Category — Outdoors

An REI backpacking expert will provide tips on lightweight backpacking techniques, covering shelters, backpacks, food choices, and fuel efficiency to help you go light and fast on your next trip. The class is free but registration is required. Register online or call (707) 540-9025.

July 22, 2010 7 pm- 8:30 pm
REI
2715 Santa Rosa Ave, Santa Rosa

Celebrate Father’s Day with a hike at Tolay Lake Regional Park. This 2-hour guided hike on the west ridge takes place on Sunday, June 20, 2010 from 10 am to noon. Reservations mandatory. Call (707) 565-2730 and leave a message with your name, phone number, email or mailing address, and the number of people in your vehicle. Parking is $6.

Every Sunday in June at 9 am there will be a Ranger-led bird walk.  Meet at the Visitor Center. Bring your binoculars, or there are some available for loan. For more information please call Park Ranger Michael Carroll at 707-431-4535.

June 6, 13, 20, 27, 2010  9 am
Lake Sonoma Visitor Center
3288 Skaggs Springs Rd.
Geyserville

With today’s Groupon, you get a four-hour introductory rock-climbing course and guided outdoor climb (an $85 value) at Adventure Out for $42. [Read more →]

The Bureau of Land Management joins the National Park Service in waiving entry fees on June 5-6, August 14-15, September 25 (National Public Lands Day)and November 11 (Veterans Day) on many of the public lands that it manages, including areas within the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) that is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. There are over 100 BLM public land areas in California, including:

• California Coastal National Monument’s internationally renowned vistas
• Headwaters Forest Reserve’s ancient redwood forest
• Carrizo Plain National Monument’s blanket of golden flowers
• California Desert Conservation Area’s  deserts
• King Range National Conservation Area’s foggy bluffs

Today’s Groupon is an exhilarating one: for $49, you get a half-day whitewater-rafting trip from California River Adventures, Inc. (up to a $97 value, including river fees and taxes). You’ll explore the South Fork Gorge along the South Fork of the American River in this 4 hour adventure.

Trips are offered Mon-Fri, Memorial Day through Labor Day; Sat & Sun, before Memorial Day & after Labor Day. Be sure and read any other fine print as well.

The side deal is $195 for an In-Office Zoom! Teeth Whitening Plus Take-Home Kit at Sutter Dental ($599 Value). [Read more →]

I think our National Parks are a huge bargain any day, but there are several times during the year that many of the National Parks offer free admission—including Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Lassen, Muir Woods, Mesa Verde, Grand Teton, and my favorite, Glacier—100 in all.

Master Gardners Phil Dean, Liz Landreth, and Patricia Rhoades lead a wildflower walk through Hood Mountain Regional Park. Wear sturdy shoes, hat, sun screen. Bring drinking water. 8 am to 1 pm. Call: (707) 565-2041.
Saturday May 22, 2010 8 am to 1 pm.

KOA’s Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend is May 14 and 15, 2010. Pay for Friday, May 14 and camp Saturday May 15 at the same campground for FREE.

For the seventh year, KOA campgrounds will be collecting donations and holding fundraising events to benefit KOA Care Camps for children with cancer, the official charity of the KOA Owners Association. This network of 43 specialized summer camps gives children with cancer, and their siblings, a chance to experience the joys of camping while continuing their treatments.

The Cloverdale and the Petaluma KOAs are participating. Here’s a list of all the participating KOAs.

If you want to upgrade your skills from putt-putt to real golf, or if you’re an avid golfer seeking to refine your technique, take advantage of PGA Free Lesson Month. During the month of May, PGA courses across the nation (including a dozen in Sonoma County) are offering free 10 minute lessons, as well as a few family clinics.