Tag Archives: family

Gurnsey Campground

bestcampgurnsey

Gurnsey Creek, Lassen Forests & Fishing

NFS Gurnsey Creek Campground: W of Chester, CA

CLOSED 2020-2022: Campground is undergoing some serious work with removal of hazardous trees and forest clean up. NOTE: DixieFire 2021 did not damage this portion of the forest highway (CA 36)

A developed USDA campground along forested Highway 36, near the junction of Chico’s Hwy 32. This stretch of 36  overlaps with north-south Lassen Hwy 89. Awesome fishing creek, meadows, hiking trails and mountain biking trails nearby. Paved, level camp sites w/ easy access to Lassen Volcanic Park and the National Forest.NFSlogo

This is a popular camp just south of the Lassen National Park boundary and 5 miles east of Child’s Meadow Resort. Car camp, tent camping, some spaces for large motorhomes. Plenty fishing, hiking and mountain biking trails.

Gurnsey Creek begins in Childs Meadows, north on Hwy 36 – just outside of Lassen National Park 

gurnseycreek

Gurnsey Creek Campground, California

on Gurnsey Creek; Campground open May-October
(depending on snow)
gurnseysign

Lassen Creek Camping

52 camp sites on Gurnsey Creek @ 4700′ elevation; vault toilets, creek and piped water, bear boxes; first come, first serve camping – and reservations are also accepted

GURNSEY CREEK CAMPGROUND

Max Camper Length: no limitations
Shady forest camp sites w/ creek. Numerous fishing spots. Close to Lassen Volcanic National Park, Chester and Lake Almanor. Backpackers, day hikers and horseback riders will enjoy the PCT nearby. Pacific Crest Hiking Trail runs to the east side of this campround.pct

CHESTER, CA ranger
Rangers Office: 530-265-4531
Almanor Ranger DIstrict, Lassen NF

GROUP CAMP RESERVATIONS NFS

2 reservable Group Camps are available at this campground. Group Site 1 can accommodate up to 56 people; Group Site 2 can accommodate up to 112 people.

Free Camping nearby.
If you are seeking primitive camping in this Lassen area, look for dirt roads in the USDA National Forest lands, which surround the National Park boundary.

to the west – Lassen Road #14 – the Blue Ridge, north off of Hwy 89 @ Mineral.

to the south – Yellow Jacket Road #29N48 around Turner Mountain, which is south-southwest of Mill Creek.

to the east – Lassen Road #10 – head north off of Highway 89 in between Chester & Westwood.

see also – Lassen Lakes

lassen park mapHighly advised: a real map, a printed ‘hard copy’ shows both the National Park and the National Forest of Lassen on one map – with topographic features, all mountain peaks, creeks, lakes, trailheads, plus all dirt and paved roads.

Trailheads near Gurnsey Campground lead out to –

NEARBY TOWNS:


View Larger Map

Gurnsey overview
Mature forested, creek campground, close to the highway

Aloha Festival

heritage

Bay Area Aloha Festival

Pacific Islanders of the San Francisco Bay Area offer talents in music & dance during this 2-day festival of arts. Entertainment highlights include Pacific Islander music as well as Polynesian dance. The festival will also feature arts & crafts vendors, island cuisine, educational exhibits and workshops, and games for the kids! Located at the San Mateo County Event Center.

Annual event; August

San Mateo, CA

pica-org.org

 

Hawaii

Calico Festivals

calico mining camp

Festivals at Calico Ghost Town

If you find yourself traveling through the giant Mojave desert during the day, keep Calico Ghost Town in mind. Whether you are headed to Vegas or Utah, you can always take a “stretch break” from the freeway driving, to see the historic cemetery, grab a bite to eat or browse gift shops. Calico is an old, abandon, mining camp turned into a commercialized theme park – just a few exits after Barstow, on Interstate 15.

Numerous festivals are held annually at this historic silver mining camp in the desert.

FEBRUARY Calico’s California Days
educational displays about California’s history, games and contests for the entire family, live entertainment, a chuck wagon chili cook-off and more.

SEPTEMBER Calico Days
a weekend experience revisiting life in the Old West during the 1800s. We line up gun-fighting shows and musical entertainment along with other festivities, including a miner’s triathlon, burro race, costume contest, pie-eating contest and loads of activities for the kiddos.

OCTOBER Calico Ghost Haunt
trick-or-treating, costume contests, pumpkin carving, kids’ carnival tent, live entertainment stage shows, scare sets and haunted attractions; plus a Campsite Decorating Contest.

DECEMBER Holiday Fest
decorated for the holiday season, this iconic ghost town features dining, shopping and costumed characters, as well as live music

San Bernardino County, California

Calico Ghost Town Regional Park

36600 Ghost Town Road
Yermo, CA 92398
760-254-1123

Calico, CA

bottle house calico

Placerville Hangtown Days

hangtowndays
2019 photo by Bill Robinson

Hangtown Wagon Train Days

califrepublic

Living History in Downtown Placerville, California

Historic Gold Country. Walking parade, re-enactments, costumes encouraged. Street dance party (5pm). Live music all day, food, drinks, games. Free admission.

Annual event: June
Saturday 2-8 pm, One Day event
530-391-2190

Placerville, CA

hangtowndays.org

 

hangtownparade
2019 photo by Bill Robinson

Avocado Festival in Carpinteria

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The Avo Fest, Carpinteria

Take a scenic drive and see the back roads near Lake Casitas, where numerous avocado orchards grace the hillsides. This coastal Avocado Festival has evolved into one of the largest festivals within California; Three full days of fabulous food, terrific music, & family fun. Held in Carpinteria, just south of Santa Barbara, CA

Annual event; October
805-684-0038

CARPINTERIA CA

avofest.com

 

IMG_9201

IMG_9182

Arroyo Grande Harvest Festival

Small town

Arroyo Grande Harvest Festival

This community event is always a crowd-pleaser, with everything from parades to pie eating contests. The AG Harvest Festival serves as a tribute to agriculture, Arroyo Grande’s leading industry. This festival focuses on the local non-profit organizations that serve the community. Bring the whole family for all of the weekend festivities.

Annual event: September

agharvestfestival.com

Arroyo Grande Farmlands

Los Angeles County Fair

The Fun Starts Here

LA County Fair

Los Angeles County Fair is held several miles from downtown LA; at the Pomona Fairgrounds (off Interstate 10). Concerts, carnival rides & games, exhibits, horse shows, home & garden shows, arts & crafts. Big event for the county of Los Angeles.

NOTE 2022:
The LA Fair has permanently moved to the month of May

Annual event; May
909-623-3111

Los Angeles CA

lacountyfair.com

Trinity County Fair

Ferris Wheel -- Trinity County Fair - 2009

Trinity County Fair
Hayfork Fair

This rural county fair started in 1921 and always held in the small mountain town of Hayfork, which is east of Hwy 299 and up hill from the Trinity RiverDouglas City; Carnival rides, games, exhibits, quilt show, horse show, mule show, rodeo. It’s the biggest thing to look forward to for locals, during the summer.

Annual event; August
530-628-5223

HAYFORK, CA

trinitycountyfair.com

Trinity County Fair -- Signpost

The Road That Time Forgot -- Trinity County, CA

Tulare County Fair

Tulare County

Tulare Fair

Tulare is located in the California Central Valley (the “bread basket”) – so summers can still be quite warm, or should we say HOT, even in September.

Big county fair for this farming region. Agriculture shows, auctions, destruction derby, exhibits, competitions, 4H livestock, parade, rodeo, tractor pull and much more. Don’t miss the delicious Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler Cook-Off and the Tri-Tip Cook-Off. Carnival rides and carnival games too.

Annual event; September

Tulare County Fair Assoc.
620 South K St.
Tulare, CA 93274
559-686-4707

tcfair.org

 

farris wheel

Lassen County Fair

Fair

Lassen County Fair

The NorCal event Lassen County Fair is held in Susanville California. Carnival rides, destruction derby, ranch rodeo, arts & craft vendors, food, & plenty local music too. This whole Northern California region is awesome for summer camping & fishing, so make a week of it & enjoy the natural scenery, outdoor recreation & this annual county fair.

Annual event; July
530-251-8900

SUSANVILLE, CA

lassencountyfair.org

Lassen Fair

Demolition Derby

Zipper

Original Lobster Festival

Long Beach Lobster Festival

Long Beach Lobster Festival is now held in a new location, and is renamed:

The Original Lobster Festival

This event has been running over 25 years now. This Original Lobster Festival has become a tradition to over thousands of festival goers annually.

The event combines local popular artists, Swing, Salsa, R&B/Motown, Decades 70s/80s Dance Bands. Plus tons of Fresh Live Maine Lobsters steamed in the World’s Largest Cooker prepared and served by a Master Chef for that mouth watering taste, giant food court, children’s area, dance floor, two stages and beach bars to create the largest Lobster Festival outside of Maine.

Fountain Valley Sports Park
16400 Brookhurst Street
Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Annual event: September
562-495-5959

originallobsterfestival.com

 

Long Beach Lobster Festival

Calabasas Pumpkin Festival

Long Lines for Food

Pumpkin Fest in Calabasas
calabasaspumpkinfestival

Calabasas Pumpkin Festival is a lively street fair along Lost Hills Road; Games & Rides at Juan Bautista De Anza Park, 3701 Lost Hills Rd, Calabasas, California

Annual event; October
818-222-5680

calabasaschamber.com/pumpkin-festival

Vallecito – Anza Borrego

Vallecito Park, San Diego Desert

Anza Borrego Desert

Great Overland Stagecoach Route of 1849

East San Diego County Road S2 winds thru the lower passes & washes of Anza Borrego Desert State Park. On the edge of the State Park boundary Vallecito is a small campground & park, but it was a stage coach route in the 1800’s.

California Historic Marker #304

Vallecito

VALLECITO STAGE STOP – A 1934 reconstruction of Vallecito Stage Station (originally built in 1852) on the eastern slopes of the mountains in the high desert. A super important stop on the first official transcontinental route, serving ‘The Jackass Mail‘, the Butterfield Overland Stage Line, and the southern emigrant caravans.

backpacking, birdwatching, camping, cycling, hiking, mountain biking, off roading, stargazing, wildflowers

camp

 

Vallecito Campground
elev. 1555′
camp sites: 44
overnight fee
first come, first serve
reservations accepted
Campfire pits, picnic tables, bathrooms, & historic buildings; 22 sites are tents only. RV 40′ limit; Additional 8 equestrian campsites w/ corrals. No RV hookups, no dump station. No piped water. No gasoline, no store, no amenities. No firewood, no collecting of firewood. No shade trees, just tall desert brush. Arrive adequately prepared for real desert roughin it.

RV

Vallecito Stage Station County Park
760-765-1188
37349 Great Southern Overland Stage Route
County Road S2 @ mile marker 34.7
About 3.5 mi NW of Agua Caliente Hot Springs

Closed during the hottest months of summer: JUNE-AUG. Open seasonally: Labor Day weekend through the fall, winter and spring, up until the last week in May. 

camptruck

see also – Oriflamme Canyon / Mason Valley Truck Trail

muck to stagecoachA neighboring and very rural stage coach stop is further down a long wash, to the south east. Getting there usually requires 4×4, since you must ford a muddy desert wash w/ creek & deep holes. There are no signs out in this sandy desert wash, so you best have a good map and a compass.

The Old Carrizo Stage Station site is accessible by 4 different dirt roads (desert washes) way off the paved highway. None of these are well signed at the highway: Vallecito Creek, Willow Creek near Mountain Palm Springs, Carrizo Creek near Bow Willow, and Canyon sin Nombre.

Agua Caliente, Bow Willow Campground, Canebrake, Sweeney Pass,  the badlands overlook, mud caves and slot canyons are all located south of Vallecito. California SR 78 and Blair Valley are north of Vallecito.

Vallecito Creek

San Diego Desert MapVallecito is located at the apex of the gap in the Carrizo Badlands created by Carrizo Creek and its wash in its lower reach, to which Vallecito Creek is a tributary. Once a seasonal village of the native Kumeyaay people, on a trail across the desert from the Colorado River, this oasis, became a crucial stopping place for Spanish and then Mexican travelers to recover from the desert crossing between Sonora and New Mexico to California. The non native settlement of the site began in 1850, as a camp with a one room sod warehouse as the U.S. Army Depot Vallecito for the supply of Fort Yuma. It was later increased in size and became a store, a stage station, and a ranch house. read more on wiki

find maps for this desert region –

Anza Borrego Desert Map

San Diego Backcountry Map

Cleveland National Forest Atlas

dark skies anza

califrepublic

Another Vallecito, California?

Yep! Small community of about 400 folks in the western Sierra Nevada  foothills. Gold Rush Country, mining region. Up off the Historic 49 and it used to be called Murphy’s Old Diggings.

see Gold Country Maps

Climate Ride in California

Climate Ride 2012

California Climate Ride

This cycling event has now morphed into multiple events at various locations.

Green Fondo, California

Annual charity bike ride where folks ride a few hundred miles over days, learn about clean energy, support a great cause, and have fun cycling. Bike route changes every year.

San Francisco Bay Area / Santa Cruz Mountains

Redwood Glen, Loma Mar, CA
Annual event: May

climateride.org

Climate Ride 2012

Climate Ride 2012

Climate Ride 2012

Independence Day Celebrations

July 4th in California

Beach Camping
Crowds are common at beaches all summer long.

go somewhere cool this summer

camping lakes

drifters

July 4th marks the busiest summer week in California. It’s mid Summer for most school kids. The golden state has its biggest increase of visiting tourists during this month too, along with the local residents traveling on seasonal road trips. Plenty of traffic, be warned.

Camping July 4th means EVERYBODY and their GRANDMOTHER will be outside this weekend. The majority of big family camp-outs and social BBQ events take place — on this very summer holiday weekend. Backpackers and serious car campers are on the road well ahead of time – headed for wilderness destinations.

Stay away from the biggest campgrounds and tourist traps, unless you are into that. Head for the back country for optimal seclusion, flowing creeks and coolest lakes.

 

 

City Fireworks & Parade Events can be found on various city web sites or chamber of commerce sites, which you can easily access through Total Escape.

California July 4

Fourth of July is also known as Independence Day, with celebrations in almost every major city & some notable small towns. City parades, firework displays, live music, streets fairs, BBQs, crafts, beach bon fires & in certain beach towns, total utter chaos. Below is only a sampling of popular July 4th events within California. Firework shows are so common that we are not listing most of them.

Street Fairs, Rodeos & Festivals on July 4th –

Music Festivals on July 4th –

califrepublic

Independence Parades –

LA Greek Festival

St. Sophia's Greek Festival

Los Angeles Greek Festival

Saint Sophia Cathedral
@ Pico & Normandie

The largest, most celebrated, and iconic representation of Greek food and culture in Los Angeles. Voted as the must-attend event of September by Los Angeles Magazine, the LA Greek Fest is your passport to Greece right here in your own backyard. LA Greek Fest attracts thousands of guests for each day of festivities for an unforgettable celebration of food, wine, dance, games and performances and one-of-a-kind cultural experience. Authentic Greek Food and Pastries. Greek Wines and Beers. Live Greek Music and Folk Dancing. Arts and Crafts. Raffle.

Annual event: September
323-737-2424

Los Angeles, CA

lagreekfest.com

 

2008 LA Greek Fest

Los Angeles Greek Festival

McCloud Lumberjack Fiesta

Lumberjack Festival, McCloud, California

McCloud’s Lumberjack Festival

Join old-fashioned fun in the sun all weekend in the Shasta area! McCloud’s Main Street Parade, vendor’s booths, nightly dance w/live music, baseball tournament, children’s events, horseshoe tournament, logging competitions, food, family games.

2022 marks the 75th anniversary for this event!

Annual event; July
530-964-2718

McCloud CA

mccloudchamber.com

 

Main Street in McCloud

Snow Goose Festival

BIRDERS unite under the Pacific Flyway

spillwaycrews

20+ years running, the Snow Goose Festival’s mission is to increase public awareness, understanding, appreciation and conservation of the diverse wildlife and unique habitats of the northern Sacramento Valley.

Workshops and field trips; advanced reservations online

Annual event; January
530-592-9092

CHICO CA

snowgoosefestival.org

Christmas in the Park, San Jose

Scene from San Jose Christmas in the Park 2011

San Jose’s Christmas in the Park

Opening Night is in late November and the events go multiple nights through Christmas; held in downtown San Jose at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. The tree lighting will kick things off in style. Ongoing for over 35 years, this is a family fun holiday fest in the South Bay!

Plaza de Cesar Chavez
Annual event: December
San Jose, CA

408-809-9627

christmasinthepark.com

Scene from San Jose Christmas in the Park 2011

Scene from San Jose Christmas in the Park 2011

Christmas in the Park, San Jose, CA