It’s a Jungle in Here! | By Kristie Wilde

It’s a Jungle in Here!

By Kristie Wilde | An artist, illustrator, and designer

Kristie Wilde is a watercolor artist with a style that is clear and realistic. Through careful observation, she accentuates the subtle but important aspects of her subjects, delighting viewers with uncommon insight while providing a meaningful and memorable viewing experience.

Kristie is coming out with a new book called It’s a Jungle in Here! This picture book is for children ages 1-6 years old. This new book is the third book in the Joyful Creation Series, following Made for a Purpose, and So Great a Love. Her books illustrate how everything has a purpose – like, frogs with eyes on top of their heads, so they can hide underwater and still see out.

These delightfully illustrated books are designed to be read to small children taking them on journeys of discovery, inspiring conversations.

Kristie Wilde is an artist who believes that accuracy is very important to her work. She researches her subjects incorporating key elements relevant to her message. She draws on her many years of experience working with plants in the nursery and in the wild.

This book will be available during a book signing between PriceCo and CVS on April 7th and online through Barnes and Noble, Amazon and other book shopping sites. Books and illustrations from the artist are available at www.wildeartpress.com

About the Author

Kristie Wilde's new book is called "It’s a Jungle in Here!

Kristie Wilde reports that this picture book is for children ages 1-6 years old. It will be her third book in the Joyful Creation Series, following Made for a Purpose, and So Great a Love.

Her books illustrate how everything has a purpose – like, frogs with eyes on top of their heads, so they can hide underwater and still see out. Kristie Wilde said about her new book that "God loves variety", and I wanted to let readers explore some of the variety found in the jungle – ending with the message that He is happy with how He made everything, especially the way He made you!"

Bed & Breakfast Inns | History

by Writers Workshop

Dunbar House - Murphys, California

The History of the Bed and Breakfast Inns

A bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodations and includes breakfast. Most B&Bs do not offer other meals and are private family homes offering accommodations with fewer than ten bedrooms.

Today guests are accommodated in private bedrooms with private bathrooms or a suite of rooms. Breakfast is in the bedroom, a dining room, or the host's kitchen. B&Bs may be a secondary source of income or a primary occupation for the property owner. Often the owners themselves prepare the breakfast and clean the rooms, but some B&Bs hire staff for cleaning or cooking. Properties with hired professional management are uncommon (unlike inns or hotels) but may exist if the same owner operates multiple B&Bs.

Most of the B&Bs in the Sierra Gold Country started as private homes and were inspired to open B&Bs to tourists. The private homeowners update their properties as a B&B. The advent of the renewed interest in B&Bs and the increasing interest in historic preservation.

B&Bs increased rapidly and evolved from homestay B&Bs with shared baths and simple furnishings to beautifully renovated historic mansions with luxurious décor and amenities. Many B&Bs created a historical ambiance by adapting historical properties decorated with antique furniture. One can now travel back in time.

Mardi Gras Parade & Street Fair | Nevada City

by Writers Workshop

Past Mardi Gras Parade in Nevada City

Mardi Gras Parade & Street Faire in Nevada City is on February 10th, 2024

The anniversary of Nevada City’s annual Mardi Gras Celebration is set to happen on Sunday the 19th of February. The event, hosted by the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, features a colorful & festive parade & street fair throughout the streets of historic downtown Nevada City.

The Street Faire on N. Pine & Commercial Streets will be open from 11 am-4 pm. Beads, masks, and Mardi Gras shirts will be available for sale, along with a wide array of vendors selling food, drinks, crafts & more!

Spectators will crowd the streets to enjoy the floats & revelers at the parade at 2 pm on Broad Street, Nevada City. Everyone is encouraged to attend in festive Mardi Gras attire.

Every Year the Mardi Gras Planning Committee chooses four individuals that have impacted our community positively to serve as the Mardi Gras King & Queen and the Grand Duke & Grand Duchess. The committee also honors a Grand Marshal, who leads the parade in a horse-drawn carriage.

For more information: Nevada City Chamber of Commerce

Nevada City Wedding | The Stone House Restaurant is a great venue

by Writers Workshop

The Stone House Restaurant
A great venue for your Sierra Wedding

The Crown Jewel of the Gold country is now available for weddings and special events! This fully restored 1857 hot spot radiates nineteenth-century romance while delivering behind the scenes state-of-the-art technology in this charming historical building that will surprise you with its first class renovation. If you are looking for a unique venue to hold your upcoming wedding,

The Stone House Restaurant is a full-service venue for your welcomed guests! They offer an enriched wedding package that will allow you and your entourage exclusive access to all of the 10,000 square foot facility. Relish in the cascading vines on the stone courtyard and dine in a 3,000 square foot Granite Hall with top-shelf libations and cuisine. DJ's or bands can perform on a premier stage while you take over the dance floor! This venue will transport you and your guest back in time on every level, creating an experience that will keep everyone reminiscing and memories for a lifetime.

For more information, contact them at [email protected] or call them at (530) 265-5050

A Sierra Wedding at The Stone House

Sierra Weddings | A Sierra wedding

by Writers Workshop

A Special Wedding Day

Make your special day even better!

To help you celebrate your special wedding day, you might want to think about a Sierra Wedding at a winery or historic inn. We have compiled a list of different venues and locations that have the experience to help you plan your wedding with the settings and amenities for a dream wedding in the Sierra.

The locations we found offer different looks and feelings. We looked at several wineries, vineyards, and special one of kind locations.

These locations can offer open space, and lush green areas with lots of outdoor golden colors. Historic inns also offer different wedding styles and their grounds will surround you and your guest with a look and feel that makes your wedding stands out. Make sure your location will fit the needs of all your guests too.

Make sure your location is conveniently situated next to or near your reception location. All of our suggested locations will have a staff and lots of ideas for a great wedding. You want to pick a pace that will serve your needs, a staging area for rehearsals, a reception or event site to handle all your guests, or accommodate a rehearsal dinner. Make sure there is adequate lodging for the you and your new partner, family and friends. Have a great wedding!

Traveling Along Hwy 120 | Big Oak Flat to Yosemite National Park

by Writers Workshop

Your Highway 120 Adventure
Along your way to Yosemite National Park

After cresting the grade, you arrive at Big Oak Flat. Your first stop for a bite to eat is Old Priest Station. Make sure to fill up your gas tank or auto repair is available too.

Your next stop on Highway 120 will be Groveland. Here you can enjoy a picnic in the garden next to the historic Jail House. Yes, you can charge your electric car there too. Groveland has two charging stations. There is a community park in the center of town next to the Museum & Library. Well known in town are several restaurants, lodging, and B&B's, and a lot of unique retail shops. The community of Pine Mountain Lake with public golf and riding stables, and a general aviation airport is just down the road.

See Rural Airport News for more information on Pine Mountain Lake airport). Several businesses offer shopping and dining.

The small town of Buck Meadows is surrounded by the Stanislaus National Forest and is close by to a favorite swimming hole called Rainbow Pool. Far below is the main Tuolumne River with its “Wild and Scenic Waterway” designation and Class III, IV, and V whitewater rafting and kayaking.

The Big Oak Flat entrance to Yosemite National Park is at an elevation of 4,872 feet and is known as the north gateway to Yosemite.

Yosemite is the first land in the USA set aside for public enjoyment by President Lincoln. The Lincoln Administration was the founding legislation for the National Park Service. So much has been written about Yosemite, so allow time to enjoy the glacial beauty, hiking, picnicking, and sparkling rivers and lakes.

My Favorite Restaurant | Find patio dining in the Sierra

by Writers Workshop

My favorite restaurant

My Favorite Restaurant
“Where would you like to eat?”

When that question comes up, here are some suggestions. You have lots of choices for restaurants with patios in the Sierra Foothills. You have many different cuisines that the Sierra offers. However, you want one that has patio dining.

We are providing a guide to our recommended Sierra favorite restaurants. You can eat outside in quaint patios watching the world go by or in very historical locations that date back to the gold rush era. When you add good food and company together, the experience becomes a delight, from sitting on a side street in a historic town enjoying coffee to visiting the high country to take advantage of the incomparable calm and cool of what the Sierra gold country has to offer.

It's time to start thinking about patio dining. We found that there are many locations in the Sierra Foothills. Patio dining is as individual as the foods served, and every outdoor space offers a slightly different way to enjoy patio dining. The Sierra's patio and deck dining options will keep you busy enjoying the world walking by for a very long time.

In Murphys, several restaurants have an outdoor space that includes an outdoor seating area. On your way to Yosemite National Park, you will find a wide variety of patio dining places with a variety of views. One that combines both history and a sense of adventure is the Priest Station Café in 'Big Oak Flat.

The cafe is perched at the top of Priest Grade and is an excellent patio restaurant with a spectacular view.The property was purchased by Margaret & Alexander Kirkwood in 1853. A few years later, Alexander passed away and left Margaret, a young widow. Margaret remarried William Priest; hence the name Priest Station. Old Priest Station eventually grew into a stagecoach stop and was developed into a 22-building complex at the top of the grade. The station is in its sixth generation of family ownership.

Yosemite Village | A must stop on the valley floor

by Writers Workshop

Yosemite Village Plazza

Yosemite Village is located in Yosemite National Park at an elevation of 3996 feet (1218 m) and was primarily developed to house federal offices and commercial business that wanted to be located in Yosemite Valley. Situated along the north side of the valley floor, its permanent population includes National Park Service staff and some concession employee.

The Village is the site of some useful facilities, such as a fire station, a post office, a medical clinic, a convenience store, restaurants, gift shops, a school (kindergarten through eighth grade), and the park's headquarters facilities, and main visitor center.

The Yosemite Lodge is located on the west end of the village near Yosemite Falls. The Ahwahnee Hotel is a few blocks to the north. Like Camp Curry, Yosemite Village is characterized by shed style architecture making heavy use of native wood.

A post office opened in 1869, originally named Yo Semite, with its name changed its name to Yosemite in 1908 and to Yosemite National Park in 1922. In 1906, Major H.C. Benson started Fort Yosemite at the site of what became the Yosemite Lodge. Federal troops were stationed at Fort Yosemite until 1916, with the creation of the National Park Service.

Yosemite Village was designed by National Park Service landscape architect Charles Punchard, Jr., among others.

Tourism is the New Gold in California

by Writers Workshop

California is the most visited state in the country and has 12 percent of the U.S. travel market. Tourism translated into approximately 317 million domestic and international travelers during any given year. Travel and tourism expenditures amount to over $75 billion each year providing employment for over one million residents.

While much of the tourist travel is in the major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Orange County, the state’s vast transportation system roads and rural airports have been critical to the success of California’s tourism industry in less urbanized parts of the state. Because California is well known for its outdoor and recreational activities such as hiking, sightseeing, camping, fishing, skiing, mountaineering, and venues for these activities are typically located outside of major urban areas, general aviation airports located in smaller communities play an important role in tourism.

Our Sierra Travel News was launched in 2011 to bring awareness to the Sierra foothills. We cover all seven counties that make up the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

California’s smaller rural airports are critical for providing emergency response services to natural disasters including fires and earthquakes. They also play an important role in disaster preparedness and response, both natural and terror-related. The 13 California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) basis located at our rural airports play a major role in fighting wildland fires.

Most non-pilots do not realize that our rural airports play an important role in saving many lives through emergency and critical medical services that are provided through aviation, particularly in more remote communities. Examples include medical and life flights, flights carrying donated organs, and the retention of world-class medical professionals in smaller communities.

Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies also rely on our Rural Airports with aviation to enforce laws and maintain public safety in California. Agencies such as the California Highway Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Border Patrol, along with local county sheriff ’s departments rely upon aviation and airports to carry out their law enforcement duties.

Vacation Rental Homes | Find the best vacation rental that are right for you.

by Writers Workshop

Summerhouse - Tahoe Luxury Properties

Is a Vacation Rental Home right for you and your family?

Vacation rentals usually occur in privately owned vacation homes (known in some parts of the world as holiday homes). The variety of accommodations is broad and inconsistent because each property is unique to its own soundings.

The property might include a fully furnished home, cottage, condo, or townhouse that equals a hotel or motel. The traveler arranges to rent the vacation property for a designated period of time. Some rent on a nightly basis, although the more prevalent vacation rental industry practice is typically weekly rentals.

Vacation rentals can range from budget studio apartments to lavish, expensive private villas. Pice your location and the amenities you desire for you and your family.

Vacation rentals, particularly condominiums or apartments, offer many of the same services hotels offer to their guests, e.g., front desk check-in, 24-hour maintenance, in-house housekeeping, and concierge service. At the other end of the spectrum, Our Sierra Travels will focus on the accommodations in the Sierra foothills.

You can select vacation home rentals near major resorts and attractions like Yosemite National Park, Columbia State Park, and Lake Tahoe. You will find information on ski resorts, hiking and biking trails, and other activities as well on our website. These privately-owned, fully-furnished homes and condos offer many advantages over regular accommodations. Rental homes are ideal for the entire family and ideal for larger groups by keeping everyone together in one central location and thus bring down the overall cost of rental rooms down.

There are vacation homes near all the attractions and resorts located in Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, and Tuolumne Counties. Come up to the Sierra Gold Country for our attractions and the beauty of the foothills and the high Sierra. Enjoy sightseeing, explore our many historical landmark buildings, and go hiking, biking, skiing, or just relaxing with a great book. You can take in a play at one of community art & entertainment locations.

Vacation rentals provide unparalleled space and privacy which are so often lacking in the single room locations offered at hotels or motels. Vacation rentals offer all of the amenities of your own home, like multiple bedrooms, fully-furnished living rooms, and many other comforts, vacation rentals are a great way to vacation like a local. Thanks to the available kitchens, you can cook your own basic or gourmet meals and don't have to eat out for every breakfast, lunch, and dinner - unless, of course, that's what you want. Preparing meals this way can be a great way to save money, especially if you are traveling with the kids.

And that is part of the most surprising thing about vacation homes; despite popular perceptions to the contrary, quite often they are a great travel lodging bargain. Many rental properties cost no more than a nice hotel room, even in popular resort destinations, but you get so much more with a vacation home rental. So the next time you are making travel plans, be sure to look up the vacation homes available at your destination. Renting one just might be the start of the holiday of a lifetime. Come and enjoy our mountain fresh air, there are vacation rentals ready to meet your needs.