Posting 43 Days of "Blog Love": Day 15 ~ "Sailing with Totem"

Photo courtesy S/V Totem

I'm in love!!! Yes, Hubby knows... Remember?  I shared with you before... about a week ago?  When we were sharing some 'blog love' with Adventure Us 2? Remember my sharing with you about my first experience sailing and despite Hubby's 'test' -- I fell in love with sailing.

Perhaps that is why from the first time that I read the blog "Sailing with Totem"  I just grew more enamored.  The Gifford Family is rich!  Not in monetary means, I'm referring to the way they capture and share so many facets of their unique lifestyle via their blog and articles that they contribute to other publications.  Quite honestly I don't believe it is possible to read posts on their blog without learning something!  We so appreciate this as we're life-long-learners for sure!

Photo courtesy S/V Totem

One of my favorite quotes (that you'll also find in my "About" on my Facebook Wall) is "You don't stop learnin' 'til you're dead!" ~ J.H. Peart ~  Who is J.H. Peart you ask??  One of the wisest men I've ever known; my grandfather.  (Miss you PaPa!)  Just a side note, Papa loved to sail also, but on smaller boats, as I recall.

But back to the Gifford's aboard the S/V Totem:  I encourage you to read a bit about the Totem Crew, I trust that you will find that they are much like many families you know... they just happen to live aboard a Sailing Vessel ... and learning is facilitated by real life experiences!  Isn't that awesome?  I think it is!

Photo courtesy S/V Totem

I very much enjoyed reading a couple of recent blogs that really made life sciences fun! This past weekend they posted a very informative post titled: What are the best field guides for cruisers?  I really enjoyed that and thought that it would be great to post to our Roadschool group on Facebook -- I mean really, the info is universal, it's not exclusive to cruisers, but I can see where all of the books recommended would be awesome to have cruising, for sure.

So, I thought I would share the 'field guides' post here as our main topic.  And then... their post today, (December 3rd) ... Giving back: citizen science programs for cruisers.  Oh my gosh!  I think this is a post that everyone should read. Regardless if you really have an interest in the ocean, perhaps it will broaden your perspective about how you can help with scientific research, that is beneficial to our environment, from wherever you are in the world !  So cool, huh?

Most recently Mom - Behan, Dad - Jamie, and kids (Niall, Mairen, Siobhan) are cruising toward Thailand in the Andaman Sea -- not sure where that is? You can follow along here: Where is Totem!  See!  A geography lesson!  Love it!  (Wonder what they do while cruising besides science?  Perhaps their post: Great games for cruisers might give you a peek.)

Photo courtesy S/V Totem

From our recent post about Green Global Travel I think that you may have gathered our awareness of sustainability and it's ranking of importance to our family.  I will admit that we have become much more eco-conscious since my hubby studied at the College of Natural Resources at Humboldt State University in California and while there also earned his Master and Scientific SCUBA Diver Certifications. 

His studies of the ocean have made us that much more passionate about it and also increased our desire to, at some point in the future, live aboard a sailboat. (We already have a name picked out, but perhaps we'll share that in another post. <<grin>> )

I could go on and on about the Gifford Family -- They (obviously) are on our list of families who we very much look forward to meeting up with!  Thank you Behan and Jamie for being willing to share so much (and such beautiful pictures) of your Cruising Adventures!  We look forward to following along and learning much more...

Photo courtesy S/V Totem

Thank you for reading all...  Stop by and share some 'blog love' with the 'Totem Crew' -- and perhaps learn something new while you're there!  Do be sure to tell them that the "Nomadic Jesters" sent ya!

Until tomorrow... Enjoy the journey...

--c--

Posting 43 Days of "Blog Love": Day 14 ~ "Geocaching.com"

Hobbies are fun, don't you think?  We have a few, and Geocaching is one of them. For those of you who do not know, Geocaching is a 'treasure hunting' game of sorts.  All you need to play is a GPS and a computer (actually a smart phone can be used in place of both, if you'd like.)

If I recall correctly hubby and son started playing about eight (going on nine) years ago.  We found it to be a great learning adventure with our son, no matter his age.  Since that time the website that began as Geocaching.com has evolved to include not only locations of Caches, but various membership levels, special events and of course a Blog.  We subscribe to the blog and find it a very enjoyable read.

A little navigation class.

Sometimes there are stories about events... other times there are stories that include unique Caches; you just never know what you'll find.  We got the latest blog post in our email today that included a story about some very special "travel bugs"!  Oh wait, if you're not familiar with Geocaching you're probably asking 'What's a travel bug?' ... "Is it a pet of some sort?"

It kind of sounds like something that you most likely would want to get rid of if it's contagious, that's for sure! But no, it's part of the game.  In this case the article shares about a new trackable "Lego Geocacher."  You see, the idea is that you have these special trinkets (in this case a Lego figure) that is attached to an I.D. tag.  You 'adopt' him/her/it, register it (trackable number), then "set it free" to begin a journey visiting Caches along the way!

It can be great fun!  Once you get into this game you'll no doubt find a huge variety of unique and fun 'trackables' that interest you.  There are even collectible coins, but I'll let you research that on your own.  When we first started, I found the trackable especially fun!  (I really love "Signal the Frog" -- shown below)

Photo from geocaching.com

Once you 'find it', you 'log it', sometimes include a picture with your log and then 'release it' into the wild via another Cache.  You'll find, though, that not all Caches are capable of holding travel bugs -- but again, I'll let you figure that out on your own... I have to leave some things for you to learn from their website, right?

Awhile back my hubby wrote a post titled:  "Am I a Bad Parent?" about a Geocaching 'mishap' shall we say??  So I've decided to share it here!  It looks like you can leave comments on the Geocaching.com blog, though I never have. Perhaps you'd like to let them know that you read about Geocaching on our blog? Or perhaps you'll just share some 'blog love' and leave a comment for us below and tell us about your experiences Geocaching, or what you think about my Hubby's post.

Until tomorrow... Enjoy the journey...

--c--

What are you doing this weekend? ~ What Adventures will it hold??

Yesterday morning I found this inspiring quote in my email - 

"To change one's life: 1. Start immediately.  2. Do it flamboyantly.  3.  No exceptions."  ~ William James 

(Thank you to Debra Lynn Dadd for sharing that!)

I like that! Thus I'll begin with a couple of thoughts on it -- First, I would have added exclamation points at the end of each of those 1, 2, 3...  Don't you think?  I mean really; those are important points if you are to do something really life changing!  So, noting that brought me to my next thought -- a question:  Who is William James?  Thank goodness for Googling! (Ummm... is that a verb now?  I'm thinking so.)

According to Stanford.edu website "William James was an original thinker in and between the disciplines of physiology, psychology and philosopy."  Dr. James is often referred to as the "Father of Psychology" and it appears to me that he had an optimistic nature -- which I too embrace -- I have found MANY quotes by him online that are very inspiring!

He graduated from, and later taught at, Harvard University.  I found it fascinating to read the list of those whom he called family (Godfather:  Ralph Waldo Emerson)  friends (Mark Twain, Sigmund Freud...), as well as those he taught (Theodore Roosevelt, W.E.B. DuBois...)  I'll leave you to the adventure of 'Googling' his name yourself to find out more about the full life he lead.  I will share that he did much in his 68 years; in addition to his studies, teachings and writings he was an artist and an adventurer!!  According to Stanford "some of his greatest philosophical contributions" were made in the last ten years of his life!  How exciting is that?!!

Oh, back to the topic... whether you're nomadic, as we are, or residing in 'sticks n bricks' there's always something inviting about the weekend!  This weekend there seems to be much going on for us so I thought perhaps we would take a few minutes to share and make a few suggestions, at minimum 'plant a few seeds' to help you find some fun this weekend! After all you never know what it could lead to... perhaps an adventure?  Perhaps something life changing??

Go do something with someone you Love.

I know, I know... you're not traveling!  So what could be exciting around home?  I'm sure you've heard the term "staycation"? ... Oh, but you're saying "it sounds so boring"... We can relate and wrote about finding local adventure earlier this year in our post  "Been There! Done That!"  Perhaps it will inspire you!  In a recent post "Am I a Bad Parent? my hubby told you a bit about one of our hobbies, Geocaching!  We shared that this month is "31 Days of Geocaching" ... How many caches do you have thus far?  What's your goal?  We're aiming for 100 for the month!!  (Read about that on our previous post.)

Geodetic Center of North America (NAD27)

So perhaps log on to Geocaching.com and find an event near you, this weekend, there's bound to be one!  Friday we'll be attending a Bluegrass event and enjoying ice cream sundaes, dropping off a Travel Bug and of course picking up a cache or two or THREE!!  On Saturday we'll be joining some 'new Caching friends' for "Tetanus Tacos" -- We'll have to get back to you on what they are exactly -- and yes, grabbing a few more 'finds!'

Have you ever been to Timbuctoo?

Something else that we have enjoyed from time to time along the way is locating Historical markers; an opportunistic addition to our "Roadschool" list, of things we do!  In mentioning that it's a perfect opportunity to say "Congrats!" to our friend Linda as this week marks the 10th birthday of her website "Markeroni.com"!! Wow!! Time flies when you're snarfing!  What? What's "Snarfing?" take a look at her latest blog  and go from there -- More fun to be had... Along the way!!


Hopefully we've inspired you to at least a few thoughts toward an adventurous weekend -- So please do let us know ... What are you doing this weekend?  We'd love to hear all about your adventures and how you're...

Enjoying the journey!

Make it a great one!!

--c--

Am I a Bad Parent?

I pushed through the bushes and emerged from the side of the building.  "Hold it right there." I looked up and was blinded by two extremely bright flashlights. I stood there with my phone/GPSR in one hand and a small container in the other. Ian said from behind me, "What's going on Dad?"

"Turn around and walk backward to me." One of the two men said in a very direct voice.  Having worked in Law Enforcement in my past I knew immediately that I was in a bad, and not so safe, position at that very moment. "Ian, hold your hands out to your sides where they can be seen and do as your told." I said as I turned around with my hands spread apart. I saw a look of fear sweep over him. Ian was told to hold still.

While backing up all I could think was "I knew that caching here at night was a bad idea."  I was told to stop and put the things in my hands on the ground. I was then ordered to interlace my fingers and place them on my head. "Crap" I thought, "this is bad." I was handcuffed, rather roughly, and the same process happened to Ian. Then we were separated and questioned as to why we were there.

"We are Geocaching, Sir." The officer obviously didn't believe me as he looked at me with a slight frown on his face. I told him that my phone on the ground had an app that showed the cache that I was just retrieving. He looked over at the canister on the ground, that I had put down, and quickly spoke into his radio "Dispatch, Tach-2" and switched to another frequency. I thought "Oh CRAP!" "Dispatch, possible 10-89. Send bomb squad."

I then realized that the canister was a tube about 6 inches long and had a slight resemblance to a pipe bomb, as it sat in the grass in the dark. "N-n-no, no, no, wait!" I said "Th-that's not a bomb!  My son and I are Geocaching. It's a game. Someone hides a container and posts its GPS coordinates online and then we try to find it."

He wouldn't listen as he grabbed me and quickly drug me away from the cache. I saw my son being drug away also, getting us back to "Safety." This was turning into a fuster-cluck fast. "Geo-what?!" he asked after we were at a "safe" distance.  "Geocaching," and repeated my explanation. "If you look on my phone there is an app up that has a description of that Geocache."

He looked at me as if he were trying to read if I was telling the truth. "We are not touching anything until the bomb squad gets here" he said. Thinking back, I remembered a similar incident in Geoocaching history, I then asked, "Can you get online on your phone?"

The whole time all this was going on, my son was looking at me for some sort of solace. All I could do was to nod at him gently with my hands cuffed behind my back. Hoping he understood that everything would be okay; I returned my attention to the officer. "Go onto Geocaching.com and you can see. There are thousands of caches all over the world."  In the background I heard sirens.  Dropping my head all I could think is "Can it get any worse?"
                                                            

The next thing I know, I wake up. Whoa!  It was a dream!

We Geocache. We have been doing it for over eight years, though we have not done a lot in the last five years because I was going to school, working, cost of gas....etc.  But this month there is a special challenge going on for the entire month of August --  "31 Days of Geocaching" -- That is thirty one consecutive days of Geocaching.  You get a special 'e-souvenir' for each day that you participate.  (You will find it attached to your Geocaching.com Profile.  Don't have one yet? Registration is Free for Basic Membership.)

So we decided it was time to start Caching again. We started off the first six days with one cache a day. After a couple of days of 'enjoying the hunt' ... we decided to break the month into five 'six day' increments and set some goals!  Thus, we will add one cache per day, per increment (five the first, six the second, and so on...) Since there are 31 days in the month that leaves an extra day (as 31 is not evenly divisible by six...)  the LAST day of the month we are planning to do TEN!! --- Bringing us to a whopping 100 cache finds for the month of August! We apparently, have lost our minds.

As for "Am I a Bad Parent?" (I hope you enjoyed the story... and yes, it really was fiction... It didn't happen.  Sorry.)  It is true, however, that we do a lot of Caching at night -- Just for fun! So is it bad that we take our son out for a bit of 'moonlit adventure' from time to time??  Nah! He'd just be on the Xbox anyway.  After all he IS a teenager.

Perhaps this month will be the beginning of an adventure or two... or three... or???  for you!!  Get out there! Go Caching!!!  But most of all, as always...

Enjoy the journey...

Rich

Are We a Cultural Enigma?

Here we sit in our little trailer "Gracie" in an RV park in Texas.  We're not here on a weekend jaunt, or a slightly longer vacation, but "Gracie" is our humble abode of choice.   We have been back in Texas for close to four months as we consider this state our "home base."  Although it may seem very odd to many, to live in a trailer -- that can be towed behind an SUV -- to us it is very comfortable, very normal.  We have many friends who share this choice -- a "nomadic" lifestyle. 

We have shared previously that we began a nomadic lifestyle in 2007 when we moved into our first RV.  Since then we have traveled Large: 36' Class A with toad (aka vehicle in tow); Compact: Suburban (aka "Nautilus") with tent, clothes and other essentials; and now Small: 18' trailer behind the Nautilus.  We're thinking we like the Small footprint of late, but may go to 'Medium' at some point in the future with a bit larger trailer, but still one that the Nautilus can tow.

Last year we spent about half the year in a "sticks n bricks" (aka house) again, but found that it was not for us.  Funny thing is, that is what society thinks is "normal"; required; essential.  But is it?  Is it necessary to have a house (thus mortage/rent payment, utilities, etc.)?  Now don't get me wrong, there was a time in my life where the 'white picket fence and a house full of children' was my dream!  My destiny!  It's what life is all about, right?

So now what?  The 'house' thing just does not fit us; not sure it really has in all the years we've been married.  Can't tell you how many friends laughed and said 'glad I write your address and phone number in pencil' every time we moved (an average of at least once every two years for the first eight years of our marriage.)  I'll tell you, it felt wonderful when we moved into our RV -- then when we wanted to change our location, we just started the engine.

Now, don't think that our nomadic lifestyle has been without challenges.  Life has its challenges whether in "sticks n bricks" or on wheels!  With that in mind we also appreciate our small footprint, with it can bring be a lower cost of living and closer family interaction.  It's all trade offs!  We do find humor in the fact that some of our friends and family members don't understand how we could embrace this type of lifestyle; how could we not want to be in one place so that our son can attend public school, play local sports, etc. etc. etc.

But on the flip-side by the time our son is 18 years old he will have a plethora of life experiences that will give him a vantage point for life choices that not many have.   He has already been to over 20 states and has visited most of the capitals of each of those.  By his age I had only seen a small bit of five states and had only visited one capital, as I recall.  He's learned much about history and culture by actually visiting the locations, in our country, where significant events have taken place.  Rather than reading about them in a book -- in a classroom -- as dictated by a teacher -- in a traditional public school environment.

A few places that stand out are our trip to Blue Licks Battlefield in Kentucky -- site of the final battle of the American Revolutionary War -- a monument stands commemorating the Battle of Blue Licks August 19, 1782.  This was the battle where American Pioneer Daniel Boone lost his son, Israel, while fighting at his side. We have visited the centerpoint of the lower 48 along with finding (by happenstance) the Geodetic center of the North American Continent.  Of course Hoover Dam is an awesome wonder, but there are other lesser known sites to see such as S.P. Dinsmoor's Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas, not far from Cawker City's "Worlds Largest Ball of Twine."

We have also learned a bit about nature as we enjoyed our stay at Patrick's Point State Park in California as Camp Hosts; Agate Beach, for one, is a rare anomaly and provided a fun opportunity to dig in the sand, play in the surf, build a beach hut from driftwood and find beautiful rocks.  Our rock hound friends would have also enjoyed our trip to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, AR and the Petrified Forest National Park in Northeastern Arizona.  This is a very short list of the places that we've been over the past six years -- we look forward to growing our current list exponentially in the coming years!

Back to the title of this post "Are We a Cultural Enigma?"  In 2007, when we moved into our first RV, I would have said unequivocally "Yes!"  However over the past two years we have seen the numbers of people, -- correction families -- who are leaving their 'sticks n bricks' to pursue the life of modern day nomads grow phenomenally!

To us it is very exciting to be able to embrace a community of nomads as our neighbors in common.  No, they're not your typical neighbors -- because you don't see the same ones everyday, but they're there.  We support each other through the wonders of technology -- the internet and social networking has really been a boon to the nomadic lifestyle.

The internet provides not only a source of communication, but also sources of income for so many nomads.  And let us define the modern day nomad:  It is not necessarily an individual, or family, who lives in a recreational vehicle.  We have nomadic friends who travel globally via a multitude of means: planes, trains and automobiles... and boats... some with only a backpack!  Ahhh... Small footprint bliss!

It makes it difficult to lose your things when everything you own is in one bag -- kind of an odd thought when living in a society of 'must haves' and one with 'instant gratification' as an underlying theme.   A society where the "McMansion" and a three car garage seem to be the norm -- with the Jones' as neighbors, of course!

Perhaps one day the nomadic spirit will overcome you and having a smaller footprint will be your bliss.  If not, that's okay too --  Those of us who have chosen a nomadic lifestyle don't mind that everyone is not like us, life would be rather boring if we were all alike, don't you think?  Perhaps by reading this, those who choose to live more traditionally will understand that being nomadic is a choice -- there have been nomads throughout history -- now many just seem to be traveling in RV's and/or living out of backpacks.

Please recognize that we (nomads) don't want you to think less of us, or feel sorry for us in some way, or think we're weird because we choose a lifestyle that embraces the world on our terms.  In return we'll do the same... we won't feel sorry for you because you're 'stuck' in the same neighborhood, at the same job, with the same people and only 'opt out' for "vacations" to do what we are doing 365 days a year.  Ain't life grand, we have that choice!!

Thanks for reading... Thanks for understanding... We'll sign off now, until next time, as we are...

Enjoying the journey...

--c--

"You do WHAT to the fish?????"!

Finally!! Back from that field trip and what a doozy it was!! Remember I was telling you about that " been there done that " feeling?  Well we recently took a field trip to the Feather River Fish Hatchery (yes still here in Oroville, CA.)  We've been to the fish hatchery before, a few years back in the Fall when the Salmon were running, but this time was very different. 

The populations of Chinook returning up the Feather River to spawn in the Fall are phenomenal and the season lasts from September through November.  During that time the hatchery maintains spawning facilities for somewhere between 9,000 to 18,000 Salmon -- this process produces, on average 18 to 20 million eggs -- Yes I said MILLION!! Can you imagine??  This hatchery is an essential part of maintaining the sport fishing for the Feather and Sacramento Rivers, AND even contributes to the commercial and sport fishing in the Pacific Ocean.

This time of year Steelhead are running!! So our visit to the fish hatchery was quite a bit calmer than the last time we visited.  Steelhead populations are quite a bit smaller and the run is a shorter period of time, typically December through January.  We had a great "tour" guide, Jana, from the State of California Department of Resources (DWR).  (The DWR was where I called to inquire about tours/field trips, by the way -- a tidbit that might be noteworthy for your 'resource list' -- just sayin'!...) 

As we stood at the viewing window above the spawning area we learned that Steelhead don't die when they spawn, as the Chinook do.  Thus the spawning process involved is much different.  Some of you may know that since the Chinook spawn at the end of their life cycle, the hatchery will anesthetize prior to, then humanely euthanize the fish following collection of, the eggs and milt needed for spawning. 

[SPECIAL NOTE:  Jana shared with us that the meat of the Chinook is not wasted.  It is used through a local program to feed homeless and low income in Butte County.  We thought this was a great community service, and were glad that she shared that tidbit. -- I don't remember that being shared on our previous trip here.  Ahh... another perk of a personal family tour.]

So, back to the Steelhead -- the hatchery worker will introduce the fish into water with higher carbon dioxide to slow down their movement.  The females are then injected with air in order to release the eggs into a tub -- she is then released back into a holding tank until her movement is normal and then released through a shoot back into the river.  As soon as the eggs are expressed from the female, the milt is released from the male into the same bucket and the male is released through the same shoot.

Jana noted that the eggs and milt are mixed quickly and then put into trays and taken to a specially equipped room to be diligently cared for until hatching.  The "nursery" for caring for these fish is amazing!  The record keeping alone is a quite a task, not to mention maintaining water temperatures and tracking each tray for growth, including removal of eggs that fail to thrive. 

Even though the Steelhead population is smaller, they still spawn approximately 2,000 fish each year.  Then the eggs are cared for at the various stages of development, including spending a time in "raceways" as they progress through the stages of "Fry" -- "Fingerlings" -- then "Yearlings" --  It takes many months until they are large enough to be transported via special fish tanker trucks to the San Francisco Bay Delta.

If you'd like to see some video about this I encourage you to visit YouTube and search "Feather River Fish Hatchery" -- You'll see some great video of the fish ladders and get a feel for the numbers and sizes of fish that travel back up the Feather River each year.  It is really amazing to think that the Chinook make the trip from Oroville, at the Feather River Hatchery, down to the San Francisco Bay (and beyond -- some reports as far as Alaska and even Japan!! -- ) and then back again in their life cycle, which averages three to four years. 

It is absolutely ASTOUNDING to think that the Steelhead may make a similar journey several times in their life span of six to nine years; during their life they may spawn between two to four times, on average.  That may not sound like much, but if you take time to look at a map and find Oroville, CA (north of Sacramento and just SE of Chico) then find and follow the Feather River down through the Sacramento River and on to the San Francisco Bay -- Wow!!  And then... think about their ocean travels?? An amazing feat for a fish less than two feet long, don't you think?

One more side note -- I mentioned earlier about searching YouTube for the Feather River Fish Hatchery, and that one of them shows the "fish ladders".  Now there's a term that conjures up mental images akin to a Dr. Seuss drawing, huh? Well, they're not what you think... the fish don't get out of the water and go vertical!  Geesh! Some people... tee hee hee...

The fish ladders were built as a means for the fish to traverse the river that has been impacted by the Oroville Dam (more about the Dam will be in a later blog -- perhaps the next one...?? ) You see, fish in the Salmon family carry genetic markers for where they were born... that is how they navigate their way back to their birthplace for spawning.  Since the placement of the Oroville Dam in the late 1960's has made that rather challenging, the State Water Project incorporated the fish ladders to aid this natural process.

While we didn't take any pictures of the eggs and milt being expressed I did see quite a few cool videos on YouTube, but not sure if I can post without permission -- So I hope you will take time to look up the Feather River Fish Hatchery, Oroville, CA and enjoy the videos.  Until next time...

Enjoy the journey...

--c--

Been There! Done That! ... Or???

I'm trying not to feel frustrated about not posting already, as we HAVE been busy planning field trips and more!  AND ... we have been sick like so many of our friends this time of year.   Glad we're in such good company <<GRIN>>.  Guess at least we're thankful for the internet and being able to put our "down" time to good use = RESEARCH!

 Over the past several weeks we have been visiting family in Northern California.  An  interesting, or perhaps challenging, perspective of considering what to 'See and Do' in this area is that not only have we been visiting in this same area over the past twelve years, we lived here for two years and... it has strong parallels to the area where I grew up, some 70 or so miles Southeast.

Oroville, translated: "City of Gold" is in the Northern Sacramento Valley and was established during the California Gold Rush of 1849.  The parallels to my hometown of Folsom (also in the Sacramento Valley) are 'Amazing!'  Not only were both founded during the Gold Rush, but both are river towns, both had significant Chinese settlements and seemingly grew from virtually nothing in a short period of time due to the influx of "prospectors" seeking their fortunes!!

Oroville Chinese Temple & Garden  (Built: 1863)

 

Both cities not only embrace their heritage in California Gold Rush history, but both have significant railroad history as well and are sites of earthen filled dams that provide hydroelectric power to the Golden State.  Lake Oroville and Folsom Lake are both known far and wide for their multitude of recreational activities just to add another dimension to this brief comparison.

Thus the aforementioned 'familiarities' to not only Oroville, but Butte County, has made me -- and us -- rather complacent about considering what there is to 'See and Do'.  It kind of feels like "Been there, Done that!" If you know what I mean...  Perhaps you can relate?  Do you have places that you have visited on more than one occasion and thus feel like you've pretty much seen it all?

I decided to get back to my roots, so to speak.  I learned at an early age about this wonderful place in our town (almost as awesome as the library... which of course is also a good resource for seeking info...) it was called the "Chamber of Commerce"!  Our Chamber of Commerce was a plethora of information about what to see and do, along with little known facts and trivia, about our town!  So a few days ago... off to the Oroville Chamber of Commerce I went!!

I came home with a handful of brochures about the area that were very helpful to get us started on planning our adventures.  One really cool book is filled with "101 Things to do..."  A few brochures provided resources on 'self guided tours' -- one of Murals -- one called the Greenline Tour, that meanders through town and up to the Oroville Dam -- and another that we found especially enjoyable (thus was our first adventure...) was labeled as a "Walking Tour" but beings as the high for the day was in the 40's we opted to drive and stop at each point on the map.

Planning our Adventure

The tour probably covered a couple of square miles and had us stopping at historic points of interest.  Ian and I (Rich stayed at the trailer as he was sick) simply used our cell phone, dialed a number and punched in three digits as they appeared on the brochure.  Voila!! A short story about the site available at our fingertips!  Great idea!! Kudos to whomever came up with THAT idea!! Loved it!!   Basically you're dialing into a phone system and punching in an extension, so it's possible to dial in from anywhere and hear the information again -- which I intend to do about one site, in particular, that I'd like to do more research on -- but we'll save that for another day!

After our 'driving version' of the Walking Tour, Ian and I went on a hunt to locate some of the many murals around town! They were great fun and gave us a glimpse into the multifaceted history of this little "City of Gold"!  The following day we followed it up with another resource trip: The local branch of the Butte County Library, and a visit with our favorite Librarian -- Heidi!  

So... There ya go!! That's where we started... and over the next few weeks we'll share with you a bit of what there is to 'See and Do' in Oroville, CA (and perhaps the surrounding area of Butte County -- we haven't decided just how far we'll go yet...)  Along the way we will also share with you where we found more resources to determine our 'See and Do' list.  Perhaps you'll discover new appeal to visiting places that you've been before!  And as always... We hope that you too, will...

Enjoy the journey....

--c--