Stars, Sharks, Gold, Tidepools and All Things California in June

Last year, honorary awards were bestowed on eventual Oscar winners Jordan Peele, Guillermo del Toro, Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell, among others.

Photo by Rob Latour /REX/Shutterstock (9360603ac)
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

Central Coast Region

Santa Barbara Coast

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

Photo by Rob Latour /REX/Shutterstock (9360603ac)

“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

Santa Cruz Coast

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.

San Francisco Bay

San Francisco

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

South Coast Region

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

File photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG

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

Newport Beach.

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)

North County, San Diego

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

North Coast Region

Humboldt Coast

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

Mendocino Coast

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

Peninsula Region

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.

What You Missed in January

To a degree, you haven’t witnessed our city until you’ve seen all its nature’s beauty.

Bruce Brown. Endless Summer.
While stationed in Hawaii, he’d spent much of his time surfing and shooting home movies of friends riding waves. With his service complete and being back in Orange County, he cut a crude, 90-minute “surf movie” together.

Highlights and Headlines: January 2018

New offshore oil drilling proposed off California coast by Trump administration. The Trump administration on Thursday proposed allowing new offshore oil drilling in most of America’s coastal areas, including northern, southern and central California areas like Big Sur. By PAUL ROGERS | progers@bayareanewsgroup.com

South Coast Region

Huntington Beach. ExxonMobil Alleges It Is Victim of Vast California Climate Change ‘Conspiracy’. Surfers ride waves in front of an oil rig off Huntington Beach on July 31, 2015. (Credit: Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images)

 

Laguna Beach. Uncertainty Clouds Hotel Laguna. The last guests of the historic Hotel Laguna turned in their room keys and its longtime operator turned over the property last week to the landlord, but much else about the iconic downtown property remains uncertain.  Photo by Mitch Ridder.

Newport Beach.  Newport’s iconic Crab Cooker to close and rebuild because of 3-year-old foundation damage. “The Crab Cooker, which has been at 2200 Newport Blvd. in Newport Beach since 1951, will be closed for about a year starting in 2018 while it is rebuilt on the same site. (File Photo)”

Bruce Brown. Endless Summer.

South Orange County.  In Remembrance: Bruce Brown, Maker of ‘The Endless Summer,’ Passes Away at 80.  “In 1958, Bruce Brown landed in Dana Point after a stint in the Navy. While stationed in Hawaii, he’d spent much of his time surfing and shooting home movies of friends riding waves. With his service complete and being back in Orange County, he cut a crude, 90-minute “surf movie” together. Resident surfboard baron Dale Velzy let Brown show the movie in his shop in San Clemente for 25 cents a head.” By Jake Howard

San Diego. 10 San Diego Trails to Get You Outside in 2018. To a degree, you haven’t witnessed our city until you’ve seen all its nature’s beauty. From the highest point in county to the La Jolla Tide Pools and peeks at the Pacific from above your handlebars, there’s no shortage of ways to get outside in the New Year. Go on, now—take a hike! San Diego Magazine

 

 

Long Beach.  Long Beach Airport to start daily service to Hawaii in June.  The historic terminal at Long Beach Airport. Hawaiian Airlines will begin operating nonstop daily flights between Long Beach and Honolulu. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

South Bay. Redondo Beach. Seaside Lagoon. “This isn’t your typical swimming pool. Seaside Lagoon is a saltwater lagoon steps away from the Pacific Ocean. Visitors can swim under lifeguard supervision, and there’s also water slides, a playground, beach volleyball and picnic areas.” Photograph: Courtesy Seaside Lagoon

Ventura County. California Fire Map Update: Thomas Fire Is Second Largest in State History. As the blaze grows, it is on track to surpass the record-holding 2003 Cedar Fire, which killed 15 people and destroyed 273,246 acres in southern San Diego. The Thomas Fire earned the second-largest wildfire designation on Tuesday by surpassing the 2012 Rush Fire, which burned 271,911 acres. This California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Central Coast Region

Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara’s Biltmore turns 90 with photo show and custom-made wines. “Santa Barbara’s Biltmore marks 90 years this year. Longtime photographer Hal Boucher shot a photo of Rosalind Russell, left, Jack Lemmon and his wife, Felicia, at the resort in 1963. (Hal Boucher)”

Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo CA. The 10 Happiest Cities in the U.S., According to New Research. “Perhaps unsurprisingly, almost 30 percent of the places are in California. There’s really something to be said for near-constant sunshine. Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD) is real, and has a dramatic impact on happiness levels for an entire season of the year. And when you’re sad almost every day, it’s hard to rate your life well, or feel natural joy.” Inc Magazine

Peninsula Region

Half Moon Bay. Weather changes push back Mavericks surf contest. Throughout the past week, there was excitement over a west-northwest swell that would bring the largest Mavericks surf of the season. That is now a matter of conjecture, and the once-promising weather forecasts have changed. SF Gate · By Bruce Jenkins

San Francisco Region

San Francisco. Turning blue to ring in the new with frigid Jan. 1 Ocean Beach plunge.  Three hundred people showed up at the foot of Taraval Street for the annual Plunge at Ocean Beach on Monday, Jan. 1, 2018. Photo: Steve Rubenstein/ The Chronicle

North Bay Region

Marin County. Historic fire truck finds new home with Marin History Museum. “This 1935 fire engine is being donated to the Marin History Museum, which is temporarily donating the truck to the Marin County Fire Department, after being transported from Sonoma, Calif. on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)”

North Coast Region

Sonoma County. Devastated by wildfire, a California city weighs rebuilding amid a housing crunch. “Jeff Okrepkie stands by the lot where his house stood in the Coffey Park area of Santa Rosa, Calif. After losing his home in the wildfires last fall, Okrepkie has organized a neighborhood group to help those like him who want to rebuild. (Preston Gannaway/For The Washington Post)”

Mendocino County. Luxury Mendocino Hotel | Heritage House Resort | CA.  The Heritage House Resort is a destination you simply must experience for yourself. While our property has undergone a dramatic change over the past five years, transforming from a romantic seaside inn to a contemporary and luxurious boutique hotel, our commitment to the perfect guest experience remains.

Humboldt County. Trinidad. Majestic. Part of the auto wreck scene in The Majestic was shot at College Cove Beach on 19 March 2001. Wikipedia.