The Good Life ~ Sacramento
Exploring a City with a Small-Town Feel and World of PotentialArchive for Day Trip’n
Lake Berryessa or Bust
Morning serenity, Afternoon delights!
Just 40 miles from Sacramento, between Winters and Napa, you’ll find more recreational opportunities than you can shake a stick at – as my grandmother used to say – including swimming, boating, fishing, kayaking, hiking, birding, camping, picnicking, etc.
Before it was cemented and filled in 1963 due to state water needs, the geography consisted of “a valley floor covered with family farms whose land titles could be traced to the Homestead Act of 1862.” A gold rush-era town called Monticello was also gravely affected, with its residents (both living and dead) re-located and structures demolished.
Although Berryessa’s water reaches temperatures of up to 75 degrees in the summer making it an ideal place for water sports and laissez-faire floating, there are year-round recreational opportunities. Even the drive to or fro is dotted with beauty and scenic delights, including the Morning Glory Spillway which spouts water when the dam reaches capacity.
But if all of this fair-weathered fun is making you hot under the collar, here’s a chilling piece of trivia: The lake shore was the site of one of the Zodiac Killer murders in September 1969. (…Or, just forget that part and whistle as you wakeboard across the moss-green waters of bouyant Berryessa).
http://www.recreation.gov/recAreaDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&recAreaId=17&agencyCode=129
San Francis-Go!
The San Francisco Treat
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
May Madness: So Much to See & Do in Sac & Beyond!
If April showers bring May flowers, then what do May flowers bring?
FUN, of course~
OUTDOOR CONCERTS
Announcing the kick-off the 20th season of Friday Night Concerts in the Park.
May 6th and every Friday night, 5-9PM, through August 12.
Cesar Chavez Park, Downtown
http://www.SacFridayConcerts.com
ART & WINE AFFAIR
20 area wineries, artists, vendors, live entertainment.
Saturday & Sunday, May 7 & 8, 11-4PM
El Dorado Hills
916-802-6924, http://www.eldoradohillsartaffaire.com
PIXAR COLLECTION
Disney Fine Art by Collectors Editions presents the Pixar Collection worldwide debut — One Day Only!
Sunday, May 15, 11AM to 4PM
California State Railroad Museum, Old Sacramento State Historic Park
916-445-6645, http://www.csrmf.org
NATURE TOURS
Delta Eco-Tours – Take a short or long nature and cultural history tour of California’s best and most breathtaking locations along the Sacramento Delta.
Saturday, May 21, 2-hour History & Riparian Cruise
Saturday, May 28, 4-1/2 hour Tule Wilderness Adventure
Delta Ecotours/Hartland Nursery
13737 Grand Island Road (P.O. Box 439), Walnut Grove, CA 95690
(916) 775-4545, http://www.DeltaEcoTours.com
HISTORY TOURS
Gold Rush Legacy Tours and Old Sacramento Architectural Tours begin in May and go all summer long.
Saturdays & Sundays at 11AM
916-808-7059, http://www.historicoldsac.org
And for more ongoing, engaging and special events check out http://www.Sacramento365.com!
Yosemite by Day
One of Yosemite's Wondrous Sights
When I was little, I thought Yosemite the national park and the word ‘Yosemite’ were two entirely different things. Who knew that the little girl who thought ‘Yosemite’ was pronounced “yoes-might” would grow up to be a writer?! I can recall my mom laughing at the way I spelled “weird” in the 4th grade, and yet I won the 8th grade spelling bee. Call it a lack of experience, call it a condundrum, but don’t be surprised when I mispell something else in the future (but don’t be confused either, because I like to make up words as well).
Life is full of surprises… if you let them show themselves.
Years ago, after he offered me my first regular-paying writing job, my editor at the time Ken Mandler asked me to take a drive to Yosemite with him. For the day. ‘Ug’, I thought, ‘What a long way to go for just one day.’ But as it turns out, it was a great trip. I wrote an article about it, got some great photos while we were there, and learned that Ken was selling the papers I had been writing for for the past 2 years.
That particular part wasn’t exactly the best news ever, but I appreciated his respect for me and the manner in which he shared his professional dilemna. Personally, I felt I was close to being ready for a change anyway, so it was rather bittersweet. But I’ll tell you one thing for sure: You never forget news like that when wrapped up in such a magnificent package – or views like that when wrapped up in such a brief but breathtaking encounter.
So since I’m still writing, I’d like to thank Ken for giving me my first opportunity. And even though I lost the regional spelling bee championships to the word ‘scheme’ (tragically, ‘skeme’, in my world), it was because I’d never seen the word before. And sometimes, just one look is all it takes to never again forget.
Cars: From Mean to Pristine
Race to the Finish
I snapped this shot while attending Reiff’s Annual Street Bash and car show in Woodland a few weeks ago. Touring the house – which is much more museum than home – I suddenly recalled being there as a child, soaking all the sights up with my eyes while my dad traded antique stories with Reiff. Putting the memory to a literal place, town and face, I felt my younger self coming full circle.
The block party is fun, but you can get a more intimate tour of the architectural artwork any time of the year. Just let Reiff know you’re coming, and I wouldn’t recommend rolling up on empty. http://www.reiffsgasstation.com
Since we’re on the topic of cars, here are some more pix; some taken at Reiff’s party and others taken outside Elkhorn Station. Elkhorn Station, by the way, is a rural escape with great food, sprawling views, live music and no pretense. On the River Road and just off the I-5, it’s the closest thing to the Sacramento Airport next to fields and more fields. It has some history, but you’ll have to Google it to get more info, as I didn’t find a website. Or just ask the guy driving the tractor in the middle of the road which way to the cold beer.
Freeport Festa: You are Cordially Invited
Mary, Monica & Justina Invite you to Festa
Festa Dinner
Saturday, May 29
Tri-Tip, Beans, Bread, Salad, Dessert
$15 per person
Music
Festa
Sunday, May 30
Parade starts at 10am
Mass at 11:30am
Auction at 1:30 (Donations are welcome)
Freeport-Clarksburg
Portuguese Hall
54113 South River Road
[North of Clarksburg in Yolo County - 2 ½ miles north of Freeport Bridge]
For more information, contact Monica Souza at (916) 925-8661.
Scotts, Celts, Kilts, Cold Beer!
Festival-Goers and Historical Characters Mingling
Since I live there, it’s probably okay for me to admit that Woodland is not especially well known for its fancy variety of world-renowned festivals… But having just attended the 134th Annual Sacramento Valley Scottish Games & Festival at the Yolo County Fairgrounds, I think this one’s worth writing home about.
Modeled after the traditional gatherings of Scots in their homeland, the weekend-long festival features Olympic-style heavy athletics and Highland dancing, pipe bands and Celtic rock groups, sheep dog trials, historical re-enactments and more.
Just like any festival, there’s plenty of good food and fun, cold beer and faire frills, shows and vendors (although I would have personally appreciated more of those). But unlike many festivals, this one’s got an eye-full of colorful kilts walking around, as well as those manly Scottish games playing out on the open field. This April, there was plenty of sunshine and luckily also plenty of shade beneath ye olde olive trees. And if there’s one thing about Woodland, everything’s pretty easy here: easy to access, easy entry… easy escape.
What began as a simple “Scottish Picnic Competition” in a park is now what allows the club to “benefit” the public through education, scholarships and charity. McKinley Park in East Sacramento was the site of the first Sacramento Scottish Games & Gathering on June 16, 1877. The festival moved to the 55-acre Yolo County Fairgrounds in 1997 due to it having more elbow room, ample parking and helpful fairground staff.
The event is hosted by the Caledonian Club of Sacramento, a nonprofit organization established in 1876. Club membership is open to any one of Scottish birth or descent, their kin, and to any person interested in the rich and historic traditions of Scotland. They host other annual events, including the Sacramento Tartan Ball in November.
Keep the Sacramento Scottish Games in mind next year; it’s a magical day for anyone interested in Scottish and Celtic arts, culture and history – or anyone just a fan of festivals, period. It takes place the last full weekend of every April.
http://www.saccallie.org, (916) 557-0764.
Dreamy Days
Clouds Above Trees, South Lake Tahoe, CA
As the cloud changes form and drops some of its excess mass, the rainbow stays with it, but stretches and extends from front, and over the top to back. In it I see pink and green primarily, colors that remind me both of purity and potential.
I hear church bells around the corner. And then I see a carnival and childlike lust for life and her dreams in the kaleidoscope of my mind.
Some things are visible but out of reach. Others are tangible yet finite. And still others are not literally seen or felt, but breathe life into the kind of dreams that eventually create new kinds of life.
The Secret Life of Birds
Yolo Basin Trails - Davis, Yolo County, CA
California Duck Days, a wetlands festival in the heart of the Pacific Flyway, will be held on February 19th and 20th. A FREE gala reception and Wildlife Art Show will launch the festivities on Friday evening February 19th at the Davis Arts Center, from 5:30 to 7:30pm.
On Saturday February 20th the festival will feature one full day of field trips, workshops and other activities at the Yolo Wildlife Area Headquarters facility in South Davis. Field Trips include rice farming first-hand, central valley raptors and birding by bicycle. Workshops include duck calling, decoy painting and bat class.
•Workshops and onsite activities only: $20
•Workshops/onsite plus 1 field trip: $23
•Workshops/onsite plus 2 field trips: $25
[Children 16 and under are free when accompanied by an adult]
There is something special about Sacramento; the rich land upon which it was built, the rivers that flow through, the bounty around it and the people who make the Sacramento area their home.
Life is good in California’s Capital City for many reasons, including climate and geography, community and amenities, nature and wildlife, and so much more. It’s hard to imagine a warmer feeling than a sunshine-drenched morning here, an easier feeling than a refreshing post-rain spring day, or a more engaging experience than a night on the town with friends or family.
There’s truly something here for everyone and every mood, for Sacramento is a shifting entity itself, with four distinct but relatively mild seasons, diverse neighborhoods and people, a ripening food and restaurant scene, year-round events and outdoor fun, and daytime and night-time adventures. Its magic is a blend of history and tradition, vision and reinvention. And there’s so much pleasure to be had here – with family and friends, food and wine, adventures and experiences – that they’re likely to create the kind of fond memories that might seem so familiar… but aren’t quite like any other.
