Category: Holidays
Fishing Fun In and Around Lake Almanor
By Bob Kopernik, Lucky Grady Fishing Guide Service If you are new to this area and are interested in drowning a few worms or crickets in hopes of having Fish Tacos for dinner, do yourself a favor and purchase a detailed geographical map of the area. I like the Northern California DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer Map book because it shows most all of the lakes, streams, campgrounds and the roads to get you there. Another good resource is the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website, to see where and when they last planted fish into the place that you are thinking about fishing. You...
Read More
Businesses Welcomed in the Small Town of Westwood
Westwood’s business community is well supported by the townspeople. The welcoming streets are named alphabetically by the names of trees. Streets are lined with old wooden homes, reminiscent of its early lumber days’ history. Retail businesses include three convenience stores, two with fuels, Lassen True Value hardware store, Now and Then thrift shop and Old Town Mercantile, an artists’ collective/Shabby Chic home furnishings & decor store which has been moving and expanding for its new early April Grand Re-opening. The town recently lost its grocery store, due to retirement, as was the...
Read MoreOld Town Mercantile, Westwood, Near Lake Almanor, antiques, crafts, webdirecting.biz
The all new Old Town Mercantile is a quaint retail store and gift shop featuring a variety of arts and crafts, shabby chic, flower seeds, jewelry, and repurposed and recycled items including furniture and home decor. Also, home...
Read More
Exploring Our Local Winter Wonderland – Snowshoeing, Skiing, Sledding And More
By Mara Dobyns Photos by Jessica Compton- JCM Photography In this beautiful area of Northern California we are often spoiled with snow which means we have countless opportunities for fun in the outdoor world. In my opinion it would be pretty silly not to take advantage of it. Whether you enjoy snowshoeing, cross country or downhill skiing, sledding, or just exploring your local backcountry, we’ve got something for everyone. When I was a kid having my birthday in January always meant one thing, going to our favorite local hill for play, Stover, celebrating with snow and sledding until our...
Read More
Exploring Ice Caves In Lassen County
Photos and Article by Mara Dobyns “Life is an adventure. It’s not about the destination we reach that’s most rewarding, it’s the journey along the way. So write it down! & treasure the memory forever…” – Barlena Morina While exploring in Lassen National Forest, take highway 36 to Wilson Lake Road 29 & 63, then make a right onto the 29 N 19 road. Next, find the E. Spur Road off of 29 N 19, and if you’re lucky, you’ll stumble upon a tree marked “Ice” in blue paint. From there just ahead you will find an opening with a couch carved out of a tree, a trailhead, and a mailbox...
Read More
Quilter’s Piece With Val Bourque
By Val Bourque With the holidays upon us, there are always a project or two to complete before Christmas. If you need a quick project for a gift why not try a door panel. This year there seems to be a panel for every holiday. From the patriotic panels for 4th of July to Halloween, Thanksgiving and of course Christmas. These are quick and easy for any level quilter. My favorite from a few years ago, is the Christmas tree where you add the twinkling light kit to the panel. Now you can even add a music box to make the panel you made last year play holiday music while the lights glow. As...
Read More
Treasures Of Christmas Past Antiquing For Christmas
By Melissa Wynn Christmas is possibly the most nostalgic time of year. We spend tremendous time, energy and money ensuring that our loved ones experience the same kind of Christmas magic that we enjoyed throughout our family histories. It’s those deeply engraved memories of sitting in a pile of wrapping paper building a new train set with Dad that inspire us to sift through the local antique shops looking for that same train set to build with our children. A favorite toy from days gone by can be as touching a gift for an adult as it is for a child. It could really take Mom back to get an...
Read More
Behind The Music Christmas Time With The Yule Logs
By Molly Barber The days are getting shorter, the air is colder and that really only means one thing… Yup, the holiday season is right around the corner. Now as you might have guessed one of my favorite parts about this time of year is the music. I mean come on now, who doesn’t love those Christmas classics? Growing up at my house, the Big Guy (my dad), loved the classics- Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Gene Autry- you get the picture. My mom enjoyed a little more beat in her Christmas tunes, some Brenda Lee, Jose Feliciano, The Ronettes, and then her favorite, The Carpenters. Now my brother is...
Read More
Give The Gift Of Giving For The Holidays
by Molly Barber, Photo by Paula Watts The holidays are a special time of the year and while many of us enjoy them, this particular season can be rough for others. But there are ways we can all do our part to share the love and spread the kindness this year. I’m here to share some organizations with you whether you are looking to give locally, nationally or internationally. Let’s start at a local level. Most counties have local Soroptimist International organizations. This is an amazing club who’s mission is “to better the lives of women and children locally and...
Read More
$10 Christmas Trees Choose Yours In The National Forest
By Melissa Wynn One of my favorite family Christmas traditions is spending the day wandering the forest in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Memorable adventures are created by simply packing a picnic and making a day of choosing and cutting the tree as a family. Whether you prefer a majestic blue spruce or a spindly “Charlie Brown” style tree in need of rescue, you can usually harvest it from your nearest National Forest with the proper permit. Prices and limits can vary by forest so here are a few of our favorites near you. Lassen National Forest – (530) 257-2151 (Supervisor’s...
Read More
Bringing Nature Indoors For Holiday Decor
By Christy Milan Nature can offer us a variety of decorations for any season. We find that the foliage of evergreen boughs brings the aroma of fresh pine. Dried blooms can add an array of seasonal color. Even seedpods add “spice” and personality to any design project. A simple evergreen wreath invites the season indoors when embellished with dried teasel, milk thistle, coneflower heads or other locally harvested plants. Even something as simple and easy as a bundle of ornamental grasses can make a dramatic and classy display. Gathering things in your yard like grasses, pine cones, evergreen...
Read More
Picking The Perfect Pumpkin
By Melissa Wynn The Autumn season is full of fabulous flavors and among the most popular is the plump pumpkin. This versatile member of the squash family comes in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes, offering countless choices to suit your specific recipe or decoration needs. This is the time of year to visit your local patch to hand pick the perfect pumpkin for your personal project. Whether you are choosing a pumpkin for your Halloween Jack-O-Lantern, Fall decor or cooking purposes your pumpkin patch host is sure to have the know how to point you in the right direction....
Read More