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Forgettheex- cuses. You need a vacation, and for more reasons other than it's just fun to get away. Research shows that regular getaways may in- crease longevity by preventing heart disease. In fact, men in a nine-year study who took at least one va- cation per year were al- most 30 percent less likely to die from a heart-related cause compared with the men who kept their noses to the grindstone. Family vacations are one of my best childhood memories. Being together away from the normal rou- tines of life creates an at- mosphere just right for bonding and for making memories to last a life- time. If you can manage the time, I've got some tips and ideas to make it hap- pen: Be realistic about the cost. Consider the money you have first, and then design a vacation that will realistically fit within that financial boundary. If you have a family of five and $500 to spend, don't even think about a couple of days at Disney World. Be realistic about time. Divide what you can spend by a reasonable daily bud- get to determine how many days you can be gone. Carefully consider all the costs, not only the admission fees and over- night accommo- dations. Instead of full weeks, con- sider day trips or a weekend vacation. Camping. If you're careful, camping can be nearly as cheap as staying at home — provided you already have the basic equipment or can borrow it. Kids love to camp. A nice campsite costs about $15-$35 a night. Many campgrounds now require reservations, so don't wait until the last minute to make your plans. The Na- tional Park Service web- site, www.nps.gov, has all the information you need about every national park in the country. Gas up the car. Road trips are an American tra- dition, a wonderful way to see the country and an in- expensive vacation alter- native for families with young children. Even if your goal is to get some- where and stay there, make the drive itself a spe- cial part of the vacation. Stop often. Take in every Visitor Center and historic site. When it's time to fill up, visit GasBuddy.com or GasPriceWatch.com to find the cheapest gasoline price. Hint: Sunoco gives an immediate $.05/gallon discount at the pump with its gas card. No strings at- tached! Meals. Look for family- friendly, residential-style accommodations that in- clude a complimentary breakfast. Take full advan- tage of it, and then make lunch your main meal of the day in a restaurant. Pick up food in a deli or grocery store for a dinner- time picnic. Stay-at-home vaca- tion. If your bottom line says you just don't have the money available to leave town on vacation this year, don't let that get you down. Take your va- cation at home. Visit your own city as if you've never been there before. Go to the museums, theme parks — all those places that tourists visit when they come to your town, but you've only driven by. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce. Google your city plus "tourist." Take day hikes. Visit all the parks within a five-mile radius of your house. Clever and creative parents can turn even a tent in the backyard into an amazing camping ex- perience. Change all the rules for your stay-at- home vacation. Sleep in, unplug the phone, stay up really late, endure movie marathons. MaryHuntisthefounder of www.DebtProofLiving. com, a personal finance member website. You can email her at mary@eve- rydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheap- skate, P.O. Box 2099, Cy- press, CA 90630. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE You need a vacation Mary Hunt WEAVERVILLE The Coffee Fire was up to 4,500 acres Monday in the Trinity Alps Wilderness burning in tim- ber and brush. Crews were able to maintain the fire at 5 percent containment in spite of significant growth on all flanks of the fire ex- cept for the east fork of the Coffee Creek drainage. Predicted weather for the fire area will bring a slight chance of thun- derstorms with variable winds. Resources are ac- tively constructing fire line to protect cultural re- sources and wilderness. Smoke jumpers were able to successfully com- plete an operation around Hodges cabin. By preparing the area and then burning around the cabin they were able to tie the fire in to the trail along North Fork of Coffee Creek. Trail closures are pend- ing. The public is advised not to travel the Forest Ser- vice access roads 38N22 and 38N27 to the Stod- dard Lake Trailhead off of County Route 3 due to the threat of wildfire to over- take the area. It is strongly recommended that the public avoid the East Fork of the Coffee Creek, Gran- ite Creek, Doe Lake, Stod- dard Lake and the North Fork Coffee Creek Trail Systems. There are no evacua- tions. The Northern Province Center of Excellence Mule Team in collaboration with the Backcountry Horse- men of California extri- cated a Back Country Cali- fornia Conservation Corps relocating them to a work camp away from the fire's path. CoffeeFirereaches4,500acres COURTESYPHOTO The Northern Province Center of Excellence Mule Team in collaboration with the Backcountry Horsemen of California extricated a Back Country California Conservation Corps, relocating them to a work camp away from the Coffee Fire's path. REDDING Dignity Health Medical Group North State today announced its recog- nition for providing excep- tional patient care by Ava- tar Solutions, a leading pro- vider of patient experience surveys. Avatar Solutions' annual patient experience awards are based on organizational performance in patient sur- veys and honor significant accomplishments in pa- tient satisfaction as well as innovation in health care settings. "We are honored to receive this award, be- cause it reflects direct pa- tient feedback," said Rob- ert Folden, director of Dig- nity Health Medical Group North State, which includes St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff. "We are committed to delivering excellent and compassion- ate care every day and this recognition is testament to that dedication." Highlighting its consis- tent dedication to providing a high-quality patient expe- rience, Dignity Health Med- ical Group North State is re- cipient of Avatar's Exceed- ing Patient Expectations, awarded to facilities whose patients indicate their ex- pectations for their care experience were surpassed. "Avatar award winners show dedication to provid- ing the excellent care ex- perience that patients de- serve," said Lynn Ehrman- traut, senior vice president of Performance Improve- ment at Avatar Solutions. AWARD Hospital group recognized for patient care TRINITY ALPS Today REDBLUFF American Legion Mt. Lassen Post 167: 7p.m., Veterans Memorial Hall, 735Oak St. City Council: 7p.m. City Hall, 555Washington St. Cribbage Club: 6p.m., Cozy Diner, 259S. Main St. Fiber Arts Group: 5-8 p.m., library, 645Madison St., 528-8667, free Fun Senior Aerobics: 8-9 a.m., $1, Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. 527- 8177 Healthier Living with Chronic Conditions: 5:30- 8p.m., St. Elizabeth Com- munity Hospital, Wright Room, 888-628-194 PAL Kickboxing: 6p.m., 1450Schwab St., 529- 8716or 200-3950 Penny Bingo: 9:30a.m., Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Pinochle for Seniors: 12:30p.m. to 3:30p.m., 1500S. Jackson St., free, 527-8177 Red Bluff Derby Girls open tryouts and prac- tice: 6:30p.m., Tyler Jelly building at Tehama District Fairgrounds Red Bluff Rotary: noon, Elks Lodge Take Off Pounds Sensi- bly - TOPS: 10a.m., First United Methodist Church, 525David Ave., 824-0556 or 529-1414 Tehama County and Red Bluff Landfill Manage- ment Agency: 8a.m., board meeting, 727Oak St. Tehama County Board of Supervisors: 10a.m., board chamber, 727Oak St. Tehama County Tea Party Patriots: 6p.m., Grange Hall, 20794Walnut St. WWE self defense train- ing for women: 5:30-7 p.m., 1005Vista Way, Ste. C CORNING Bible reading and noon day prayers for the com- munity: 12:15p.m., St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 820Marin St. Sr. Warden Charles Rouse, 824-2321 Corning Community meeting: 7p.m., Maywood Middle School, 1666Mar- guerite Ave. Corning Recreation Com- mission: 7:30p.m., City Hall, 794Third St. ESL/Citizenship classes: 9a.m. - 11a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Dance with Juana: noon to 1p.m., Family Resource Center, 1488South St., 824-7670 Soccer training: 4-6p.m., Woodson School Soccer Field, 150N Toomes, 824- 7680 COTTONWOOD Bowman 4-H: 7p.m., Ev- ergreen Elementary School Gym, 527-3101Los Molinos Bingo: 4:30p.m. dinner, early birds 6:15p.m., regular session 6:30p.m., Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, 7900 Sherwood Blvd., 384-2738 LOS MOLINOS Cemetery District: 8:30 a.m., 25096Ta St., 384- 1864 School Readiness Play Group: 10-11:30a.m., up to 5years, free, First Steps Family Resource Center, 7700Stanford Ave., 384- 7833 Wednesday RED BLUFF Al-Anon: noon, Presbyte- rian Church, Jefferson and Hickory Alcohol, Anger and Abuse Group: Call for group time and location, 528-0226 Downtown Farmers Mar- ket: 5-8p.m., Washington Street between Pine and Oak streets Nurturing Parenting Dads Program: 10a.m. to noon, 1860Walnut St. #D, Shasta Room, call Keith at 527- 8491, ext. 3012 Nurturing Skills for Teen Parents: 9-10a.m., 1900 Walnut St., 527-8491, ext. 3012 PAL Martial Arts Wom- en's Self Defense: 5:30- 6:30p.m., 1005Vista Way, Ste. C, 840-0345 Penny Bingo: 9:30a.m., Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Red Bluff Kiwanis: noon, Elks Lodge Red Bluff Derby Girls open tryouts and prac- tice: 6:30p.m., Tyler Jelly building at Tehama District Fairgrounds Senior Dance: 7p.m., Westside Grange, Walnut Street Team Kid: 5:30p.m., First Southern Baptist Church, 585Kimball Road, 527- 5083 TeenScreen Mental Health Appointments: 10a.m. to 2p.m., free by appointment, Youth Em- powerment Services, 1900 Walnut St., 527-8491, Ext. 3012 Tehama AIDS Consortium: 5p.m. committee meeting, 5:30p.m. public meeting, St. Elizabeth Home Health Care: 1425Vista Way, 527-6824 Tehama County Drug and Alcohol Advisory Board Meeting: 6p.m., 1850Wal- nut St., Ste. G, 527-7893 Tehama County Educa- tion Foundation: 7:30a.m., Department of Education, 1135Lincoln St. Tehama County Library story time: 9:30a.m., 645 Madison St. 527-0604 Tehama County Technical Advisory Committee: 9 a.m., Board of Supervisors Chambers Tehama Shooters Associ- ation: 6:30p.m., Red Bluff Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. 527-8727 Waterbirth Class: 6:30- 8:30p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital Columba Room, 888-628- 1948 Weight Watchers meet- ing: 9a.m., Hampton Inn, 1-800-651-6000 Y-FI Middle and High School Youth Group: 6:30-8p.m., North Valley Baptist Church, 345David Ave., 527-0543 CORNING Corning Rotary: noon, Rolling Hills Casino: Timbers Steak House, 2655Barham Ave., corningrotary.org School Readiness Play Group: 10-11:30a.m., up to 5years, free, Family Re- source Center, 1480South St., 824-4111 Spanish Adult Education: 5p.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Strategies for Success: Life Skill classes, 1:30p.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 VFW Charity Bingo: 6 p.m., Corning Veterans Memorial Hall, 1620Solano St., 824-5957 LOS MOLINOS Bible Study: 1p.m., Sherwood Manor, 7975 Sherwood Blvd. All wel- come., Pastor Clyde Brant, 347-1330 Narcotics Anonymous: 7-8p.m., 25204Josephine Ave, Wednesday and Friday Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS): 8:30a.m., 25160 Josephine St., 385- 1068Cottonwood Cottonwood Library Story Time: 11:30-12:30 p.m., Cottonwood Library, 3427Main St., 347-4818 Thursday RED BLUFF California HEAT Chorus - Sweet Adelines: 7p.m., Meteer School multipurpose room, 695Kimball Road, 895-0139 Childbirth Class: 6:30- 8:30p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Columba Room, 888-628- 1948. CALENDAR 530-366-3166 www.redbluffdodge.com 545 Adobe Rd., Red Bluff, CA All offers for a limited time. Not all buyers will qualify for individual programs. See Red Bluff Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge/Ram for complete details and vehicle qualifications for all currently running programs. 0% and 1.9% APR financing are not applicable on these new selected models. All prices plus government fees and taxes, any finance charge, any dealer document, preparation charge, and any emission charge. Subject to prior sales & credit approval. Some vehicle images in this ad are for illustration purposes only and may vary from actual vehicle. Ad expires 8/8/14. ALL NEW 2014 IN STOCK RAM 1500 S QUAD CABS & CREW CABS 4X4s ON SELECT MODELS. -$4,000 OFF MSRP -$4,500 REBATE $8,500 SAVINGS! 7166 TH St, Corning 530-824-4546 Familybusiness,owned&operated DOMESTIC & EUROPEAN AUTO REPAIR Certified Mechanic Smog, Brakes, Diesel Smogs, Oil Change, Transmission, Alignment & More flyingaperformance@att.net FLYING AbundantLifeFellowship 21080 Luther Rd. SUNDAY SCHOOL.........................9:45AM MORNING WORSHIP..................11:00AM SUNDAY EVENING ........................ 6:00PM TUESDAY: LADY'S PRAYER CIRCLE.....9:30-10:30AM BIBLE STUDY .................................. 6:00PM SATURDAY: MEN'S PRAYER MEETING ........... 5:00PM AWarmWelcomeAwaitsYou Reynolds Ranch & Farm Supply presents Comecelebrateour 25th Anniversary with us! Fun! Food! Raffles! Prizes! Samples August 9 th & 10 th at Reynolds Ranch & Farm Supply 501 Madison St. (530) 527-1622 Adoptions by Deserving Pets, Tehama County Animal Services & Veterans and Shelter Pets SATURDAY, AUGUST 9TH 9am-4pm SUNDAY, AUGUST 10TH 10am-2pm RUNNINGS ROOFING SheetMetalRoofing ResidentialCommercial • Composition • Shingle • Single Ply Membrane Ownerisonsiteoneveryjob ServingTehamaCounty 530-527-5789 530-209-5367 NoMoney Down! "NoJobTooSteep" " No Job Too Flat" FREE ESTIMATES CA. LIC#829089 TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |LIFESTYLES | 5 A