Archives for category: FEATURES

California’s State Parks Still Without Long Term Funding

May 22, 2013 //

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In May of 2011 the State of California announced a plan to close 25% of its 278 state parks. Shortly thereafter a group of film makers sprung into action, set off on a 3,000-mile journey to visit the 70 parks slated to close, and made the film, The First 70, the trailer of which appears above.

Last year agreements were put into place to keep the parks open. However, according to a recent San Francisco Chronicle article, all of those agreements will expire, many in June of 2014. The article also cites a report by the Little Hoover Commission, an independent state agency that focuses on finding efficiencies in state operations, which recommends California divest itself of some of its state park holdings.

What all this means is that no long-term solution exists to fund California’s State Parks.

Tags California state park closures, film, The First 70, travel, video, WCXC

Categories - Armchair Travel, - United States, - Videos, — California, FEATURES, MEDIA, North America, PLACES

Spotted: Cruising Boat, Aloha 32

May 20, 2013 //

We’ve been looking for a boat for our Pacific Northwest trip and spotted this one for ourselves. We put in an offer on it last week. Traveling up to the Pacific NW four times since last fall, looking for a boat to call our own was getting expensive. We saw this boat online and made an offer. We haven’t even seen it in person.

It’s an Aloha 32, a Mark Ellis design that’s similar to the Niagara 35, a capable boat that was, alas, out of our budget. Both are well-built, spacious, and do away with the ubiquitous v-berth to make room for more galley and salon space. (The berths in these boats are aft.) From what we hear, the boat does have some delamination issues in the deck. Whether they are major or minor issues, the survey will reveal.

We’re leaving to head up north in about a week, boat or no boat. I hope this one passes it’s survey. If not, at least we’ll be up there to continue our search. Good luck, Carmana!

Tags adventure, Aloha 32, Pacific NW, sailboat, WCXC

Categories - Canada, - Pictures, - Ships / Boats, - Spotted:, - Trip: Sailing the Pacific Northwest, - United States, — British Columbia, — Washington, FEATURES, MEDIA, North America, PLACES, VEHICLES

America’s Cup Sailing Catamaran: Oracle Team USA

May 19, 2013 //

Sailing catamarans have come a long way since the Hobie Cats of the 1960s. Today’s America’s Cup cats literally fly over the water on hydrofoil daggerboards and rudders, reaching speeds over 40 knots. That’s an absolutely incredible speed for a sailboat.

I used to sail my old Prindle 18 across SF Bay and we did maybe 15—18 knots and that was thrilling. We’re also hanging off the side!

The video above features the massive AC72, Oracle’s 72′ boat. The one below features the smaller AC45.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags America's Cup, boat, catamaran, flying hull, Oracle, sailing, video, WCXC

Categories - Ships / Boats, - United States, - Videos, — California, —- San Francisco, FEATURES, MEDIA, North America, PLACES, VEHICLES

Crossing the Atlantic Aboard an Ocean Liner

May 19, 2013 //

Ocean liners are the largest vehicles ever used for public travel. For example, The Michelangelo, the sistership of the one in the video, was as long as three football fields and weighed as about as much as 262 Jumbo Jets (747s). That many jets could carry could carry about 109,000 passengers, while the ship could carry only 1775. That left a lot of extra space for restaurants, casinos, and mechanical-horse exercise equipment (as you’ll see).

Of course, liners couldn’t compete with jets. This film was made in 1967 as the ocean liner era was coming to an end. It looks like it was an amazing way to travel.

Actually, you still can still travel that way, if you’d like. The QE2 makes the trip from New York to Southampton in seven days. Fares start at about $1,000/person for an inside stateroom.

Tags crossing the Atlantic by ship, life, ocean liner, sea, video, vintage, WCXC

Categories - Armchair Travel, - Ships / Boats, - United States, - Videos, Atlantic, — New York, — Vintage, FEATURES, MEDIA, North America, PLACES, VEHICLES

Sturgeon’s Mill Open House This Weekend

May 18, 2013 //

If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area and have an interested in seeing huge, circular blades slicing through big redwood logs, head up to historic Sturgeon’s Mill this weekend, west of Sebastopol for their open house. They run the mill four times per summer. This is their first session of the year.