California Dreaming

[buzzard]

MT. SHASTA - SISKIYOU COUNTY, CA

Mt. Shasta and it's lake are so totally awesome! Breathtakingly beautiful, especially during winter.

Welcome to the Mt. Shasta Region -- Above it all in Siskiyou County at the top of Upstate California! Discover the natural beauty and recreational paradise of Siskiyou County and snowcapped Mt. Shasta. Pristine mountain lakes and rivers, majestic forests, and miles of backcountry to explore offer outdoor enthusiasts exceptional skiing, snowboarding, fishing, golfing, mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, and mountaineering experiences

Mount Shasta (Úytaahkoo in Karuk), a 14,179-foot stratovolcano, is the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range and the fifth highest peak in California. It is a member in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and is located in Siskiyou County, and has an estimated volume of 108 cubic miles, making it the most voluminous stratovolcano of the Cascades. Physically unconnected to any nearby mountain, and rising abruptly from miles of level ground which encircle it, Mount Shasta stands some 10,000 feet above the surrounding area. The mountain is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

Shasta was memorably described by the poet Joaquin Miller: "Lonely as God, and white as a winter moon, Mount Shasta starts up sudden and solitary from the heart of the great black forests of Northern California."

SHASTA LAKE

Shasta Lake Water Level
Measured on: February 19, 2008

Shasta Lake water level: 978.39 feet
(Elevation above sea level - Full lake is 1067 feet)

Distance from dam crest: 88.61 feet
(Drawdown)

[CuPcAkE]

myhome said:

THE MYSTERY SPOT - SANTA CRUZ, CA

The Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz is one of those "weird places" where what you see isn't necessarily what you see, LOL. There's also a spot like it at Knott's Berry Farm.The Mystery Spot is a gravitational anomaly located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California. It is a circular area of effect around 150 feet or 46 meters in diameter. Within the Mystery Spot you will be stunned as your perceptions of the laws of physics and gravity are questioned. But don't take our word for it, come and decide for yourself!

The Mystery Spot was discovered in 1939 by a group of surveyors and opened to the public in 1940. The Mystery Spot has amazed and perplexed hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world, and many return time and time again to experience these puzzling variations of gravity, perspective, and height.

Some speculate that cones of metal were secretly brought here and buried in our earth as guidance systems for their spacecraft. Some think that it is in fact the spacecraft itself burried deep within the ground. Other theories include carbon dioxide permeating from the earth, a hole in the ozone layer, a magma vortex, the highest dielectric biocosmic radiation known anywhere in the world, and radiesthesia. Whatever the cause is, it remains a mystery.

My grandparents were just telling me about this not long ago...they called me and asked me to get online and see if it still existed because they were remembering stuff and thought about it. They have pictures of my grandpa here.

[CuPcAkE]

Mt. Shasta is absolutely beautiful!

I have ALWAYS wanted to go to California!! & by seeing the post each day Buzzie it makes me want to go even more!

I think that I could move to Cali and be happy all except for my best friend wouldn't be there!

[buzzard]

California is good, I love it here, but when you come from somewhere's else, there'll always be something you miss about "home". Sides, we got all the "fruits and nuts" out here too, ROFL

[califgirl]

So true, it is a great place. Most of the time. I know I miss it. But change is always good.

[buzzard]

SAN DIEGO ZOO AND WILDLIFE PARK - SAN DIEGO, CA

www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/index.html

The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California is one of the largest, most progressive zoos in the world with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species. It is privately operated by the nonprofit Zoological Society of San Diego on 100 acres (0.40 km²) of parkland leased from the City of San Diego, and ownership of all animals, equipment and other assets rests with the City of San Diego.

The Zoo offers a guided tour bus that traverses 75% of the park. There is an overhead gondola lift that provides an aerial view of the Zoo and is a quick way to move between opposite ends of the Zoo.

Exhibits are often designed around a particular habitat. The same exhibit features many different animals that can be found side-by-side in the wild, along with native plant life. Exhibits range from an African rain forest (featuring gorillas) to the Arctic taiga and tundra in the summertime (featuring polar bears). Some of the largest free-flight aviaries in existence are here. Many exhibits are "natural" with invisible wires and darkened blinds (to view birds), and pools and open-air moats (for large mammals).

The San Diego Zoo also operates the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, which displays animals in a more expansive condition than at the Zoo. Animals are regularly transferred between both parks, as well as other zoos around the world, usually due to Species Survival Plan recommendations

CRES (Conservation and Research for Endangered Species)
The Zoological Society of San Diego's Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES) center is the largest zoo-based multidisciplinary research team in the world. Biodiversity conservation is the theme that unites the work of CRES, and scientific innovation is the means by which CRES achieves its success

History
The San Diego Zoo grew out of exotic animal exhibitions abandoned after the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. Dr. Harry Wegeforth founded the Zoological Society of San Diego, meeting October 2, 1916 and initially following precedents set by the New York Zoological Society. A permanent tract of land in Balboa Park was set aside in August 1921, and the zoo began to move in the following year. The publication ZooNooz commenced in early 1925.

The San Diego Zoo has been a pioneer in building "cageless" exhibits. The Zoo's Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species (CRES) was founded in 1975. CRES was renamed the division of Conservation and Research for Endangered Species in 2005 to better reflect its mission.

The San Diego Zoo is one of the world's few major zoos to have almost all of its major exhibits be open-air; in fact, the only major exhibition building on grounds is the Reptile House.


www.sandiegozoo.org/



One of the old buildings in the Balboa Park where the Zoo is located.



Polar Bear at San Diego Zoo



Gorilla enclosure at the San Diego Zoo



Siberian Reindeer at San Diego Zoo

The zoo has a fantastic breeding/conservation program. Probably what has been largely responsible for its success is that fact that it is not reliant on government funding for its operation/maintenance. It is supported mainly by non-profit funding, scientific grants and corporate donations. It has been in operation since the early 1900's. It's a fantastic place to visit. It has the guided tour buses (open type buses so you can see everything), an overhead gondola lift, or for the more adventurous, you can walk the park (but not the wild animal park area!). BUT, even with the bus and gondola, it takes more than 1 day to see the park, so it's a BIG walk! Plan on spending at least 3 days to try to see it all. It's 100 acres, with over 4,000 animals of 800 species. One of the few zoos to have Giant Pandas in residence as part of the breeding program for China. And they have a children's petting zoo. Don't know if it's still there, but somewhere I have a picture of me sitting on a giant land Tortoise in the children's zoo when I was about 7 or so. I'll have to dig it out. He was ancient then, if he's still alive, he'd have to be close to 100 now.