Moon trees of California

You can thank Stuart Roosa for America's moon trees. The Apollo 14 astronaut blasted off for the moon in 1971 with hundreds of seeds from different species of trees. Those seeds were brought back and germinated on Earth, and the saplings were given away to communities across the U.S. during the 1976 bicentennial. Moon trees planted in California, coast redwoods all, still stand. One can be found in downtown Monterey. There's also a moon tree at the State Capitol in Sacramento, two at Tilden Nature Area in Berkeley, one at Mission Plaza in San Luis Obispo, three at Humboldt State University in Arcata, and at least one in Lockeford. Roosa also brought seeds for loblolly pines from the South, Douglas fir from the Northwest, and sycamores, which grow mainly in the Northeast and the Midwest.

Los Angeles Times

Google adds bike-sharing

Google Maps has added a nifty search feature that will show you bike-share stations and availability in 24 cities around the world. It's perfect for travelers who want to know where they can pick up or drop off a bike when they want to explore the city on two wheels. All you do is search for the name of a bike-share company in a particular city. We searched for Santander Cycles in London and learned that only two bikes were available at the Hyde Park Corner location, but nine were up for grabs at nearby Knightsbridge station. We also searched on terms such as "bike-share Toronto" and found 20 stations with real-time information. The feature is available for big U.S. cities — Chicago, L.A., New York and San Francisco — as well as Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, Vienna and others. Google expects to add more cities.

Los Angeles Times

Summer deal in the desert

If you crave luxury for less, why not stay at an upscale resort in a place that's eager to attract tourists in the summer? On a long July weekend at Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows in Arizona, the temperatures ranged from 90 to 110 degrees. The resort's "Heat It Up in Scottsdale" summer package starts at $189 a night and includes two cocktails per person per day, a waived resort fee (usually a $39-a-day charge), a full breakfast served until 3 p.m., and 25% off spa services. Compare that with peak season rates, which start at $349 a night, without any of the inclusions. The 185-room resort, redeveloped in 2016, consists of exquisite, midcentury modern, single-story bungalows with their own entrances and patios. We upgraded to a 750-square-foot suite for $344 a night (experiencescottsdale.com).

New York Times

The pool at Andaz Scottsdale Resort.

Delta pilot arrested for suspected drinking

A Delta Air Lines pilot was arrested after officers at MSP airport smelled alcohol on his breath before his San Diego-bound flight Tuesday. The pilot was going through the Known Crewmember entrance and tried to leave the line when he saw additional screening, according to a report from airport police. The pilot was later found to be in possession of an "alcoholic container" and was suspected to be impaired. The TSA "routinely includes random changes in its processes as an added layer of security — it helps prevent people from gaming the security system," said airport spokesman Patrick Hogan. Minnesota has a 0.04 % legal limit for pilots. In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration prohibits any pilot from flying within eight hours of drinking alcohol, what the agency calls "bottle to throttle."

Staff Report