The Good Life ~ Sacramento

Exploring a City with a Small-Town Feel and World of Potential

Archive for July, 2011

California + Cajun = Crawdads

The day is young at Crawdads on the River

A popular river restaurant, bar, hangout and boat dock, Crawdads is a well-known party place amongst boaters, river rats and restless after-work crowds. Featuring live music during the summer months, Thursdays through Sundays, the often-serene place gets more boisterous as the night progresses. Happy Hours feature good drink specials while weekends feature $2 Bloody Marys and Mimosas (with the former being much better than the latter). The food is hit or miss or just-missed-the-mark, probably just depending on what you order. The service is usually friendly and good, and the beers wet and sloppy. The scenery? The clencher that makes this place continue to draw them in from both land and sea.

http://www.crawdadsrivercantina.com

Time Traveling & Good ol’ Fashion Family Fun

Every time I turn around these days it seems Old Sacramento has something new up its sleeve. This time it’s the Silent Movie Festival happening every Saturday evening through July and August. Not enough to get your interest piqued just yet? Image… old time movies from 1900-1929, audience involvement and sing-alongs, period performers with music, mini skits and comedic acts, and each Saturday night offering something different – from early dramas and comedies to fantasies and more! More than you imagined? Me too. Eagle Theatre, 7PM, $5.

Wait, there’s still more: Time Travel Weekends in Old Sac, which is a free street theatre program with live roaming entertainment, 11AM-5PM, through August.
916-808-7059, http://www.historicoldsac.org/timetravel

Taste, Sip, Song of the Delta

Is it just me or is there a lot going on July 16th?! If I could be several places at one time, one of those places would be ‘Taste of the Delta’ festival going on at Windmill Cove Resort & Marina just outside of Stockton. Local Delta wines and appetizers will be served, along with live music and more from 1-4PM. Tickets are still a steal at only $25 (but they jump to $35 at the door for late-risers and commitment-phobes).

Just because I have three other things on the calendar that day doesn’t mean I’m giving up just yet. Wine, food, water and Delta breezes are a pretty irresistable combination!

916-777-4041, http://www.TasteoftheDelta.com

Napa Valley Wine Tasting on a Budget

Chateau Montelena


There’s hardly any disputing that the lush, fertile Napa Valley is gorgeous. It’s also a well-known fact that wine tasting in this region is popular and prolific. But crowds, hefty tasting fees and being herded like cattle can detract from the pleasantness of the trip… unless you know a few little secrets and are willing to experiment.

First of all, avoid the weekends, if at all possible. Second, avoid the main drag and head someplace with back country roads like Calistoga. Third, get a wine map (complimentary at many places in the area) and chart a route if you really want to visit specific wineries. Fourth, since tasting fees are the norm here (typically $10-20 per person), consider sharing a glass with your partner and maybe actually buying some wine. Most places will waive the tasting fee if you make a purchase. Fifth, be friendly with the pourers. If they think you actually like wine -and aren’t just out for a free party – they might ignore the fee altogether. And finally, if the parking lot is full and the place resembles an amusement park, consider skipping it for someplace more intimate. Your chances at learning a lot more about wine and possibly even making new friends skyrocket when you meander off the beaten path and slow down long enough to really savor each sip.

http://www.montelena.com/

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