August is the busiest vacation month of the year in California. And yet, there are lots of free travel opportunities. Here are a few examples mixed in with some other events of note.

Whiskytown Lake

California Parks: Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, in partnership with Forever Resorts (www.foreverresorts.com), will offer free patio boat tours of Whiskeytown Lake August 15-16, 2009. Call 1-530-242-3462 for more information or to make a reservation (space is limited to 10 per tour). Visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/whis. Free patio boat tours are just one of the activities offered during the summer by the National Park Service; some include free entrance fees. Camping and star gazing are popular activities in the Anza Borrego State Park. Visitors can also embark on a free, self-guided hike along the Ghost Mountain Pictograph Trail encountering rock paintings created by Native Americans ages ago. The Anza Borrego Desert also features one of the most extensive mud cave systems in the world, containing approximately 22 known caves and 9 slot canyons. Some extend over 1000 feet with 80 foot ceilings. For further information log onto www.parks.ca.gov.

San Diego Area:  It’s not free but the historic Del Mar Thoroughbred Club race season, “where the surf meets the turf,” is in full swing in August. For post times, special dates, etc., call 1-858-775-1141 or go online to www.dmtc.com. After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2006, WICKED will return to the San Diego Civic Center. Through August, a day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of seats will be held. Call the Civic Theatre at 1-619-570-1100 for further information. The Oceanside Pier is the longest wooden pier on the West Coast and features license-free fishing. Oceanside is also the location of the Cohn Group’s latest restaurant, 333 Pacific. Call 1-760-433-3333 for reservations. The new $5.6 million San Elijo Nature Reserve, located in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, offers an excellent vantage point to explore the lagoon and its seven-plus miles of hiking trails. Admission to the nature center is free and on Saturdays at 10 am, one can join a naturalist for a guided walk. The center, made from recycled materials, boasts an array of “green” amenities including solar panels, irrigated roof plants and recycled water. It features state-of-the-art, museum-quality exhibits interpreting the natural and cultural resources of the San Elijo Nature Reserve. Check it out at www.sanelijo.org or call 1-760-634-3026. For more free events, festivals and things to do go online to www.sandiego.org or www.sandiegonorth.com.

San Francisco: There are more than 400 free concerts and film screenings in August. Among them is the Del Monte Square Film Festival from Aug. 2-23, under the stars in the courtyard of The Cannery. For further information, telephone 415-771-3112 or visit www.delmontesquare.com. Regular band concerts began in Golden Gate Park in 1882. The Golden Gate Park Band performs every Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Spreckles Temple of Music. For information telephone 1-510-530-0814 or visit www.goldengateparkband.org. The free San Francisco Visitors Planning Guide is available at the Visitor Information Center, 900 Market St., at the corner of Powell and Market streets, lower level, Hallidie Plaza and online at www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com.

Laguna Beach

Art A Fair, Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach: Throughout the month, the Festival of Arts, Art-a-Fair and the Sawdust Art Festival feature over 500 artists, hundreds of hands-on art workshops, dozens of special events, etc.

Don’t overlook their special $19 “Passport” which includes admission, free parking, shuttle service and discounts at restaurants, shopping and lodging. For information contact the Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau at www.lagunabeachinfo.com or call 1-800-877-1115.

Amtrak: For Amtrak’s 10th. anniversary, children 12 and under can enter an essay contest if they’ve ridden any of Amtrak’s western trains. The competition ends August 31st. and the prizes, Lionel train sets for the top 15 winners, will be awarded in the Fall. Over 3,000 kids have submitted essays over the past 10 years. For further information call 1-800-USA-RAIL or go online to www.Amtrak.com.

Thanks to the various websites for information. Before you go please check details, rates, etc., availability and restrictions may apply. Photos courtesy of the CVBs.

Howard Hian
www.Travels-with-Hian.com

2010

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