Sonoma Travel Calendar

# Weekend Along Farm Trails -- 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 29-30, Sonoma. Farms open their doors during fall harvest for educational activities. 800-207-9464, http://www.farmtrails.org.

# 14th annual Monterey Seafood & Music Festival -- Sept. 29-30. Local fresh seafood, live music, arts and crafts. Custom House Plaza, Monterey. 831-655-8070, http://www.oldmonterey.org.

# San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival -- Oct. 1-7. Watch festival artists paint the landscapes, cityscapes and seascapes of San Luis Obispo County. 800-634-1414, http://www.sloartcenter.org.

# 21st annual California Avocado Festival -- Oct. 5-7, Carpinteria. Food, music, live entertainment, vendors, family activities and more. Linden Avenue, downtown Carpinteria. Free. 805-684-0038, http://www.avofest.com.

# Wine Country Cajun Food & Music Festival -- 1-6 p.m. Oct. 6, Napa. Live music, Cajun cuisine, cooking demonstrations, parades, contests, kids activities, and more. http://www.WineCountryCajunFestival.com.

# Fourth annual Downtown Truckee Wine, Walk & Shop -- Noon-4 p.m. Oct. 6. Wine sampling, food pairings, shopping and more. Commercial Row, Downtown Truckee. $25-$35. 530-550-2252, http://www.TruckeeWineWalk.com.

Cal State celebrates California Indian Day

SAN MARCOS -- Cal State San Marcos will celebrate California Indian Day with a full week of events that will continue today. Traditional basket weavers and activists will be in the Library Plaza from noon to 1 p.m. today and an Intertribal Drum Group will perform at the Forum Plaza Overlook from 5 to 1 p.m. On Wednesday, the founder and former director of the Native Cultures Institute of Baja California will present photographs of the revival in native handcrafts by native artisans from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in Arts Hall, Room 111.

Cabrillo's ship to set sail again

It will be something old yet new, and it should appeal to anyone fascinated with California's early history.
The San Diego Maritime Museum is preparing to build a replica of the San Salvador, the flagship vessel that enabled Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542 to become the first European to explore the California coast.

Giant baby panda at San Diego Zoo

It took only 6 weeks to figure out, but the giant panda baby at the San Diego Zoo is (drum roll, please) a girl. Apparently, newborn panda’s eyes, ears and, ahem, other body parts are not fully developed at birth.
It will take even longer for the cute little girl to get a name. Chinese tradition places a 100-day moratorium on panda naming, lest the proud people parents choose something silly like “A Little Bit of Something Very Cute” (which happened in 2005). And then, once a name is chosen, the Chinese government must give final approval.

Theme parks: Summer’s done, Halloween’s here

Halloween starts in late September at Southern California’s major theme parks, stretching a solitary All Hallows’ Eve into a six-week affair. The granddaddy of them all, Knott’s Scary Farm’s Halloween Haunt in Buena Park, returns for a 35th year with 13 mazes, seven shows, four scare zones and 1,000 costumed monsters on Wednesday through Sunday nights in October 2007 (plus September 27-30 and October 29-31). For a cool $2,000, up to six visitors can get the Very Important Monster front-of-the-line treatment.

New shuttle connects train with Disneyland

Getting to Disneyland on Southern California's expanding rail network will get much easier Oct. 1 with the start of regular shuttle service between the Anaheim train station, the Disneyland Resort and Anaheim Resort hotels. The shuttles, which will cost $3 for adults and be free for children 10 and under until Jan. 8 ($1 after that), will meet all northbound and southbound Pacific Surfliner trains. The trains run frequently between Los Angeles and San Diego, with a few trains a day rolling to Paso Robles via Ventura and Santa Barbara.

The lure of culinary tourism

An interesting article by Kate Leahy in Restaurants and Institutions Newsbites details the rise of culinary tourism. I've always contended there are two U.S. destinations where people go specifically to eat: San Francisco and New Orleans. Of course, many would mention New York, but I think in that city dining is often an adjunct to business travel, theater, culture and other pursuits that draw people.

Henriette slams into Mexico's Baja California

Hurricane Henriette weakened slightly Tuesday after it made landfall on the southern tip of Baja, a resort area popular with Hollywood stars and sports fishing enthusiasts.
Few tourists or residents had expected much trouble, but they woke to dangerous winds, closed airports and forecasts of a direct hit. "I've been hearing it from the wife, coming to Cabo during the hurricane season," said Derek Dunlap, a 45-year-old engineer from San Francisco.

How to ride along the Pacific Coast Highway

Highway 1 construction began in 1919. San Quentin Prison organized three temporary prison camps to provide labor for the road. The inmates were paid 35 cents per day, and their prison sentences were even reduced in return for their hard work. Locals, such as the writer John Steinbeck, also worked on the road. As I started my last leg of the trip, along Interstate 10, I decided to drive as long as the road would take me. And I soon discovered that Interstate 10, also known as the Santa Monica Freeway, ended at the Pacific Ocean. What I didn’t realize — until I got to the end of the road — was that I was actually at the intersection of another, more magical route: State Route 1, often referred to as Highway 1 or... the Pacific Coast Highway.

The Long Beach Blues Festival

On Saturday and Sunday, Sept 1st and 2nd, the Long Beach Blues Festival at Cal State Long Beach will celebrate its 28th year. On Saturday, the lineup includes Buddy Guy, Dr. John, and Koko Taylor and her Blues machine. The Juke Joint Stage will feature The Delgado Brothers, amongst others. Sunday's headliners are Little Richard, Irma Thomas and the Professionals, Robert Cray, and a special tribute to Jimmy Reed.