Newcomers are welcomed at all of our events, so bring a friend

Social/Pizza Dinner and General Meeting starts at 7pm (we order Pizza at 6:45pm and it costs $5 per person for those who want to eat), We meet at Rusty's Pizza Lighthouse at 15 East Cabrillo Boulevard, in Santa Barbara accross from Stearns' wharf at the beach.

See Quick Calendar for upcoming meeting dates. Sometimes at our meetings, we feature slide shows, guest speakers, displays of the 10 Essentials of Camping, GOSB/VC hats and t-shirts for sale, and a 50/50 Raffle Drawing for Cash and Prizes.  You can also come to update your membership information such as your mailing address, renew memberships or pickup our latest Newsletter.

Map of 15 E Cabrillo Blvd
Santa Barbara, CA 93101-2310, US

For more information contact our Chapter President, Sean Dooner

GO SB/VC invites you to kick off Ventura Pride and belatedly celebrate my Birthday on a 2.5 hour evening cruise on the Condor Express . Cost is $25.00, which includes appetizers. There is bar service, and there might even be Birthday Cake! So come out and celebrate with us! We did this last month and it was a lot of fun and a beautiful cruise around the harbor and up the coast with good friends and lots of laughs. The Condor Express is located at the south end of the boat ramp parking lot in Santa Barbara Harbor. Please be there at 6pm.

Also, Sept. 1st, the Goleta, 4th of July Fireworks show will finally take place at Hirsch Park, (behind Costco). Events start at 5pm with fireworks around 8pm. I will be there if anyone wants to join me.

Big Hugs,
Sean

Greetings Fellow Great Outdoors Members!
As I’m sure many of you are aware, it’s Pride season again! And as regular as Santa coming down your chimney in some ‘other’ special season, I’m here as your Pride Information Booth Coordinator with my rallying cry of ‘Come Volunteer To Help Out With The Booth!’...hehe
As most of you folks who have volunteered in the past can attest to, helping out with the booth is not a big challenge, and at the same time it helps out your chapter to get out the word about our great organization to the community so that we can continue to have new faces among our group now and then.

Just keep in mind that the small amount of work that does go on is heaviest for the set up and tear down crews, but in both cases ‘many hands make light work’. Usually we can get both jobs done in 20-30 minutes with 4-5 people. So please email (countryboyjoe1@gmail.com) or call me (805-588-1142) with the times you’d be willing to do your part to help out your chapter, and I look forward to seeing you all at our Central Coast Prides.

HUGS! Joe D

PS-As has been the norm in the past, I’m only asking for committing to 2 hr shifts, but if you want to help out for longer you are more than welcome!

Thanks, Joe

Pride events

Ventura County Pride In the Park- Saturday, August 23rd, 11am-7pm
http://www.lgbtventura.org
Mission Park, Downtown Ventura, across from the Mission
Main Street at Figueroa

Social - Pool Party & Potluck

Labor Day Weekend - Sunday, August 31st,
1-5PM
Hosted By Marc Goldman

Bring your own towel, potluck dish and booze.

Marc lives at 1601 Holly Ave, in Oxnard, CA 93036.
1601 is a yellow two-story, fourth house on the right.

RSVP to Marc at (805) 604-9017

Day Hike Rescheduled
Romero Canyon
9:45AM-3PM
September 7th, 2008

Trip Leader: Tom Ogier

Parking is very limited, so please RSVP and we will try to carpool.
Call Tom Ogier at (805) 689-3266 with any questions and to RSVP.

The Romero Canyon Trail is one of the more popular hikes in the Santa Barbara area because of its easy access, sweeping views and diversity of scenery. The trail up follows the old Romero Canyon Road with views out over the entire coast. The return is down through a beautiful, wooded canyon with a cascading stream and pools.

THE HIKE: We will stop a couple of times along the way for snack breaks and will have a longer break near the top for lunch. The total hiking time, at a leisurely pace, is a bit over 4 hours - about 2 ½ hours to the top and 1 ¾ hours down - with some time added for breaks and to enjoy the stream.

This can seem a somewhat difficult hike because of the long ways up at the start, for the first 1½ hours or so, but nowhere is it very steep or treacherous. And, we are not hiking all the way up to the top of the ridge!
We will, instead, connect with a trail back down through the canyon. This trail is mostly dirt and gets narrow in places, but it is well maintained.
There are a number of easy stream crossings on the way down. Note also that poison oak grows close alongside the trail.

PRECAUTIONS: This should be a nice, moderately strenuous hike. If the weather is overcast, the sun should break through about noon as we reach the top of our hike. Come prepared, though, for sun and appropriate changes in temperature. Bring a lunch and snacks. Bring more water than you think you will need - you will probably need it. Flat soled or tennis shoes are not recommended for this hike as they will slip too easily on the shale-gravel and steeper dirt trails. Lightweight and loose, long pants are recommended if you are sensitive to poison oak.

Please meet at 9:45 am at the gate at the foot of the Romero Canyon Road on Bela Vista Drive.

We should be back from the hike by 3:00 pm.

DIRECTIONS: Exit Hwy 101 in Montecito at Sheffield Dr. Turn right on the frontage road (E. Jameson Rd.). Around the bend it becomes Sheffield Drive.
Follow this until it meets Hwy 192 / East Valley Rd. Turn left and then, almost immediately, right onto Romero Canyon Road. A mile-and-a-half up the hill, staying right at the fork in the road, turn right onto Bela Vista Drive.
Very soon, you will come to a stream crossing, locked gate and trail head.
Park off the road in the dirt areas.

It should be a beautiful hike. We'll see you there!

Join Great Outdoors Inc. as we take an adventure to the Grand Canyon!
We will be camping at the South Rim in Mather Campground.

A spectacular place, Grand Canyon is described by all the superlatives, great, magnificent, awe inspiring and unforgettable! Our campground is located in Grand Canyon Village. We have reserved two group sites 004 and 005 in Sage Loop. Coin
operated showers, laundry and a grocery store is located near by in the village. There
are plenty of places to eat as well!

For those of you with RV’s please make your own reservation at Grand Canyon Trailer Village which is about 500 feet from our group sites. They can be reached by calling (888) 297-2757.

Corporate Camping
Grand Canyon
September 17-21th, 2008

Trip Leader: Brian Miller
(805) 407-9001

Click on Trip Notes to see full details and Registration Form.

An AIDS Walk Challenge

Claude and Jon wish to challenge GO (Great Outdoors) and PTCC (Prime Timers Central Coast) for the upcoming AIDS Walk in October for the benefit of PPF (Pacific Pride Foundation).

PPF is our local Aids support. We need to do all we can to ensure their doors remain open. Claude and Jon will match the personal donations from members of GO or PTCC for the group that raises the most funds on a per member basis. For example, GO has approximately 100 members and Go raises $10,000, that $100 per members raised. Meanwhile PTCC with 50 members raises $6,000 or $120 per member, PTCC wins and let’s say that the members themselves donated $3,000, we will match that amount, or vice versa if GO raises more per-capita funds by raising $15,000 ($150 per member) and let's assume that of that amount, GO members donated $5,000, then we will match the $5,000 which would make this a total of $20,000 for GO ( and that might possibly make GO the winner this year.)

There will be a bonus for the winning team.

claude Raffin
cjviews@earthlink.net

Hole-in-the-Wall Campout and
Mitchell Caverns Tour
November 6th-9th, 2008

Trip Leader: Chris Fava
(805) 509-8240

Travertine tapestries, flowstone, and other speleothems gradually form where groundwater enters the cavern and evaporates, leaving behind calcium carbonate. These features took many thousands of years to form.

Guided tours of Mitchell Caverns require a 1.5 mile walk and last about 1.5 hours. The temperature inside the cave is a comfortable 65 degree. Water and flush toilets are provided. The Mary Beale Nature Trail, near the Visitor Center, features desert plants and animals along a moderate walk. There are other short trails like the Crystal Springs Trail.