outdoors
Fishing 101
The City of Oakley Recreation Division is offering a free Fishing Seminar on Saturday, Sept. 4, geared to women and children who’d like to learn about the fascinating sport of fishing. The seminar...
Sep 02, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
<i>Photo courtesy of Timber Point Elementary</i>
Coloring up the quad
These little gardeners recently took potting tools in hand and helped beautify the quad area at Timber Point Elementary. The green thumbs belong to, back row from the left, Hayley Gunderman, Rebe...
Aug 26, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
West Nile virus found in Oakley
The Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District reported last week that the first West Nile virus-positive mosquitos and bird of the year were found in Oakley. The group of mosquitos was col...
Aug 17, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 2 2 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Burrowing owls in Antioch and the Bay Area will enjoy a larger network of protection thanks to the Earth Island Institute.<br><i>Press file photo</i> Backing the burrowing owls
Earth Island Institute has made a commitment to the preservation of burrowing owls recently by approving a species-specific conservation project in Antioch. On July 24, the institute’s board of di...
Aug 12, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010. Shortly after sunrise, a bobcat patrols its territory on the Summit of Mt. Diablo.<br><i>Photo by Ger Erickson</i> Fleeting glimpse of the cat in the shadows
If you’re an East County hiker with a hankering to spot large wildlife, hit the trail before sunrise or after sunset. You’ll spot the coyote most often and the cougar least. The bobcat falls in th...
Aug 09, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 6 6 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Expansion of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir could impact wildlife in the area.<br><i>Photo by Ger Erickson</i> Reservoir project could harm wildlife
(Updated 8/5/10) The expansion of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir will be a boon to the humans who rely on it for their drinking and irrigation water supply, but it could affect the wildlife living in ...
Aug 05, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 7 7 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
<i>Photo by Ger Erickson</i> Peak experience
A bright and enchanting moon rose last Saturday evening on the inaugural outing of the Delta Valley Athletic Club Hikers: 17 intrepid souls who assaulted Mt. Diablo’s 2,369-foot Eagle Peak. Leadi...
Jul 29, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 1 1 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Egeria densa is a growing concern for residents in Discovery Bay who are fighting the prolific weed for space in the Delta.<br><i>Photo courtesy of Rec 800</i> Delta weeds create tangle of trouble
It’s called egeria densa, a delicate-looking Brazilian waterweed commonly found in pet stores and home aquariums. Known for its fast-growing, robust properties, the attractive green weed with the ...
Jul 22, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 7 7 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Vernal pools harboring endangered fairy shrimp, such as here at Vasco Caves Regional Preserve, are among the natural treasures being preserved by the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy.
<br><i>Photo by Ger Erickson</i> Preservation campaign starts strong
An effort to preserve open space and protect threatened species in East County has made significant progress, despite the fact that it relies heavily on fees from new development, a funding source...
Jul 22, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 5 5 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
<i>Photo by Ger Erickson</i> Wagon bones
As East County bakes under the midsummer sun, so do relics of the region’s agricultural roots. Set amid the golden grasses along the Miwok Trail at Round Valley Regional Preserve south of Brentwoo...
Jul 22, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
travel
Cheap flights make it easy to explore Canada's beautiful Rockies
Canada has its fair share of wilderness attractions, but the area that packs the most beauty per square inch is, almost inarguably, the Canadian Rockies in Banff and Jasper National Parks. Breatht...
Aug 31, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
IAGV_10631_B1_rgb3.jpg Traveled the world? Turn your sights toward Antarctica
Even if you’re the type of traveler who’s scaled Kilimanjaro, floated down the Nile and trekked through the Amazon jungle, there’s very likely one place where you haven’t y...
Aug 31, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Look up - way up - and catch cheap flights to Las Vegas
Things are looking up in Las Vegas – and you should be, too. That’s because there are so many things to see up, and sometimes, way up.
Aug 31, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Miami cheap flights make it easy to enjoy the city's Latin flair
Miami is famous for a lot of things: Candy-colored Art Deco buildings, stretches of gold sandy beaches and being a playground for the rich and beautiful. But perhaps the most interesting aspect of...
Aug 31, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Vacation packages to South Dakota: more than just the wide-open prairie
You might imagine South Dakota as a plain state – in more ways than one. But what the state lacks in big-city attractions, it makes up for in unique natural features and quirky towns.
Aug 31, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Vancouver: city entertainment meshed with natural beauty only a cheap flight away
Few cultural centers offer the proximity to natural beauty as Vancouver. Whether you are into the arts or can’t get enough of outdoor adventures – or both – you won’t be la...
Aug 31, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Fall is a great time to catch cheap flights to Orlando
The fall is a great time to visit Orlando – when the crowds have diminished thanks to school starting up again, and the temperatures are still warm, but not overwhelmingly hot. And the city ...
Aug 31, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Budget travel in the Big Apple starts with New York cheap flights
You wouldn’t be completely mistaken if you have the impression that the city that never sleeps is also the city that never stops spending. Plenty of travelers who would love to explore New Y...
Aug 31, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Found a deal on Orlando airfare? Check out more than Disney
For most people traveling to Orlando, Disney World and the other theme parks are the first thing on the agenda. But if you have been there and done that, or are just looking from some ways to roun...
Aug 31, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Experience cheap vacation packages to Music City
If you enjoy music, you need to plan a trip to Nashville, Tenn., You’ll encounter soloists playing their guitars, saxophones, banjos and other instruments on the streets, groups performing i...
Aug 31, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
full story