Viewing sites in Northern/Mid California

[JohnTuckerPhD]

I live in Oakland where on a typical moonless night one can see about 3 stars.  I've been driving out to the Brannan Island State Recreational area about an hour away to practice using my scope and learn the various software packages for AP, but its not that dark and costs $45 for  a campsite, which is the only way you can be there after 8 pm.  Most California parks are gated off at 8 pm and have legal curfews with stiff fines.  I've driving all over neighboring San Joaquin county, which is nearly half parkland, but failed to find anywhere I can legally be after 10 pm except for the Safeway parking lot.  

Aside from this I sometimes drive up to Lake Sonoma, which is about 2 hours away. Disadvantages include that it is an overnight trip for an old guy like myself, and that the seeing is typically not great, presumably because the jet stream is often overhead at that latitude.  Have had some luck at Lake New Melones, which is 2.5 hours due east and has decent seeing once in a while. 

Would appreciate any thoughts on viewing sites within a 3 hour drive of the Bay Area.  For now, I'm mostly ok on sites that require an overnight trip, but would really appreciate a  place that is even marginally dark that is closer than an hour drive away.  A lot of what I"m doing is still learning how to use the equipment, and every trip doesn't need to be primo seeing.  Of course I would like primo seeing if driving across the state!

 

Thanks,

 

JT

[cletrac1922]

Welcome JT from land down under

No solution to your location, perhaps move to land down under, where have uninterrupted skies every night

Last night just after sunset, was able to look up and see Venus on western horizon, Jupiter overhead, just east of Jupiter was Scorpio, and Antares, slightly east of that was Saturn, and just above the eastern horizon, was a huge red object in Mars

All the best buddy

My club news can be found http://sas.org.au/

JC