Greetings Gold Country Families E-Magazine Subscribers:

        Today’s travelers are faced with many different, difficult, and expensive challenges.  Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, we too, as travelers, need to face our worst nightmares and conquer our travel challenges.  And with man’s best friend stuck in a basket, lets address some…

        There are extremely high recreational vehicle fuel prices, compliments of OPEC, requiring RV owner’s to sell vital body organs to fill their tanks.  There’s the even higher airline ticket pricing for sardine cattle-car seats where check baggage and in-flight stale boxed junk food are added expenses.  Seems the only thing still complimentary is the more often than not flight attendants’ sour attitudes.  What’s next, require passengers to pay to get a key like at gas-stations for toilet privileges (oops, shouldn’t have spelled that one out, they may read this).  And the US Dollar is so weak and worthless, the new international US One Dollars will be printed with an “N” in front of the word “one!”

        Outdoor travel activities are hindered with a variety of weather related developments. Drought conditions in some states are contradicted by flooding in other states, so clothes layering is key to successful interstate traveling.  Hundreds of west coast fires are creating massive amounts of choking smoke, yet oddly for unknown reasons those asthmatic conditions don’t seem to have any effect on the blood-sucking disease carrying flea, tick, and mosquito populations.  Then Mother Nature tosses in allergens, poison oak, poison ivy, rattle snakes, and other assorted wild creatures that lurk in and around every trail, campsite, and picnic. Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! 

        Wow, almost makes one want to toss the hiking boots into the deepest darkest out-of-site spot in the closet; put the dusty luggage back in long-term storage; yard sale the camping gear; and tarp-wrap the RV and put it up on blocks. But wait, there is always an equal amount of positive to every negative; good wins over evil; a glass is half-full; the grass is always greener on the other side; and mother-in-law can’t afford to visit!  Who hasn’t heard that things always gets worse before they get better. The travel opportunity of today is not that far away.  So, don’t travel the long and considerably bizarre yellow brick road, “There’s no place like home.” 

        Did you know there’s a ton of things to see and do within just a couple hours of where you live.  When was the last time you visited your own town’s visitor’s center for local activities to see and do; or taken a tour of your own city/town; or maybe created a fun weekend by visiting a town/city within a half-day’s drive…have dinner at a uniquely different restaurant, enjoy a museum or a live theater production, then stay at the local Bed &Breakfast Inn and have a relaxing brunch.  Let me tell you, after taking our local town’s tour bus, I was simply amazed at how naïve I was about my own town’s history and close-by sightseeing opportunities that visitors have seen but I had not. 

        So don’t dwell on the negative travel aspects of today.  Take a fresh new look at what is locally around you.  Turn the long expensive vacation blues into short local exciting adventures.  The gas tank isn’t half-empty, it’s half-full.  Be positive and seek out local close-to-home discounted travel opportunities…just make it a point not to wear glittery red shoes or tell them you melted a witch when you inquire.

Aloha kãkou (Good-Bye in Hawaiian)

Patrick Witz
Writer/Editor/Publisher/Photographer
Gold Country Families E-Magazine
A FREE Internet Travel, Entertainment, & Leisure Magazine
editor@goldcountryfamilies.com
http://www.goldcountryfamilies.com

• Detailed calendar of events and activities is available for viewing on the website separated into various categories for easy navigation by clicking on the link above.  

FAMILY DESTINATION SECTION:
http://www.goldcountryfamilies.com/family-destinations-page.html

• Listed below are portions of this month's featured article(s) recently added to Gold Country Families E-Magazine.  Please stop in and peruse previous months articles on a diverse variety of family destinations using the link above:
  
  Camping Northern California Coast
  Gualala Point Regional Park
  By: Patrick Witz
  
  

  A cool ocean mist gently pillows the towering majestic redwoods that embrace our fern-enclosed encampment. Nearby a fly’s nightmare beautifully comes alive in the early low light as the meadow’s morning dew sparkles like thousands of tiny beaded diamonds caught in hundreds of spider webs stretched between the reeds. In concert, the low distant thunder of crashing waves compliments the crisp crackle and hiss of a hot flickering campfire.  Although the nearby silent river stands motionless and almost stagnate at this time of year, scattered and partially buried huge bleached white drift wood tree trunks and branches stand as evidence of its seasonal power on...--- CONTINUED --- 
  For more of this article and others, please visit, http://www.goldcountryfamilies.com/family-destinations-page.html
  

  
  
  Camping with Ancient Giants
  Big Basin Redwoods State Park
  

  By Jane Haworth
  

  
  

  Towering above us, forming a circle around us, stretching skyward, we were surrounded by ancient giants.  Setting up camp within this grove of coastal redwoods that have been around for over 1500 years and tower in size over 300ft was a surreal experience.  The girths of the trees were so immense you could pitch your tent behind them without being seen. They became climbing frames, playhouses and forts to our little kids.
  
  The Big Basin Redwoods State Park is set within the Santa Cruz Mountain range at an elevation of up to 600ft and covers an area of 18,000 acres.  Big Basin became California’s first state park back in 1902 when...
  --- CONTINUED --- 
  For more of this article and others, please visit, http://www.goldcountryfamilies.com/family-destinations-page.html
  

  
  

PARENT & GRANDPARENT GET-A-WAYS SECTION:
http://www.goldcountryfamilies.com/parental-get-a-ways-page.html

• Listed below are portions of this month's featured article(s) recently added to Gold Country Families E-Magazine. Please stop in and peruse previous months articles on a diverse variety of parent and grandparent get-a-ways using the link above:

READER STORIES SECTION:
http://www.goldcountryfamilies.com/reader-stories-page.html

• Below are new short-short travel related reader stories that have recently been added to Gold Country Families E-Magazine's Reader Stories Section.  Please stop in and read not only this months but also previous months short-short stories of interesting, funny, exciting, touching, emotional, and sometimes wacky travel tales by using the link above:

Don’t worry, if you don’t want anyone to know it was a you, a relative, friend, wife, husband, sister, brother…your identity will remain anonymous by request.

WEATHER-FIRE-ROADS SECTION:
 http://www.goldcountryfamilies.com/weather-fire-roads-page.html

• This section has been modified to increase the speed of viewing.  All the information is readily available via third party resource links. 

RESOURCE LINKS SECTION:
 http://www.goldcountryfamilies.com/resource-links-page.html

• We are always adding new resource links to this section throughout the month.  If you know of a particular travel or travel-related link that you feel would be beneficial to other readers, please forward the links to feedback@goldcountryfamilies.com.  The editorial staff will review the links and consideration them for inclusion as resources. 
  

RESTAURANT SECTION:
 http://www.goldcountryfamilies.com/restaurants-page.html

• We are slowly incorporating into the Restaurant section Theater Highlights.  If you have any restaurants or theaters that you feel should be included and shared in this section, please let us know at: restaurant-theater-highlight@goldcountryfamilies.com .
  

 
Writers Wanted:  If you or know of anyone who would like to find a starting place to begin writing professionally or you just enjoy sharing travel adventures, dining experiences, lodging pleasures, discoveries of annual events, or feel the urge to show appreciation for great entertainment; THIS publication is a grand opportunity for individuals to advance their writing skills and generate some professional writing clips.  Act now as Gold Country Families E-Magazine is currently looking for talented aspiring writers.  To take advantage of this wonderful opportunity, please send a brief personal background and include any writing experiences to:  writer-queries@goldcountryfamilies.com 

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Please forward any comments, feedback, or concerns regarding this Newsletter or Gold Country Families E-Magazine to feedback@goldcountryfamilies.com .  Thank you for your support and interest in Gold Country Families E-Magazine. 

Patrick Witz
Editor/Publisher
Gold Country Families E-Magazine
A FREE Internet Travel, Entertainment, & Leisure Magazine
editor@goldcountryfamilies.com
http://www.goldcountryfamilies.com

Copyright 2008.  All Rights Reserved.