Last year, honorary awards were bestowed on eventual Oscar winners Jordan Peele, Guillermo del Toro, Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell, among others.
A sprawling ranch in northern California that’s almost twice the size of Manhattan has hit the market for the first time since being created by the late stock market tycoon Dean Witter.
Curated Highlights and Headlines, June 2018
Actor Rob Lowe lists his scenic spot in Montecito for $47 million.
“Actor Rob Lowe and his wife, jewelry designer Sheryl Lowe, have listed their estate in Montecito for $47 million. Set on 3.4 acres of scenic grounds, the property centers on a 10,000-square-foot main house that was designed by architect Don Nulty and built in 2009. Also on the property are guest and pool houses, vegetable gardens and a swimming pool and spa. A tennis court features two observation areas. Mature trees dot the grounds.” Los Angeles Times · By Neal J. Leitereg (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Santa Barbara Film Festival Sets 2019 Dates
“The 34th annual Santa Barbara Film Festival is set to run January 30-February 9 in 2019, organizers said this morning. Official events will be held throughout the city, including the Arlington and Lobero theaters, for the fest that takes place in the heat of movie awards season. Last year, honorary awards were bestowed on eventual Oscar winners Jordan Peele, Guillermo del Toro, Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell, among others. The 2018 fest went on as planned in the face of the horrific Thomas Fire that scorched 280,000 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, making it the largest wildfire in California history. The conditions led to mudslides in Santa Barbara’s neighboring towns of Montecito and Summerland, killing 17.” Deadline · Patrick Hipes REX/Shutterstock
Kayaker paddles with a dozen great white sharks off coast near Santa Cruz
“Nicolle Otman paddles in a kayak as great white sharks circle. Captain and Marine Biologist Giancarlo Thomae took the video and says about 40 young great whites are making the waters off Aptos their home in spring. Thomae has been kayaking with great whites ever since they started showing up in increasing numbers off the coast of Aptos, just south of Santa Cruz, four years ago. He and other experts believe about 40 juvenile great whites are making the area off the pier at Seacliff State Beach their home each spring. In the first year, the sharks were small, at about eight-feet long, and in each following year, they measured larger. This year, they average 10 to 12 feet with some as long as 13.” SF Gate · By Amy Graff, SFGATE Photo taken: June 23, 2018. Media: Giancarlo Thomae/Sanctuary Cruises.
Boomtime: What San Francisco looked like at the end of the Gold Rush
“View down Sacramento street, May 1855: This view is the fifth plate in Fardon’s seven-plate panorama. From the slopes of the Clay Steet Hill (Nob Hill), the view is to the east down Sacramento Street to the bay. At the right is the back of Saint Mary’s Church (which faces California Street at Dupont.) On Sacramento, several signs in Chinese are visible, as is a “family grocery”, two “coffin ware rooms”, and “Vance’s Daguerrean Rooms” (the photographic studio or Robert H. Vance.) Across from Vance’s is the Armory Hall. (This view provides and interesting comparison to a daguerreotype in the Bancroft Library; BANC PIC 1905.16242:104–CASE.) Barely visible at the far left is a sign for the City of Paris store.” SF Gate · By Amy Graff, SFGATE Photo: G.R. Fardon / UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library
Orange County Beach Towns, South Bay and Naples to Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Are you taking from tidepools? In Marine Protected Areas, volunteers track bad behavior at the beach
“Swimmers enjoy Shaw’s Cove, a Marine Protected Area. You can look – just leave it where you found it. Don’t take the fish — or other sea creatures — in Marine Protected Areas. Don’t even slip a shell into your beach bag. People may be watching and documenting your every move, noting whether you’re breaking the law while exploring sensitive ecosystems. In Orange County, they include areas from Bolsa Chica and Crystal Cove, through Laguna Beach, and into Dana Point. In Los Angeles County, they include Point Dume north of Malibu and Point Vicente/Abalone Cove off Palos Verdes. While some areas have restrictions but still allow some fishing, others – such as Laguna Beach and Point Vicente/Abalone Cove – are a “no-take” zone, meaning nothing can be taken out of the ocean, from tide pools or beaches.” By Laylan Connelly | lconnelly@scng.com | Orange County Register File photo by Mark Rightmire
Orange County Beach Towns
Landmark mansion at tip of Newport Beach’s Harbor Island on market at $60 million
“The 14,200-square-foot home boasts over 300 feet of bay frontage, along with views of the turning basin. An imposing, French neoclassic mansion on a half acre at the western tip of Harbor Island is on the market for just under $60 million. Built in 1990, the lavish, 14,200-square-foot home boasts over 300 feet of bay frontage, along with expansive gardens and views of the turning basin. The dock can accommodate a yacht larger than 120 feet, as well as other boats, according to the listing. The updated, three-story home has six bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, formal living and dining rooms, and catering and staff quarters. An elevator, walk-in wine cellar, waterfront tile pool and subterranean parking for eight cars are among the amenities.” Orange County Register By Marilyn Kalfus (Google Earth)
Colors of Carlsbad: The Real-Life Instagram Filter
“While you can find these four colors all over the world, I had the chance to discover them in Carlsbad, California. About an hours drive north of San Diego, the small beach town sometimes gets lost in the Santa Monica’s and Newport’s of the state, but it’s not one to miss. You may know it as where Legoland is found, but there’s plenty more to see than just that. The small city has that coveted beach-town vibe without the touristy feel. Here, everyone feels like a local. For the most colorful view of Carlsbad, visit March through mid-May when The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch are in full bloom. The 50-plus acre farmland is home to rows and rows of brightly-colored Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers, creating an ombre field of picture-worthy spots at every turn. While you can’t freely traipse through the fields, there’s many “cutouts” that let you get that perfect shot.” arizonafoothillsmagazine.com SUZANNE KOCH Carlsbad State Beach
Old Home (Indian) Beach, Trinidad, CA
“Old Home Beach, also known as Indian Beach, is a narrow beach on Trinidad Bay in the small town of Trinidad. It has been renamed, probably out of political correctness, but some signage still has the old name. This protected beach offers great views of Trinidad Head and the bay with many picturesque rocks sticking up. There are two ways to get to Old Home Beach from the bluff above it. The first is down a trail with stairs behind the Trinidad Lighthouse Memorial at the corner of Trinity and Edwards Streets.The second beach access is down a trail at the end of Parker Street called the Parker Creek Trail (park on grass at top of the hill and walk down Parker St.). The view from the lighthouse memorial is stunning.” californiabeaches.com
Dream Town: Mendocino, California
“This village on California’s northern coast combines big scenery with small-town charms. Winding three and a half hours north of San Francisco, the road to Mendocino may be as magical as the destination itself. Frequently no wider than a country lane, it corkscrews through mountain passes, parallels patches of farmland and vineyards, traverses a cathedral of redwoods, and chases the Navarro River to the sea. And what an arrival it is: tabletop headlands carved below by massive sea caves and topped above with barns, lighthouses, and cliffside inns. Amid the dramatic landscape nestles the downtown, with Victorian homes in Easter-egg colors and Main Street lined with a bookstore, museum, toy shop, chocolatier, B&Bs, and eateries.“ Coastal Living · By Ann Wycoff Photo: Thomas J. Story
Mendocino County
Nearly 27,000-Square-Foot California Ranch Asks $31 Million
“A sprawling ranch in northern California that’s almost twice the size of Manhattan has hit the market for the first time since being created by the late stock market tycoon Dean Witter. Lone Pine Ranch, in both Trinity and Mendocino counties, is asking $31 million. It’s typically difficult to find ranches that have everything, according to Mr. McDavid. “Usually you have to make some sacrifice, like I really want a big herd of elk or I want trout water. It’s very hard to get it all in one place,” he added. But Lone Pine Ranch has an extremely diverse amount of wildlife and land, Mr. McDavid told Mansion Global. There’s viable cattle and timber operations, fishable water, and resident wildlife includes populations of elk, blacktail deer, pig, bear and quail. “You go to some other parts of California and you’re going to find some pretty desolate land, this place is really rich,” Mr. McDavid said. “It’s just a really beautiful landscape.” The Los Angeles Times first reported the listing. Mansion Global · Liz Lucking BILL MCDAVID
San Mateo County
PG&E expects to pay $2.5 billion for North Bay wildfires
“A Northern California utility said Thursday that it expects to pay at least $2.5 billion in connection with deadly wildfires that whipped through wine country last October — some of them ignited by its fallen power lines. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. also warned that its liability could be considerably higher after state fire officials determine the cause of 21 major fires that devastated the region last year. They killed 44 people, destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, and wiped out vineyards, marijuana farms and other agricultural operations.” AP Photo Jeff Chiu, File
Steps:
20) Maybe the lists of best places don’t appeal to you. Where can you go to make a fresh, new start? Don’t limit your imagination. Think anywhere — across the globe. Where do you really, really want to live, work and play? Why not live where it’s a vacation all year round?
21) Spend the time to find the best place to live and invest. It will be worth your while. The great thing about living where others spend their vacation is the year round quality-of-life.
30) Review headlines and relevant news as far back as you can find online to surface each community’s unique pulse and identify information necessary to make your decision. Is there a “ticking time bomb” issue you may uncover that eliminates the resort from your bucket list? Search on topix.com.
32) Plan extended seasonal vacations during summer and winter months. Group destination locations together in regional trips to explore what several bucket list towns have to offer in the general vicinity – with only a week or two vacation time to spend, we recommend organizing your itinerary by travel regions.