COMING SOON-- WORKSHOPS
What really goes in the blue bin
--and what doesn't
Deepen your outdoor experience
--Use a topo map and compass
COMING SOON-- PHOTO GALLERY
Browse photos of a coming tour
--or of the tour you just took
ARMCHAIR TOUR!
Movie: Cane Toads: An Unnatural History
--A comedic short documentary that examines the disastrous results of interfering with an ecosystem by bringing in non-native species. Farmers in Australia, frustrated with an infestation of beetles, imported cane toads from Hawaii who wound up not eating the beetles, poisoning all their natural predators and multiplying to the point of becoming a larger nuisance than the beetles ever were.
Book: The Life of the Skies
--by Jonathan Rosen
--New York Times book review says: If Peterson and Sibley [birding guide book authors] provided checklists . . . then “The Life of the Skies” is the essay question, the question being: Does bird-watching offer a bird-watcher an avenue toward greater meaning, like prayer or yoga? For his part, Rosen, a novelist and the author of “The Talmud and the Internet,” has a lot of faith in it as a meditative act. “I can’t think of any activity that more fully captures what it means to be human in the modern world than watching birds,” he writes.
Stories of all the great American birders are included, from Thoreau to Teddy Roosevelt to "Kenn Kaufman, the Jack Kerouac of birding, who in the '70s hitchhiked the back roads of America for sightings."
Music: Appalachian Spring
--By Aaron Copland
--The sound of spring fever on the West Coast, not only in Appalachia! Try the recording by Michael Tilson Thomas's S.F. Symphony.
TOUR TIP
The warmer sunshine feels good, but don't pay for it later. Remember your hat or bandana and a lightweight long sleeved shirt. Apply sunscreen effective against both UVA and UVB, and bring a small bottle so you can reapply during rest breaks. The spot most people forget to protect? The top edge of the ears! Ouch!
CUSTOMIZE
Not sure which tour is right for you? Special event coming up? A topic you're especially interested in?
Let us create a tour just for you!
Learn more today.
ECO-HISTORY FACT
The Eco-History facts revealed in our 3/2/08 tour of the Quicksilver Mine in Almaden were so fascinating that folks demanded we offer it again! Do you know how Bay Area people and the environment have always influenced each other... in this case, from the pre-Gold Rush discovery of mercury ore to today?
Learn the surprising facts as we walk through beautiful landscapes, ghost towns with gardens still blooming today, and see a mercury reduction furnace. See the tour description from the first time we offered it!
The tentative date for this second visit is 6/7/08. If you're interested, let us know. Give your email address, and we'll keep you posted. Remember, if you enjoyed the first trip, the wildflowers and weather will be different the second time!
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Marin Tours, Marin California Tours, Mill Valley Tours at CaliforniaNatureTours.com
Marin Tours-- More than Hiking!
Marin County is "marvelous" for good reason! Visit Marin's eight state and national parks, steep mountains, creeks, lakes, dairies, and coast. Marin travellers can swim in a lake, visit waterfalls, hike through vast public lands, observe whales, even drive on a road made famous in TV car commercials!
Marin tours and adventures are for locals, too!
Muir Woods Spawning Salmon Walk (Slugs, too!)
Sun 1/20/08 and 1/27/08, 10am
Endangered Coho salmon and steelhead trout in redwood lined creeks
- Endangered salmon spawning run
- Big fish in a small creek
- Plus banana slugs, slinkpods
- Buckeye and bay tree seeds
- 7yrs+, 2miles/3k, 2hrs
- Sun 1/20/08+1/27 10am, $5 USD
- Muir Woods in Mill Valley CA
FAQ, Contact David
Marin Waterfalls and Orchid Hike
Sun 2/24/08, 10am
Marin Waterfalls in winter
- Waterfalls-- a dozen or more
- Marin hiking at its best
- Lovely calypso orchids
- Incredible view of Pacific Ocean
- 11yrs+, 6miles/10k, 6hrs
- Sun 2/24/08, 10am, $25 USD
- Mt. Tamalpais in Mill Valley CA
FAQ, Contact David
Summer Solstice Backpacking in Point Reyes
Fri-Mon 6/20/08-6/23/08, 10:30am
Point Reyes National Seashore coastal camping
- Coastal wilderness camping
- Best inland lake in Bay Area
- Waterfalls, secret beaches
- Includes meals but not gear
- 12yrs+, max 8m/13k/day, 4days
- F-M 6/20/08-23, 10:30am, $289 USD
- Bear Valley Vis-Ctr in Pt. Reyes CA
FAQ, Contact David
Pt. Reyes Lakes, Waterfalls, and Views Hike
Sun 6/29/08, 10:30am
Pt. Reyes inland lake near waterfalls and coastline in Marin © Michael Wetter
- Marin is a water lover's paradise!
- Stunning cliff-top ocean views
- Coastal views, deep lakes, forests
- Miraculous year-round waterfalls
- 10yrs+, 7m/11k, 8hrs
- Sun 6/29/08, 10:30am, $49 USD
- Palomarin Trailhead in Bolinas CA
FAQ, Contact David
San Francisco Coastal Defense Walk
Sat 7/5/08 and Sat 8/2/08, 10am
San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf World War II submarine U.S.S. Pampanito
- Hidden Nike missile base
- Civil War era Fort Scott
- Guns over the Golden Gate
- Marin gun batteries
- 6yrs+, 2mi/3k, 6hrs
- Sat 7/5/08+8/2, 10am, $49 USD
- Crissy Field Bookstore in San Francisco CA
FAQ, Contact David
Point Reyes Car Camping and Hiking
Mon-Fri 7/7/08-7/11/08, 10am
Point Reyes tidal wetlands ilustrate water currents
- Majestic Tule elk
- Oyster Farm, historic dairy
- Heart's Desire Beach
- 8yrs+, max 5m/8k/day, 5days
- M-F 7/7/08-7/11, 10:30am, $249 USD
- Half price for kids!
- Bear Valley Vis-Ctr in Pt. Reyes National Seashore CA
FAQ, Contact David
Marin Headlands Hiking and Hosteling
Sat-Sun 7/19/08-7/20/80, 10am
Marin Headlands has deep rolling valleys
- Hike Rodeo Valley in Marin Headlands
- Wake up Sun surrounded by Nature
- Friendly communal dining, games
- 12yrs+, max 10mi/16k/day, 2days
- St-Sn 7/19/08-7/20, 10am, $99 USD
- Marin Headlands Vis-Ctr in Sausalito CA
FAQ, Contact David
Muir Woods to Stinson Beach Hike
Sun 7/27/08, 10am
California Coast near Stinson Beach © Christy Shake
- Redwoods, fantastic coastal views
- Famous Dipsea Trail to Stinson Beach
- Edible wild berries
- A hidden German beer garden
- 14yrs+, 9m/14k, 8hrs
- Sun 7/27/08, 10am, $49 USD
- Muir Woods in Mill Valley CA
FAQ, Contact David
Redwood Creek Meditation Walk
Sat 9/20/08, 10am
In Muir Woods redwoods the trail leads inward © Michael Wetter
- Muir Woods Redwood Creek
- Mediatation walk, sit, be
- Stillness within and without
- 18yrs+, 3m/5k, 4hrs
- Sat 9/20/08, 10am, $25 USD
- Muir Woods in Mill Valley CA
FAQ, Contact David
DON'T WANT A MARIN TOUR, MARIN HEADLANDS TOUR, POINT REYES ADVENTURE, PT. REYES CAR CAMPING, MUIR WOODS CREEK VISIT?
Below are the top six tours from all categories and dozens of tours. Or see summary list of all tours, or browse categories at left.
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I've really enjoyed many of David's hikes!
On Montara Mountain we had a stunning 360 degree panoramic view of the coast.
At Point Reyes we swam in beautiful Bass Lake and saw the sublime Alamere Waterfalls.
David is very knowledgeable about Nature and the History of the Bay Area. He's also very attentive to the hikers.
I'll be back-- again!
Mr. M.C.
San Mateo, CA
Thank you David, for your
hike at China Camp.
It was a beautiful setting and we saw deer at close range.
But what made it especially interesting & memorable was your knowledge of the area.
I'm looking forward to
reading the book!
Thanks again and regards,
Ms. A.V.
Oakland, CA
I'm an inquisitive hiker who often wants to know more than previous guides seem to know...
But sometimes I just
want quiet moments.
Somehow, David does both
things just right!
A tour with David really does have something more.
Ms. C.A.
San Francisco, CA
In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
John Muir
The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.
John Muir
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