by MacKenzie Geidt, Sunset assistant travel editor

As a novice rider, I need a little incentive to get on the bike. Preferably incentive of the caloric nature. Which is why I'm psyched about this weekend's SF Bike Coalition's Ice Cream Sunday Ride that I just read about on SF Gate.  A guilt-free tour of the city's top creameries...Brilliant.  Be there.

Photo: John Clark

If you CAN'T be there, don't fret.  You should still get on the bike (AND eat ice cream). Here's a list of our other favorite biking towns:

Pacific Grove, CA

Boise, Idaho (pictured above)

Boulder, Colorado

Vegas

Moab, Utah

Fruita, Colorado

If you get on the bike, surely you've earned some ice cream.  Try it Sunset-style and make it yourself!  I'm intrigued by this recipe for Coconut Avocado ice cream recipe that I found on sunset.com...

Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Karen Shinto

by Harriot Manley, Sunset contributor

Oakland, California’s Fentons Creamery and Restaurant, celebrating 115 years of making ice cream this month, might just be the oldest movie star since Old Rose got teary-eyed in Titanic. The venerable ice cream parlor has a small but significant role in Disney/Pixar’s Up. Apparently, folks at the Emeryville animation studio celebrate completed deadlines by heading up the road to the Oakland classic, and they honored it in the film.

All through July, National Ice Cream Month, bring a same-day Up ticket stub into the Oakland or Vacaville locations and get a free scoop of ice cream. Also check fentonscreamery.com for news for big birthday celebrations at all locations, slated for July 18.

4226 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, (510) 658-7000
At the Nut Tree, 1669 East Monte Vista Ave., Vacaville, (707) 469-7200

by Scott Hocker

 

Photographs by Jen Siska

Sebastopol, among the orchards and vineyards of Western Sonoma County north of San Francisco, is a favorite stopover for people heading west toward the Russian River or beyond that to the coast. But if you’ve only seen this quaint town from State 116, a cruise up into the less-traveled hills around town gives you new reasons to love the place.

Our favorite scenic drive is a 14-mile route that starts at Florence Avenue, which acts as a neighborhood-wide outdoor gallery of the madcap sculptures fashioned by local artists Patrick Amiot and Brigitte Laurent out of bits of junk. Outside town, you’ll climb up, up, up, then plunge into a pastoral valley and pass over trickling Atascadero Creek.

Follow these directions from State 116 and click here for a Google map of the route:

Start at the corner of Healdsburg Ave. and Florence Ave.
Head down Florence Ave. to see the sculptures.
At street’s end, turn right on Bodega Hwy.
After .8 miles, turn left on Pleasant Hill Rd.
After 1.5 miles, turn right toward Watertrough Rd., then left on Sanders Rd. The road comes down the hill, veers right, and becomes Barnett Valley Rd.
After 4 miles on Barnett Valley Rd., turn right on Bodega Hwy.
After 1.7 miles, turn left on Grandview Rd.
After 1.3 miles, turn right on Cherry Ridge Rd., then right on Mill Station Rd.
Follow Mill Station Rd. until you return to State 116.

by Margaret Sloan, Sunset production coordinator

Where do I want to be this weekend? First let me tell you where I’ve been and what I’ve done.

The day my nieces were born, I whispered their names to the river otters who swam off  shore in Humboldt Lagoons State Park. The day after we got married, my husband and I wandered arm in arm along the bluffs at foggy San Gregorio State Beach (at left). The day our grandmother was buried, my brother and I waded in the streams of Portola Redwoods State Park, telling stories of her to the tall trees.

California state parks, beaches, and reserves have often been the backdrop for the important events in my life. If you’re from California, or have visited our state, I’ll bet that might be true for you too.

And maybe you were as disheartened as I was to hear that 220 of our parks are in danger of being shut down.

But we can help save our parks. How? By going to a state park near you this weekend!

The California State Parks Foundation is organizing a statewide S.O.S weekend of action—the Save our State Parks Campaign—to encourage people to get out and make a difference. They’re having rallies at some locations, but you can also go to any state park, have some fun, wear some green (the official color of this campaign), take some photos, and post them to the foundation’s Facebook page. Oh, and while you’re at it, let the California government know how important the state parks are to you. The foundation’s website makes it easy to speak up.

So where do I want to be this weekend? I want to be in all of California’s 279 state parks, all at once, doing things like celebrating the solstice in Anza-Borrego, camping on Angel Island, or swimming in the cold waters of Emerald Bay on Lake Tahoe. 

But I can’t be in all the parks at once. Instead, I’ll be beach-hopping along the San Mateo coast and in the Santa Cruz area with my dad, plein air painting at state beaches like Bean Hollow, Año Nuevo, Wilder Ranch, Natural Bridges, and New Brighton. Look for us. We’ll be wearing green.

The end of the pier at SeaCliff State Beach.

Photo by Linda Preston

by Lisa Trottier, Sunset senior editor

This weekend, June 20–21, is the first of three admission-free weekends planned for this summer at all the national parks. (Mark your calendars, the others are July 18–19 and August 15–16.) Some of the biggies aren't cheap, so clear your calendar and hop in the car.

Here's me enjoying Zion with the kids earlier this year. Price of admission that day: $25.

by Harriot Manley, Sunset contributor

For anyone who has taken the 27-mile boat ride out of San Francisco Bay's Golden Gate to the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge, a trio of remote, mostly rock islands, you probably agree it’s amazing—with roughly a quarter-million sea birds squawking from the cliffs and swirling overhead. That's not to mention seals, sea lions, orcas, and porpoises, plus grey, blue, and humpback whales, and (yes) great white sharks churning the cold waters. You probably also agree once is enough, given the often unfortunate stomach-related consequences of bumping through ocean swells for hours on end.

Now, there’s relief, and it isn’t in the form of a Dramamine pill. The Point Reyes Bird Observatory, a long-standing scientific presence on the island, has joined with the California Academy of Sciences to install a live, solar-powered web-cam on the refuge’s Southeast Farallon Island. According to PRBO, the live camera feed, scheduled to begin today, June 8, at calacademy.org/webcams/farallones, will be accompanied by animal identification guides, Farallones history, and research and conservation information.

“Since the islands aren't accessible to the general public, the webcam will be a valuable tool not only for scientists, but for casual observers too,” says Dr. Jack Dumbacher, lead scientist on the project. “The wildlife observations from this webcam will assist with research, guide conservation decisions, and hopefully inspire citizens to care about this valuable resource right in San Francisco’s backyard.”

Umm, hello. That's a no brainer: Sunset Celebration Weekend—of course!

Sorry for the shameless plug. But all of us editors will be there June 6 & 7—pouring wine, manning the grill, serving artisanal cheeses, leading tours of our absolutely fabulous new outdoor kitchen (pizza oven!) and Modern Idea cottage. Please come by and say hello!

by Sunset editorial staff

California is home to 279 sanity-saving state parks, but it’s also home to a $24.3 billion budget deficit. Governor Schwarzenegger recently proposed closing down 220 parks. And the list includes some serious A-list spots: Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay, Julia Pfeiffer Burns in Big Sur, Big Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe, Torrey Pines State Beach north of San Diego.

At least one ranger at Butano State Park this past weekend thought it was all bluster. But these days, who knows? It might be smart to make this the summer of the state park and knock a few off your list before the talked-about shutdown date of November. Here, a few suggestions to get you started: 

1. Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Your pick of four waterfalls is the payoff for tackling the roller-coaster trails that fan out under gargantuan old-growth trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Located 65 miles south of San Francisco, Big Basin Redwoods is the oldest state park in California, established in 1902. 831/338-8860.

Photo courtesy of redwoodhikes.com

2. Fort Ross State Historic Park

The perfect place to play "storm the fort," the Russians' southernmost outpost has high walls, corner towers, and, as frosting on the cake, sweeping views of the north coast. Well worth a stop whether you're a history buff or not.

Photo courtesy of inn-california.com

3. Mount Diablo State Park
Because Mt. Diablo rises abruptly from relatively flat land, visitors to Mt. Diablo State Park's eponymous 3,849-foot peak experience unmatched panoramas encompassing Sacramento, the Central Valley, the Sierra Nevada, Lassen Peak, Mt. Hamilton, and the Farallon Islands. It's a veritable tour of Northern California, all from one spot. Get oriented with trail maps and dioramas at Mt. Diablo State Park's historic visitor center and museum. Stand on "the rock" (Mt. Diablo's highest point), which juts through a hole in the floor. 925/837-2525.

Photo courtesy of waymarking.com

For more information, visit www.parks.ca.gov.

Back in Paia, Hawaii eating just-caught ono

By Rachel Levin, Sunset senior editor

I was on Maui a few weeks ago. We were supposed to be in Punta Mita, Mexico, but then the swine flu hit and with three six-month-old babies in our group we, uh, decided not to risk it. So an oceanfront condo in sprawling Kapalua Bay it was! At a rock-bottom rate to boot. Not too shabby for a last-minute Plan B. (Ah, the brightside of a bad economy!)

Anyway, my favorite thing we did all week (beside sip freshly-muddled grapefruit mojitos at the Ritz-Carlton’s J.T. Fleming Beach) was a daytrip to the little surfer-hippie town of Paia.

Here, the Top Five things I love about Paia:

1.    The locals beach. About a mile or so from town, where the scene is quirky, the coconuts fall, and the waves are fierce—and where I was absolutely mesmerized watching these skinny 10-year-old boys absolutely kill it on the boogie board. I mean, we’re talking headstands. (What did I grow up doing after school? Wandering the mall. Depressing.)

2.    The grocery store. Mana Foods. It’s right there on the main drag, with its creaky wooden floors, commitment to all-organic-local everything, and the smiley, supertanned, slooowly-moving locals who were wearing more faded, fringed, acid-washed jean shorts than I’ve seen since said mall.

3.    The pizza To be honest, we didn’t actually eat here (we had other dinner plans, see Reason #4 below), but I just love pizza— and I love that this town has an American Flatbread Pizza. Vermont; Los Alamos, California; Paia. Who knew?


4.    Mama’s Fish House. Yeah, yeah, I know. This is not the locals hangout and wildly popular among toursits—not to mention wildly expensive—, but I don’t care. I  loved my meal (ono “caught by Alan Cadiz trolling off the cliffs near Molokai); I loved the on-the-ball service (only with-it waiters we met all week—yes, even poolside at the Ritz); I loved the Hawaii kitsch (I mean traditional Hawaiian décor); and I loved, loved, loved the way the restaurant’s open-air windows framed the picturesque, pristine beach just steps away for an after-dinner stroll.

Skip dessert at Mama's and hit Ono Gelato Company back in town, for seasonal scoops of kula strawberry or pineapple, made with local fruit—of course.

5.    The new Paia Inn. No pool, no pampering. Just five rooms and access to a little private beach. Still, next trip, I want to stay here.

Hiking Half Dome in Yosemite—that's right, the cables are up

By Amy Anderson, Sunset editorial intern

Growing up, my family never took trips to the beach. I’ve yet to visit Hawaii or Mexico, and I’m pale year round. Instead, we were all about the National Parks: road trips to Yellowstone and the Tetons, camping, kayaking, hiking.

But surprisingly, I’d never been to Yosemite. Until last weekend, when my dad (fellow hiker and adventurer extraordinaire) and I left San Francisco on Friday night and woke up Saturday morning in our canvas cabin in Curry Village — surrounded by granite walls and massive trees.

Committed to conquering the hardest possible hike everywhere we go, naturally my dad and I chose to hike Half Dome, 8,800 feet above sea level. Here's the iconic image that Ansel Adams captured in his photographs:

Daunting? I agree.

For a little inspiration, here's our Half Dome experience:

We were on the trail by 6:30 am, along with all the other early bird hikers trying to beat the heat and crowds. Our backpacks were filled with water bottles, Gatorade, and power bars to last us the projected 10-12 hours of the hike.

We took Happy Isles trail to the Mist Trail, excited to see the rushing waterfalls that spring in Yosemite is known for.

Note: the name Mist Trail is quite misleading at this time of the year. It should definitely be renamed Downpour Trail. As we climbed slick stair after steep stair to get to the top of Vernal Fall, it was like we were in the middle of a storm— we came out completely drenched.

I was not pleased.

Nearing the top and practically in tears, I told my dad that I couldn’t do it. We'd only gone a mile-and-a- half, but, already, I was fed up. But Yosemite's climate is tricky—if I turned back, I would have to go right through the downpour again. If I kept going, I would dry off in the sun. So I swore at the waterfall under my breath, wiped off my wet camera, and continued.

By 11:00am, we were at Half Dome, staring up at the cables that would take us to the very top. The last 400 feet are traversed by walking nearly vertically up the rock face, gripping wire cables on either side. There’s nothing to strap you in—you just hold on for dear life and pull your way up.

The cables were just put up for the season the day before we arrived. (Depending on the weather, you can expect them to go up around the third weekend in May each year.)

Nine hours after we started on Happy Isles Trail, we were back down to the trailhead, hobbling and groaning, but proud. Already planning which mountain to climb next.

Yosemite National Park: $20 entrance fee; www.nps.gov/yose