Upcoming EnhancementsAs penned by Bob Dylan, the 60's generation poet laureate, "The times they are a changin'...". The same can be said of the Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau. YSVB is very excited about several new things happening at the Visitors' Bureau website that will internet us into the modern age of cyberspace. A few weeks ago, we added a new exchange calculator to our accommodations page with positive feedback. This added link on our site will help to simplify and expedite the reservation system for our international visitors. In the next few days, you will be seeing "E-Postcards" on our site which can be uploaded and personalized for you to send anywhere to anyone. These postcards are an added value to our site which should help to increase your enjoyment while visiting our website to plan your vacation. We have also added Meeting Planner pages to help those that are planning on visiting Madera County with a large group. The Meeting Planner page has a format, along with proposal requests, that will give the meeting planner the tools needed to make their visit to our area the most complete and satisfying experience they can imagine. Links have been added to take group planners directly to the meeting sites as well. Along with the new look of our present site, we are pleased to announce that we are in the process of putting the Visitors Bureau information on Face Book and a Blog as well. Face Book, being one of the most popular blog sites, will enable exposure for our Partners in Tourism as well as the ability for bloggers to read comments from other visitors to our area. They may then view the opinions of others, and share their opinions as well. We intend to highlight our Partners in Tourism as we go along. Remember, we are only in the beginning stages of this expansion project, so please have patience with our work in progress. Visit our website soon to checkout our debut blog. We are also exploring Podcasting, Google maps, and virtual trade shows to mention just a few of the additions that are coming to our site - stay tuned! Hidden TreasuresSan Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust Since the inception of the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust (SJRP&CT) 20 years ago, 3,500 acres of land along the San Joaquin River have been acquired and are protected under public ownership. The Trust's final responsibility is to that of future generations, to take steps today to ensure a lasting and healthy river for tomorrow full of fresh clean water with abundant fish and wildlife, trees and plants, and scenic vistas to enjoy. The Trust has opened a River Center. Nurseryman William Macca Williams built the ranch house at the River Center in the 1890’s. For over 100 years, it was home to many people – from single families with very fine furnishings to multiple families of farm workers. Through the years the surrounding lands served a variety of purposes, from dairy farming to growing agricultural crops. The River Center was deeded to the community by the Vulcan Materials Company in 2001. Between 1990 and 2002 the house was restored to create an Interpretive Center for the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust. Be sure to look for photos of the extension renovation when you tour the house. Though built in the Victorian era, the River Center is restored to the early 1900’s Arts and Crafts style, the time frame during which additions to the house were made. The furniture, lights and wallpapers are replicas in the Arts and Crafts style. To learn more about the history of the River Center, visit on Saturdays or Sundays between 11 and 3. Admission is free. Another major Trust attraction is the Hidden Homes Nature Trail. A giant eagle’s nest, a colorful trail of salmon eggs, a caddis fly home big enough to crawl through, and huge killdeer eggs are some of the attractions visitors can enjoy when they stroll the Trail. This ¼ mile footpath features larger-than-life sized animal homes created by local artists for visitors to climb in, on and around to experience firsthand what other species must do to survive. Learn more about these animals and the places they call “home” while enjoying a walk through native plantings installed by Vulcan Materials Company upon completion of mining operations. Whether enjoying clear views of the Sierra Nevada and the River Center, or the adventure of sifting through a misty fog, a trip around the Hidden Homes Nature Trail is a great way to connect with nature any time of the year. Keep your eyes and ears open and you may encounter a variety of the wild animals attracted by this protected space, from waterfowl settling in the water below the trail, to the hawks and coyotes scoping them out from above. The Hidden Homes Nature Trail is located immediately adjacent to the River Center and is open to the public Saturdays and Sundays, 11:00 to 3:00. SJRP&CT will hold its "Sixth Annual Birdhouse, Birdbath and Bird feeder Contest" again in 2009. Entrees are displayed at the River Center throughout the year.  Programs, workshops and activities for all ages abound at the Center. The San Joaquin River has touched the people of the Central Valley in many ways through the ages. Reconnect your cultural, historical and natural ties to the river through programs, workshops and activities sponsored by the River Parkway Trust. The programs include:
River Buddies Preschool Programs - One and one-half hour field trips for children ages 4, 5 and 6 plus crafts, stories, puppets, lively learning - $3 per child - no charge for adults School Age Programs at the River Center - Choose from a variety of activities about bugs, birds, snakes, fish, and Native American culture and history. Programs are available year-round. Respite by the River: Readings by Central Valley Authors  Take a break from the rush of everyday life and experience a Respite by the River. Readings and performances related to life in California’s Central Valley promises witty, wistful, touching and tranquil moments. Enjoy beautiful sunsets, birdsong and good company. Bring your own picnic and enjoy dinner music form 6pm-7pm; readings from 7pm-8pm; book signing and dessert at 8pm. No charge for attendance, dessert may be purchased for a small fee. Respite by the River is scheduled monthly, May through October. For more info or to make reservations for any program call (559) 433-3190 extension 4#.  River Center River Store: Next time you need to find a unique gift for a loved one, shop at the River Store, located inside the River Center. We stock a variety of unique river-related merchandise, toys, and books. All proceeds benefit the River Parkway Trust.
Hours of operation: Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 3pm. And, for a sample of just how far we have come in restoring the river as a trophy trout habitat, here is a photo of fly-fishing Trust member Paul Henry Abram's recent catch on the river near Friant. The Parkway offers guided canoe trips, ranging from 1 hour to full days, and covering the entire 23 miles of river under the stewardship of the trust. If you or your group would like a presentation on the San Joaquin River Parkway at your next meeting, The River Parkway Trust can provide a speaker. Learn about our history, educational and recreational programs, and progress building the San Joaquin River Parkway. For more information, please contact Kathy Lustig at (559) 248-8480 extension 104 or email klustig@riverparkway.org. And, please, check out their website at www.riverparkway.org Featured Partner in Tourism Called "Madera County's only "cult" winery by Chris Shackelford, famed restaurateur and former sommelier for The Elderberry House in Oakhurst, our featured Partner in Tourism is Westbrook Wine Farm in O'Neals.
Ray and Tammy Krause have spent the past thirteen years domesticating five of the forty acres of their former "Paint Horse Ranch" with state of the art vineyards, a small winery and cottage home. Thirty-five acres remain in a natural state to provide for grazing, wild life and carbon offset. The Krauses consciously practice Sustainable Farming and Minimalist Winemaking techniques in hand crafting small lots of luxury priced wines. They have over fifty years of combined winemaking experience and will tell you that they are still learning with each new vintage. They personally do it all from pruning to marketing.
The quaint foothill barn style winery is snuggled into a hillside fifteen feet below grade to better facilitate temperature control and gravity flow. Solar powered floor fans recirculate cool earth temperatures in the winery through three hundred feet of underground conduit. The O'Neals site was specifically chosen for its "organically challenged" soils (decomposed granite),air and water drainage,elevation, heat summations (weather) average rainfall and proximity to a net effective marketing area of over one million people and the Krauses' Grandchildren.
The flagship wine at Westbrook Wine Farm is an estate grown and co-fermented field blend of six approved red Bordeaux varieties made in the "Meritage" style and called "Fait Accompli". The majority of Fait Accompli and seven other wines are sold directly to a growing mailing list of "Westbrook Wine Perps" and are shipped throughout the U.S and Canada.
Westbrook Wine Farm has recently been named "People's Choice 2008" in a Fresno Bee poll and designated "Best 2008 Winery" by Fresno Magazine. Westbrook Wine Farm is open to serious wine lovers for tours and tasting by invitation or appointment only. Ray and Tammy say, "Come for the wine and a beautiful day in the Sierras". (559) 868-3499 www.westbrookwinefarm.com New Banner Ad Participants New Partners in Tourism Renewing Partners in Tourism Renewing Marriage Mailer Participant | 
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