Contains a web link to your locations.
http://www.ci.redding.ca.us/
http://www.visitredding.org/faq.cfm
http://www.visitredding.org/
http://www.ci.visalia.ca.us/
http://www.visitvisalia.org/
Contains an explanation regarding how this component connects to the study of humanities
California is a very diverse state with assumptions and stereotypes. In researching the different areas of the state and reading the blogs of classmates, we can tear through those falsehoods and learn the truth of the cultures of the state.
What are some assumptions/stereotypes you think people have of each location:
These are not well known towns to people who are not familiar with these areas.
Redding has the reputation of a cowboy town, while Visalia is associated with oranges. Small towns located in California.
List 3 things that make each location similar: 1 point
Both cities are gateways to a touristy area - Shasta Recreation Area/Lassen National Park (Redding) and Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks (Visalia)
The average temperature in both cities in July is in the high 90's.
Both cities are approximately 220 miles from San Francisco.
List 3 things that make each location so different: 1 point
Redding has double the annual rainfall (11 inches vs 22 inches)
Visalia is a farming area, while Redding was mineral extraction and logging
Redding is twice the size of Visalia in land mass.
What else would you like to know about these places?
In 2004, the Sundial Bridge, located in Redding was completed. It is an architectural wonder. I would like to learn more about the sundial itself and whether, its lack of accuracy (only accurate one day per year) was planned or a mistake.
Visalia really surprised me with its diverse offerings, from art galleries to world class restaurants. While agriculture is important to the area as it hosts the largest farm equipment show and has the "world's biggest dairy herd" - the city is also promoting itself as a destination - its motto - "where the valley meets the giants" - it is very versatile in its entertainment offerings from the symphony to outdoor recreation, makes me want to visit.
Using your classmates work from last week, tell us one thing you learned from 1 student.
http://gicgott.blogspot.com/2009/03/3b-beaches-seal-beach-and-bodega-bay.html
From Jennifer's blog I learned that Seal Beach was built around a Naval air station and that it has maintained its small town atmosphere despite its proximity to Los Angeles. Jennifer states that she had never heard of Seal Beach and neither have I.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
3b - Beach Cities
Peace Sign on Bolinas Beach Pismo Street
Pismo Beach and Bolinas
Contains an explanation regarding how this component (any aspect of it; eg content of videos, content of websites) connects to your study of humanities.
Pismo Beach is located in Central California just past San Luis Obispo. It is part of an area called the Five Cities which include, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Oceano and Shell Beach. The city itself is the quintessential beach town, with touristy stores selling shell collections and salt water taffy, amid the smells of salt water, fish and cotton candy. Tourists stroll thru the area and watch the "souped up" four wheel drive trucks heading toward Oceano Dunes. There is a 1200 foot pier where people gather every evening (as weather permits) to watch the sun set. Just south of the city is the Monarch Butterfly Grove, where thousands of butterflies can be found in the eucalyptus trees from late October to February. The Oceano Dunes is a large OHV area and a great place to dig for the famous Pismo Clam. The dunes are a wonderful location for camping, walking, horseback riding and people (truck) watching. The weather in this part of California is mild and the beach at times can become foggy. There is so much to do and see in this area, for people of all ages, it is a great family destination. The video City of Pismo Beach captures the town and the shops while, the competition hill video, gives a glimpse of action on the dunes.
Bolinas is located twelve miles north of San Francisco in Marin County, off Highway 1, near Stinson Beach. I visited there once, for a wedding. Although given very good directions, we missed the turn not once, but twice - from each direction. It is definitly not an easy place to find and the locals like it that way. Supposedly, whenever Cal-Trans has placed a road sign for the road that will bring you into the town, the sign has disappeared. Once in the town, the main road is shaped almost like a horseshoe which dead ends at the lagoon. The shops in the town are as eclectic as the people (see 4th of July video). The website listed above (2miles.com) gives a very interesting list of answers to the question "You know you grew up in Bolinas if. . . ." which will give prospective to the mindset of the individuals that live there. The beach here is on a lagoon and the waves are very gentle. It is a quiet place and very relaxing. The way it sits, the wind is blocked, which makes it very comfortable.
These two areas are a contrast in culture. The lifestyle, the people - it is a culture clash - and that is the study of humanities.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KIMLuOAQH8 Bolinas 4th of July
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1neBNrioXp8 Bolinas Lagoon Wetlands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAgtuCL42Tk Pismo Hotel Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqXStP9LSsY City of Pismo Beach
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWxZS9sHIzk Competition Hill
What are some assumptions/stereotypes you think people have of each location: 1 point
Bolinas is filled with people that are activists and environomentalists, that are remnants of the 1960 Haight Ashbury lifestyle - very bohemian.
Pismo Beach is full of surfer types and "hot dogs" with their four wheel drive trucks.
List 3 things that make each location similar: 1 point
Environmentalist have interest in both locations;
On the water;
Surfers like both areas.
List 3 things that make each location so different: 1 point
Tourism - Pismo Beach welcomes tourists, Bolinas would prefer you did not find it;
Size - Pismo Beach is a city (pop. approx 8500), Bolinas is a town (pop. approx 1300);
If you live in Pismo Beach you can be anonymous, if you live in Bolinas, everyone knows you.
What else would you like to know about these places?
The Five Cities area was once inhabited by the Chumash Indians, a tribe that I had not heard of before. I think it would be interesting to learn their history and if there are still members in the area today. The village of Bolinas has an interesting past, and according to an article I read, if it weren't for a oil tanker crash which spilled thousands of gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay, making its way to Bolinas, the town, would have turned out much differently. It would be interesting to learn more about the area prior to the crash (1971) and how the town became what it is.
5. Using your classmates work from last week, tell us one thing you learned from 1 student. Is this one thing some common experience you share or some experience that is completely different than what you experienced? Is this one thing related to our class theoretical foundation and if so, how? Is that one thing related to historical or cultural context of this country or a different one? Link that persons blog to this entry (eg cut paste that blog entry here)
Sierra brought up the differences in language between San Francisco and Boston. When I have heard Bostonians speak (mostly Senator Kennedy) his accent is very thick and it is how I have always associated the people who come from that area. However, I recently met, someone from Boston who has been in this area for seven years and he did not have an accent at all. It really surprised me when he said he was from Boston. When I asked him about the fact that he did not have an accent, he indicated that only people from certain areas of the city have accents and the only word that he has found that he doesn't pronounce the same as people in this area is room.
It seems we are always quick to sterotype people and cultures, yet it isn't always true.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
3a World Cities
Contains an explanation regarding how this component (any aspect of it; eg content of videos, content of websites) connects to your study of humanities. .25 point
San Diego is home to Balboa Park which is the largest cultural park located in the United States. It has 15 museums, numerous art galleries and the San Diego Zoo. In contrast San Francisco has Golden Gate Park which is home to the De Young Museum, California Academy of Science and Steinhart Aquarium. The cultural journeys that one can take in each location are excellent. San Diego is the second largest city in California, San Francisco the 4th. The county of San Diego is 4200 square miles where San Francisco County is 2000 square miles. Both have sandy beaches and major attractions. Both cities have just over 49% female population and are predominately white. San Diego has 3,772 people per square mile whereas San Francisco has 16,636.
Contains the following elements that will be used in upcoming projects for analytical purposes: What are some assumptions/stereotypes you think people have of each location: 1 point
San Francisco is cold, foggy and is home to liberal people left over from the 60's. Crime in San Francisco is rampant and all it has to offer are cable cars, Fishermans Wharf and shopping.
San Diego is a sleepy, conservative military city with a great zoo.
List 3 things that make each location similar: 1 point
Both the cities sit on a bay -
They both have missions founded by Father Junipero Serra
The weather in both cities is similar and both have areas created by landfill.
List 3 things that make each location so different: 1 point
San Diego is larger than San Francisco
San Diego has a much bigger military presence
San Diego borders Mexico
Questioning: What else would you like to know about these places? When completing the question section, lead your audience into the question by stating a fact you do know, yet you still have the related question. This way, both your audience and you will have an educational experience. .5 point
I haven't been to San Diego in many years and really don't remember much about it except the zoo. In reading about the different areas of the city it almost reminds of San Francisco years ago. I liked the names of the neighborhoods, i.e Gaslamp Quarter and Little Italy - I would like to visit again and see the vast differences it has to offer from sandy beaches to the desert. Although I am a native San Franciscan, I can never get enough of the city. There is still so much to see and learn. I just recently discovered the Haight - which I always was told to stay away from - there are great stores there and interesting people - a great place to people watch. It is truly an experience.
5. Using your classmates work from last week, tell us one thing you learned from 1 student. Is this one thing some common experience you share or some experience that is completely different than what you experienced? Is this one thing related to our class theoretical foundation and if so, how? Is that one thing related to historical or cultural context of this country or a different one? Link that persons blog to this entry (eg cut paste that blog entry here) . .5 point
I've attached the link for Thida's blog which is on grizzly bears. Although I always knew that a bear was on the "bear flag", I never gave much thought that it was a grizzly bear. I'm not fond of bears, they scare me, and when I am hiking in the mountains in Tahoe, all I think about it the fact that a bear can be around the next corner. I found her comment that "the bear represent what California what it is today, a big and strong state that goes through a lot of ups and downs" to be interesting. I think California may have once been a great state, however, it has lost some of its luster. It can be a leader, i.e. in "green" , yet it lacks so much in education. The grizzly bear is definitely linked to the history of this state.
Monday, March 2, 2009
2c California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. According to Wikipedia it is one of the ten largest museums of natural history in the world. It has undergone a complete renovation and reopened in 2008. The class overview states that , "The Humanities Program is dedicated to the study of works of human thought and creativity...." The renovation of the Academy of Sciences building is just that.
Although there is much to write about the museum itself, I am concentrating on the building. Some of the key people/firms associated with the renovation are architect Renzo Piano, reconstruction contractor Webcor Builders and the SWA Group which designed the landscape including the Living Roof.
Although many of the exhibits of the Academy focus on how we got here, the other direction it is exploring is the answer to the questions how do we stay and how do we sustain life on Earth?
One way to do this is to make people aware of sustainability and the green building is one way to accomplish this.
The Living Roof is designed to look like Twin Peaks and the plants and flowers that have been planted are native to the area. The roof area is 2.5 acres and can retain rainwater, which is collected in the basement resused for roof irrigation. The roof is important to the ventilation of the building as well. The building has retractable skylights, and this natural ventilation is used to keep the building cool.
The walls of the building are insulated with recycled denim and much of the building was renovated using materials recycled from the demolition of the original building. Throughout the building are exhibits explaining how and why materials were used.
Although I have visited the building since its reopening, there was so much information to digest and view that it was impossible to see it all. The exhibits which relate to the future and how it can/cannot be sustained based on the use of the Earth's natural resources are excellent and ask for your review of what you are doing in your life - how green are you?
Anthony Frye wrote about California rattlesnakes. Personally I cannot stand snakes. I didn't know that 25% of male snakes do not use venom when biting. I recently saw a rattlesnake for the first time and it was very freightening. It was about 5 feet from me and we tossed pebbles at it to get it to move off the center of the path we were on. The sound of the rattlers is very distinct.
http://tfrye.blogspot.com/
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