Tag Archives: weekend

CA Holiday

California Holiday Calendar

Annual calendar holidays & night skies for 2023

alex valley

This list below is published by Total Escape, so you can easily plan your weekends away and your outdoor vacations, your fishing trips, your stargazing nights, your valuable three day weekends

holiday dates for 2023

JANUARY

  • Sunday, January 1   New Year’s Day
  • Friday, January 6   (full moon)
  • Quadrantid Meteor Shower
  • Monday, January 16   Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

FEBRUARY

  • Thursday, February 2   Groundhog Day
  • Sunday, February 5   (full moon)
  • Friday, February 14     Valentine’s Day (full moon)
  • Monday, February 20     President’s Day Weekend
  • Tuesday, February 21   Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday
  • Wednesday, February 22  Ash Wednesday

MARCH

  • Tuesday, March 7 (full moon)
  • Sunday, March 12   Daylight Savings Time starts
  • Friday, March 17   Saint Patrick’s Day
  • Monday, March 20  Vernal Equinox (Spring)
  • Tuesday, March 21 (new moon)

APRIL

  • Saturday, April 1   April Fools Day
  • Sunday, April 2  Palm Sunday
  • Wednesday, April 5  (full moon)
  • Thursday, April 6   Passover
  • Friday, April 7   Good Friday
  • Sunday, April 9   Easter Sunday
  • Lyrid Meteor Shower
  • Wednesday, April 19  (new moon)
  • Saturday, April 22   Earth Day
  • Friday, April 21 Arbor Day

MAY

  • Thursday, May 5   Cinco de Mayo (full moon)
  • Sunday, May 14   Mother’s Day
  • Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower
  • Friday, May 19  (new moon)
  • Monday, May 29   Memorial Day

JUNE

  •  Saturday, June 3 (full moon)
  • Wednesday, June 14 Flag Day
  • Saturday, June 17 (new moon)
  • Sunday, June 18  Father’s Day
  • Wednesday, June 21 Summer Solstice

JULY

AUGUST

  • Tuesday, August 1 (full moon)
  • Perseid Meteor Shower
  • Wednesday, August 16 (new moon)
  • Thursday, August 31 (blue moon)

SEPTEMBER

  • Monday, September 4   Labor Day
  • Saturday, September 9  Native American Day
  • Saturday, September 23  Autumnal Fall Equinox
  • Thursday, September 14  (new moon)
  • Friday, September 29  (full moon)

OCTOBER

  • Monday, October 9    Columbus Day
  • Orionid Meteor Shower
  • Saturday, October 14 (new moon)
  • Saturday, October 28  (full moon)
  • Tuesday, October 31   Halloween

NOVEMBER

  • Sunday, November 5   Daylight Savings Time ends
  • Tuesday, November 7   Election Day
  • Saturday, November 11     Veterans Day
  • Leonid Meteor Shower
  • Monday, November 13 (new moon)
  • Thursday, November 23     Thanksgiving Day
  • Monday, November 27 (full moon)

DECEMBER

  • Tuesday, December 12 (new moon)
  • Geminid Meteor Shower
  • Thursday, December 21  Winter Solstice
  • Sunday, December 24  Christmas Eve
  • Monday, December 25   Christmas Day
  • Tuesday, December 26   (full moon)
  • Sunday, December 31  New Years Eve

National Forest Cabins

California Fire Lookouts for Rent
US Forest Service Cabins

red cabin

NFSlogo
Rent a secluded cabin with an amazing view, a historic tower for wildfire spotting, or a USFS guard station – hidden deep inside USDA California National Forests. Several of these NFS lookouts have been closed recently, so the ones listed below have links to status and reservation information.

Dirt road access is common to reach these remote locations. Some require stair climbing, or steep access hikes. Winter months are usually snowy, inaccessible and sometimes dangerous for these high country locations. Access roads suffer from closures due to rock slides or landslides. Check with the locals ranger station for current conditions.

A few of these rentals are open all year long – in the southern part of the golden state.

El Dorado National Forest USFS

Harvey West Cabin
4,720′ elev. on Silverfork American River, Gold Rush

Loon Lake Chalet
6375′ elev. near Georgetown, Gold Country California

Robbs Peak Lookout
Robb’s Hut / Robbs Cabin
6686′ elev near Placerville, Gold Country California

Sly Guard Cabin
Sly Park @ Jenkinson Lake, near Placerville, Gold Country California

Van Vleck Bunkhouse
6549′ elev. near Georgetown, Gold Country California
download PDF info sheet

Lassen National Forest USFS

McCarthy Point Lookout
overlooking Mill Creek Canyon and Ishi Wilderness
ranger & info 530-258-2141

Mendocino National Forest USFS

Pine Mountain Lookout
>>>> Renovated & ReOPENS soon! April 2020
4400′ elev.  over looking Eel River wilderness
ranger & info 707-275-2361

Plumas National Forest USFS

Crocker Guard Station
5700′ elev. near Meadow on back road
Lake Davis Loop, way out behind Portola, California

 

Big Bear Lake 2002
Big Bear Lake, Southern California

San Bernardino National Forest USFS

Coon Creek Cabin
Actually this one is a reservable group campground – next to a set of historic cabins. Big Bear Area Group Camp Site. Heart Bar Rd #1N02 near Angeles Oaks, CA

Morton Peak Fire Lookout
(no longer available overnight stays 2019)

Coon Cabin
Coon Cabin – Southern Cal

Sequoia National Forest USFS

Big Meadows Cabin
Big Meadows Guard Station
off Big Meadows Rd #14S11
7600′ elevation; located in between Sequoia NP & Kings Canyon NP

Camp 4 ½ Cabin
1100′ elevation; Lower Kings River
near Pine Flat Lake, CA

Grouse Valley Cabins
3 cabins near lakes; Giant Sequoia National Monument, Western Divide
4800′ elev.

Mountain Home Guard Station
Mountain Home State Forest, Sequoia Groves
6000′ elev. near Springville, CA

Needles Fire Lookout
(destroyed in structure fire 2011)

the needles
View of The Needles, from Dome Rock on Western Divide Highway (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Oak Flat Lookout
Oak Flat Cabin Rental
4900′ elevation; Kern River canyon near Lake Isabella

Poso Guard Station Cabin Rental
open all year round4500′ elev. near Kernville, CA

Quaking Aspen Cabin Rental
Giant Sequoia National Monument, Western Divide Highway near Ponderosa, CA

Wishon Cabin Rental
Tule River, Giant Sequoia National Monument; open all year round. 4000′ elev. near Camp Nelson, CA

Shasta/Trinity National Forests USFS

Forest Glen Guard Station
near Trinity River & Forest Glen, CA

Frog Meadow Guard Station
7760′ elev. near Lake Isabella, CA

Girard Ridge Lookout
Historic Fire Lookout Tower
4809′ elev. near Dunsmuir, CA

Hirz Mountain Lookout Tower
Hirz Mtn. Fire Watch Tower Rental
overlooking Shasta Lake, CA
(currently closed for repairs 2019)

Harris Springs Guard Station
near McCloud, CA

Little Mount Hoffman Lookout
Mt. Hoffman Rental
7000′ elev. near McCloud, CA

Post Creek Guard Station
near Hayfork & Platina, CA


Sierra National Forest USFS

Camp Four and a half Cabin
Camp 4 ½ Cabin Rental
Lower Kings River, open all year round
1100′ elev. near Pine Flat Reservoir

 

Six Rivers National Forest USFS

Bear Basin Butte Cabin & Fire Lookout
elevation 5300′ in Six Rivers NF / Smith River NRA
(road damage & access issues 2017)

Tahoe National Forest USFS

Calpine Lookout Cabin Rental
near Sierraville, CA

Sardine Peak Fire Lookout
overlooking the Sierra Buttes and serene Lakes Basin, Yuba Rivers, North Gold Country CA

lakes basin views


Kinetic Sculpture Race

Friendly Giraffe

Kinetic Grand Championship

since 1969

Ferndale to Arcata – 50 mile route
Humboldt County, California

Kinetic Sculpture Race is an organized contest of human-powered amphibious all-terrain works of art. The original cross country event, the World Championship Great Arcata To Ferndale Cross Country Kinetic Sculpture Race

Also called the “Triathlon of the Art World” because art and engineering are combined with physical endurance during a three-day cross country race that includes sand, mud, pavement, a bay crossing, a river crossing and major hills.

Annual event: May
Memorial Day weekend

Arcata, CA
Ferndale, CA

kineticgrandchampionship.com

Kinetic Sculpture Race - And They're Off

Aloha Festival

heritage

Bay Area Aloha Festival

Pacific Islanders of the San Francisco Bay Area offer talents in music & dance during this 2-day festival of arts. Entertainment highlights include Pacific Islander music as well as Polynesian dance. The festival will also feature arts & crafts vendors, island cuisine, educational exhibits and workshops, and games for the kids! Located at the San Mateo County Event Center.

Annual event; August

San Mateo, CA

pica-org.org

 

Hawaii

Big Bear Renaissance Faire

Big Bear Ren Faire

Big Bear Lake’s Renaissance Faire

Three weekends of fun, music and merriment. An authentic re-creation of an English Summer Faire. Visit an exciting, vibrant village where you can experience a joust, strolling entertainers, stage performances, beautiful handcrafts, delicious food and drink, children’s area and the spirit of the days of William Shakespeare and the Renaissance.

Meadow Park
41276 Park Ave.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

Annual event; August
909-237-0448

BIG BEAR, CA

bigbearrenfaire.org

La Quinta Art Celebration

X70 LA QUINTA ART 102916 08

Art Celebration @ La Quinta

200 Premier Artists with 12 Categories of Art

Gourmet Food Court, Champagne Bars, Margarita Island, Winery Row. Celebrated local restaurants offer a wide variety of food; eclectic lineup of Southern California musicians and live music performances.

Bi-annual event: March & November

La Quinta, CA

laquintaartcelebration.org

 

Avocado Festival in Carpinteria

IMG_9199

The Avo Fest, Carpinteria

Take a scenic drive and see the back roads near Lake Casitas, where numerous avocado orchards grace the hillsides. This coastal Avocado Festival has evolved into one of the largest festivals within California; Three full days of fabulous food, terrific music, & family fun. Held in Carpinteria, just south of Santa Barbara, CA

Annual event; October
805-684-0038

CARPINTERIA CA

avofest.com

 

IMG_9201

IMG_9182

Arroyo Grande Harvest Festival

Small town

Arroyo Grande Harvest Festival

This community event is always a crowd-pleaser, with everything from parades to pie eating contests. The AG Harvest Festival serves as a tribute to agriculture, Arroyo Grande’s leading industry. This festival focuses on the local non-profit organizations that serve the community. Bring the whole family for all of the weekend festivities.

Annual event: September

agharvestfestival.com

Arroyo Grande Farmlands

Los Angeles County Fair

The Fun Starts Here

LA County Fair

Los Angeles County Fair is held several miles from downtown LA; at the Pomona Fairgrounds (off Interstate 10). Concerts, carnival rides & games, exhibits, horse shows, home & garden shows, arts & crafts. Big event for the county of Los Angeles.

NOTE 2022:
The LA Fair has permanently moved to the month of May

Annual event; May
909-623-3111

Los Angeles CA

lacountyfair.com

Lobster Festival Redondo

Redondo Pier

Redondo Beach Lobster Festival

30 years running, this Redondo Beach event is a hot hit, especially for beach-goers near Los Angeles, California

3 day event held at the Seaside Lagoon next to King Harbor, just north of the Redondo Beach Pier. Live music, entertainment, lobster recipes, celebrity chefs, craft beer, kids activities and vendor booths.

Annual event; October
310-376-6911

REDONDO BEACH California

redondolobsterfestival.com

 

Cracking lobster

Mule Days Celebration

Bishop Mule Days 2016-2

Bishop Mule Days

Eastern Sierra tradition dating back to 1969

Bishop California host the infamous Mule Days Celebration. Always Memorial Day weekend . Mules compete in events. Part mule show, part test of skills, and part Wild West. Thursday night concert, featuring Country Music stars, the longest running non-motorized parade on Saturday morning, Steer roping and penning, and the Packer’s Scramble.

Annual event; May
Memorial Day weekend
BISHOP CA

muledays.org

Bishop Mule Days 2016-11

Bishop Mule Days 2016-28

US Open of Surfing

2010 US Open of Surfing

US Open

Surfing Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach host the annual surfing contest. Top surfers from around the world, a mix of action sports superstars of skate, BMX and freestyle motocross, as well as top musical talent – all combined in a festival atmosphere for a week-long youth cultural experience that will thrill and excite hundreds of thousands of spectators in beautiful Huntington Beach.

Annual event; July

HUNTINGTON BEACH CA

usopenofsurfing.com

US Surf Open '12

IMG_0895-2

Hurley US Open of Surfing

LA Greek Festival

St. Sophia's Greek Festival

Los Angeles Greek Festival

Saint Sophia Cathedral
@ Pico & Normandie

The largest, most celebrated, and iconic representation of Greek food and culture in Los Angeles. Voted as the must-attend event of September by Los Angeles Magazine, the LA Greek Fest is your passport to Greece right here in your own backyard. LA Greek Fest attracts thousands of guests for each day of festivities for an unforgettable celebration of food, wine, dance, games and performances and one-of-a-kind cultural experience. Authentic Greek Food and Pastries. Greek Wines and Beers. Live Greek Music and Folk Dancing. Arts and Crafts. Raffle.

Annual event: September
323-737-2424

Los Angeles, CA

lagreekfest.com

 

2008 LA Greek Fest

Los Angeles Greek Festival

McCloud Lumberjack Fiesta

Lumberjack Festival, McCloud, California

McCloud’s Lumberjack Festival

Join old-fashioned fun in the sun all weekend in the Shasta area! McCloud’s Main Street Parade, vendor’s booths, nightly dance w/live music, baseball tournament, children’s events, horseshoe tournament, logging competitions, food, family games.

2022 marks the 75th anniversary for this event!

Annual event; July
530-964-2718

McCloud CA

mccloudchamber.com

 

Main Street in McCloud

Reyes Adobe Days

Reyes Adobe Days: like the Harvest Festival but with 0% 'Lil Sebastian.

Agoura Hills – Reyes Adobe Days

Reyes Adobe Days is held in the City of Agoura Hills, California. Carshow, parade & 5k run. The parade starts at Forest Cove Lane and travels along Thousand Oaks Boulevard to the Reyes Adobe Historical Site.

Families can experience California culture, past and present, with free museum tours, a music stage, interactive historical demonstrations, children’s history scavenger hunt, horse competition, pony rides, inflatables and carnival games, Victorian games, beer garden and food vendors.

30400 Rainbow Crest Drive
(next to Reyes Adobe Park)
Agoura Hills, California

Annual event; October
818-597-7361

reyesadobedays.org

 

Arabian Horse

Monterey Jazz Festival

MJF13-McFerrin-2426.jpg

Monterey Jazz Fest

MJF stands for Monterey Jazz Festival: One of the most popular, well known, Jazz Festivals in California. This special one on the Monterey Bay has been going on near 60 years. And we’re not kidding on the popularity of this event.

Annual event; September

MONTEREY, CA

montereyjazzfestival.org

 

Willie Green

Cannonball Adderley 1970 Monterey Play Misty - 07-10-2010_0004

Montetey Jazz festival. 51st

More Time, Offline

boulder fire ring

sunflower3There once was a time when we connected more with nature. Before we closed ourselves off, behind the doors and windows, behind the computer screens, before the internet became part of daily life.

Overweight and obesity is now epidemic in America (as if you didn’t notice). Fast food feasting and soda pop, GMO-gut disorders – and yet we’re still frustrated or disappointed with life; Addicted to television, processed food, copious amounts of sugar, daily coffee, butterflysmoking, prescription drugs, and what else.

Wi-fi streaming, video games, always indoors, online, enjoying air conditioned cubes. Inactive physically, emotionally vacant, bored with our choices and always on social media.

Stop and think. Look what has happened to us.
Is this the life you envisioned?

blue light special

Campfire Community

Cooking over a camp fire and real conversation are just a few examples of what we have lost in our modern world of technology, fantasy and face-time. campfireFresh air, wild flowers, alpine lakes, star filled skies and total silence – all still exist in certain areas, but you must know where to look. Birds and bees, wildlife is disappearing at extinction levels. Pollution, powerful corporations and politics.

Stop and look. See what has happened to earth.
Is this the world you envisioned?

Highland Wildflowers


Gone! Away, split, out of town. Off work, out of school, on vacation. Outdoors, always. Far, far away.
Unplugged, out of range, vacant lands, big trees, open skies, clear views. California is the land of dreams. Opportunity, fantasy, education, agriculture, terrific terrain and epic scenery. Campfires, waterfalls and mountain meadows are waiting for you.

Taking time off of work – or your typical daily routine – is often rewarding physically as well as mentally. Imagine a week away in a gorgeous location, with minimal to do. Really relax, zone out, chill. Gaze at the water, nap in a hammock, find wildflowers, deer bones, or bear fur on a tree. Cook over the campfire, stargaze every night.

Running to a general store for ice will be your biggest task of the week.hiker

Wilderness boundary, abundant dirt roads and freedom; cell phone calls dropped. Beyond the city limits. Well past the county line.

Wilderness Lakes

Roads do lead out of the matrix, if you desire to follow them. Concentrate on a new reality – and disconnect long enough to commune with nature. Find the free time to really relax and re-evaluate life. Explore other options, consider real life in the bigger picture. Hike, bike, walk, camp, birdwatch. Be outdoors, often!

Vbeardrive
Beat the Summer Heat and head to upper elevation Cool Forests
Curly Lupine
Curly Lupine @ Mill Creek, CA

Cheap Road Trips

Total Escape is your California planner. We’ve been doing this “region” for more than 30 years, always focusing on the back roads. Discover hidden secrets, meadows and unknown waterfalls. Find free campsites, canyons, rivers, creeks and new places to explore.

Find something OUTDOORS, this weekend –

canoe

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Granite Creek
Granite Creek Campground NFS

nicemeadows