Find fall color at Lake Tahoe

My pal Pettit Gilwee writes that it’s leaf peeping season 
in California’s North Lake Tahoe – almost. 
"The trails and roads in North Lake Tahoe are just
 starting to show signs of autumn as the area’s aspens
 transition from a sea of green to a brilliant shade of yellow."
 I love this time of year in Lake Tahoe--autumn's tinges 
of yellow and red create such a lovely contrast with Tahoe’s
 solid wall of pines and firs.

It’s a good time to slow down. “Whether you’re out hiking or
 paddling via kayak, when you see that striking contrast 
in the trees, you just have to take a moment and soak 
it all up,” says Executive Director Bill Hoffman of the
 Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau. According 
to Hoffman, the last two weeks of October and the first 
two weeks of November are when the region’s trees really
 start to change over.

Where to see the show? Locals recommend road cycling, 
inline skating and running up Blackwood Canyon on the 
West Shore, located three to four miles south of Tahoe 
City. Blackwood’s paved road takes you from 6,200 feet lake
level to Barker Pass at 7,200 feet.

Eagle Rock, a Tahoe landmark, sits just south of the
 Blackwood Canyon entrance and is an easy 15-minute 
hike to the top, offering panoramic views of the region.
 (The California Tahoe Conservancy recently completed a 
new trail to the top, which has significantly reduced 
pollutants into Lake Tahoe.)

For a scenic alpine lake edged by aspen, check out 
Spooner Lake nine miles south of Sand Harbor State Beach 
(just outside of Incline Village). You’ll find miles of 
hiking trails, as well as a good starting point for those
 venturing into the backcountry for backpacking excursions.

On the Tahoe Rim Trail-- Lake Tahoe’s most popular hiking,
 mountain biking and equestrian trail--you’ll wind through
 more fall color. The 165-mile dirt path circles Lake Tahoe,
 with eight trailheads making it easy to access. Try 
jumping on the trail at Tahoe Meadows on the Mt. Rose 
Summit (Highway 431), at Tahoe City off Fairway Drive 
behind the town’s commercial core 
and at Barker Pass up Blackwood Canyon, the paved 
road is open to cars until they snow flies.

Details: In fall, look for the 2-for-1 dining deals,
 with coupons in area newspapers; significant savings
 on lodging; and many special events. TheVillage Center
 in Incline Village is hosting Oktoberfest October 15
 with German food, beer, live music by Bigg Funn and 
raffle prizes. Furry friends are invited to the Dog 
Days of Fall Dog Party October 15 in Incline Village.
 The 7th Annual Tahoe City Harvest Festival runs through
 October 22 and has a month long Scarecrows on Parade 
decorating downtown Tahoe City. The Lake Tahoe 
Women’s Wellness Weekend is November 12-13.

For more, head to www.GoTahoeNorth.com. And, 
for the best bargains, check out the website’s 
Cool Deals, which is updated daily and includes 
savings on lodging and 
activities.

Napa Wine Country: a package deal with amour

We love deals. We love San Francisco. And we love the Wine Country. So it follows that we'd really love a new package the Hyatt Regency San Francisco just announced: “Wine Country Amour”. (It's designed to complement the Wine Country-themed exhibit displayed in the hotel’s lobby through November 18, 2011.)

And since we're talking 'amour', the package is designed for couples, with an option of combining two of the most romantic destinations in the world--SF and the Napa Valley. Here's how the Hyatt's Amour Package works.

Starting at only $259, the package includes: one night's accommodations; full American breakfast for two (room service or in Eclipse); a bottle of Flora Springs wine; turndown service (on request); and late check out to 2:00 p.m. (on request). This package is available from now through the November 18, 2011. And then, exclusively for Hyatt Regency San Francisco guests booking this package, the Napa Valley Wine Train is featuring the “Gourmet Express” dinner package, where visitors will enjoy a Wine Country journey for an added $89 per person. After about a one-hour drive north of San Francisco, Hyatt guests will arrive at the Napa Valley Wine Train station in downtown Napa. Prior to boarding, they will be able to taste two wines. Once on the train, guests will choose from a seasonal menu all of which is prepared fresh in the specially designed kitchen car. Transfers between the hotel and The Napa Valley Wine Train are also available for an additional price. Not bad.


Details: All these packages are available through December 30, 2011 (based on availability). Rates vary by dates. For more, see www.sanfranciscoregency.hyatt.com or call 800/ 233-1234.
For Napa Valley Wine Train special Hyatt Regency offer, please visit http://promo.winetrain.com/hyatt/.

Cool hiking along California's San Mateo Coast

Early last summer, I decided I'd had enough of the Central Valley's heat and needed a cool escape. So I called my pals Linda and Terry and we headed out to the coast. Pillar Point Harbor, in Half Moon Bay (Northern California), holds a lot of memories for me.

When we were little, our parents would take us kids (four or five, depending on who was away at school) down to Princeton and Pillar Point, with its protected breakwater and small fleet of tiny fishing boats. It seemed a harbor of refuge for the boats even then. As we walked atop the curving jetty, we'd watch mesmerized as waves smashed against the structure's rocky outer edge, while keeping the waters in the harbor smooth as glass. We fished for crabs here, dropping our rented crab pots (baited with cans of dog food--eeuuwww!), and once we even snagged one big enough to keep.

In my memories, the summer skies over the northern California coast are continually overhung with moist, chilly clouds, and a day at the beach always calls for long pants and a jacket. This day, the three of us find the same kind of weather. And boy, is it a relief. The misty harbor is my refuge from the inland's blast furnace heat. In other ways, Pillar Point has changed--now its a modern harbor, and you're discouraged from walking out on the jetty (insurance risks, probably). There's a cute, recently remodeled Pillar Point Bed and Breakfast inn here, and a swanky hotel, the Oceano Hotel and Spa with a village of shops.

The three of us head for one of Linda's fave local lunch stops in Princeton--no ocean views but killer pasta. Mezza Luna Italian Restaurant is housed in a classic old home and the food tastes like Mama Luna must have made it. Try the Linguine della Baia ($15), linguine sauteed with mussels, clams, calamari, shrimp in a light tomato sauce.

From the harbor, you can't really see the huge, killer waves at Maverick's, which break offshore in winter. But it's neat to know that one of the world's premier surf competitions takes place here (waves permitting). If you want some really fresh fish, call the fish phone at 650-726-8724; every morning the harbor master leaves a message describing what fish is for sale right off of the boats. Go early in Dungeness crab season, starting in November. And bring a cooler to haul your catch of the day home.

Linda, Terry, and I opt for a stroll along the Jean Lauer Trail along Pillar Point BLuff, part of the California Coastal Trail and a segment of the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST). It's an easy ramble of about a mile or so, looking down over parts of the harbor and out to sea (on clear days, it is said, you can see the Farallon Islands from here). The sky is a gunmetal gray this day, as I remember so many 'beach days' from my childhood, and the air is clean and tangy, smelling of kelp, salty mist, and memories.

Details: For lunch, try Mezza Luna Italian Restaurant, 459 Prospect Way, Princeton by the Sea, 650-728-8108. For more trail info on hiking the Jean Lauer Trail at Pillar Point Bluff, visit the outings page on POST’s website: http://openspacetrust.org/activities/tour_pillar.html.

California fundraising walks for kidney disease

It takes real kidneys to do this. And we think you've got 'em. It’s the time to sign up for a Kidney Walk--a fun, inspiring fundraiser sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation that brings your friends, family, and community together to support the millions of Americans with chronic kidney disease. It also calls attention to the prevention of kidney disease and the need for organ donation.

More than 60 Kidney Walks are scheduled coast to coast this spring. There is sure to be one near you. The money raised at Kidney Walks enable NKF to provide free health screenings for kidney disease across the U.S., public and professional education programs, and support for research into the prevention and treatment of kidney disease.

Get involved
Easy: if you are unable to attend a Kidney Walk, you can still show your support by donating here.
Harder:
Click here to sign up for the walk nearest you today!

April is National Volunteer month-get involved!

This month, we're highlighting various volunteer groups with long histories of contributing to the betterment of America. To kick it off, we're focusing on the 129-year-old AAUW (American Association of University Women), a nationwide network of more than 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches, and 500 college/university institution partners. The AAUW is a group founded and mainly run by volunteers. It's goal: advancing 'equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research'. Each year, it gives fellowships, scholarships, grants, and awards to worthy causes at both the national and local level. And the group calls attention to key women's issues, such as the persistent gender pay gap.

Did you know that, according to a study in 2009, women working full time in the United States still earned just 77 percent, on average, of what men earn? Ouch! That's a gap of 23 percent, and while the gap has narrowed since the 1970s, that's due largely to women’s progress in education and workforce participation and to men’s wages rising at a slower rate. Progress has stalled in recent years, and the pay gap does not appear likely to go away on its own.

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has been on the front lines of the fight for pay equity since 1913, according to their website. And when President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963 into law, AAUW members were right there in the Oval Office. And here it is, almost 50 years later, and still the AAUW continues to lead the push for policies and legislation to encourage and enforce fair pay in the workplace.

Sometimes it must seem like an uphill battle. In November 2010, the Senate failed to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have given women additional and much-needed
equal pay protections. Oh well, 77 percent of a paycheck for the same work a man does is good enough for our sisters, daughters, mothers and aunts, isn't it, folks?

Get involved: Learn about the gender pay gap, or join the AAUW.