Monarch Butterfly (1/16/06)

Other colorful California State parks fall events in the Santa Cruz area include a program on Mushrooms of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Nov. 7 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Ranche del Oso Nature and History Center near Waddell Creek Bridge (16 mi. north of Santa Cruz off CA-1).  A mushroom taxonomist will describe where to find them, how to be sure they’re “the right ones,” and tips on gourmet preparation of wild mushrooms.

On the Sunday of the Thanksgiving Day Weekend (Nov. 29), a “Creeping Forest Ramble” will leave at noon from Park Headquarters at Big Basin Redwoods State Park.  Docent Doreen Devorah will lead a three-hour, 2.5 mi hike up and down the “creeping” terrain, along creeks, through fire-scarred redwoods and over log bridges.   Bring water, a snack and good hiking shoes.

Photo Credit: © 2006, John Poimiroo

Adding to the excitement of the second earliest opening in Mammoth history, skiers and snowboarders will be able to ride for free on Friday, Oct. 16.  The Broadway Express lift opens at 8:30 a.m. serving a base of 16 to 24″ of machine-groomed “natural” snow.  Woo Hoo!

A tip of the helmet to Howard Pickett, Mammoth’s Chief Marketing Officer who says the free skiing is a reward to the Mammoth’s guests. Runs to open on Friday include: Broadway, St. Moritz, Forest Trail, Mambo and Main Park with assorted rails and jibs to entertain us.  Mammoth plans to open additional lifts as snow conditions permit.

Mammoth offers First Tracks lift and lodging packages for as little as $99 per person based on double occupancy.  Call 800.MAMMOTH or visit wwwmammothmountain.com to book your stay.

Instead of driving the Tioga Road, take Sonora Pass (CA SR 108) from Sonora east to US 395, then south to Lee Vining.  There you can take CA SR 120E into Yosemite National Park and to Tuolumne Meadows.  Or, enjoy the Labor Day weekend visiting the Eastern Sierra and Bodie State Historic Park, Mono Lake, the June Lake Loop and the Walker River for sightseeing, hiking, fishing, cycling, horseback riding or just kicking back.

Rivers has brought showmanship to Redding, in its architecture and expansive views of the river and Mount Shasta (including a glimpse of Santiago Calatrava’s Sundial Bridge) and inventive presentations of comfort food.

Chef Cal DeMercurio takes “food you grew up eating” like “Mac-n-Cheese” and serves them in unexpected forms… an iceberg lettuce salad that’s been mesquite grilled, pulled pork made from Korean-styled meat, Chilean sea bass smoked over applewood and served on a bed of Gorgonzola cheese polenta and beef entrees, of course. After all, this is Redding where construction workers’ plates of steak and prime rib have been overflowing since Shasta Dam was built in the 1930s.

Still the standard for carnivores in Redding is Jack’s Grill, which since 1938 has been serving 10- and 16-ounce U.S.D.A. prime choice New York, Filet Mignon and Top Sirloin steaks. The Market Street Steakhouse is Redding’s upstart eatery, attracting a younger crowd than Jack’s for Kobe steaks and porterhouse, in addition to the standards. Of course, not everything eaten in Redding is red meat.

Buz’s Crab serves Red Snapper and almost every conceivable type of seafood. Though located 140 miles from the sea, inland Buz’s is the nation’s largest distributor of Dungeness crabs, shipping the arthropods to crab feeds far and wide.

For more about dining in Redding, CLICK HERE.

This spring’s Grand Prize is a three-night stay at The Ahwahnee in Yosemite Valley during a session of the 2008 Yosemite Vintners’ Holidays (Nov. 2 - Dec. 4, 2008), with park admission, admission for two to all Vintners’ Holidays receptions, tastings and events, and two seats at the sumptuous Vintners’ Banquet in The Ahwahnee dining room.

Eight weekly prizes of two-night getaways to Yosemite and Mariposa County lodging will also be awarded (two each week) along with park admission and - in several cases - other extras. To enter and be eligible to win any of these prizes, CLICK HERE once each week through April 13.

And, listen for more information about the Yosemite Getaway Sweepstakes and hear Mike Cleary’s Mariposa Minutes on these radio stations in the San Francisco and Sacramento areas: KGO-AM810, KDFC-FM, KBLX-FM, KSFO-AM, KOIT-FM, 957 The Wolf, The Eagle 969, KSSJ and ESPN1320.

1.    Make it romantic.
Several grooms surveyed by Ardenwood Affairs said they transformed their home into a romantic love nest with hundreds of candles, dozens of red roses, rose-petals and champagne. Creating a special environment and setting the mood helps to heighten the anticipation of the actual question. Putting in the effort to make sure everything is just right will definitely pay off.

2.    Surprise her with a proposal when she’s least expecting it.
Because most couples discuss getting married before the actual proposal, it’s difficult for a groom to generate surprise. For one couple, the surprise came as part of a routine, turned romantic.  Each weekend, they took time to hike. After a long climb, they would usually stop and enjoy lunch. The weekend of the proposal wasn’t any different, except when they sat down for lunch; he got down on one knee and proposed. Because he incorporated it into something they already did, she never saw it coming. Needless to say, they look back on that as their best hike ever.

3.    Involve family members.
Involving the family in a proposal often says miles about your commitment to marriage.  One bride said that during an Independence Day family vacation at Lake Tahoe, while basking on the beach, her groom got down on one knee in front of the entire family to propose. There wasn’t a dry eye on the beach!

4.    Personalize the proposal.
Proposing on a symbolic day or in a location with sentimental significance is quite common. One groom said held off proposing for months until their two-year anniversary. He said his bride knew he had a special dinner planned, but had no idea he was going to ask her to marry him. The day they met therefore remains doubly special in their hearts.

5.    Don’t be afraid to be extravagant.
One groom went so far as to hire a plane and wrote his message in the sky, “Will you marry me?” at Pier 39 in San Francisco. Going over the top will no doubt make the bride-to-be feel special. But because the day will always be special, tip number six is issued as a word of caution…

6.    Keep it simple.
The more extravagant a proposal, the greater the chance something can go wrong. Limit the components of the proposal to not more than three.  “The less to go wrong, the more confident you’ll be,” Ms. Ferrantino advises.

7.    Utilize the outdoors.
Beautiful scenery can be naturally romantic, so proposing outdoors reduces the need to intensify the atmosphere.  Almost 90% of the couples surveyed by Ardenwood Affairs had some element of the outdoors in their proposal. Whether you pop the question at a significant landmark, a favorite beach or park, or while sightseeing on a vacation, doing it outdoors is a surefire way to make it special.

8.    It’s OK to ask for help
A schoolteacher was stuck on exactly what to say, so he called together friends who were writers and other teachers. They helped him refine his thoughts and, more importantly, gave him the confidence to say them aloud. You can also use friends or family to help set the romantic situation. It’s difficult to arrange a surprise picnic on your own, but by enlisting helpers you can surprise her, totally. Imagine walking through the park and coming across a picnic basket, chilled champagne and a blanket, your friends having disappeared just minutes before you arrive.

9.    Don’t let the occasion override the circumstances.
Even a foolproof proposal can be derailed by something beyond your control. In one case, the groom arranged to propose in front of the Eiffel Tower on a trip to Paris, but he didn’t count on his fiancee being so ill with the flu that she still can’t remember agreeing to his proposal. Most obstacles can be overcome, but when they’re insurmountable, reschedule.  This is a fine line for grooms, Ms. Ferrantino advises, as nerves often cause them to look for any excuse to put off the proposal.

10.    Be spontaneous.
If the moment feels right, then propose!  One of Ardenwood Affairs’ surveyed grooms had planned an elaborate proposal to occur at Disneyworld towards the end of a vacation but on the first day of the trip, he felt inspired.  Further, he worried that she would find the ring before he proposed, so he found an attractive fountain and popped the question. She accepted while a nearby crowd cheered. They were thus able to spend the entire vacation living the moment as fiancés and planning the perfect wedding.

More wedding planning tips are found by calling (925) 426-3055 or online at www.ardenwoodaffairs.com.