl-w/UFky3Bl-q5I/AAAAAAAAKUM/Q7naceUW4Ag/s1600/Pomo+Bluff+Park+Sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjIj3r0jl-w/UFky3Bl-q5I/AAAAAAAAKUM/Q7naceUW4Ag/s400/Pomo+Bluff+Park+Sunset.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunset from Chicken Point</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Tips</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Excellent viewpoint to see the sunset</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Useful Resources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=3212" target="_blank">Official Website</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://accessiblenaturetravel.com/accessible-nature-trails/mendocino-coast.php?q=pomo" target="_blank">Pomo Bluffs Park</a></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Nearby Locations</b></span></div>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/09/noyo-harbor.html" target="_blank">Noyo Harbor</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=3721" target="_blank">Glass Beach</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=441" target="_blank">Jug Handle State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=432" target="_blank">Russian Gulch State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.pointcabrillo.org/" target="_blank">Point Cabrillo Lighthouse</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=436" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MacKerricher State Park</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=442" target="_blank">Mendocino Headlands State Park</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=444" target="_blank">Casper Headlands State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=2663" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mendocino Bay Overlook</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mendocinofun.com/big-river/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Big River Beach</span></a></li>
</ul>
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Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-7643178605381586002012-09-01T22:00:00.000-07:002012-09-17T22:00:35.150-07:00Noyo Harbor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c9f26b5831cf98e48&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.426846,-123.807764&spn=0.023205,0.036478&z=14&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c9f26b5831cf98e48&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.426846,-123.807764&spn=0.023205,0.036478&z=14&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Noyo Harbor - September 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
</center>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Noyo Bay</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Noyo
River</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Fishing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Kayaking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Seals</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Star
Fish</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Limited
free parking just next to the harbor</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Ample
free parking at the mouth of Noyo Bay</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
admission</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On a
clear Saturday morning, while on the way to the Pomo Bluff State Park in Fort
Bragg, curiosity about harbors drew us to take a detour to the Noyo Harbor.
While driving south from Fort Bragg, we took the Noyo Point Road just before
the bridge and it took us down all the way till we reached the harbor. Several
boats were docked to the harbor and there were a few waterfront restaurants
around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xq9fDGa15xs/UFf7XKkP6rI/AAAAAAAAKTg/371MyJ_KxqU/s1600/Noyo+Fishing+Center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xq9fDGa15xs/UFf7XKkP6rI/AAAAAAAAKTg/371MyJ_KxqU/s400/Noyo+Fishing+Center.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Noyo Harbor</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Noyo
means "under the dust". Once upon a time, between late 1800s and
early 1900s, Noyo Harbor was a very busy port. Almost every ship that came to
San Francisco stopped by Fort Bragg at Noyo Harbor. The first railroads were
laid in Fort Bragg in the year 1916, so until then all the transportation to
this place was via the ocean.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pBGvZeW75A8/UFf7WhoT07I/AAAAAAAAKTY/PZwZLK9tYyE/s1600/Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pBGvZeW75A8/UFf7WhoT07I/AAAAAAAAKTY/PZwZLK9tYyE/s400/Beach.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mouth of Noyo Bay</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
drove a little past the harbor to reach the mouth of the Noyo Bay. There is
ample free parking here and several folks around were getting prepared to kayak
in the wide Noyo Bay. As we walked on the stone structure that protruded into
the Noyo Bay, we noticed several starfish and seals. Right behind us was a
spectacular view of the Noyo Bay bridge and the harbor.</span></div><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jJ89MjzlsxA/UFf-vIi0ibI/AAAAAAAAKT0/roZ8z_ycOVQ/s1600/Noyo+Bay+Bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jJ89MjzlsxA/UFf-vIi0ibI/AAAAAAAAKT0/roZ8z_ycOVQ/s400/Noyo+Bay+Bridge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bridge above Noyo River</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
water here was murky and for the life of me I could not understand why people would kayak
here when there are so many other beautiful beaches in the Fort Bragg/Mendocino
coastline. We spent some time here and took off to our next destination – Pomo
Bluff State Park</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Useful Resources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=469" target="_blank">Mendocino.com</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.fortbragg.com/attractions/noyo-harbor/" target="_blank">Fort Bragg's Noyo Harbor</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fortbraggfishing.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Noyo Fishing Center</span></a></li>
</ul>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Nearby Locations</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=3212" target="_blank">Pomo Bluffs State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=3721" target="_blank">Glass Beach</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=441" target="_blank">Jug Handle State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=432" target="_blank">Russian Gulch State Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.pointcabrillo.org/" target="_blank">Point Cabrillo Lighthouse</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=436" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MacKerricher State Park</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=442" target="_blank">Mendocino Headlands State Park</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=444" target="_blank">Casper Headlands State Reserve</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mendocino.com/?id=2663" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mendocino Bay Overlook</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mendocinofun.com/big-river/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Big River Beach</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Noyo Anchorage, California 95437, USA39.4260018 -123.800848839.413736300000004 -123.8205898 39.4382673 -123.7811078tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-21106522314464712412012-08-26T23:30:00.000-07:002012-09-13T11:24:58.921-07:00Angel Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c935cb6fea3f613ce&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.85317,-122.423401&spn=0.189758,0.291824&z=11&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c935cb6fea3f613ce&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.85317,-122.423401&spn=0.189758,0.291824&z=11&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Angel Island - August 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
</center>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hiking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Biking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Segway
Tours</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Diggler
Scooter Tours</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Tram
Tours</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Quarry
Beach</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">360
degree view of Bay Area – View of Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge and Richmond
Bridge</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">United Stated Immigration
Station</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Mt. Livermore (Highest peak in Angel Island)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Deer</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Take
a ferry from Tiburon or San Francisco to Angel Island. Check out the ferry
schedule </span><a href="http://www.angelisland.com/getting_to_the_island/index.php" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">$13.50/adult
fee to take the ferry from Tiburon and additional $1 to take the bikes; Only
cash or check accepted</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No
online reservations to take the ferry from Tiburon</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">$17/adult
fee to take the ferry from San Francisco. Advance online reservation can be
made </span><a href="https://secure4.gatewayticketing.com/BlueAndGoldFleet/shop/ViewItems.aspx?Merchant=BGF&CategoryGroupExternalID=BGFTKTGP&CategoryExternalID=ANGTKTS" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Bike
rentals, Segway rentals and diggler scooter rentals inside the island; Check
out the rental rates </span><a href="http://www.angelisland.com/things_to_do/index.php" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
map provided in the Angel Island, as soon as one exits the ferry</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Picnic
tables at several places along the bike trail</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Restrooms
at several places in the island</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">One
café (Cove café) available in the island, next to Ayala Cove</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Live
music during summer; Check out the schedule here</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Biking
trail is shared with Segways and trams</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
have been planning to go to Angel Island for the past several months and
finally had the opportunity to tag with friends and visit the Island in late August. At
the crack of dawn, bursting with excitement, we started on our drive to Tiburon
to take the ferry to the Angel Island.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There
is a car parking lot very close to the Tiburon ferry tickets office and parking
fee is $16 (cash only) for the entire day. After driving around a little bit,
we found another car parking lot, just a block away from Tiburon ferry tickets
office, close to CVS pharmacy where the fee is just $5 (cash only) for the
whole day. Have the exact change handy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After
parking the car, we literally ran to board the ferry so that we wouldn’t miss
the first ferry to the Angel Island. We reached there and then learned that
they accept only cash or checks. Luckily I had an unused check in my purse! We
were on the dot to board our 10am ferry, the first ferry to the Angel Island.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FQLQWyMyz8I/UFGBTVUqiyI/AAAAAAAAKS0/fFCDV0jMLjw/s1600/View+of+San+Francisco+From+Tiburon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FQLQWyMyz8I/UFGBTVUqiyI/AAAAAAAAKS0/fFCDV0jMLjw/s400/View+of+San+Francisco+From+Tiburon.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of San Francisco from the ferry</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
went to the top deck of the ferry to see breathtaking views of the ocean,
Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco and within 10min, our ferry was in Ayala
Cove dock in the Angel Island. As soon as we stepped out of the ferry, we
noticed ushers handing out the island maps to everybody and we picked one.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
5 mile biking path is on the Perimeter Road, which is paved around the island.
The biking trail started on a proper road, then ran on a steep unpaved path for
a bit. Before long, we found ourselves peddling hard and huffing and puffing. To
my glee, the trail soon became a paved road which alternately ascended and
descended. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As
we biked on the Perimeter Road, we saw the entrance to the United States
Immigration Station. Popularly called the “Ellis Island of the West”, Angel
Island was the port of entry for immigrants migrating to the US until 1940. An
August 1940 fire, which destroyed the administration building caused the
immigration office to be moved to San Francisco. The Angel Island Immigration
Center is now open to the public to explore and the entrance fee is $5/adult.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
continued biking and came upon several vista points along the trail that offered
sweeping views and we stopped every so often to capture pictures. We also noticed
several deer grazing on the mountains next to the biking trail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Video of a deer grazing:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/iRWFVGj5gW0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A
detour in the trail led us to the secluded and placid Quarry Beach. At the
junction of the Perimeter Road and the trail to Quarry Beach we noticed our
voices being echoed. Creepy! The undisturbed Quarry Beach was just beyond
beautiful and the unusually sunny and clear day added to its beauty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDg09FnuXRg/UFGBS_kFwxI/AAAAAAAAKSo/glWzM1yiEGk/s1600/Quarry+Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDg09FnuXRg/UFGBS_kFwxI/AAAAAAAAKSo/glWzM1yiEGk/s400/Quarry+Beach.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Undisturbed Quarry Beach</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">After
spending some time in the Quarry Beach we continued biking until we reached a
vista point overlooking Point Blunt to the left, Bay Bridge in the front and
Golden Gate Bridge to the right. The shades of water varied from blue-green to
green to streaks of green running in the waters. After enjoying our sandwiches
and dessert on one of the picnic benches, we continued biking on the Perimeter
Road until the loop took us back to the ferry dock in Ayala Cove.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ShpKGF-hBZQ/UFGBRqY4i7I/AAAAAAAAKSM/PbIg8YWNhfw/s1600/Angel+Islands+Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="107" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ShpKGF-hBZQ/UFGBRqY4i7I/AAAAAAAAKSM/PbIg8YWNhfw/s400/Angel+Islands+Top.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View from a visa point near Point Blunt</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KjIwHvoc1UQ/UFGBSyAWtvI/AAAAAAAAKSs/yX4Ae50PsOc/s1600/Tiburon+Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KjIwHvoc1UQ/UFGBSyAWtvI/AAAAAAAAKSs/yX4Ae50PsOc/s400/Tiburon+Island.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Tiburon, Belvedere Cove, Belvedere Island, Racoon Strait from another viewpoint</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
Ayala Cove seemed to be a popular picnic destination; we noticed several
families that had brought tons of food with them and it looks like they were
just relaxing in the same place for the entire day. I wouldn’t raise my brows,
of course the place was so lively that one could probably sit there the whole
day and enjoy BBQ. They also have live music in the afternoons in the Cove
Café, which is just next to the Ayala Cove. The spirit of summer was simply
lingering in the air.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JLC92DDeSLo/UFGBRt8erbI/AAAAAAAAKSU/Z1Jvi2SafZo/s1600/Ayala+Cove+Panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="77" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JLC92DDeSLo/UFGBRt8erbI/AAAAAAAAKSU/Z1Jvi2SafZo/s400/Ayala+Cove+Panorama.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ayala Cove</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
took the 3.20pm ferry back to Tiburon and called it a day. Known as "Shark" in English, Tiburon has a small yet beautiful downtown which hosts this nautically themed structure.</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kLyP3Kvtypk/UFGBSSPt-yI/AAAAAAAAKSk/Pq5e7fV-SlE/s1600/In+Tiburon+Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kLyP3Kvtypk/UFGBSSPt-yI/AAAAAAAAKSk/Pq5e7fV-SlE/s400/In+Tiburon+Island.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nautically themed structure in Downtown Tiburon</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tips<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Bring
sufficient cash; you will need it to pay for the ferry and for car parking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Have
the exact change to pay for parking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Bring
food with you; the Cove Café is overpriced</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Useful Resources<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.angelisland.com/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Official Website</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=468" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Angel Island State Park</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://angelisland.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Angel Island Conservancy</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/angel-island-state-park-san-francisco" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Yelp Reviews</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nearby Locations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/01/muir-woods-and-scenic-viewpoint-of.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Muir Woods National Monument </a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/08/muir-beach.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Muir Beach</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=471" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Mt. Tamalpais State Park</a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/04/lands-end.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Lands End</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nps.gov/goga/index.htm" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Golden Gate</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/05/fort-funston-national-park.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Fort Funston National Park</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Angel Island, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, California, USA37.860909 -122.432568237.848372499999996 -122.4523092 37.8734455 -122.41282720000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-36425244197311996052012-08-11T23:30:00.000-07:002012-09-04T12:57:26.066-07:00Loch Lomond Recreation Area<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c78b88d612bd50c3a&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.088049,-122.053986&spn=0.38342,0.583649&z=10&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c78b88d612bd50c3a&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.088049,-122.053986&spn=0.38342,0.583649&z=10&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Loch Lomond Recreational Area - Aug 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Artificial lake
reservoir in Santa Cruz</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hiking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Boating</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Fishing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Island in the lake to
which one can travel by boat</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">More
Info<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">$4/car entrance fee
(Free after 4pm)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Five car parking spots</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Restrooms near the car
parking spots</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Several picnic areas
with BBQ pits</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Park store inside</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free trail map inside
the park store</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No swimming in the lake</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Click <a href="http://lompico.org/images/lompico_loch_lomond_lake_trail_map.jpg" target="_blank">here</a> for the trail
map</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">On a
late Saturday afternoon, we planned to go hiking with friends to the Loch
Lomond Recreation Area. One of my friends, who is an avid traveler suggested
this place for hiking. As she can almost always be seen with a couple of travel
guides and maps in her hands, I knew that I could blindly trust her
recommendation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After
a little over an hour’s drive through the flexuous roads of the Santa Cruz
mountains, we reached the Loch Lomond Recreation Area. The drive made my
stomach a bit queasy. We did not know that parking was free after 4pm until we
reached there and saw that the ticket booth was unmanned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
took a break at the Glen Brae Picnic Area to drink maté (Argentinean tea), eat snacks
and chocolates and then headed over to the Park Store to
enquire about boating. The boat rental prices are quite economical. Pedal
boat is $5/ hour and motor boat is $10/hour with a minimum of 2 hours of
rental. There is a boat launch pad right next to the Park Store. A couple of
snakes were caged inside a glass box and placed in the Park Store.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Loch Trail - Highland Loop</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Length:</b> ~5 miles; <b>Elevation:</b> 1100 feet; <b>Time:</b> 3 hours; <b>Difficulty:</b> </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Moderately Strenuous</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
started our hike on the Loch Trail at the Park Store and continued on the
narrow trail along the lake, noticing several coves along the lake such as
Cunningham Cove and MacGregor Cove. Clar Innis, the small island in the middle
of the lake is probably reachable within a few minutes of boat ride. One can boat
to the island, use the BBQ pits on the island and enjoy food in the middle of
the pristine, beautiful lake. We definitely intend to return another day to
take a boat to the island and enjoy a BBQ lunch on the island.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CN_ka_CyGgY/UEZSKR7srkI/AAAAAAAAKL0/EEjRE7Akb5Y/s1600/Lake+Lochmond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CN_ka_CyGgY/UEZSKR7srkI/AAAAAAAAKL0/EEjRE7Akb5Y/s400/Lake+Lochmond.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Loch Lomond Lake</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When
we reached the MacGregor Cove, we noticed a few ducks paddling upside down with
their heads underwater, forming circular ripples around them. It was such a
cute sight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Video of the ducks paddling upside down:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZjCFw7IoeVY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
continued to walk on the tapering Loch Trail along the lake, observing the Fir
Cove and Huckleberry Cove until we reached the Deer Flat Picnic Area. There are
a few benches here and a small dock on the lake. We spent some time enjoying
the undisturbed lake and continued our hike on the Highland Trail. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The Highland
Trail, which is paved on the mountains, runs parallel to the Loch Trail with no
view of the lake. Although the trail was well shaded with trees on either sides, the steep ascends and descends made us all weary and sweaty. There
were pesky flies all over the trail and we were waving our hands vigorously most of the
time to keep them away. After reaching the highest elevation of the
trail, about 1000 feet, a scenic point that revealed the view of the narrow lake
amidst the lush trees knocked our eyes out.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZzs5_E2qMU/UEZSKL8RwCI/AAAAAAAAKLw/5MqlWWxOx1w/s1600/Lake+Lochmond+View+From+an+Elevation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="128" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZzs5_E2qMU/UEZSKL8RwCI/AAAAAAAAKLw/5MqlWWxOx1w/s400/Lake+Lochmond+View+From+an+Elevation.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of the lake from highest elevation (~1000ft) of the trail</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
rest of the trail was so steep that every so often one of us in our group almost
slipped while walking on the loose gravel. The park gates close at 8pm and as
it was very close to 8pm, we tried to finish the hike as quickly as possible. It
would have been a nightmare had we not made it on time, especially because the
cell reception was almost null. We finally reached the paved road just 10 minutes
to 8pm and literally ran to our car and darted out of the park exactly 2
minutes before 8pm.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jMu88tnfOxw/UEZSKXxzeLI/AAAAAAAAKL4/2jgBth5R1aU/s1600/Loch+Lochmond+Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jMu88tnfOxw/UEZSKXxzeLI/AAAAAAAAKL4/2jgBth5R1aU/s400/Loch+Lochmond+Trail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Highland Loop trail</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tips<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Bring lots of food and
water if you plan to take the Loch – Highlands Loop</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">If you are interested in
BBQ, definitely take the boat to the Clar Innis island and enjoy a BBQ in the
middle of the lake. The experience, I think will be unique</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Wear hiking shoes or
bring hiking poles if you decide to take the Loch-Highlands Loop because the
trail is very slippery due to loose gravel</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Be aware that mountain
lions linger in the forests here; we did not see any but be cautious of them</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Wear covered clothing because the
Highland Loop trail has a lot of flies around</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Useful
Resources<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://lompico.org/lochlomondlake.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Official Website</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/loch-lomond-recreational-area-felton" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Yelp Reviews</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nearby
Locations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.scparks.com/quail_hollow.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Quail Hollow RanchCounty Park</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=546" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Henry Cowell RedwoodsState Park</a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/02/santa-cruz-natural-bridges-state-beach.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Natural Bridges State Park</a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/01/santa-cruz-lighthouse-fields-state.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Lighthouse Field State Beach</a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/01/santa-cruz-lighthouse-fields-state.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf</a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/01/santa-cruz-lighthouse-fields-state.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Wilder Ranch State Park</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0100 Loch Lomond Way, Ben Lomond, CA 95005, USA37.107039 -122.06997937.0943755 -122.08972 37.1197025 -122.05023800000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-73064818419918210942012-08-04T23:30:00.000-07:002012-08-27T21:50:32.662-07:00Muir Beach<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c7d05f877b74d8d27&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.83148,-122.522278&spn=0.189814,0.291824&z=11&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c7d05f877b74d8d27&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.83148,-122.522278&spn=0.189814,0.291824&z=11&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Muir Beach - August 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Muir Beach</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hiking Trails</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Pirates Cove</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Dolphins, Sea Otters, Steelhead
Trout, Seals</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Birds</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free parking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free admission</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Mobile restrooms at the
parking lot</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">BBQ Pits near the beach</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Coastal Trail - Coastal
Fire Road - Coastal Trail</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Length:</b> ~4.5 miles; <b>Elevation:</b> ~150<span style="color: red;"> </span>feet; <b>Time:</b> 3 hours; <b>Difficulty:</b> Moderately Strenuous</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Although
I like to say that the Muir Beach is located within an hour and a half drive
from San Jose, with the heavy traffic and the circuitous roads, it took us two
hours to get here on a weekend. We parked the car in the lot and walked for a
bit when the path split into two; one leads you to the Coastal Trail and the
other leads you to the Muir Beach. We turned left to take the Coastal Trail,
which started ascending immediately and took us to the top of the rugged coastal
bluff. Once you reach the top of the cliff, look behind to see the beautiful
Muir Beach and the Redwood Creek forming a lagoon and connecting the beach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-68-_2-bEi4E/UDxLWOdK7WI/AAAAAAAAKLc/8KigqzQaWVU/s1600/Muir+Beach+Lagoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-68-_2-bEi4E/UDxLWOdK7WI/AAAAAAAAKLc/8KigqzQaWVU/s400/Muir+Beach+Lagoon.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Muir Beach and Redwood Creek from the top of the cliff</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
continued on the Coastal Trail for a little over a mile and saw the Pirates
Cove to the right. Take a keen look at the rocks in the Pirates Cove; you might
find a few seals basking on the rocks. The alternate ascends and descends of
the trail kept us huffing and puffing through the hike. At one point of time,
the trail is on a ~150 feet cliff and another point of time, the trail runs
very close to the ocean.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AhmiKvrl-k/UDxI9BAqHiI/AAAAAAAAKK4/4X_VXpFwEoI/s1600/Muir+Beach+Trail+Cove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AhmiKvrl-k/UDxI9BAqHiI/AAAAAAAAKK4/4X_VXpFwEoI/s400/Muir+Beach+Trail+Cove.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View from Coastal Trail</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A
small detour in the trail that takes you closer to the waters in Pirates Cove
and when we were walking down the trail, I thought I saw a tail fin just off
the shore. With a closer look we noticed three dolphins swimming very close to
the shore.</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tM0GF3bqNE8/UDxI9AetA1I/AAAAAAAAKLA/N5WAZZ7phow/s1600/Muir+Beach+Trail+Pirates+Cove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tM0GF3bqNE8/UDxI9AetA1I/AAAAAAAAKLA/N5WAZZ7phow/s400/Muir+Beach+Trail+Pirates+Cove.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pirates Cove</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
then reached a point in the trail, where it split into Coastal Fire Road and
Tennessee Trail. The Tennessee trail takes you further away from Muir Beach all
the way till Tennessee Cove and Tennessee Beach. As the day was very foggy, we
decided to return to the Muir Beach and take the trail to the Tennessee Cove on
a different day. The Coastal Fire Road trail running parallel to the Coastal
Trail is paved on the mountains offering very limited view of the ocean. The
gradually descending trail took us back to the Muir Beach without too much of
heaving.</span></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i8ELiGqKXr0/UDxI9GlSRHI/AAAAAAAAKK8/4-sy_tmJf1Q/s1600/Muir+Beach+Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i8ELiGqKXr0/UDxI9GlSRHI/AAAAAAAAKK8/4-sy_tmJf1Q/s400/Muir+Beach+Trail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trail on the mountains</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
spent some time in the Muir Beach and noticed steelhead trout and a sea otter
in the Redwood Creek that forms a lagoon next to the beach. The rocks in the
Muir Beach offer a vivid look that photographers love and we returned home after
watching the sunset.</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KZjbL8TNPIY/UDxI9tp9sSI/AAAAAAAAKLI/dRQ6LCrfVFs/s1600/Muir_Beach_Sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KZjbL8TNPIY/UDxI9tp9sSI/AAAAAAAAKLI/dRQ6LCrfVFs/s400/Muir_Beach_Sunset.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunset from Muir Beach</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are somewhere near Muir Beach, I highly recommend going to the Muir Beach Lookout, which is a few miles away from the Muir Beach. We did not get a chance to visit it on the day we went to the Muir Beach but we certainly plan to go there sometime.</span><br />
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Tips</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wear covered clothing because certain parts of the trail are narrow and there were bushes on either sides of the trail; we had to clear the bushes to make our way</span></li>
</ul>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Useful Resources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://parksconservancy.org/visit/park-sites/muir-beach.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Official Website</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/muir-beach-national-park-muir-beach" target="_blank">Yelp Reviews</a></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Nearby Locations</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/01/muir-woods-and-scenic-viewpoint-of.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Muir Woods</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/05/fort-funston-national-park.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fort Funston National Park</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/04/lands-end.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Lands End</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=471" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mt. Tamalpais State Park</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.stinsonbeachonline.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stinson Beach</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.parksconservancy.org/visit/park-sites/rodeo-beach.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rodeo Beach</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/tennessee_valley.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tennessee Valley</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Muir Beach, CA, USA37.8621493 -122.581366737.8496133 -122.6011077 37.874685299999996 -122.56162570000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-1112765894136451242012-07-29T23:30:00.000-07:002012-07-30T11:36:43.909-07:00Berkeley Kite Festival<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c604c7ea9c1df8c97&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.867875,-122.311735&spn=0.023715,0.036478&z=14&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c604c7ea9c1df8c97&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=37.867875,-122.311735&spn=0.023715,0.036478&z=14&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Berkeley Kite Festival - July 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
</center>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">What<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Festival
to see all kinds of flamboyant and artistic kites</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
kite flying and kite making lessons</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Entertainment
for kids – Jumpers, Trains, Pony Rides, Farm Animals</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">More
Info<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
admission</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">$10/day
parking with free shuttles from the parking lot to the festival</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Festival
booths selling kites, candies, food, etc</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This
was our first time visiting the Annual Kite Festival in Berkeley. Although I
knew about the Kite Festival long ago, I was not motivated to attend the event
until I saw pictures of the magnificent kites that are flown here. I am so glad
that we made it this time because we had a blast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As
we were on the freeway and driving close to the Cesar Chavez Park, we saw
numerous, vibrant kites flying high against the clear blue sky. That was enough
to get us excited! There are two parking lots, one at Marina and another at
Golden Gate Fields. We parked the car at Marina and took the free shuttle to
the festival grounds. The good thing is that the $10 parking fee goes to buying
dictionaries for Berkeley school kids.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SAnD3aWm8h8/UBYwlWTx8sI/AAAAAAAAJ-o/qV4SMu7rvEk/s1600/berkeley+kite+festival+Gaint+Dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SAnD3aWm8h8/UBYwlWTx8sI/AAAAAAAAJ-o/qV4SMu7rvEk/s400/berkeley+kite+festival+Gaint+Dog.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Puppy Kite</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
saw all kinds of assorted shaped kites, such as fish, octopus, prism, roto-box,
lizard, dragon and many more that my memory does not recollect. Some of the
highlights were the humongous puppy shaped kite, giant octopus kite, Nemo fish
kite and Panda shaped kite.</span></div>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_52lQUqWxv4/UBYwlMPyADI/AAAAAAAAJ-k/M0amPVtbr0Q/s1600/berkeley+kite+festival+Gaint+Octopus+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_52lQUqWxv4/UBYwlMPyADI/AAAAAAAAJ-k/M0amPVtbr0Q/s400/berkeley+kite+festival+Gaint+Octopus+02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Giant Octopus Kite</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It
was fun watching little kids trying to fly their cute little kites. There is a
ton of entertainment for the kids, in addition to flying kites. There were
jumpers, pony rides and a kids train to take them around the park. There was
also a small space for farm animals such as goat, chicken, duck, rabbits and
kids were inside this little space petting the farm animals. I took the
opportunity to pet a tiny rabbit, which has been and still is my personal favorite
since I was a kid. It reminded me of those days when my parents took me to a
shopping complex in my native town every Sunday evening only to see two little
rabbits playing in the grass.</span></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dr8TEs_5Ah8/UBYwlyl9-GI/AAAAAAAAJ_A/HUawHVKRPzY/s1600/berkeley+kite+festival+Kids+Play+Area.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dr8TEs_5Ah8/UBYwlyl9-GI/AAAAAAAAJ_A/HUawHVKRPzY/s400/berkeley+kite+festival+Kids+Play+Area.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jumpers</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There
were kite flying shows among novice kite flyers and it was amazing to see how
they flew their kites in a procession. In addition, there are several festival
booths, where one can amble and spend time. Some of the vendors were even giving
away free ice-cream samples to all and sundry.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TxIWcVq1pkw/UBYwnZT_cRI/AAAAAAAAJ_0/IIPgOHQQ_-E/s1600/berkeley+kite+festival+Kites+04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TxIWcVq1pkw/UBYwnZT_cRI/AAAAAAAAJ_0/IIPgOHQQ_-E/s400/berkeley+kite+festival+Kites+04.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A kite enthusiast</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
spent a good two hours here before taking the shuttle back to the parking lot.
When we attend the kite festival next year, we are sure to best utilize the
free kite flying and kite making classes offered at the festival. Several folks
had even brought their tents to camp there the entire day. I fancy that idea!</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Here is a video of a kite show that I captured:</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span><br /><br>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dmDfyxbKM3A?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Tips<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Check
out the timings for free kite flying and kite making classes if you are
interested</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Bring
your tents if you plan to stay here for the entire day because there is no
shade at all</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Bring
towels to spread on the grounds</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">More Pictures<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Click <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/107620289993797932968/albums/5770853188181178049?banner=pwa" target="_blank">here</a> for more pictures</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Useful Resources<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.highlinekites.com/pages.php?pageid=21" target="_blank">Official Website</a></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Nearby Locations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Parks_Rec_Waterfront/Home/Parks__Horseshoe_Park.aspx" target="_blank">Horseshoe Park</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Parks_Rec_Waterfront/Home/Parks__Shorebird_Park.aspx" target="_blank">Shorebird Park</a></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0César Chávez Park, 11 Spinnaker Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA37.8716214 -122.320412137.8653544 -122.3302826 37.8778884 -122.3105416tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-13281665918102554342012-07-02T23:30:00.000-07:002012-08-20T22:20:02.877-07:00In and around Times Square<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c7bdbac377bf5eeee&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.761301,-73.9785&spn=0.045508,0.072956&z=13&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c7bdbac377bf5eeee&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.761301,-73.9785&spn=0.045508,0.072956&z=13&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">In and around Times Square - July 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
</center>
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Apple
Store</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">FAO
Shwartz</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Trump
Tower</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">St.
Patrick’s Cathedral</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">M&M
Store in Times Square</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Disney
Store</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Toys
R Us</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Times
Square</span></li>
</ul><br>
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Apple
Store</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
got off from the subway near Times Square and went inside the popular Apple
store. Al though I am not a fan of Apple for a multitude of reasons that are
outside the scope of this blog, I did admire the fact the store is so
innovatively designed. There is a small artificial pond just outside the Apple
store where a surfeit of chairs is strewn around for visitor use. We relaxed
for a bit, admiring the busy streets of New York and the Pulitzer Fountain on
the other side of the street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-354cOlKwPU4/UDMU2cO4bDI/AAAAAAAAKJo/4N97MhdImYc/s1600/Apple+Store+New+York.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-354cOlKwPU4/UDMU2cO4bDI/AAAAAAAAKJo/4N97MhdImYc/s400/Apple+Store+New+York.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apple Store</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">FAO
Shwartz</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">For
those who think FAO Shwartz is only for kids, I beg to differ. This awesome
store has all kinds of soft toys that one could possibly think of. Chocolate
brands are made into soft toys of some nature. One can see human sized lego
toys of Statue of Liberty, Batman, etc. There is also a giant piano in the
second floor, where kids take turns and jump on them. A small café is located
towards the end of the store.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-waMqduq7RzY/UDMU2_-zp5I/AAAAAAAAKJ4/VFX_AK-rNVY/s1600/FAO+Schwarz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-waMqduq7RzY/UDMU2_-zp5I/AAAAAAAAKJ4/VFX_AK-rNVY/s400/FAO+Schwarz.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FAO Shwartz</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As
we walked towards Times Square, we stopped at several places such as the Trump
Tower and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">St.
Patrick’s Cathedral</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">On
our way to Times Square, we visited the marvelous St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Roman
Catholic cathedral church. The beautiful architecture, paintings on the
windows, nave of the church were very impressive. Photography is permitted
inside most part of the church, except inside the chapel at one end of the
church. As I recalled those days when I went to the church every week with my
grandmother, I lighted a couple of candles, uttered a small prayer and left the
church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-drIh_kImeI4/UDMU4_pvNrI/AAAAAAAAKKQ/2u9gP1VaLXU/s1600/Saint+Patricks+Cathedral+New+York.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-drIh_kImeI4/UDMU4_pvNrI/AAAAAAAAKKQ/2u9gP1VaLXU/s400/Saint+Patricks+Cathedral+New+York.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nave of St. Patrick's Cathedral</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">M&M
Store, Times Square</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After
walking across 10 blocks, we reached the M&M store in Times Square. Despite
the fact that I don’t relish M&M chocolates, we enjoyed the contemporary
souvenirs, the flamboyant décor and the happy vibe inside the store.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fh8BjWVQR40/UDMU3_KyMVI/AAAAAAAAKKI/n0P16cQoU80/s1600/M%2526M+Store+New+York.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fh8BjWVQR40/UDMU3_KyMVI/AAAAAAAAKKI/n0P16cQoU80/s400/M%2526M+Store+New+York.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M&M Store</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Hersheys
Store, Times Square</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Even
though the Hersheys store is not as vibrant and big as the M&M store, we
did enjoy the few minutes that we spent inside.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oUi2Beo81e0/UDMU3XDElyI/AAAAAAAAKJ8/PJ1Ag65Alx8/s1600/Hersheys+New+York.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oUi2Beo81e0/UDMU3XDElyI/AAAAAAAAKJ8/PJ1Ag65Alx8/s400/Hersheys+New+York.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hersheys Store</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Disney
Store, Times Square</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I
believe the Disney Store was opened recently because I don’t recall seeing it when
I visited New York four years ago. I somehow had high expectations of the
Disney store, but it disappointed me. In my opinion, the store was not
impressive.</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2A42m5Ixf_w/UDMU2VwQFsI/AAAAAAAAKJs/_jeo6v8spLU/s1600/Disney+Store+New+York.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2A42m5Ixf_w/UDMU2VwQFsI/AAAAAAAAKJs/_jeo6v8spLU/s400/Disney+Store+New+York.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Disney Store</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Toys
R Us, Times Square</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It
is surprising that Toys R Us, which is located in the prime New York location
would close so early. We hardly stepped inside when we were told that the store
was closing in 5minutes. Such a downer!<o:p></o:p></span></div><br>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G_ErEy4QJVU/UDMU5dSqe9I/AAAAAAAAKKg/SAH6T57B3IA/s1600/Toys+R+Us+New+York.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G_ErEy4QJVU/UDMU5dSqe9I/AAAAAAAAKKg/SAH6T57B3IA/s400/Toys+R+Us+New+York.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toys R Us</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Times
Square</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Needless
to say, Times Square is crammed and is one of the most electrifying places that
I have ever seen. No wonder New York is known to be the city that never sleeps.
With all the flashy billboard lights around, it is so easy to lose track of the
time.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JWmkwgUmmN4/UDMU5LyTUVI/AAAAAAAAKKY/8rb-iH9UmCc/s1600/Time+Square+New+York.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JWmkwgUmmN4/UDMU5LyTUVI/AAAAAAAAKKY/8rb-iH9UmCc/s400/Time+Square+New+York.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Times Square</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">After
a very long and exhausting day we returned to our hotel to get a good night’s
sleep.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Useful
Resources<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.fao.com/home/index.jsp" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">FAO Shwartz</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.saintpatrickscathedral.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">St Patrick's Cathedral</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.timessquarenyc.org/index.aspx" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Times Square</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nearby
Locations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.esbnyc.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Empire State Building</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.centralparknyc.org/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Central Park</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bryantpark.org/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Bryant Park</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/grand-central-terminal.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grand Central Terminal</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/brooklyn-bridge.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brooklyn Bridge</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/top-of-rock.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top of the Rock</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/battery-park-and-bowling-green-park.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Battery Park</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/battery-park-and-bowling-green-park.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bowling Green Park</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/statue-of-liberty-and-ellis-island.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/06/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Metropolitan Museum of Art</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Theater District - Times Square, New York, NY, USA40.759011 -73.984472240.7529975 -73.9943427 40.7650245 -73.9746017tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-57711188402017440492012-07-02T22:30:00.000-07:002012-08-17T15:59:10.800-07:00Brooklyn Bridge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c7471a5455f15ae2d&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.699121,-73.99601&spn=0.04555,0.072956&z=13&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c7471a5455f15ae2d&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.699121,-73.99601&spn=0.04555,0.072956&z=13&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Brooklyn Bridge - July 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
</center>
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Brooklyn
Bridge (One of the oldest suspension bridges in the US and one of the longest in
the world)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Brooklyn
Bridge Park</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Governor’s Island</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Manhattan Bridge</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Downtown Manhattan</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">More
Info<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
admission</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Biking
and Pedestrian paths along the bridge</span></li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ri8RoCOIG7c/UC3D1jjQHsI/AAAAAAAAKHE/R4kSLZfS464/s1600/Brooklyn+Bridge+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ri8RoCOIG7c/UC3D1jjQHsI/AAAAAAAAKHE/R4kSLZfS464/s320/Brooklyn+Bridge+02.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the Brooklyn Bridge Towers</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An unrelenting
persistence went into constructing this iconic bridge and opening it in May
1883. A German immigrant who first started with designing the bridge died soon
after surviving a fatal crush injury and developing an infection. His son, who
took over the construction of this bridge suffered from decompression
sickness and was paralyzed, along with other construction workers. His wife jumped
in to work with the engineers, did her higher education to learn about bridge
construction and managed the project for 11 years. A very inspiring story of
the brains behind this glorious bridge.</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GhDprgWP8t4/UC3D1YvkqTI/AAAAAAAAKG8/4M6MF4kXhJQ/s1600/Brooklyn+Bridge+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GhDprgWP8t4/UC3D1YvkqTI/AAAAAAAAKG8/4M6MF4kXhJQ/s400/Brooklyn+Bridge+01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brooklyn Bridge</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Similar
to the Golden Gate Bridge, there is a walkway for pedestrians and bicyclists
along the bridge. We walked up to one tower of the bridge to see the </span><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/statue-of-liberty-and-ellis-island.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Statue of Liberty</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/statue-of-liberty-and-ellis-island.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Ellis Island</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> and Governor’s Island to one side of the bridge. To the other
side is the Manhattan Bridge. As we walked on the bridge, the sight of the
Manhattan skyline on the opposite side threw us in amazement.</span></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OsFfjx6eNjk/UC3D1ch5uqI/AAAAAAAAKG4/0pajMOmaGXk/s1600/Brooklyn+Bridge+Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="126" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OsFfjx6eNjk/UC3D1ch5uqI/AAAAAAAAKG4/0pajMOmaGXk/s400/Brooklyn+Bridge+Park.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn Bridge Park</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">After
spending some time in the bridge and clicking pictures, we returned via the
same route and walked to the Brooklyn Bridge Park, just below the Brooklyn
Bridge. The Park, which is along the East River has several benches facing the
waters and walkways along the river. There are also several restaurants and
ice-cream parlors by the Pier. It is certainly a wonderful place to take it
easy while enjoying the beauty of New York.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">By
the way, if it one of those days you are craving for pizzas, definitely check
out <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/grimaldis-brooklyn#hrid:RYrQvOPOUcQOAexCPRerlg" target="_blank">Grimaldi’s</a>, just a block away from the Brooklyn Bridge Park. One cannot
miss the pizza place because you will always see long lines waiting outside no
matter what time of the day you are there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Useful
Resources<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Brooklyn Bridge Park</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bridges/brooklyn_bridge.shtml" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">NYC DOT Brooklyn Bridge</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nearby
Locations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.timessquarenyc.org/index.aspx" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">TimesSquare</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.esbnyc.com/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">EmpireState Building</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.centralparknyc.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Central Park</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.saintpatrickscathedral.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">StPatrick's Cathedral</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bryantpark.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Bryant Park</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/statue-of-liberty-and-ellis-island.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island</a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/top-of-rock.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Top of the Rock</a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/battery-park-and-bowling-green-park.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Battery Park and Bowling Green Park</a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/06/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Metropolitan Museum of Art</a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/grand-central-terminal.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Grand Central Terminal</a></li>
</ul>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Brooklyn Bridge, New York, NY, USA40.7041538 -73.994589640.6921163 -74.0143306 40.7161913 -73.9748486tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-61924017929161584592012-07-02T22:00:00.000-07:002012-08-13T09:18:39.108-07:00Grand Central Terminal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c714799202fb6056b&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.746997,-73.983479&spn=0.045518,0.072956&z=13&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c714799202fb6056b&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.746997,-73.983479&spn=0.045518,0.072956&z=13&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Grand Central Terminal - July 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
</center>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Grand
Central Terminal (Train terminal in Midtown Manhattan)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Largest
train station in the world, by the number of platforms</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">More
Info<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free
admission</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Restaurants,
cafes and restrooms inside the Grand Central</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">$7/adult
audio tour</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Attracting
over 21 million visitors every year, the Grand Central is the world’s sixth
most visited tourist attraction according to a Travel Magazine. 10 years of laborious
work and 80 million dollars were put into constructing the Grand Central and opening
it in 1913.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When
I entered the Grand Central for the first time, the architectural luster of
this place made it so hard for me to believe that it is actually a railway
station. The Terminal is huge with European style architectural structures and
beautiful paintings on the wall and ceiling. Our jaws dropped looking at the minutiae
of the décor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D68kiLm1CMc/UCfjId1PqlI/AAAAAAAAKGM/PJpYv_l6JzM/s1600/Grand+Central+Terminal+New+York.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D68kiLm1CMc/UCfjId1PqlI/AAAAAAAAKGM/PJpYv_l6JzM/s400/Grand+Central+Terminal+New+York.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside the Grand Central</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the highlights of the Grand Central are:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The four-sided Central Clock with a brass pagoda at the Information Booth in the middle of the Main Concourse</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The astronomical mural in the lofty ceiling, painted by a French painter</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Opulent chandeliers in the Main Concourse and Vanderbilt Hall</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exquisite art work on the walls</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Statue of Mercury (the god of commerce) supported by Minerva (goddess of poetry, medicine, wisdom, arts) and Hercules (representing mental and moral strength)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> outside the Grand Central</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--9z5VUzr6ho/UCfjIYfTFqI/AAAAAAAAKGI/rUYHw4o1ekM/s1600/Statue+Grand+Central+Station+New+York.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--9z5VUzr6ho/UCfjIYfTFqI/AAAAAAAAKGI/rUYHw4o1ekM/s400/Statue+Grand+Central+Station+New+York.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Statue of Mercury, Minerva and Hercules outside Grand Central</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There
are several cafes, restaurants and retail shops inside and outside the Grand
Central. We even noticed an Apple customer service center inside the Grand
Central. The shiny Macs, iPads and other Apple devices seemed to be a striking
contrast against the architecturally plush Grand Central and I did not really
like that. It disgraces the beauty of the Grand Central.</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D0T8k_r1uR4/UCf2ssVmNbI/AAAAAAAAKGk/LiJYBky8gVU/s1600/Grand+Central+Terminal+chandeliers+New+York.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D0T8k_r1uR4/UCf2ssVmNbI/AAAAAAAAKGk/LiJYBky8gVU/s320/Grand+Central+Terminal+chandeliers+New+York.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beautiful chandelier inside Grand Central</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Useful
Resources<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/index.cfm" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Official Website</a></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nearby
Locations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.timessquarenyc.org/index.aspx" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">TimesSquare</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.esbnyc.com/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">EmpireState Building</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.centralparknyc.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">CentralPark</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.saintpatrickscathedral.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">StPatrick's Cathedral </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bryantpark.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Bryant Park</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/statue-of-liberty-and-ellis-island.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island</a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/battery-park-and-bowling-green-park.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Battery Park</a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/battery-park-and-bowling-green-park.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Bowling Green Park</a></li>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/top-of-rock.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Top of the Rock</a></li>
</ul>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0Grand Central Terminal, 87 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, USA40.752998 -73.97705640.7514945 -73.9795235 40.754501499999996 -73.97458850000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-46692162874911677492012-07-01T23:30:00.000-07:002012-08-03T09:47:28.040-07:00Top of the Rock<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c5fafa10f3fcae10b&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.75883,-73.980045&spn=0.04551,0.072956&z=13&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c5fafa10f3fcae10b&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.75883,-73.980045&spn=0.04551,0.072956&z=13&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Top of the Rock - July 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">360 degree
view of Manhattan</span></li>
</ul>
</div><br>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">More
Info<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">$25/adult admission fee</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Restrooms
and café inside the Rockefeller Center</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No
food allowed inside</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There
is a security check before taking the elevator to the top of the rock</span></li>
</ul>
</div><br>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Although
we made advance online reservations, I am not sure how much that helped. The
reason is, with your online reservation confirmation print-out, you would still
need to exchange them for tickets at the Rockefeller Center and there was a long
line for the same. Of course there were two separate lines, one for with
reservation and another for without reservation, but waiting in line to
exchange them for tickets defies the whole purpose of making advance
reservations. Weird!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CBkgCTdxnGA/UBtVtKP4jrI/AAAAAAAAKEY/_Pj_HD_LRPE/s1600/Top+of+the+Rock+Sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CBkgCTdxnGA/UBtVtKP4jrI/AAAAAAAAKEY/_Pj_HD_LRPE/s400/Top+of+the+Rock+Sign.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top of the Rock</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
arrived at 8.30ish in the evening and after waiting in the line we got the
tickets for 9.45pm to 10.00pm entrance. We simply ambled inside the Rockefeller
Center for an hour or so until 9.45pm. The Rockefeller Center interior décor
looked awesome with a flashy, long chandelier hanging in the middle of the hall
from the fourth floor. When we reached the fourth floor, we went through a
security check before taking the elevator to the top.</span></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cgb_5XP2PQY/UBtVtFKzDFI/AAAAAAAAKEc/yWXitsZSvnY/s1600/Top+of+the+Rock_Standing+in+Line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cgb_5XP2PQY/UBtVtFKzDFI/AAAAAAAAKEc/yWXitsZSvnY/s400/Top+of+the+Rock_Standing+in+Line.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside the Rockefeller Center</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
glass top elevator that took us to the mezzanine floor was very innovatively
designed with projectors and flamboyant lights. The view from the Top of the Rock
was simply mind blowing! It offers a 360 degree breathtaking view of Manhattan.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Although
the Empire State Building has an observatory deck that offers a similar view,
the tickets to the Top of the Rock are cheaper than the Empire State Building
and one can see the Empire State Building itself from here. The only downside
is that a part of the Chrysler building is hidden, but we were so immersed in
the beauty of the entire Manhattan that we were hardly concerned about the
partial visibility of the Chrysler Building. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9iwL5KQ53w/UBtVt-gI3VI/AAAAAAAAKEo/Qu_LmiQXqiI/s1600/Top+of+the+Rock_Skyline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="91" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9iwL5KQ53w/UBtVt-gI3VI/AAAAAAAAKEo/Qu_LmiQXqiI/s400/Top+of+the+Rock_Skyline.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Manhattan from Top of the Rock</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There
are two other floors that take you further to the top. We spent more than
45minutes here taking pictures and enjoying the well-lit, jazzy downtown.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tips<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Make advance online
reservations <a href="https://secure.topoftherocknyc.com/ODTInternet/Web/BuyTicketOnline/captureticket.aspx" target="_blank">here</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">and bring your ticket confirmation print-out</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Plan
to reserve at least 2.5 hours</span></li>
</ul>
</div><br>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Useful
Resources<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.topoftherocknyc.com/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Official Website</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
</div><br>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nearby
Locations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.timessquarenyc.org/index.aspx" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">TimesSquare</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.esbnyc.com/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">EmpireState Building</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.centralparknyc.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Central Park</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.saintpatrickscathedral.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">St.Patrick's Cathedral</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bryantpark.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">BryantPark</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">GrandCentral Terminal</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com0US Post Office, 610 5th Ave, New York, NY 10020, USA40.7585 -73.97808940.746472499999996 -73.99783 40.7705275 -73.958348tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-10774255274683141382012-07-01T23:00:00.000-07:002012-08-06T21:12:03.636-07:00Battery Park and Bowling Green Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c6a4f6db6c89fc9c9&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.6986,-74.017467&spn=0.045551,0.072956&z=13&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c6a4f6db6c89fc9c9&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.6986,-74.017467&spn=0.045551,0.072956&z=13&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Battery Park and Bowling Green Park - July 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small>
</center>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">View
of Liberty Island, Ellis Island, Governor’s Island, Statue of Liberty</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Sphere</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Bosque
Fountain</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">World
War II Memorial (Statue of Eagle)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Alexander
Hamilton U.S. Custom House</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Wall
Street Bull</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Free admission to both Bowling Green Park and Battery Park</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Restrooms in Battery Park</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Several food vendors in the Parks</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cMr8x51dcD4/UCCSdjhsGbI/AAAAAAAAKFY/d78GGz198Ow/s1600/statue_of_libery_ellis_island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cMr8x51dcD4/UCCSdjhsGbI/AAAAAAAAKFY/d78GGz198Ow/s400/statue_of_libery_ellis_island.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island from Battery Park</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
25-acre Battery Park, which is located at the southern tip of Manhattan faces
the New York Harbor. It is from here that ferries run to the </span><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/statue-of-liberty-and-ellis-island.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">. Take a walk in the beautiful gardens facing the Hudson River on
one side and the busy New York streets on the other side. The Bosque Fountain
adds to the beauty of the already beautiful park. During summers, free shows
are organized in the park.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5GXiRkzxdEk/UCCSdjjBq8I/AAAAAAAAKFU/EFec6tPfKxk/s1600/The_Sphere_WTC_Memorial_Globe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5GXiRkzxdEk/UCCSdjjBq8I/AAAAAAAAKFU/EFec6tPfKxk/s400/The_Sphere_WTC_Memorial_Globe.jpg" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Sphere</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
Sphere, which once proudly stood in the middle of the World Trade Center and
survived the grief-stricken 9/11 attack is temporarily placed here with an eternity
flame to honor the memory of the victims. The Eagle statue, which is the East
Coast memorial of the World War II is also hosted in the Battery Park.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Just
look across the street to see the magnificent Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom
House.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-500nnZjiKQg/UCCSdZv-ysI/AAAAAAAAKFQ/O2SWc6ajw2A/s1600/Alexander+Hamilton+US+Custom+House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-500nnZjiKQg/UCCSdZv-ysI/AAAAAAAAKFQ/O2SWc6ajw2A/s400/Alexander+Hamilton+US+Custom+House.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alexander Hamilton U.S Custom House</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A
short walk from the Battery Park took us to the Bowling Green neighborhood of
New York. The iconic Wall Street Bull or Charging Bull stands here. When I
visited New York four years ago, there was no fence around the Bull and
everyone was gushing around the Bull to take pictures. Now there is a fence and
people stand in a line to wait for their turn to take a picture near the Bull. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dLj7_8M7ByM/UCCSc320fYI/AAAAAAAAKFA/h2oqEVncWuE/s1600/The+Wall+Street+Charging+Bull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dLj7_8M7ByM/UCCSc320fYI/AAAAAAAAKFA/h2oqEVncWuE/s400/The+Wall+Street+Charging+Bull.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wall Street Bull</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Useful Resources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/batterypark/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Battery Park</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bowlinggreen/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Bowling Green</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Nearby Locations</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://anoomaggie.blogspot.com/2012/07/statue-of-liberty-and-ellis-island.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Statueof Liberty and Ellis Island</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.911memorial.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">WTC Memorial</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Brooklyn Bridge</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.timessquare.com/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">TimesSquare</a></li>
</ul>
</div>Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com1Battery Park, 1 New York Plaza, New York, NY 10004, USA40.7033262 -74.017177840.7003167 -74.0221133 40.7063357 -74.0122423tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-650171128409564722012-07-01T22:30:00.000-07:002012-07-24T12:06:14.605-07:00Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c58b2ead99b9a5fba&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.701464,-74.027081&spn=0.045549,0.072956&z=13&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216384198842628965524.0004c58b2ead99b9a5fba&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.701464,-74.027081&spn=0.045549,0.072956&z=13&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island - July 2012</a> in a larger map</span></small></center><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Statue of Liberty</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Liberty Island, formally called Bedloe's Island</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Ellis Island (Immigration Center that was active from 1892 to 1954)</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">View of Governor’s Island</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">View of New York and New Jersey downtown from the Liberty and Ellis islands</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">View of Liberty State Park</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Battery Park</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Ticket price is $17/adult</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">No food and water allowed</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">There is security scan before boarding the boat</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">10 min boat ride to Liberty Island</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Cafe, Gift shop, Water fountains and Restrooms in Liberty and Ellis Islands</span></li>
</ul>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I am so glad we made advance online reservations to the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Ferry because we saw long lines at the ticket counter and we could have easily wasted away an hour in the 95 F weather (no fun!).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">There are two lines, one for people who get the tickets at the Battery Park and other for people who have already made reservations online, the line for the latter is usually short. Before boarding, one needs to go through an airport like security check but much quicker. We then hopped on to the Ferry and went to the top most deck. It usually gets crowded around with people taking pictures of themselves against the Manhattan downtown or State of Liberty backdrop. Do not feel shy to ask someone to take a picture of you, people are usually friendly and do return the favor if need be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZoRiHcRMax4/UA4doXpN2nI/AAAAAAAAJ9s/LpYOUBEY0Jk/s1600/statue_of_liberty_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZoRiHcRMax4/UA4doXpN2nI/AAAAAAAAJ9s/LpYOUBEY0Jk/s400/statue_of_liberty_02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Statue of Liberty</span></td></tr>
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After we reached the Liberty Island, we picked up our audio tour headsets and explored the island. The history of the Liberty statue was interesting; France presented the statue to the US to commemorate their long alliance. During late 1800s and early 1900s, when millions of Europeans migrated to the US, the majestic statue emanating from a distance was the sign that they were nearing the land of freedom. The statue actually faces France and not New York.</div>
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<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KVb3aNrOkQQ/UA4dnBrrwuI/AAAAAAAAJ9Q/33C04r_4xfQ/s1600/Liberty_Island_Statue_of_Gustave_Eiffel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KVb3aNrOkQQ/UA4dnBrrwuI/AAAAAAAAJ9Q/33C04r_4xfQ/s400/Liberty_Island_Statue_of_Gustave_Eiffel.jpg" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Statue of Gustave Eiffel</span></td></tr>
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</div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The Liberty Island also offers amazing views of the New York harbor and hosts statues of the brains behind this glorious statue.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></span> <br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">There is only one café (Crown Café) in the island and one has to survive the insanely long lines to buy the food. As anticipated, the food was pricey, options are limited and the taste was horrendous.</span> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TCSMJ20cyg0/UA4dkrnzzTI/AAAAAAAAJ8k/yq4Jwef1-3c/s1600/Ellis_Island_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TCSMJ20cyg0/UA4dkrnzzTI/AAAAAAAAJ8k/yq4Jwef1-3c/s400/Ellis_Island_01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Ellis Island</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
</div>
<div align="justify">
We spent over 3 hours in the island and took the next ferry to Ellis Island. During peak hours, almost all the ferries return to New York via Ellis Island. There are ferries that go to New Jersey as well. We hopped off on the Ellis Island, popularly known as the Island of Tears or Island of Hope by the immigrants who landed in the US back then. The audio tour took us past into the past and helped us understand everything that the 12 million immigrants went through before they stepped in the US soil; everything from the stringent immigration processes, creepy examination rooms to the treatment that the “third-class” passengers underwent. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SfWCQ00DEiw/UA4dlGjOw_I/AAAAAAAAJ8s/j-zacVVY2To/s1600/Ellis_Island_Registry_Room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SfWCQ00DEiw/UA4dlGjOw_I/AAAAAAAAJ8s/j-zacVVY2To/s400/Ellis_Island_Registry_Room.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">A huge hall inside Ellis Island where all the immigrants waited until their names were called</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
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After spending over 3 hours in the Ellis Island, we hopped on the Ferry back to the New York City after a long and exhausting day.</div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>Tips</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Make advance online reservations at </span><a href="http://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/tickets/"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/tickets/</span></a> <span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">and bring your print outs</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Definitely take the audio tour that is included along with the regular ticket price; it is highly informative</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Take the ferry first to the Liberty Island and then to the Ellis Island</span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Similar souvenirs are available for a much cheaper price elsewhere; you do not necessarily have to buy them at the gift shop.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>More Pictures</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Click <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/107620289993797932968/albums/5768584714271674337?banner=pwa" target="_blank">here</a> for more pictures </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>Useful Resources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Statue of LibertyTickets</a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.nps.gov/stli/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Statue of Liberty, NationalPark Service</a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"> </span> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.ellisisland.org/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Ellis Island</a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.nps.gov/elis/index.htm" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Ellis Island, National Park Service</a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>Nearby Locations</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thebattery.org/" target="_blank">BatteryPark</a></span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nycgovparks.org/park-features/future-parks/lower-manhattan-redevelopement/bowling-green-park" target="_blank">BowlingGreen Park</a></span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.911memorial.org/" target="_blank">WTCMemorial</a></span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/" target="_blank">BrooklynBridge Park</a></span> </li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.timessquare.com/" target="_blank">TimesSquare</a></span></li>
</ul>
</div>Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com5Statue of Liberty, Statue of Liberty National Monument, Liberty Island, New York, NY 10004, USA40.6902059 -74.04546740.6781659 -74.065208 40.7022459 -74.025726tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387201164748669036.post-21176764177765754832012-06-30T23:30:00.000-07:002012-07-17T22:57:32.994-07:00The Metropolitan Museum of Art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>What</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Museum
of Arts</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
MET stands majestically on the streets of New York, spanning multiple blocks.
As soon as we entered the museum, we grabbed a museum map, purchased the
tickets, clipped the Met pin and started with the Greek and Roman art section on
the first floor. Then we went on to explore all the other wings on the first
floor until we were dog tired. Although everything was interesting, we
specifically enjoyed the Egyptian and European culture wings.</span></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oTMRlTej7BM/UAYvBfTCoeI/AAAAAAAAJ5A/m9XIdfjA6V8/s1600/MET_New_York.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oTMRlTej7BM/UAYvBfTCoeI/AAAAAAAAJ5A/m9XIdfjA6V8/s400/MET_New_York.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Metropolitan Museum of Art</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
museum looks top notch, the exhibits are well organized with information cards
next to each exhibit and rooms are marked for easy navigation. Docents are
available in every nook and corner to answer any of your questions. The museum
is so prodigious that it is humanly impossible to explore the entire museum in
a single day. I wish we could have spent at least 2 days here to explore the
museum in its absoluteness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8s3aJZcCTis/UAYvB_skyNI/AAAAAAAAJ5Q/2-zucZbO-Ro/s1600/MET_New_York_Marble_Statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8s3aJZcCTis/UAYvB_skyNI/AAAAAAAAJ5Q/2-zucZbO-Ro/s400/MET_New_York_Marble_Statue.jpg" width="377" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marble Statue</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
cafes inside the museum are high-priced; however the good thing is that one can
enter/exit the museum multiple times on the same day with the Met pin. There
are numerous food stands just outside serving hot dogs, kabobs, drinks etc. at
a very reasonable price (cash only).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">At
the fag-end of the day we walked out of the museum with an information overload
of the world history and got us thinking about how the world would be a few
centuries from now. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ld_AAh_g6Ag/UAYvCGq63jI/AAAAAAAAJ5Y/neVwdQvvPNU/s1600/MET_New_York_Woman_Statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="337" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ld_AAh_g6Ag/UAYvCGq63jI/AAAAAAAAJ5Y/neVwdQvvPNU/s400/MET_New_York_Woman_Statue.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Statue of a woman</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I
highly recommend this place for people who have a profound interest in world
history. Even if you are not, still reserve a day of your trip because you will
enjoy it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Tips</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Mark
off each room that you have visited on the map, because it is easy to lose
track of the rooms that you have already seen</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Unlimited
entry/exit into the museum on the same day as long as you have the Met pin safe
with you</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Plan
to visit the MET on Fridays or Saturdays when the museum is open until 9.00pm;
on other days the museum closes by 5.30pm</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>More Info</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Admission
is on an honor basis; recommended is $25/adult</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Audio
tours available for $7/adult</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Museum
map available for free</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Restrooms,
café, gift shops and water fountains inside the museum</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No
food and drinks permitted</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Camera
allowed; no flash photography or video</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>More Pictures</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k8FNgbqlwp0/UAZITmN6ATI/AAAAAAAAJ7k/mI-M1hR_Jus/s1600/MET_New_York_Egyptian_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="64" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k8FNgbqlwp0/UAZITmN6ATI/AAAAAAAAJ7k/mI-M1hR_Jus/s1600/MET_New_York_Egyptian_01.jpg" width="64" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Useful Resources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Official Website</a></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Nearby Locations</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><a href="http://www.centralparknyc.org/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Central Park</a></li>
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Anu Mahendranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04711350335459539834noreply@blogger.com1Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028, USA40.7795143 -73.962987940.767490300000006 -73.9827289 40.7915383 -73.9432469