Published 4:00 am PST, Wednesday, March 12, 1997 A file photo of Monticello Dam at Lake Berryessa in Napa County, Calif., on Tuesday, February 14, 2017. A file photo of Monticello Dam at Lake Berryessa in Napa County, Calif., on Tuesday, February 14, 2017. Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Image 1 of 17 A file photo of Monticello Dam at Lake Berryessa in Napa County, Calif., on Tuesday, February 14, 2017. A file photo of Monticello Dam at Lake Berryessa in Napa County, Calif., on Tuesday, February 14, 2017. Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle Buy photo 1997: NORTH BAY / Woman Sucked Into Lake Berryessa Spillway 1 … [Read more...] about 1997: NORTH BAY / Woman Sucked Into Lake Berryessa Spillway
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Life After Burt Reynolds / Loni Anderson says he used to beat her
By Ruthe Stein and Chronicle Staff Writer Published 4:00 am PST, Saturday, November 4, 1995 Actress Loni Anderson and actor Burt Reynolds attend the "City Heat" Hollywood Premiere on December 5, 1984 at the Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Actress Loni Anderson and actor Burt Reynolds attend the "City Heat" Hollywood Premiere on December 5, 1984 at the Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage Actress Loni Anderson attends the 23rd Annual Race To Erase MS Gala at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on April 15, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images for Race To Erase MS) Actress Loni Anderson attends the 23rd Annual Race To Erase MS Gala at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on April 15, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images for Race To Erase MS) Photo: Angela Weiss, … [Read more...] about Life After Burt Reynolds / Loni Anderson says he used to beat her
Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism Forum 2018 (PHIST)
1. OVERVIEW PHIST is the first of its kind, an innovative event rallying the hotel industry and its stakeholders to discuss environmental sustainability and community benefit. Estimating 500 attendees, the event will be held the afternoon of 24 September 2018, with partners and other stakeholders also organizing affiliate events and meetings in tandem. The day will have a small exhibit hall and offer attendees a mix of short expert panels and quick topical talks, covering areas of destination development, ocean health and impacts, corporate hotel sustainability, community tourism, and global trends on sustainability and masstourism. In addition, longer, technical workshops and roundtables will be held to convene the wider audience of hotel staff. Speakers will be mostly from international organizations and their regional representation from outside Phuket, but all gearing their content on the discussion for Phuket to apply best practice and opportunity. Organised by The Phuket Hotels … [Read more...] about Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism Forum 2018 (PHIST)
Seminar: Tackling the Skills Crisis in Thai Hospitality Industry
FROM Thursday 12 July 2018 03:00 pm TO Thursday 12 July 2018 07:30 pm WHERE Thailand Bangkok Register Here SKÅL INTERNATIONAL BANGKOK (SI BKK) is proud to support this interactive Seminar and Workshop. Colleagues from across the Thai hospitality industry have joined forces with Oxford Brookes University; the Oxford Cultural Collective and the Asean Professional Beverage Academy to deliver a high-impact seminar focused on Tackling the Skills Deficit in Thai Hospitality. The event, which will take place on 12th July 2018 at the Grand Hyatt Erawan, Bangkok, is supported by SI BKK and the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand. Objectives of event: To identify and analyse the nature and impact of the skills gap in the Thai hospitality industry; To explore creative solutions to tackling the skills gap To build a collective network of hospitality and tourism professionals dedicated to enhancing the appeal of employment in the Thai hospitality industry Thailand is recognised … [Read more...] about Seminar: Tackling the Skills Crisis in Thai Hospitality Industry
IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2018
FROM Tuesday 18 September 2018 TO Thursday 20 September 2018 WHERE Thailand Bangkok Register Here Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia (IT&CMA) and Corporate Travel World (CTW) Asia-Pacific is The World’s Only Doublebill Event in MICE and Corporate Travel. Both events have been co-locating since 2004, offering its delegates an unparalleled platform to do business, learn and network. Established in 1993, IT&CMA is at the forefront of fostering MICE growth opportunities for the Asia-Pacific and beyond. Its multi-faceted programme engages regional and international industry suppliers and buyers in the realms of business, education and networking. IT&CMA also features dedicated platforms designed around the interests of valuable MICE niche segments, enabling the event to consistently deliver a delegate profile that is both relevant and dynamic. IT&CMA remains uniquely positioned as the only global event with the largest exhibition showcase of … [Read more...] about IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2018
The 1st ASEAN World Heritage Summit 2018
FROM Thursday 02 August 2018 TO Saturday 04 August 2018 WHERE Thailand Sukhothai World heritage site Register Here United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation – UNESCO – has listed more than 1000 historical and natural sites in the world. With 38 sites already listed in Southeast Asia and many more submitted for review, culture, histories and landscapes have been recognised for our unique value for mankind. Learning and sharing how to manage the world heritage sites sustainably among the 10-member states in ASEAN is vital. Sukhothai will be the venue for the 1st summit; this site has been governed by the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public organisation), Thailand or known as DASTA. The “built to thrive” journey through a joint effort of all stakeholders has made an integrated and community-based management model recognised as one of its world-class case examples. DASTA will therefore call for action … [Read more...] about The 1st ASEAN World Heritage Summit 2018
Tina’s Heart
"I don't want to die!"Tina sobbed in her mother's embrace, a hug as warm as three IV pumps and a chest catheter would allow.You're not going to die, the cardiologist assured her. But an unspoken thought hung in the air – not yet.We'll add another medication, he said, and we'll double the one you're already on. And then we'll wait some more.And pray.Pray that a heart would come for Tina Buck, a donated heart to replace the one that was failing in her 16-year-old chest.Tina had been waiting for three months, imprisoned by the intravenous lines and heart monitor that kept her alive in Room 510 H at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters. She couldn't leave the heart unit without a nurse at her side. She couldn't leave the hospital at all.And now this, the bad news that the medicines weren't working, that her dying heart was destroying her lungs as well. It was only a matter of time.I want a heart, Tina sobbed. It isn't fair.But fair didn't play into it. It wasn't fair that … [Read more...] about Tina’s Heart
Behind the Scenes: Secrets of Travel Writers
Photographers, Bloggers, Journalists, Digital Storytellers…or whatever we’re supposed to call ourselves these days…welcome to my behind the scenes section. Now, this behind the scenes series will not scare you over the screen with photos of my good self before I’ve found my hairbrush or any other distressing images that the world does not deserve to see. No, it will simply be me sharing my toolkit of what I use and how I work in an effort to answer some of your questions and pay back some good karma for all that I’ve learnt from useful articles on the web. You don’t have to be a travel writer/photographer/blogger/digital nomad/storyteller or anything like that. If you travel for work, then there’s probably something in this series that will be of use. But if you don’t, if you just travel for pleasure and wonder and joy and even if that’s no further than the room you find yourself in…then just skip … [Read more...] about Behind the Scenes: Secrets of Travel Writers
Greece Meets Thailand & Vietnam OTB 2018
The number of outbound travellers from Thailand reached 7.74 million Thai tourists which represents an increase of 13.9% from 2015. Within the next three years, total Thai tourists are expected to reach 10 million according to the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT). Vietnam, is one of the faster developing outbound market in Southeast Asia. According to data from the UNWTO and WTTC, outbound tourism in Vietnam is growing rapidly in the last decade, reaching from 271,000 tourists in 2001 to 1,700,000 in 2011 with an average daily expenditure in 930 USD. According to the statistics of the Vietnam Travel Association, each year about 5 million Vietnamese travel overseas, spending about $6 billion. Vietravel, one of the biggest tour operators in Vietnam reported that the number of local tourists buying overseas tours in 2015 rose by 145% from 2014 (source: vietnamnet.vn). Don’t miss the opportunity to meet with the most important outbound travel agents, tour operators, OTAs, and MICE … [Read more...] about Greece Meets Thailand & Vietnam OTB 2018
9th PATAcademy-HCD: How to scale your business exponentially
FROM Wednesday 06 December 2017 02:00 am TO Friday 08 December 2017 02:00 am WHERE Thailand Bangkok The 9th PATAcademy-HCD, under the theme ‘Growth Hacking - How to Scale Your Business Exponentially', takes place at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Engagement Hub in Bangkok, Thailand on December 6-8.Ben Salt, co-founder - UpThink, Hong Kong SAR; Dave Rumsey, CEO - ASAP+, China; Jesse Desjardins, former global Head of Content and Social - Tourism Australia, and Sonal Patel, Managing Director and VP - AppNexus APAC, Singapore."Hollywood of the past of Thailand” and the hidden gems in Bang Lamphu, organised by HiveSters. Field visits in and around Bangkok are key to the immersive training experience. Guided by local experts, participants will experience the local neighbourhood of Bang Lamphu while immersing themselves in the unique culture and heritage of the community by partaking in a variety of activities.SpeakersThe Fundamentals of Growth Hacking'Ben … [Read more...] about 9th PATAcademy-HCD: How to scale your business exponentially
Night In A Whole New Light
It's not that I'm afraid of the nighttime, mind you. It's just that, like most humans, I'm not designed for nocturnal endeavors. Case in point: about five years ago my husband, Mike, and I planned to scare ourselves silly by spending Halloween night in rarely visited Haunted Canyon, deep within Arizona's Superstition Wilderness. We got caught in rush hour traffic, took more than a few wrong turns, and arrived at the trailhead with darkness descending. Determined to sleep in the eerily named chasm, we pulled out our flashlights and started hiking, the feeble columns of light barely illuminating the prickly pear and perilous drop-offs. As I listened to gravel tumbling into places I couldn't see, I became frighteningly aware of my limited sensory capabilities. Eventually we wandered onto a cattle path and then lost the trail completely. Branches grabbed at my pack and face, thorny bushes clawed my legs, and I felt clumsy and embarrassingly spooked. We finally set up camp amid a sea of cow … [Read more...] about Night In A Whole New Light
Gall Wasps In Trees
I followed the narrow trail up a ridge into the foothills of the southern Appalachian Mountains. It was fall and the tangy sweet-and-sour scent of decay permeated the cool morning air. Oak and hickory blanketed the hills, and their fallen leaves crunched satisfyingly beneath my boots. After several miles the trail entered a grove of scarlet oak, where red foliage stood out among the oranges and browns of the surrounding forest. It was a lovely spot to rest, so I shucked my pack and plopped down at the base of one of the trees. As I gazed into the crimson crown above, I noticed dozens of brown blobs almost hidden among the colorful leaves. They were the size of golf balls and attached to the tips of twigs like finials. I knew that the blobs were galls-essentially growths caused by some irritation to the plant tissue-but I had no idea what they were made of or what caused them. I snapped one off for a closer look at home. Anyone who spends time in the woods has encountered these … [Read more...] about Gall Wasps In Trees
Praise For Porcupines
Fifty miles into a two-week backpacking trip in Alberta's Jasper National Park, my friends and I were beginning to take wildlife encounters almost for granted. We'd caught rainbow trout, seen elk bound across the trail, spooked a mother ptarmigan and her chicks, and watched a family of woodland caribou meander toward camp before scattering for the opposite bank of the river. But nothing prepared us for the preternatural mewing that shocked us awake one night. Several sniffling, shuffling beasts were brushing against our tents. Our minds raced frantically to identify the strange, almost plaintive whimpers, while our hearts pounded out a primeval guess: grizzly cubs learning how to extract food from a quivering tent, with mom probably somewhere nearby. We were terrified. Steve, a military type scared only of cluster bombs and germ warfare, stopped breathing. James, a camping veteran whose only fear is premature hair loss, croaked out an impromptu prayer. I nearly wet my sleeping bag. … [Read more...] about Praise For Porcupines
Game Trails: Nature’s Trail Crews
The trail was narrow and gnarly, weaving its merry way along the top of a cliff. It flirted with 50 to 100 feet of free fall, just inches to one side of our overloaded, backpack-hefting bodies. I cursed the trail's makers under my breath. "How did they get across here?" I wondered aloud between gasps. And what possessed them to try? My backpacking buddy Mike and I had been following a series of trails for several hours, alternately blessing and cursing the sure-footed creators of this teetering high-alpine pathway. Were we the victims of a trail crew run amok? On the contrary, this trail was a gift created by the split hooves of countless mountain goats seeking the same secluded meadow. For us, the lush expanse at the toe of a giant ice field was a dream campsite come true. For the mountain goats, it was a high-mountain smorgasbord. Following game trails can be everything from simply convenient to exhilarating to downright frustrating. But they're definitely worth considering under … [Read more...] about Game Trails: Nature’s Trail Crews
Canada’s Lewis and Clark: Alexander Mackenzie
Curtains of pellet snow filter through the pines as a spring squall rolls gently across British Columbia's Coast Range. Darryl Czuchra and I climb slowly up the relentless switchbacks toward Hump Lake, working our way over snowdrifts and timber deadfalls. As the snow deepens with altitude, trail markers and axe blazes disappear beneath the white. In the Bella Coola Valley 4,000 feet below us, flowers are blooming and grizzlies are foraging for fresh spring grasses, but here on the Interior Plateau, winter still reigns supreme. In lieu of a visible trail, we follow a line of fresh wolf tracks through the primal forests, tiptoeing over the barely frozen crust. Fortunately, this lone wolf seems to know the route, so we continue on, all the while climbing toward the alpine region of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park along the Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail. Considering the history that led to this trail's designation, it's entirely appropriate that we're following the tracks of another. … [Read more...] about Canada’s Lewis and Clark: Alexander Mackenzie
Facing Grizzly Bear Fears
Hiking in grizzly territory requires preparation, respect, and a clear head. A little luck doesn't hurt, either. by Jeff Rennicke There are still some wild places where you share the land with a free-ranging creature capable of bringing down an elk or crushing the skull of a moose with a single blow. Just knowing this can either bring the landscape alive or leave you quaking in fear. At the very least, it should inspire you to take a few precautions to avoid a chance run-in. Still, when confronted by the clear and present danger of a grizzly bear, some people insist on pushing their luck, imperiling themselves and the bear. A case in point: At 5 p.m. on April 25, 1987, aspiring wildlife photographer Charles Gibbs, 40, and his wife, Glenda, were nearing the end of a dayhike in Glacier National Park, Montana. On a slope of Elk Mountain, they spotted a female grizzly with three cubs. Gibbs set off to photograph the bears while Glenda continued on to the car. It was the last time he … [Read more...] about Facing Grizzly Bear Fears
Big Bad Wolves?
The wolf was 20 yards away and closing in, but the man behind the camera tripod didn't seem worried. As a seasonal ranger in Alaska's Denali National Park for more than 14 years, Rick McIntyre has seen his share of wolves-more than 500 sightings at last count, and many of those at close range. "I've never had any feelings of danger or concern for my personal safety when in the company of wolves," says McIntyre, author of A Society of Wolves. "In a place like Denali where they aren't hunted or harassed, wolves see humans as neutral objects, not as potential prey or as enemies. Most often if I just stand there not doing anything unusual, they simply move on their way with bored expressions on their faces." That's exactly what this wolf did, not even looking back at the sound of the camera clicking. Was McIntyre courting disaster, playing some wilderness version of "chicken," or does he know something most of us don't? Listen to other experts: "There is no basis for the belief that … [Read more...] about Big Bad Wolves?
Bear Bagging Your Food
The conventional method: To hang your food up and away from bears and small, hungry critters, locate two trees about 20 feet apart. Throw a weighted end of rope (50 to 100 feet long, at least 1/8-inch or thicker nylon) over a limb that's at least 17 feet off the ground. Tie the rope to the tree. Toss the other end of rope over an equally high branch of a second tree, and attach your food bag to the rope's midpoint. Hoist the bag and tie the rope to the base of the second tree. Make sure the bag is at least 12 feet off the ground. The counterbalance method: If there's only one suitable tree in the area, locate a branch that's at least 20 feet up, sticks out at least 10 feet from the trunk, and is about an inch or 2 in diameter (strong enough to hold the food bag but too thin to support a bear). Toss the weighted end of the rope over the limb. You'll need two stuffsacks of equal weight for the food, ideally less than 10 pounds each. Tie a retrieval loop and the first sack to one end … [Read more...] about Bear Bagging Your Food
Tennessee’s Arches
Big South Fork, TN With two massive, natural stone arches vaulting above me, a thought popped into my head: "This is Utah...with trees." In fact, the towering arches, homey rock houses (shallow caves), and soaring overlooks you'll find in Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area make it the crown jewel of the Cumberland Plateau and a great unsung hiking treasure. The centerpiece is a dramatic river gorge with classic whitewater runs and alluring side canyons. With more than 200 miles of trail across 106,000 acres, your hiking options are almost endless. One excellent trip is a 42-mile loop beginning at the Bandy Creek Campground. The route heads east and circles the Grand Gap Loop, where you'll find a string of crowning overlooks high above the Big South Fork. If you continue to hug the gorge's lip on the John Muir Trail before turning west to Charit Creek, you'll find a backcountry lodge with cabins and meals for hikers (reservations required). Return to Bandy Creek via … [Read more...] about Tennessee’s Arches
Mountain Lions: Return Of The Ghost Cat
The sound was difficult to describe-a growl, a rumble, like pieces of gravel grating together-but it was nearby, out there, in the dark. Just once and then nothing. In the morning my suspicions were confirmed when I found the large, rounded, cat-like tracks. Mountain lion. That is the way mountain lions have traveled through much of recorded history: elusive, mysterious, appearing briefly somewhere out in the deepest wilderness and leaving behind only a track, a pile of deer bones bleaching in the sun, or a glimpse of fur in the brush. The mountain lion, or Felis concolor, "the cat of one color," is the least-known large mammal on the continent. Even in this age of radiotelemetry and computerized satellite mapping, some experts will not even hazard a guess on how many mountain lions inhabit North America. It's truly, as some people have called it, "the ghost cat." Or at least it was until recently. Montana, which had no confirmed attacks by mountain lions in its entire history … [Read more...] about Mountain Lions: Return Of The Ghost Cat