Summer activities offer fun, affordable ways to spend days Opportunities for adventure, entertainnment and enlightenment abound in the long days of summer stretching out before us like a beach blanket. Many of us have already made our bigger plans — a trip to Lake Tahoe, or to see relatives in Pennsylvania, maybe a cruise to…
World War II turned Patrick Joice into an unlikely cowboy, forcing him to grow up on what is now preserved as historic Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch at Santa Teresa County Park in south San Jose.
Native birds of prey showcased at Calero County Park The first “raptor encounter” to be jointly hosted by Santa Clara County Parks and the Peninsula Open Space Trust could scarcely have been more perfect — especially if you like surprises. Mostly sunny afternoon skies and mild temperatures greeted the estimated 250 people who showed up…
Regular visitors can’t get enough The Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department has long sensed that park users are pretty happy with their experiences. Now there’s fresh data to prove it. The department recently issued the results of its 2018 visitor survey — the second it has ever done — and found that its…
Culture, science and a moonlit hike Parks aim for more cultural relevance When the waxing moon peered through the haze above at Santa Teresa County Park after days of hiding behind rainclouds, a tide of humanity began arriving as if pulled ashore by lunar gravity. Santa Clara County Parks interpreter Kelsi Ju was there to…
Welcome to the twilight zone “Birds really eat a tremendous lot. But — I … I — I don’t really know anything about birds. My hobby is stuffing things. You know — taxidermy.” Norman Bates, perfectly normal proprietor of the Bats Bates Motel, in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” In a clearing deep in the woods stands…
Day of boating left rehabilitation patient floating on air, too June 2 was a big day for rehabilitation patient Annamarie Moreno. Until that day, the 33-year-old mother of two had never been sailing. Easing up to the dock at Vasona Lake County Park after her voyage, her smile shined like the hot sun. The experience…
Park rangers have a range of duties Santa Clara County Park ranger Ali Famalett covers more than 10,000 acres in popular Calero and Almaden Quicksilver county parks. Although she has seasonal tasks that must be completed, she never knows what any given day will bring. “That’s one of the things I love about my job,” she…
Outing buoys spirits of hundreds living with spinal cord injury Hundreds of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) gathered at Vasona Lake County Park this summer for an unforgettable day of paddling, picnicking and playing. Put together by the Rehabilitation Center staff at Valley Medical Center, in coordination with the Santa…
Santa Clara County Vector Control lab: the scientists behind eradicating mosquitoes Ideally, summer is about freedom from homework, weekends at the lake and hanging out into the night, not mosquitoes. That’s why it’s also the season when Santa Clara County is most active protecting residents from the threat of the West Nile virus-carrying insects. The…
