Greetings Vanagonuts!

Who's interested in a  little adventure this summer?

We've had one participant have to back  out of Syncro Safari this year and
this means there is a spot open for someone  else to join the group.  This
means that there is a spot  OPEN for a new participant.
Normally, Syncro Safari is just for Syncros, but with this  being a
particularly "mild" adventure, and having a spot open, I'm opening  it up for a 2WD
Vanagon to join the group.  There may be some places  where the 2WD may not
go, but I'm pretty sure a friendly Vanagon crew can catch  a ride in one of
the Syncros.

Syncro Safari is August 14-21 this year. Just 5 weeks away!

For  more information check out:

_www.SyncroSafari.org_ (http://www.SyncroSafari.org)   and check out
"Pacific Coast '11" in the Future Safaris tab.

If you'd like to go, let  me know ASAP.   See "Registration Process" below
or on the web  site.

Regards,
Jim

===================== Syncro Safari, Pacific  Coast '11 info
===============================
We've had some mild and some wild trails on Syncro Safaris over the past
several years. This year's event is for those looking for an adventure on the
 milder end of the spectrum. If you're interested in testing the limits of
you're  Syncro, this year's adventure is likely not the event, except
perhaps on the  sand dunes. So, this year's Syncro Safari will feature beaches,
mild trails, and  great scenery.

REGISTRATION PROCESS
=====================
Registration works like  this. Five easy steps.
1.  Check out the information about this trip in  this email and past
Syncro
Safaris on the web. There's a few YouTube videos  to be seen from the
Sierras 2010 event and some info and photos at
_http://www.SyncroSafari.org_ (http://www.SyncroSafari.org)    Decide that
you'd like to attend and have a great time, move on to step  2.
2.  Tell me via email at _SyncroHead@aol.com_ (mailto:SyncroHead@aol.com)
that you would like  to attend and you'd like one of the available spots.
3.  If a spot is still available, I will let you know and email you the
following:
A. Registration Form
B. "Bring List - Personal Items"
C.  "Bring List - 4x4 Items"
D. "Don't Bring List"
E. My mailing  address
4.  You print and complete the Registration Form and mail (old fashioned
snail mail) me two things:
A. Completed Registration Form
B. Your share  of the camping fee.
5.  I will email you confirmation that I've received your form and  camping
fee and that your spot is secured.

COSTS:
======
The only cost is dividing up the camping fees. This  cost is $133/vehicle
(unlimited occupants) for all 7 nights, Aug 14-20. This is  the $1,064 I've
already paid for camp fees divided 8 ways. This makes a  break-even point for
me at a total of 8 Syncros and somewhat reduces my risks of  recouping the
money I've paid out.  If more than 8 Syncros participate, the  additional
funds will be used to enhance Syncro Safari for all of us in some  way. This
is not a for-profit operation for me.

ACTIVITIES AND  ITINERARY
========================
Sunday, August  14th
--------------------------
Arrive and meet other participants at  Oceano Dunes State Vehicular
Recreation Area.
Camping ON THE  BEACH.

Monday, Aug 15th while at Oceano Dunes  SVRA
----------------------------------------------------------
Air-down  our tires and explore the sand dunes in our Syncros. This is an
open area  without defined trails and the degree of "duning" you choose
will be up to  you. Some can stick to the flats and some might head up the
dunes. There  should be plenty of people willing to help you get unstuck
if you need it.  We can also travel along the "Sand Highway" (a flat
defined
route between  the ocean and the dunes) to the south and take a little hike
to
Oso Flaco  Lake.
Other activities individual Syncronauts might want to do while camped
here are:
- Rent an ATV and explore the dunes with some speed!
__http://www.bjsatvrentals.com/__ (http://www.bjsatvrentals.com/_)
(_http://www.bjsatvrentals.com/_ (http://www.bjsatvrentals.com/) )
-  Horseback riding in a quiet beach/dune area away form ATVs
__http://www.caladventures.com/jjriding.htm__
(http://www.caladventures.com/jjriding.htm_)
(_http://www.caladventures.com/jjriding.htm_
(http://www.caladventures.com/jjriding.htm) )
- Hide a Syncrocache
- Biking, hiking, bird-watching, check out Pismo  Beach
- Boogie-boarding, Surfing

Tuesday, Aug 16th while en route to  Big Sur  area
----------------------------------------------------------
Potential  activities:
- Stop at Go Westy in Los Osos. Potential tour, but I've not yet  spoken
to them.
- Visit Moro Rock at Moro Bay State Park. Potential for a  good
Syncro-Photo-Opportunity __http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=594__
(http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=594_)
(_http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=594_
(http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=594) )
- See the quaint town of Cambria south of San Simeon
- Visit Hearst  Castle and take a tour. Adults: $24, Kids 6-17: $12. See
_www.hearstcastle.org_ (_http://www.hearstcastle.org/_
(http://www.hearstcastle.org/) )
Tuesday night is "Taco Night" group dinner __http://tinyurl.com/5v4752u__
(http://tinyurl.com/5v4752u_)
(_http://tinyurl.com/5v4752u_ (http://tinyurl.com/5v4752u) )
Wednesday,  Aug 17th and Thursday, Aug 18th at Big Sur  Area
----------------------------------------------------------
- Mild 4WD  trip in the coastal mountains: San Martin Top / Cone Peak.
This route is  mostly rated as a 1 on the difficulty scale with a section
leading to San  Martin Top as a level 3. Scenic rating according to the So
Cal Backcountry  Adventures (Massey & Wilson) is an 8.
- Sand Dollar Beach
-  Boogie-boarding, Surfing
- Beach waterfall at Julia Pfeiffer-Burns State Park
__http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=578__
(http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=578_)
(_http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=578_
(http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=578) )
- Pfeiffer Beach, tide pools __http://tinyurl.com/695xjve__
(http://tinyurl.com/695xjve_)
(_http://tinyurl.com/695xjve_ (http://tinyurl.com/695xjve) )
- Hide a  Syncrocache __http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SyncroCaching/__
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SyncroCaching/_)
(_http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SyncroCaching/_
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SyncroCaching/) )
- Point Sur Lighthouse __http://www.pointsur.org/__
(http://www.pointsur.org/_)
(_http://www.pointsur.org/_ (http://www.pointsur.org/) )
- Hiking,  biking
- Trip to Mission San Antonio de Padua (the most remote, least visited
mission in the pacific chain)
__http://www.missionsanantonio.net/__ (http://www.missionsanantonio.net/_)
 (_http://www.missionsanantonio.net/_ (http://www.missionsanantonio.net/) )

Friday, August 19th while en route to Half Moon  Bay
----------------------------------------------------------
Potential  activities:
- Old Coast Road (backcountry route parallels Hwy 1)
- Bixby  Bridge (Syncro photo opportunity) __http://tinyurl.com/6xo2ko8__
(http://tinyurl.com/6xo2ko8_)
(_http://tinyurl.com/6xo2ko8_ (http://tinyurl.com/6xo2ko8) )
- Monterey  Bay Aquarium __http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/__
(http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/_)
(_http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/_
(http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/) )
- Famous "17 Mile Drive" on the Monterey Peninsula
__http://www.seemonterey.com/17-mile-drive__
(http://www.seemonterey.com/17-mile-drive_)
(_http://www.seemonterey.com/17-mile-drive_
(http://www.seemonterey.com/17-mile-drive) )
- Castoville, artichoke capital of the world :-)
- Stop at Van Cafe in  Santa Cruz. Potential tour, but I've not yet spoken
to them.
- Santa  Cruz Boardwalk __http://www.beachboardwalk.com/__
(http://www.beachboardwalk.com/_)
(_http://www.beachboardwalk.com/_ (http://www.beachboardwalk.com/) )
-  Big Basin Redwoods State Park (CA's oldest State Park)
__http://bigbasin.org/__ (http://bigbasin.org/_)  (_http://bigbasin.org/_
(http://bigbasin.org/) )

Saturday, August 20th at Half Moon  Bay
----------------------------------------------------------
Potential  activities:
- Boogie-boarding, Surfing
- Biking (there's a long bike path  that goes for miles through this area)
- Rent sea kayaks and explore the  coast _www.hmbkayak.com_
(__http://www.hmbkayak.com__ (http://www.hmbkayak.com_/)
(_http://www.hmbkayak.com/_ (http://www.hmbkayak.com/) ) )
- Beach,  tide pools
- Hide a Syncrocache
- Whale watching
- Trip to San  Francisco (Syncros on Lombard Street?)

Sunday, August 21st, Half Moon Bay  Departure
----------------------------------------------------------
This  trip is done. Pack up, say goodbyes and head home.

LOCATION INFORMATION AND  CAMPSITES
===================================
The trip is a route up the  central California Coast with three distinct
campsites and a lot of fun  activities and beautiful scenery. The talk of
closing the Pismo beach area  to vehicles is escalating, so if you've ever
wanted to camp right on the  beach, this is a great time to do it.

Campsite 1 - Camping on the beach  at Oceano Dunes SVRA (Pismo Beach)
Aug 14, Sunday & Aug 15, Monday, 2  nights
Oceano Dunes Links:
__http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1207__
(http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1207_)
(_http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1207_
(http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1207) )
__http://tinyurl.com/5vgx8wo__ (http://tinyurl.com/5vgx8wo_)
(_http://tinyurl.com/5vgx8wo_ (http://tinyurl.com/5vgx8wo) )

Campsite 2 - Big Sur Coast, Plaskett Creek Campground
Aug 16th,  Tuesday, Aug 17, Wednesday, Aug 18, Thursday, 3 nights
__http://tinyurl.com/63d3men__ (http://tinyurl.com/63d3men_)
(_http://tinyurl.com/63d3men_ (http://tinyurl.com/63d3men) )
__http://tinyurl.com/5srwyh6__ (http://tinyurl.com/5srwyh6_)
(_http://tinyurl.com/5srwyh6_ (http://tinyurl.com/5srwyh6) )

Campsite 3 - Half Moon Bay State Beach
Aug 19, Friday & Aug 20,  Saturday, 2 nights
Half Moon Bay Links:
__http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=531__
(http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=531_)
(_http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=531_
(http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=531) )
__http://tinyurl.com/6xqvmkb__ (http://tinyurl.com/6xqvmkb_)
(_http://tinyurl.com/6xqvmkb_ (http://tinyurl.com/6xqvmkb) ) _

More  information on the Big Sur Coast _www.bigsurcalifornia.org_
(_http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/_ (http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/) )

CAMPING RESERVATIONS:
======================
I've made all the  camping reservations for Pismo, Big Sur, and Half Moon
Bay already for 10  vehicles. At Pismo, it's open camping so we'll find a
spot once there. At  both Big Sur and Half Moon Bay, I've reserved 5
campsites in a group, with 2  vehicles allowed in each site.

SYNCRO SAFARI IS FAMILY  FRIENDLY
================================
Syncro Safari is not a bash our  Syncros "guy's only" event. It's intended
to get to know other Syncronauts  and their families while doing some mild

4-wheeling and exploring  interesting places. So, bring the family! Right
now I know of one 12 year  old girl and one 14 year old girl that I'm
bringing.

TUESDAY TACO NIGHT
===================
You'll need to provide for  all your own food needs but on Tuesday
evening,
we'll coordinate our  efforts on having a group "Taco Night" Mexican
dinner
to share. We'll  divvy up all the parts of the meal so we'll have all the
right stuff without  duplicates. Well, maybe we should have duplicate
desserts! :-)

DIGITAL CAMERA SCAVENGER HUNT <---NEW THIS  YEAR!
===============================================

We're cooking up  a plan for a digital camera scavenger hunt which should
be fun and keep  those shutters clicking! The idea is that everyone who
wants to participate  gets a list of particular items to take photos of.
You track down these  sites or people or activities or whatever's on the
list
and take a  picure. Back at camp, we'll share the photos and see who
snapped
what.  The team with the most matching photos wins the AAA award.
Appreciation,  Applause and Accolades! Well, maybe some tangible award too.

We'll  see.

SYNCROCACHING AT SYNCRO SAFARI
================================
A  feature that started last year and will return for this year's
adventure
will be "Syncrocaching".
Syncrocaching is Syncronauts using Syncros to  find geocaches. Ever heard
of Geocaching? I'm sure many of you have.  Geocaching is a high-tech
"treasure" hunting game played throughout the  world by adventure seekers
equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to  locate hidden containers,
called
geocaches, outdoors and then share your  experiences online. The web site
__http://www.geocaching.com__ (http://www.geocaching.com_/)
(_http://www.geocaching.com/_ (http://www.geocaching.com/) ) provides all
the details.

Well, if you're interested in Geocaching and drive a  Syncro, now there's
"Syncrocaching". I'll be placing at least one  Syncrocache exclusively for
participants of Syncro Safari, Pacific Coast '11  to find during our
adventure. I also plan
to place a few additional  Syncrocaches there at places we visit while on
our adventures. Their  locations will be secret until posted for others to

find after the event  is over.

If you're interested in becoming more involved in Syncrocaching,  there's
a Yahoo group for us. Not surprisingly, it's called Syncrocaching!
Sign up if you'd like at: __http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SyncroCaching__
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SyncroCaching_)
(_http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SyncroCaching_
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SyncroCaching) )

WHY 10 SYNCROS, WHY NOT 30 or 100?
=================================
I've been asked why Syncro Safari is  limited to just 10 Syncros. There
are two primary reasons, one a social  reason and one a practical reason.
The
social reason is that Syncro Safari  isn't primarily about the Syncros or
the 4-wheeling, it's more about the  people at the event. At a Syncro
Safari event we do mild to moderate  4-wheeling, exploring, and site seeing
in a
family friendly environment.  Since the event is a week long, we get a
chance to get to know each other  and often form lasting friendships from
these events. We travel together,  camp together, eat together, and share
stories and sometimes even some songs  around the campfire at night. In
addition
to 4-wheeling, we typically do  other group site-seeing or other activities
together as well. The 10 Syncro  limit helps to foster a closer connection
between the attendees and allows  time enough to actually get to know a few
people
a bit better instead of  just meeting a bunch of people.

The second and practical reason is that  it becomes more difficult to
coordinate a larger group. Larger campsites,  larger everything.
Especially on our 4x4 journeys this becomes an issue. If  two vehicles are
traveling
as a pair the time to pass each obstacle is  almost doubled as the first
vehicle waits for the second. With 10 vehicles  this can take quite a while
because
everyone wants to watch the others pass  the difficult terrain and also
doesn't want to just leave, not knowing that  everyone made it. So, 10
vehicles at an obstacle takes almost 10X the time  of one. Luckily only a
small part of each trip is obstacles, otherwise we'd  never get off the
trail! Finding
trail stop places for a group of 10 can be  difficult enough, let alone a
bigger group. We aim to set a fairly relaxed  pace while four-wheeling
with time for breaks and a relaxed lunch, before  going back to camp, and
the
10 Syncro limit seems about the max I'd want to  deal with as a single
trail
group.

TREAD LIGHTLY!
================
Syncro Safari is proud to be a  member organization of Tread Lightly!

Tread Lightly! is a nonprofit  organization on mission to promote
responsible outdoor recreation through  ethics education and stewardship.
Tread Lightly! emphasizes the TREAD  principals of: Travel responsibly,
Respect the rights of others, Educate  yourself, Avoid sensitive areas, and
Do
your part, through education,  communications and grassroots stewardship
efforts.
Web: _http://www.treadlightly.org_ (http://www.treadlightly.org)
I am a  TreadTrainer with this organization. Sometime during Syncro
Safari, I'll  conduct a 1-hour Tread Lightly! Awareness Course for those
who want
to  participate.

See you on the trails!!

Jim  Davis
Syncronut

__,_._,___