Photo of the Month
Great Blue Heron catches lunch
Photo Credit - Brad Barnwell |
Greetings!
Visit Lake County is the official resource for upcoming events, fun activities, exciting wineries, and cool places to stay - all designed to help you make the most out of your next visit to Lake County. If you'd like personal assistance planning your stay, just call (800) LAKESIDE to speak with one of our friendly Lake County concierges. - The Visit Lake County team |
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Play
Wood & Glory Boat Show, Lakeport
June 1, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Annual boat show featuring more than 60 classic wooden boats on Clear Lake. Photography is encouraged, and guests vote on their favorite boat, thereby entering a drawing for a commemorative Wood & Glory poster. Admission is free.
Konocti Vista Marina, 2755 Mission Rancheria Road.
(707) 263-5092, www.acbs-tahoe.org
No Name Car Club Car Show
June 1, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Annual car show features antique, classics, foreign cars and trucks. Enjoy great food, entertainment, vendors, raffle prizes, music, and awards. Admission is free.
Konocti Vista Casino, 2755 Mission Rancheria Road
(707) 278-0185, www.thenonamecarclub.com |
Stay
The Bungalow, Clearlake Oaks The Bungalow, which re-opens for the season on May 15th, is a 1930's, 4,000 square foot converted roadhouse. The interior has been enhanced with Arts and Crafts period furnishings, a collection of fine original art and oil-painted period photos, plush rugs, handmade tile, and gorgeous stained glass. Enjoy 125 feet of lake access, with a private sandy beach, private dock and pier, a custom built spa, a huge deck for sunning and relaxing... all with a beautiful view across the water to Mt. Konocti.
The Bungalow offers three beautiful guestrooms, each uniquely decorated with carefully selected furnishings and period artwork. Each room features a private bath, king bed, fresh flowers, cozy robes, and much more. Massage available by appointment. The room rate includes a full, hot breakfast every morning, as well as afternoon wine and appetizers. Guests are welcome and encouraged to use the common areas, gardens, pier, and outdoor cooking area.
10195 E. Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks.
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Taste
Shed Horn Cellars, Middletown
Shed Horn Cellars is the vision of long-time Lake County resident and award-winning winemaker Michael Wood. For many years, Michael produced wines for prestigious Lake County wineries. After years of training, gaining knowledge and experience, he decided to pursue his own winemaking passion and his vision for Shed Horn became a reality. Being an avid outdoorsman, Michael found a name for his winery easily with the idea of the powerful elk. With his enthusiasm for the business and the assistance from his family, Shed Horn Cellars started producing wines from the mountainous, wild, volcanic soils of the areas most esteemed high elevation vineyards. The winery started with one 3 barrel lot in 2004, and has grown to more than 2,000 cases annually.
Tasting room open: Thursday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
21108 Calistoga Road, Middletown
(707) 987-8445, www.shedhorncellars.com |
Farm to Table
Peanut Butter & Jelly Chili, Winner of the 2013 Rhythm & Brews Chili Cook-Off
1 lb Italian pork sausage, from a local butcher shop
1 lb ground beef, from a local butcher shop
2 lbs flat iron steak, cut into small pieces
2 14oz cans of tomatoes, finely cut, any brand or style
1 14oz can of tomato paste
2 onions, coarsely chopped
1/8 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeņo, finely chopped
chili powder (Savory Spice Shop is recommended and can be purchased online)
paprika
cumin
Himalayan Sea Salt - fine
freshly ground pepper
fresh crushed garlic
smooth peanut butter, Laura Scudders is best
cheap grape jelly
All you need is one big pot for all of this. Fire it up on medium heat and let it get hot enough so that water "dances" on the bottom of the pot.
Butterfly your jalapeņo and bell pepper, removing all the innards and seeds. Coat them with olive oil and grill them lightly on a hot bbq grill so that they've got nice grill marks on the outside. Then finely chop these guys as they've got a date with a pot of chili.
We're back to the big pot, so in that pot:
Cook your flat irons first - when they start to heat-up, throw in the first chopped onion and the bell pepper.
Lightly cover your flat irons and onion with some chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
Once the flat irons and onions are beginning to get done, stir in the raw sausage. When the sausage is starting to get browned, throw in your ground beef. This is the time for another onion.
Cover and mix only occasionally until the meat is close to done. Over-mixing will destroy the meat's texture, and that's part of the equation here.
When all the meat's done, nicely drain off most of the fat. You'll have enough fat left over to grease the entire Pacific fleet for a while.
Then throw in the tomatoes and the jalapeņo and another round of all the spices to taste. Once everything's hot it's time for a nice big spoon of that cheap grape jelly. Trust me, this cuts the acidity of the tomatoes. Also, you can put in a spoon of the peanut butter. Mix these in well.
Lower the heat and just let it sit there - the longer the better. |
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Did You Know...
The Great Blue Heron stands four feet tall, and with a wingspan of six feet, it is the largest and most widespread of all North American herons. It is distinctive with its bluish-gray coloring, white crown stripe, and elegant black plumes that extend from behind the eye to the back. This bird is a patient hunter, often waiting motionless for long periods; it stabs prey with a quick lunge of the bill. Although this species is primarily a fish eater, it will stalk fields and meadows for rodents. Herons nest in large numbers, placing their large platform of sticks high in trees, and Clear Lake is fortunate to be the home of several such colonies. Their courtship displays are elaborate and involve much posturing and bill clacking. The Great Blue heron is a long-lived bird with a life span of up to 23 years, and it is not uncommon for them to live an additional 10-15 years.
For a complete list of the best locations for birdwatching in Lake County, visit www.lakecounty.com |
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Buy Local - Eat Fresh
Savor the flavors of Lake County produce and farm fresh products from one of the local farm stands and farmers markets.
Farmers' Finest Markets: At Steele Wines, 4350 Thomas Drive, Kelseyville. Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., May through October. Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., June through September.
Lake Co-Op Market: At Redbud Park, 14655 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake. 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., June through September.
Seely Farm Stand: 80 E. Hwy 20, Upper Lake. Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., June through mid-November.
For a more detailed list of
local farms and markets in
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Clear Lake ranked No. 3
Clear Lake was recently ranked No. 3 in Bassmaster Magazine's 100 Best Lakes of 2013. The largest freshwater lake entirely in California, Clear Lake also produces some of the largest bass the state has to offer with amazing consistency. Although 25 pounds typically wins a one-day derby, 30-pound limits are not unusual. Elite Series pro Steve Kennedy set a four-day weight record in 2007 with 122-14, which is slightly more than 30 pounds per day. Skeet Reese wasn't too far behind him with 117-6. "You fish here expecting a 30-pound limit," Reese says. "If this place isn't a dream lake for a bass fisherman, that fisherman needs to check his pulse."
For a complete list of activities to enjoy on the water in Lake County, visit www.lakecounty.com |
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If you're planning a visit or considering re-locating to Lake County, find out what this beautiful area has to offer. Take a Video Tour of Lake County |
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