Member of the Month

To view this email as a web page, go here.
See What's Here
MCVB Member of the Month
MCVB News
Where to Dine for Thanksgiving
State Parks Update
Did You Know...?
Member of the Month
November 2012
Unitarian Universalist Congregation
of Marin Travel Trends
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of
Marin (UUCM) was founded in January 1950
as the Unitarian Fellowship of Marin, and it
wasn't until the mid 1960's that a permanent
church was constructed in its present location
just north of San Rafael overlooking Mt
Tamalpais. Happy 40th Birthday to the Golden
Gate National Recreation Area
The GGNRA celebrated its 40th birthday at
the Marin Headlands Visitor Center on
October 27th with a hike, cake and special
exhibits! Of the 80,00 acres which
comprises the recreation area, roughly 55
percent of that is in Marin County. Points of
special interest are Muir Woods, Bolinas
Ridge, Fort Baker, Fort Cronkhite, Kirby
Cove, The Headlands, Muir Beach, Nike
Missile site, Olema Valley, Point Bonita
Lighthouse, Stinson Beach and Tennessee
Valley. The GGNRA is one of the largest
urban national parks in the world and
rivals Yosemite and the Grand Canyon for
annual visitors.
UUCM is a member of the Unitarian
Universalist Association (UUA), an
association of congregations across the
United States headquartered in historic
downtown Boston. The congregation is proud
to be UUA­recognized as both a Welcoming
Congregation and a Green Sanctuary. Their
members work together for environmental
and social justice and to provide a caring and
welcoming liberal religious home.
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of
Marin has the perfect hilltop location with
panoramic views suitable for any number of
events such as weddings, life celebrations,
elegant fundraisers or a comfortable, relaxing
meeting or workshop. Indoor facilities are
large enough to accommodate 200+
participants and theater seating for up to 50
people. The outdoor grounds include a
courtyard with a fountain and fishpond under
a grove of mulberry trees that command views
of the Civic Center, San Pablo Bay and Mt.
Tam. Only a three minute drive from
Interstate 101, the facility offers event space
for every purpose at reasonable rates with
plenty of parking. If planning an event,
schedule a site tour first and view their virtual
tour here.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin
240 Channing Way, San Rafael, CA 94903
415­479­4131
www.uumarin.org
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of
Marin has been a member of the MCVB since
September of 2008
Marin CVB News for November
Marin Has New Banners for Trade Shows!
Trade Show Displays are tools for showing a company brand and advertising a
product. They are used in trade shows, conventions, and business
conferences where gatherings occur in many different locations all
across the globe. Some trade shows are huge, with thousands of
exhibitors and tens of thousands of attendees and visitors
wandering the aisles, with the convention lasting for many days.
Mark Essman, President of the Marin CVB, had been looking for
trade show banners to represent Marin that would stop a meeting
planner or travel consultant in their tracks - something that would
show Marin County in its best light! Essman began talks with
graphic designer Terry Barker and commissioned him to design the
new banners you see here. As Marin's answer to travel posters of
the last one hundred years, Barker has attempted to create an
evolution of the travel poster in a unique Marin County style. Terry
Barker has done numerous projects in the past for the County of
Marin, creating posters and advertisement for the Marin Arts Festival, the Marin
Home and Garden Expo, and other events. See more of his work at www.graphicondesign.com
Don't Miss Out on Restaurant Month in January 2013
Marin County Restaurant Month is part of California Restaurant Month,
designated by Visit California. Over 30 destinations across California are
hosting restaurant weeks and other value-driven food programming this
January.
According to Caroline Beteta, Visit California president & CEO, "California
is the top U.S. destination for culinary travel - we have long been a leader
in fresh produce and seafood, farm to fork dining, winemaking and more
that any traveler will find a one-of-a-kind culinary experience here to suit any taste. California
Restaurant Month gives visitors a chance to experience it all with special offers they won't see at any
other time of the year."
Last year travelers in California spent $23.1 billion on food and beverages, more than for any other
spending segment and constituting 26 percent of all visitor spending last year (Source: Dean Runyan
Associates), Beteta said.
For more information about California Restaurant Month, visit www.visitcalifornia.com. If you have
questions about Marin County Restaurant Month, please visit www.visitMarin.org.
Marin's Tourism Summit 2012
Our annual Tourism Summit on September 20, 2012 was a huge
success! If you missed it, Mark Essman from the Marin CVB
spoke on local trends of visitor traffic as well as what makes
Marin different from our regional neighbors; Jonelle Tannahill
from Visit California discussed the green traveler and presented
their lively visual commercial campaign; Ellia Rilla from
University of California, Cooperative Extension Marin County
facilitated our feature presentation, "Food for Thought: Exploring Agritourism and our Commitment
to Local Agriculture in Marin", with brief presentations on insight, tips, and how to get involved
from the following speakers: Ginny Cummings from Drakes Bay Oysters, Brigitte Moran from
Agricultural Institute of Marin, Dena Grunt from Nick's Cove, Jill Giacomini Basch from The Fork at
Point Reyes, and Vivien Straus from Straus Home Ranch, Cowgirl Creamery, and Sonoma Marin
Cheese Trail Map. As attendees enjoyed a wonderful buffet lunch provided by Inn Marin and Rickey's
Restaurant in their outdoor courtyard, co-owner Robert Marshall gave his "Green Guru"
presentation.
Thank you to Cowgirl Creamery & Cantina, Marin French Cheese Company, Point Reyes Farmstead
Cheese Company & The Fork at Point Reyes, Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, and Northgate for
their generous donations to the agritourism quiz and cheese platter!
IMEX America, Las Vegas
Once again the Marin CVB attended IMEX America in Las
Vegas. The show welcomed exhibitors from across the world
including convention and visitor bureaus, national, and
regional tourist offices, major hotel groups, airlines, destination
management companies, trade associations and more.
IMEX America is America's worldwide exhibition for incentive
travel, meetings and events. The show runs the largest hosted
buyer program ever held in North America with over 2,400
qualified buyers.
Electric Charging Stations in Marin!
The Marin CVB is learning about EV charging stations and recently
started dialogue with the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM)
on providing the best resources for Marin hotels interested in
installing EV charging stations. If you are a Marin lodging property
and are interested in learning more about EV charging stations,
please contact Gina Marr at [email protected]
What are your Plans for Thanksgiving?
Where to Dine in Marin for a Dinner of Thanks
Rickey's Restaurant and Bar: Executive chef Kenneth Drew has Thanksgiving dinner prepared
for you from 2:00pm to 7:00pm. The three-course Thanksgiving menu choices include such things
as a Rotiserrie Turkey ($34.95 per person) or Smoked Prime Rib of Beef ($37.50), all with soup or
salad, and pumpkin or apple pie. The full dinner menu will also be available. Make your dinner
reservation in advance to guarantee a seat.
Location: 250 Entrada Drive in Novato at the Inn Marin
Contact: www.rickeysrestaurant.com or call 415.883.5952
Farm House Restaurant: Have a real Thanksgiving Feast in beautiful Olema with a Sustainable
Thanksgiving Supper served from 11:30am to 6:00pm. View menu and pricing online and to make
dinner reservations.
Location: 10021 Coastal Highway One in Olema at the Point Reyes Seashore Lodge
Contact: www.pointreyesseashore.com or call 415.663.1264
Embassy Suites Hotel: A full course dinner will be served from Noon to 4:00pm.
Tickets: $38.95 per person, children 12 years and younger are $29.25
Location: 101 McInnis Parkway in San Rafael
Contact: www.sanrafael.embassysuites.com or call 415.499.5950
Mountain Home Inn: A full three course Thanksgiving Dinner will be served from 11:30am to
6:30pm. Make your reservation in advance to guarantee a seat with a Mt Tam view.
Location: 810 Panoramic Highway in Mill Valley
Contact: www.mtnhomeinn.com or call 415.381.9000
Four Points Sheraton Hotel: Thanksgiving Dinner will be a Set Menu, and Plated Dinner. Check
the website for times and menu items.
Location: 1010 Northgate Drive in San Rafael
Contact: www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/sanrafael or call 415.479.8800
The Dance Palace: Join the annual celebration of Thanksgiving in West Marin, co-sponsored by
the Dance Palace and the West Marin Community Resource Center. Over 100 volunteers have helped
with the cooking, serving, and decorations for this wonderful community celebration. This is a great
way to get involved in the community and to celebrate what you are thankful for this year. Dinner
begins at 1:00pm.
Location: 503 B Street in Point Reyes Station
Contact: www.dancepalace.org or call 415.663.1075
Marin State Parks Update
Good news for Marin residents and visitors! Gov. Jerry Brown has established a two-year moratorium
on all California park closures, and will be providing about $30 million in funding to give the
department that manages California's 278 state parks new fundraising tools. The following is a brief
explanation of how the parks are now to be managed and what the adjusted hours of operations will be
through the year.
Muir Woods National Monument
The Muir Woods entrance fee is now $7.00 in order to help fund both Tomales Bay
and Samuel P. Taylor State Parks. All existing Point Reyes National Seashore staff
will be providing maintenance support as well as law enforcement for the Tomales
Bay State Park. The fee increase is in collaboration between the California
Department of Parks and Recreation and the National Park Service to keep
California State Parks near Muir Woods such as Samuel P. Taylor and Mt. Tamalpais open and to
support projects that are beneficial to both federal and state park lands near Muir Woods. "Muir
Woods, Golden Gate, and Mt. Tamalpais State Park are inextricably linked in the complex watershed of
Redwood Creek," Golden Gate National Recreation Area General Superintendent Frank Dean remarked.
Tomales Bay State Park
Beginning July 1, the National Park Service began managing Tomales Bay State
Park for a one year period. Tomales Bay State Park is now open Friday through
Monday all year, and closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday due to the budget
cuts and service reductions. This mid-week closure is likely to continue until summer
of 2013. The park will no longer accept cash payments for day use, and visitors
should still expect to pay the regular day use fee to California State Parks. Visitors should also plan to
bring a Visa, Mastercard, or debit card to pay for parking at Heart's Desire Beach and Picnic Area.
Those without a credit card can stop by Samuel P. Taylor State Park on their way to Heart's Desire
Beach to purchase a day use ticket with cash.
Samuel P.Taylor State Park
Samuel P. Taylor State Park will be open five days per week - Thursday through
Monday all year. Visit the park's newly constructed Madrone Cabins - situated at the
Madrone group camp area, set at the bottom of the grassy hills of Mount Barnabe.
Each 12 x 20 square foot cabin has electric outlets, lighting, wood flooring, a covered
porch and 4 platform bunk beds with camp style mattresses. Outside each cabin is a small picnic table,
fire ring, B&B grill and water spigot. Two of the cabins are wheelchair accessible. During winter
months, Coho salmon and steelhead trout migrate up Lagunitas Creek to spawn. The park offers AT&T
Wi-Fi Service for all visitors interested in researching while they learn of their surrondings. Samuel P.
Taylor State Park is named for Samuel Penfield Taylor, who came to California from Saugerties, New
York in 1849 to try his luck in the gold rush. He actually found gold, cashed in, and entered the lumber
business. Taylor built a resort hotel and Camp Taylor, one of the first sites in the US to offer camping as
a recreational pursuit. The area was one of California's most popular and well-known weekend
recreation destinations in the 1870s-80s.
China Camp State Park
It is now official! Friends of China Camp is the operator of China Camp State Park,
in partnership with the California State Parks. The organization's aim is to not only
operate the park, but to expand and improve the services and programs for visitors.
The Back Ranch Meadows Campground is now back on the ReserveAmerica reservation system and is
open seven days a week at $35.00 per night. The picnic sites at Buckeye and Weber Points have been
reopened and are available for reservations for special events. They still need the support of the
community to continue raising money for park operations.
Olompali State Historic Park
Since February 2012, Olompali State Park has been open only on weekends, a service
reduction mandated by the California State Parks Department. Olompali also was
one of 70 parks scheduled to close due to budget cutbacks. The Olompali People
(TOP), a committee of the Marin State Parks Association, is relying on a contingency of volunteers to
keep the park running on weekends. As for park management, the TOP would like to hire a ranger to
serve as the "eyes and ears" of the park. In the meantime, Olompali State Historic Park is currently open
Saturdays and Sundays only - from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Did You Know...?
California has an Official State Marine Reptile
As of last month, the State of California elected the Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle. The turtle is the
world's largest living reptile, growing to 2,000 pounds and more than six feet in length. The sea
turtle migrates thousands of miles across the ocean to feed on California's coastal jellyfish.
Marin's Unemployment Rate Remains Lowest
Marin jobs and growth, January 2001
to December 2011 is such that Marin
County retained its top spot in the
state of California for the lowest
unemployment rate at 5.8 percent. The 2012 industryemployment figures are not yet available for Marin.
Weird Marin Fact: In the midst of summer, Point
Reyes is the coolest place in the Continental United
States.
Travel Trends
Travel Outpacing Other Sectors of the Economy
The latest federal employment figures indicate that job growth in the U.S. travel industry is outpacing
the rest of the country's economic recovery, according to the U.S. Travel Association . Labor
Department data reveal that overall, the industry has been responsible for better than 7% of the
economy's total job growth since early 2010.
Earlier this month, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest jobs figures, which
showed a slight uptick in employment in July and an essentially unchanged unemployment rate of
8.3%. Total U.S. non-farm payroll employment rose by 163,000 in July, with 9,200 of those jobs
coming from the travel sector, accounting for 6% of all U.S. job growth last month, according to U.S.
Travel, which analyzed the Labor Department data.
"The travel industry continues to be one of the prime drivers of the nation's economy," David Huether,
senior vice president of economics and research at U.S. Travel, said in a statement. The 9,200 jobs
added to the travel industry in July marked the largest increase the sector has seen in four months. A
total of 63,700 jobs were added to the U.S. travel industry, or an average of 9,100 jobs per month,
since January of this year. Job growth in travel was mainly driven by increases in the restaurant and
lodging sectors, according to U.S. Travel.
The domestic travel industry now directly employs 7.6 million people, U.S. Travel reported. "Since the
employment recovery began, travel has created nearly 287,300 new jobs, contributing 7.2% of overall
job growth since early 2010," Huether said. "The travel industry's job growth continues to outpace the
growth of the rest of the economy in employment recovery."
U.S. Travel has long lobbied the government to pay greater attention to the U.S. travel industry and
the contributions it makes to the nation's economy. That argument is increasingly resonating in
Washington with legislation such as the Travel Promotion Act, which became law in 2010.
Positive jobs figures such as these further bolster the cause for federal support of the travel industry at
a time when bipartisan politics heading into this year's presidential elections could threaten some of
the headway the industry has made. For example, Brand USA , the
public-private entity established by the Travel Promotion Act as a
means to promote inbound travel to the U.S., recently came under
fire from Republican lawmakers who challenged its spending and
funding. As it turned out, none of the spending they were criticizing
had been paid for by taxpayers. For the first time in history, the
federal government is helping to fund the promotion of the U.S. as a
destination, matching industry contributions to Brand USA on a 2-for-1 basis up to $100 million in
2012.
Last month, U.S. Travel reported that travel exports increased 12% for the first five months of 2012
compared with 2011, double the 6% increase seen in exports overall. Numbers such as these
underscore "the need to enact legislation, such as the JOLT Act, to increase international travel to the
United States," Huether said in last month's release. JOLT is an acronym for the Jobs Originated
Through Launching Travel Act , which would streamline the visa process, expand the Visa Waiver
Program and ease entry into the U.S., a process that Huether argued "wll create much-needed
American jobs and contribute billions to the U.S. economy."
By Michelle Baran for Travel Weekly ­ follow her on Twitter @mbtravelweekly
Marin Convention & Visitors Bureau ¦ 1 Mitchell Blvd., Ste B San Rafael, CA 94903 ¦ www.visitmarin.org
This email was sent to: [email protected]
This email was sent by: Marin Convention & Visitors Bureau
1 Mitchell Blvd Suite B San Rafael, California 94903 United States
We respect your right to privacy ­ view our policy
Manage Subscriptions | Update Profile | One­Click Unsubscribe