This REU program was funded through NSF PHY-1263201.
American River Rafting
The first weekend of the REU program we took a Saturday float down the American River Parkway in Sacramento. Leaving town in the late morning, we arrived and set the tubes for a lazy day down the river to beat the heat, and to make fast friends in the water. Rope swings, mud pits, and a fast water section added excitement. After finishing the float in the early evening, the group headed to midtown Sacramento for some delicious specialty pizza and gelato at Hot Italian.
McClellan Nuclear Reactor
Professor and REU mentor Shirley Chiang led the group's trip to McClellan Nuclear Research Center. Formerly part of an air force base, the nuclear reactor became associated with UC Davis when the base closed. The tour discussed the research now done at the reactor, which includes both physics-related and biomedical work. Students also saw the huge bays for radiological work, originally designed for examining airplane parts, and the core of the reactor itself.
San Francisco
Our trip to San Francisco began in early afternoon at the Exploratorium science museum, on a pier overlooking the San Francisco Bay. We then climbed the hundreds of steps up Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower for a spectacular view of the bay and Alcatraz Island. After crawling across the Bay Bridge in surprising traffic for a Sunday evening, we had dinner at Finfine Ethiopian restaurant in Berkeley.
Lake Tahoe
Professor Shirley Chiang and her husband Bill Graves again welcomed the entire REU group to their home at the north side of Lake Tahoe. The trip began with a visit to the Tahoe Environmental Research Center's main branch in Incline Village, Nevada. We had lunch, took advantage of a slackline set up nearby, and played with the sandbox that illustrates watersheds. We then stopped at a beach en route to Shirley and Bill's home. A relaxed afternoon was followed by a deluxe dinner. On Sunday some students did an all-day hike up Mount Tallac, while others enjoyed a pancake breakfast followed by a shorter hike, time at the lake, or spending the day at the house.
Big Basin Redwoods and Lick Observatory
Our camping trip was on a Wednesday and Thursday. Upon arrival in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, we hiked the 10-mile Berry Creek Falls loop trail, which passes by huge redwoods and three waterfalls. We stayed overnight at the park---much easier on a weekday than on a summer weekend!--- then drove to nearby Santa Cruz the next morning to spend a few hours on the boardwalk (below left). In mid-afternoon we headed to Lick Observatory for a six-hour private tour explaining the history, scientific accomplishments, and current uses of their telescopes. Part of the excitement this year was the drive up, where our large vans had to squeeze past a string of trucks descending the mountain.
Other Activities
As usual, REU students arranged additional trips and activities beyond those organized by the program. These included (below) San Francisco, Yosemite, and the Davis Moonlight Madness run.
