Redwoods and Waterfalls Cycling in Big Basin © Michael Wetter

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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!
  MultiDay Tours, Multi-Day Tours, or Multi Day Tours at CaliforniaNatureTours.com

Multi-Day Tours and Adventures for More Fun

Multi-day tours let you have even more California outdor adventure in a longer nature tour. Here, our intimate knowledge of California keeps you off the beaten path while still seeing classic California.

Multi day tours are great for locals too busy to plan.


Big Basin Redwoods Easy Backpack
Sat-Sun 5/31/08-6/1/08, 10:30am

Big Basin Redwoods Trail

  • Easy 2day intro to backpacking
  • Into the redwoods from the shore
  • Follow the flowing creek, no uphill
  • Includes meals but not gear
  • 12yrs+, 6m/10k, 2days
  • St-Sn 5/31/08-6/1, 10:30am, $89 USD
  • Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County CA
FAQ, Contact David


Big Sur Monterey Car Camping and Hiking
Fri-Mon 6/13/08-6/16/08, 9:30am

Big Sur Coast: ocean, rocks, and drama

  • Big Sur Coast, Mission San Antonio
  • Camping beneath redwoods
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium
  • includes meals but not gear
  • 7 yrs+, max 4m/6k/day, 4days
  • F-M 6/13/08-6/16, 9:30am, $369 USD
  • Carpool caravan from San Francisco CA will be arranged
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


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


Yosemite Tahoe Ghost Town Van Tour and Walking
Tue-Tue, 8/5/08-8/12, 9am

Yosemite National Park's Tenaya Lake

  • Tahoe, Yosemite, Sacramento
  • Go back in time to the Old West!
  • Historic hotels, hostels, lodges
  • All meals included
  • 10yrs+, 4m walk/day, 8days
  • Tu-Tu, 8/5/08-8/12, 9am, $1995 USD
  • Vanpool from San Francisco TBD
FAQ, Contact David




DON'T WANT A CALIFORNIA MULTI-DAY TOUR, SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA MULTI-DAY TRIP, OR MULTI-DAY ADVENTURE TOUR?
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