  TIME Pacific Standard Time NEIGHBORING STATES Oregon Nevada Arizona REGION Pacific States Whale Watching in California Each winter California welcomes the return of its official marine mammal, the gray whale, and many California State parks and beaches offer programs and locations for viewing the migrating whales. Many California destinations celebrate with special festivals. • Cabrillo National Monument Whale-Watch Weekend (January) at the end of Point Loma in San Diego. • Birch Aquarium's Whale Adventures (December - March) on the La Jolla shoreline. • West Marin's Whales, Wildlife and Wildflowers Festival (January - April) on Point Reyes National Seashore. • Ventura Harbor Village Annual Whale Celebration (February - March) at Ventura, with Channel Islands National Park or "America's Galapagos" just 14 miles offshore. • Cabrillo Marine Aquarium's Whale Celebration (February) at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro. • Santa Cruz Migration Festival, Natural Bridges State Park (February) along the Central Coast of California. • Oxnard's Celebration of the Whales/ Whale Watching Excursions (January - March) includes whale-watching excursions to the Channel Islands National Park. • And annual festivals at Dana Point (one of Southern California’s largest seafaring celebrations); Mendocino; Fort Bragg; and Santa Barbara. |
 INTO THE BLUE OF LAKE TAHOE As you step onto the deck of the paddlewheeler Tahoe Queen, a flute of blue champagne might be thrust into your not unwilling hand. Blue? Indeed – just a dash of Curacao performing its magic. In the other hand you could be clutching a bright blue bean-bag teddy bear with Lake in the Sky imprinted on its back. Welcome to the Blue World of Lake Tahoe, from the startling cobalt of the sky to the deep sapphire of the lake itself. So blue, they say in these parts, that it turns other blues green with envy. SOUTH LAKE TAHOE HOTELS Perched atop the Sierra Nevada, straddling California's border with Nevada, Lake Tahoe is a truly spectacular body of water – the largest alpine lake on the North American continent. Its water is 99.7% pure, about the same as distilled water. It's so clear that a white dinner plate can be seen at 78 feet below the surface. But don't try to ratify this yourself by hurling a white plate from the deck of the Tahoe Queen. The folks around here take their environment seriously. Winter sports enthusiasts looking for a resort destination that combines legendary mountain terrain with nightlife to match will find it in South Lake Tahoe. The centerpiece of the alpine-style Heavenly Village is the high-speed Heavenly Gondola that whisks skiers, boarders, hikers and sightseers up to 9,000 feet for Imax-type views of the entire Tahoe Basin. At the base of the Heavenly Gondola is a bustling, new Village with art galleries, shops, boutiques and many eateries including the Cold Stone Creamery where you can create your own ice cream flavor. The casinos with their 24-7 entertainment provide the perfect nightlife for a bustling ski town. Visitors walk through the downtown with skis over their shoulders and snowboards under their arms, some carting sleds for a ride on the snow-covered slopes. Others are going snowmobiling, tubing, ice skating or heading for a horse-drawn sleigh ride under snow-covered pines. South Lake Tahoe's seasonal transition from a winter ski resort community to summer playground is almost seamless. There are 55 golf courses, many championship-caliber, within a 90-minute drive of Lake Tahoe, but golfers won't want to wander too far from Lake Tahoe itself. In the thinner air of its 6,300-foot elevation, golfers can expect an extra boost – about 10 percent – on each shot. Camping grounds abound and there are many bike trails – paved and mountain. For a more challenging ride, try the Tahoe Rim Trail, a 150-mile trail through national forest, wilderness, state park lands, meadows and creeks as it encircles Lake Tahoe. Surrounded by Desolation Wilderness and a slew of National Forest Lands as it is, Lake Tahoe has some 300 miles of hiking trails. Horseback riding can be a great way for visitors to take in the sights and enjoy the fresh mountain air. Hot-air balloon rides, glider rides and scenic airplane flights provide a unique perspective on the beauty of the High Sierra and one of the hot-air balloon rides from Balloons Over Lake Tahoe even takes off from, and lands on, a 40-foot catamaran yacht in the middle of Lake Tahoe. Some come to Tahoe simply for the beautiful lake views and scenery but there are serious adrenaline thrills if you want them. Sure, barreling down a steep Sierra Nevada mountain path at 40 mph over rocks and tree stumps on little more than two wheels and some titanium may not be everyone's idea of a good time, but it's there if you want it. There's rock climbing, kite surfing, glider rides, hang gliding and paragliding and bouncy trips in the backcountry on a Hummer/Jeep. Some of it is not always for the faint at heart. At the center of all this activity is the constant Lake Tahoe and its unbelievable blue. You don't need blue champagne or a blue teddy bear to remind you. CALIFORNIA HOTELS Photo courtesy Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority |
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