Del Valle- Man Made Reservoir

Lake Del Valle is located in Central Alameda County, about five miles south of the City of Livermore in the Arroya del Valle. Del Valle Dam and Lake Del Valle are features of the South Bay Aqueduct, which is part of the State Water Project.

This park is ideal for picnicking, horseback riding, boating, fishing and swimming.

This is a great area for a big group picnic or a day in the sun on the water. The lake is clean and clear, you can rent boats or just swim, and there are plenty of nice picnic areas, many of which have shade trees. Nice, clean restrooms and changing rooms. Snack bar with the basics.
It can get really hot so the cool lake waters are welcome!

Note that there are two sides to the lake, each with a different style, and different beach access -- consider exploring a bit before settling in.
There's also a lovely campground -- a small creek meanders through it, and there is a central grassy area where kids can run around. There's also a small camp store with the basics (marshmallows, camp stove fuel, batteries, etc. ) Make reservations well in advance for weekends -- you can often just drop in on weekdays and find a place.

When you are in the last few minutes of the drive to Del Valle, the scenery opens up to this amazing vista.

Location/Directions

The park is located on Del Valle Road, just a few miles south of Interstate 580 in Livermore.

Adress for your GPS is : 7000, del valle road, livermore, ca

ADDITIONAL FEES:
Park Entry: $6 per vehicle
Boat Launching: $4 per towed boat $2 for car tops
Fishing Permit: $4 per angler/ daily

All prices are subject to change without notice.
BOAT RENTALS/ RULES:To rent any watercraft you must provide the deposit, your driver’s license, and be 18 years of age.

Check this website for more information on del valle..http://www.ebparks.org/parks/del_valle

Half Moon Bay- Francisco Beach

We were planning to visit this place for a long time as my friend visited and told me it was nice. So this weekend we visited Half Moon Bay-Francis Beach.

The beach is located a half-mile west of Highway 1 on Kelly Avenue in Half Moon Bay. There are three parking and beach access points:


Francis Beach, at the end of Kelly Avenue in the City of Half Moon Bay.

Venice Beach, at the end of Venice Boulevard off Highway 1.

Dunes Beach, at the end of Young Avenue off Highway 1.

The Half Moon Bay State Beach Visitor Center is open Saturdays and Sundays. Entrance to the Visitor Center is free .

On The way to half moon bay you will find lot of wild flowers and farms.

We parked our car near a produce market for which they charged us $5 as the parking area near the beach was full....May be becuase it was weekend.

Beach also has campground suitable for tent, for camping,for trailers or recreational vehicales and restrooms are also available.

The trail runs along the beach and is accessible by pedestrians and bikes. Parallel to that trail is a designated horse trail, but note that horses are not allowed on the beach itself. Swim at your own risk. Even in the summer the water is very cold and the currents are dangerously strong. Camping is permitted by reservation only.

Los angeles

As i have been in Los Angeles for quite some time thought of listing the places i have visited.


1)Hollywood Boulevard --Hollywood Walk of Fame
2)Universal Studios
3)Malibu - Zuma Beach
4)Malibu Hindu Temple


1) Hollywood Boulevard--Hollywood Walk of Fame:

A tribute to over 2000 artists who have made significant contributions to film, radio, television, theatre and the recording industries. The first star placed on the 9Th of February 1960, was for Joanne Woodward. One of Hollywood's most popular tourist attractions, the Walk of Fame lies along both sides of Hollywood Blvd. from Gower Bl (on the east) to La Brea Ave (on the west), and along both sides of Vine Street from Yucca St. to Sunset Bl. The Silver Four Ladies of Hollywood Gazebo at La Brea Av at Hollywood Bl, the start of the Walk of Fame, should not be missed. The complete list of over 2000 stars and their exact locations can be found
It was fun seeing certain celebrities names as we walked.



2) Universal Studios : This is a must see place in LA and located in the heart of Hollywood and its a fun for the whole family.


Bought annual pass from http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/ as you can visit the park for whole year, while purchasing read their conditions carefully.


While entering the park don't forget to take the visitors map so that you can see the show timings and plan accordingly. There will be so many characters will be walking around the park, you can meet your favorite charter and take picture with them. Like Frankenstein, The Simpson's ,Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey,Dora the Explorer and her friend Diego,Sponge Bob Square Pants,Curious George,Alex the Lion and the Penguins from 'Madagascar' and many more.


We started our tour with House of Horror, It was a unique experience as i haven't been to any horror house before it was really scary and fun too.


There are so many shows don't miss any of them like Terminator-2 3D, Shrek 4D, Water world, Back draft,animal show etc and rides like Simpson's, The revenge of the mummy and Jurassic park.


Don't forget to take picture in the bike near the Terminator2 3D it will come very well especially if u take during night time.


We loved Simpson's ride and took it twice. It was a motion simulator ride and it really felt like you were moving; I even got that tickle in my tummy as we went down the roller coaster. It was just so amazing....you cannot miss this ride! At the end of the ride they take picture you can collect them or for $5 they will email you the photo if you provide your email id near the collection center.


The Revenge of Mummy ride, it's an indoor roller coaster - it was super fast and it goes
super fast in reverse, too!! couldn't get to try Jurassic Ride as its been closed for renovation during our visit but heard friends saying that its a cool ride but the drop is really crazy.

Water world show is also good but don't be late for this show otherwise you will get wet!!!!!!For animal lovers there is a pet show as well.


Finally studio tour, this is included in the park tour,If u have the annual pass no need to wait in the queue for trams you will get the front row seats if you show the pass . This was also fun as you can see how Hollywood magic happens and you can experience all new movie sets like Witness the explosive special effects of the Fast and the Furious: Extreme Close-Up.
Check out actual Skull Island set pieces from the movie King Kong. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... Jaws is waiting deep beneath the waters on the back lot. You'll wish you were on a bigger tram.


Finish your day in the universal city walk where u will find lot of restaurants, shopping malls etc. Totally this is family fun and do visit or don't forget to visit when you are in LA. If you go to the above mentioned website you will find all the missing information.

3) Malibu- Zuma Beach: Zuma is a great beach not too far from the County Line (Los Angeles and Ventura) It costs $7 to park but even on a weekend in the summer you can usually find a place and the park runs along the whole beach so it is never a long walk to or from the car.

You can also do free parking by the road side but you have to be very care full while doing so otherwise that might lead to an accident.

There are several lifeguard stations and a couple of food places to get snack type food. Restrooms are available. The sand is typically clean and the crowd ranges from teenagers to families. There is plenty of beach to play on and the beach is sandy and nice. You can wade out into the waves or boogie board if you like or just spend a day by sitting on the beach. Bring lots of sun screen and enjoy!

4) Malibu Hindu Temple: If u live around LA and looking for a hindu temple to visit the malibu hindu temple is one of them.

You will get all the info about temple in this website
http://www.hindutemplesoutherncalifornia.org/

If you drive further down from the temple you will find pepperdine university and a beautifull view of ocean.

There are lots of other places to visit i will update the blog when i visit them :)

San Diego- Things to do

On July 4Th long weekend we visited San Diego as its one of the must see places in California.

We have purchased our tickets from Costco, which was a 3 in 1 pass and included,

1. Sea world
2. San Diego Zoo
3. Wild animal park

You will find some good deals on Internet as well.

Sea world: Is a great place to take the family for a day. Its got something for each family member, From the fun shows to the amazing visuals, If you like sea life then you don't want to miss it.

The shows were great especially Shamu show,dolphin show and sea lion show. There are several show for shamu but the night show will be good so don't miss it even if u have seen day show.

If you book the showtime picnic you will get reserved seats in the Shamu stadium and they will bring you a picnic lunch to eat to your seats and will get to watch the pre show entertainment and then the show.
Shamu show is the main attraction of the sea world, Its a classic show. Dine with Shamu was also worth booking as you get a buffet meal next to the training tank. You will be less than a metre away from these amazing creatures. The trainers will tell u a lot about them and show you some of the things they do with them. It,s like having a private show (To get the best tables book early)

You can also do dolphin encounter which means you could see the dolphins up close, feed and touch them as well as talk to a trainer. If you got kids this a great thing to do will be a lot of fun.

The other displays and aquariums were also good and a 3D show,Circus show was also good.There are lot of shows will be going on so Make sure you plan the shows and special attractions you want to see then explore in between those times.

The sky/cable ride over the bay was nice and provided an excellent aerial view of the sea. There were nice little touches, such as the smaller aquariums and the tide pool where kids could briefly hold starfish and other innocent sea creatures. Educational and environmental messages were delivered in a tactful and subtle way throughout the park.

I am very afraid of the rides, but still went on a The Journey to Atlantes ride and i was able to come out in a single piece ha ha ;) there are some other rides as well but we couldn't get explore because of lot of crowd.

If you are an animal lover don't miss the pets Dog/Cat show.Look over the program carefully to make sure you are coordinated with respect to show times - they are staggered throughout the day and many shows run concurrently. It would be easy to miss a good show if you don't plan accordingly earlier in the day.

As went on Independence day weekend there was a Fireworks show in the park. This was very good and lasted for an half an hour...

There is lot of thing to do in sea world, This is a must see if you are in the area with children and have even the slightest affection for animals.

San Diego Zoo: This is a nice zoo. It is entertaining and educational. As we entered the zoo found out that there was a bus tour. One of the thing i liked was they were putting seal on the hands for the bus tour was kind of cool.Its was fun riding the bus and guide was explaining about animal and their behaviour...Bus dropped us in the forest from there you have to walk and explore the animals.

Panda,polar bear,flamingos were cute and the big elephants . Also you can feed to Giraffes and got to take tickets for that. Sky ride was a lot of fun and a must do. Park is very clean.We didn't get a chance to catch any shows but heard that they are kind of cool.

Overall Zoo experience was interesting,entertaining and educative.

Coranado Island : As we had some time left in evening after the Zoo we went to Coranado Island, Its got a beach so you can spend some time on the beach & few shopping malls as well. There is a ferry which will take you to the downtown San Diego. you can take tickets for ferry from ticket machine available on the beach. Ferry will drop you on the other end and you can walk around the downtown or rent the bicycle and make sure to take a note of last trip time of the ferry to come back to the island.

There is a USS Midway Museum, is a real naval aircraft carrier that served in the United States Navy for 47 years. Large and very impressive, it has real jets and real airplanes up on the flight deck, that travelers can actually walk into and even sit in the cockpits of some planes.

San Diego Wild animal Park: This is the part of trip which i dint like much. As said earlier we had 3 in 1 pass and one pass was for this park. we reached the park , Took "Journey into Africa" tour which was a kind of guided bus tour, so we hopped into the bus with great expectation. But it dint stand up to our expectation. All of the animals in the open range are hard to see because of the distance, unless your lucky enough that they happen to be close by the edge.

The variety of animals in the open range aren't very interesting and there are very few occupying a large of amount of space. Giraffes, a few Rhinos, Small gatherings of Antelope deer animals, Gazelles, Water Buffaloes a couple of ostrich and if there is anything I missed its because I couldn't see it or it was not memorable. The Journey seems like it lasted 20 mins.

If you plan on bringing a camera, you better have a high quality zoom lens or you wont capture very much. When you see pictures or even the name of the Park "Wild" and "Animal" you get the feeling you will be seeing all of the animals that are large areas, acting and as if they were in the wild. Sad part was we couldn't see any lions and tigers.

There are lot of other option for taking rides. Like hot hair balloon ride which will take you around the park , Safari ride & also other tours, you have to check in the counter.

So enjoy your trip to San Diego..... :)

Palm Springs-Aerial Tramway

As me and my friend planning to go somewhere after days of planing my friend came up with a place Palm springs.

As we live in California and don't get much of a snow so we decided to head towards Palm Springs to enjoy some snow & cold weather.

One of biggest attraction in the palm springs is Aerial Tramway, which is the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world and also a way of getting from the floor of the Coachella Valley to near the top of San Jacinto Peak. The trams rotate constantly throughout the duration of the journey so that the passengers can see in all directions without moving no matter where u are standing in the tram.

Its a eight and half minute ride from the valley station to the top of the mountain peak. its like a way up to snowy wonderland.You get to see both a rocky mountainside and a constantly changing Eco-world, as well as a breathtaking view of the entire Coachella Valley. You can feel it get cooler as you make your way up - it's such a cool experience.

Be sure to take your cold cloths and gloves because it will be lot colder at the top.

If you go in winter months bring Sled, sledding is a lot of fun.

There is also a equipment rental 'shack' just outside the main lodge. You can rent snowshoes and cross-country skis.

Overall trip was a lot of fun :) I think that the Tram is a perfect getaway destination.

Napa valley - For wine lovers

Napa valley...Place for wine lovers....people who love wine should not miss a visit to this place. The views are beyond belief and the wines are the finest in the world.Napa Valley is a great way to spend the day.you can visit winemakers and drink incredible wines.Make sure to plan on a lunch and to see around three to five wineries. Large wineries have more extensive facilities and tours, but small wineries can provide a personal experience.

Drive to the Napa Valley and see beautiful wineries and tours. Highway 29, North of the City of Napa is where most wineries are concentrated. For real fun & relaxation, stay over in Napa. If possible, avoid weekends when it is extremely busy in Napa. Also, Napa Valley is MUCH hotter than San Francisco so dress accordingly.

You can take a Train Tour as well which is available twice a day. 1st tour will be in the morning and the next one will be in the afternoon. its a 2 hour tour across the wine country...

and you can also do Hot Air Balloon Ride in the Wine Country. I think it costs 100$ per head.
There are lot of wineries but the one we visited was Castello di Amorosa near Calistoga. Quick view in the image....Its a 12th century Tuscan castle winery where you may tour and taste world class wines.

You can either take private tour or you can look around the castle by yourself. There is an entrance fee for this , $30 for private tours where you will get to taste the wine from the barrel its like touring+tasting they will take you around the castle and explain the history,wine making process and you will taste some incredible wines.... you will get a good view of the other wineries in napa from here..

If you don't want to take private tour you can take $15 wine tasting tour in which you will get to taste 5 wines and walk around the castle.

Here the film BEDTIME STORIES has been shot.....

SanFrancisco-Places to Visit

Next time when you are in San Francisco make sure to visit the places below.

Note: As SFO has lot of bridges and there comes the Tolls...so please organize the places to visit looking into map to avoid paying toll twice.

1) Golden Gate :
You can not miss this place if you are visiting SFO. This is the gateway where bay meets the pacific ocean and its a national landmark .This picture is taken from the Parking vista point near SFO.

Once you reach the Golden gate you can either
(1)walk through the bridge
(2) you can Ride a Bike on the Bridge

On either side of the Bridge you will find parking lots where you can view the bay.

2) Crooked Street:
Lombard Street in SFO is called Crooked Street, So What does this mean? The steep, hilly street was created with sharp curves to switchback down the one-way hill past beautiful Victorian mansions. If not for the byzantine curves, easing out this treacherous slope, people would be killed rolling down.
The street is paved with bricks and is an amazing site to see. Picture shows howz it.....
You should take a ride on this street....Its amazing & Thrilling experience.


3) Pier-39 or Fisherman's wharf: Here you will find lot of shopping malls and seafood restaurants. You can see sea loins,From here you can take Ferry Rides.

Before coming here make little research on free parking lots near this place, otherwise you will end up paying lot of parking fee....($6 an hour not sure)

4) Alcatraz Island: This is in the middle of the SFO Bay, This was used to keep Prisoners. Its an historic place. Guided tours will be available if you are interested in history......

5) Twin Peaks : its almost in the centre of SFO,This place gives the best view of SFO.Named for it’s two virtually identical summits, Twin Peaks, stands at an elevation of about 922 feet, second highest in San Francisco. Though, best known for it’s viewpoint and it also gives beautiful view of the market street.

This should be a must stop on the list of the visitors to SFO.

6) Treasure Island: Treasure Island is an artificial island in the San Francisco Bay between San Francisco and Oakland. It is connected by a small isthmus to Yerba Buena Island. When you enter the SFO first you will find this place. Where you can get the first view of Downtown SFO and Alcatraz island.

The island offers spectacular views in good weather


7) Muir Woods :
This place is a short drive (may be an hour) from Golden Gate Bridge.Its a windy drive to the forest through the headland hills.There is an entrance fee of 3$.Where you will find lot of old redwood tress tall and very big and you will know how to find out an age of trees.You can take trial through the forest and there is beautiful creek inside the forest. This place is very calm and cool.

There are 3 walks, from one-half hour to 1.5 hours, and much longer hikes if you wish. The forest park is actually paved to make it easy for wheelchairs and mothers with strollers. The longer hikes are unpaved. The 560 acre park includes six miles of paved, mostly level trails on the canyon floor.






8) Thamalpias:
This place is an half an hour drive from Muir woods again its a windy drive. This place is very beautiful and scenic you will get the view of SFO and bay.beautiful mountains.

This place is perfect place for picnic in early summer.You can spend a day in this greenery and wild flowers.

Little further there is Greek theatre....




9) Ghirardelli Square: This is also one more place you can visit its nearer to Pier-39 where u will get to do free tasting of chocolates and purchase diff girardeli products and also you will find a ice cream parlour which is a world famous and its very tasty and melts in your mouth....yummmmmmmmmmmm. I don't know weather there are any factory tours because by the time we reach there it was late....you can explore it

10) China town : Its a quickest stop during visit to SFO, where you can explore some authentic markets and inexpensive Chinatown restaurants and i have heard that electronic goods are very cheap here. Its better to walk around the china town to explore the shops. worth of 1 to1 1/2 of your time.

11) Half Moon Bay: This is also one more place you can visit even though i haven't visited place but heard lot of good things from friends who visited the place.It contains beaches and better time to visit will be Summer.

12) The California Academy Of sciences: If you love science this is a good place to visit...There is an entrance ticket for this (I think its 25$) you will find rain forest,bugs 3D,planetarium,evolution of human,corals and lot of wild life displays.

Lake Tahoe - Things to do

If you are planning to visit Lake Tahoe which is popularly known among skiers but apart from that you can do lot of activities.

I visited South Lake Thaoe last weekend and wanted to share my experience.Its a very beautiful and scenic place. I don't know whether its a right time or not if you don't like cold then its the best time to visit Lake Tahoe.

We started Saturday morning 8:00 am from SF and reached at 11:30 am. on the way to Lake Tahoe you will see lot of pine trees and a beautiful creek.

There are lot of activities you can do here,like Para sailing,jet ski,kayak,boat paddling,speed boat etc....if its winter and like skiing you can do that.

First we went to emerald bay it was a breathtaking view...Its about 20 minutes from south lake Tahoe...Roads are very curvy.You got lot of vista points on the way you can do a pit stop and enjoy the view. you can look at the picture i have uploaded above,its taken in one of the vista point. The island in the picture is called Fannette Island.

If you enjoy hiking you can hike down from emerald bay park to a Vikingsholm castle and beautiful beach.... It is a exact reproduction of a Viking castle and best example of Scandinavian architecture in USA. This castle is located at the head of Emerald Bay on South Lake Tahoe surrounded by tall pine trees. Guided tours are provided during summer months.

On the way you can find Eagle falls....its really beautiful you can take time and enjoy the view...

You will find lot of beaches as well if you have time you can spend time in a beach and relax.one of them is Pope beach on the way to emerald bay.

On the second day we went on a cruise called M.S Dixie , you can book it online. it starts at 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM. if you plan to take the cruise please use the facility of pick up and drop off call them to make sure, because they will charge you for the parking and if you are going there on weekends its difficult to find parking. There is also a dinner & lunch cruises depending on your time and availability you can chose. Don't forget to ask for free lunch coupons in the hotel lobby...

Next comes the Heavenly Gondola Ride,

This is one more way to enjoy the scenic views of lake Tahoe , Located one-half block west of California & Nevada State line, the Lake Tahoe Gondola is steps from most major lodging facilities, and puts the serenity of an alpine mountain within minutes of six casinos. The eight-passenger cabins take guests 2.4 miles up the mountain in 12 minutes while they enjoy views of Lake Tahoe.

Just when it seems the ride can't get any better, guests arrive at The Deck - a 14,000 square foot mid-station observation platform. Located at 9,123 feet, guests are treated to views of the Carson Valley, Desolation Wilderness and shore-to-shore views of Lake Tahoe.

At the Heavenly you will find the Zip Rider which is a high speed thrill ride from the top of Tamarack Express back to the top of the Gondola, a vertical drop of 525 feet..

And for the night life in south lake tahoe,enter into any of the casinos and find live shows and lot of events... :)