June in Sacramento is not usually this hot, but since the happenings this weekend are pretty cool nonetheless, all it takes is a little creative thought to find something just right.

Beat the Heat Before it Hits
Fun on the Farm - Saturday morning, 9-11am. Do fun farm stuff like cavort with the animals, get your hands dirty, eat fresh food. Soil Born Farms, American River Ranch, http://www.sacfoodcoop.com, (916) 868-6399.

Hide from the Heat; Go Indoors
City Crush: Food & Wine Tasting - Saturday afternoon, 3-6pm. Enjoy art, culture and cars; wine, beer and scrumptious snacks. California Auto Museum, http://citycrush.eventbrite.com/#.

Can’t Beat it? Join It.
The Rex Ride - Sunday, your call. Join this leisurely, social bike ride along the beautiful American River Parkway, and go as far (or not so far) as you like. Benefits the American River Parkway Foundation. http://www.arpf.org/rex.shtml.

Just remember to KEEP CALM and CARRY WATER.

Once strictly a Jazz-oriented weekend of live music in Old Sacramento, The Sacramento Jazz Jubilee was changed to the Sacramento Music Festival last year, now encompassing a much larger array of musical styles, genres and experiences ~ including Traditional Jazz, Country, Rockabilly, R&B, Soul, Gospel, Zydeco and Rock-n-roll.

I asked Mike Testa, Senior Vice President of Convention Sales & Business Development at the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau, if the festival will continue to get more musically diverse. “We worked hard to have a wide range of styles each day. Certainly, jazz was the style of music booked most but you found a bit of everything, no matter which day(s) you were there. We will continue to feature multiple genres of music as this festival continues to grow.” He also said the pricing should remain about the same, with $39 daily tickets and $110 for an all-days, all-events pass. In addition, 12 and younger get in free and there’s ‘youth’ discount pricing for ages 13-20, so it’s truly an all ages-friendly experience.

Old Sacramento is really such a charming backdrop for a 4-day music festival, with shops, restaurants, street entertainment, nearby hotels, and various concert venues all within walking distance. The Firehouse Courtyard was an intimate venue in a beautiful victorian garden-like setting with table service and clean, convenient restrooms. Turntable on the Green, a new venue this year with an abundance of grassy seating, was festive and set against an iconic architectural Old Town backrop. Freeway Gardens, come evening-time, always seems the place to be and the place to party like it’s 1999. But in truth, no matter where you go in Old Sacramento (and beyond), there’s music coming from the walls, dancing in the streets, and the kind of ambiance one wants to absorb and remember for a long, long time.

Next year, book your hotel room and take advantage of the free shuttle service to and from the festival. Wear comfy shoes, sunscreen and a hat, don’t forget your camera, and plot your course of fun before you go (there are several performances going at once throughout). Or, like lots of locals do, just play it by ear. The festive vibe will surely catch your coattail at some point, pulling you to a magical place and time that beckons you to immerse in some whimsical fun.

See for yourself! 2013 Sac Music Fest photos to the right~

http://www.SacMusicFest.com

Salute to Memorial Day Weekend!

Wondering what to do this Memorial Day Weekend? We have a few suggestions for you (and suggest trying them all)…

1. Hug a Vet (or at least thank one).

2. Have a BBQ and invite friends and family (or just eat something fresh from the grill).

3. Relax by a pool/pond/lake/river/ocean (or in a sea of bubbles in a tub).

4. Go to the Sacramento Music Festival in Old Sacramento (or wait for my write-up/pix and maybe plan to go next year).

5. Make a list of fun things you’d like to do this summer (or discuss with partner in crime).

6. Have a cool refreshment on a patio or in a backyard (or even better, on a boat).

7. Finally, attend the 120th(!) Annual Portuguese Festa in Freeport on Sunday (It’s fun and IT’S FREE!!).

http://sacmusicfest.com/

https://www.facebook.com/FreeportFesta?fref=ts

Mayor Kevin Johnson just announced that a deal has been reached and an agreement made to keep the Sacramento Kings with “the best fans in the NBA”.

Images from the press conference were shown of a new arena being planned for Downtown, in what looked to be the very heart of it.

Congratulations Sacramento and welcome home, Kings!!

Mid-week, mid-spring break

Tonight, Ladies, the stars twinkle for you. Whether you’d like to chill outdoors at a rural Clarksburg winery or keep cool indoors with a mini make-over, this evening seems all about good times with the girls.

Miner’s Leap Winery presents their ‘Women and Wine Wednesday’ tonight from 5-8pm. There will be local vendors focusing on health, beauty, fitness and fashion, salads for purchase, and wine by the glass or bottle. Miner’s Leap is known for their welcoming nature, great patio area and festive gatherings. http://www.MinersLeap.com

The Sac Natural Food Co-op is also focusing on the feminine tonight with a class on ‘Natural Beauty: Skincare and Cosmetics’. Learn about products that are good for you and your skin and tips you can take home with you. Last but not least, get a mini make-over from ZuZu Luxe. http://sacramento.downtowngrid.com/events/index.php?events_id=10196&tk=1331daa93cc2de6bb0fb&event_on=05%2F15%2F2013

Whether you go with the girls or treat a special someone to a little mid-week pampering, I bet it’ll make the rest of the week a breeze~

I wonder if we become old souls simply by being here, giving it our all, and choosing to learn the hard way (via experience).

It can be difficult at times walking in our human shoes, but if we recognized the challenge of it all and honored our efforts, we might be easier on ourselves and others. And this compassion could then yield an awareness of and renewed appreciation for all the fun stuff also at our fingertips…

So my springtime wish to all of you is that you find as many ways possible to feel joy,
as many reasons possible to be grateful,
and as many chances possible to laugh out loud and just let go a little~

Welcome to your fabulous life~

Putah Creek Winery’s Spring Wine Tasting (and food pairing) is this Saturday, May 4, 3-6pm in Davis. It’s a marvelous way to enjoy the gorgeous outdoors, get to know some of Yolo County’s fine food, wine and art, and just relax amongst the oaks of rural Davis. $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

http://putahcreekwinery.com/events.html

The 3rd Annual Wine & Art in the Park 2013 will take place next Saturday, May 11, 11-5pm in Winters. Featuring wines from Capay Valley, Winters, Davis, Dunnigan Hills and English Hills – as well as local food, music and art – it’s another intimate affair that promises a significant dose of romance. (If you haven’t yet experienced Winters’ flavors and charms, this is a great way to get it all done in one cool, shady spot). $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

http://rootstowine.com/

P.S. Nearby accomodations include Holiday Inn Express West Sacramento.

http://discovergold.chambermaster.com/list/member/holiday-inn-express-west-sacramento-west-sacramento-242.htm

Enjoy and sleep tight!

Enotria’s Renovated Courtyard Patio

Sometimes, when we don’t know what to expect from a certain situation, it can be a little unnerving. But if we always gave into those feelings of uncertainty, we’d miss out on a lot of little adventures that lay in wait.

Who knew what to expect from Enotria Restaurant and Wine Bar’s recent renovations? I thought it was just a patio revamp, and that would have been good enough for me. But alas, Enotria had grander plans than I had envisioned.

In the late 90s one of Sacramento’s finest restaurants and wine bars began helping to revitalize the ‘Uptown’ area of North Sacramento by setting up kitchen along Del Paso Blvd (once historic Route 40). Later, they expanded their wine tasting services to encompass an old Swanson’s Cleaners on the corner of Del Paso Blvd. and Arden Way, a door or two down from the restaurant. There was a separate entrance to the restaurant and bar on Del Paso and another for the wine tasting room that juts out toward Arden Way.

Having been curious about the renovation for quite some time, it was the melodious voice of local singer/songwriter Clemon Charles (and talented sidekick Wayne H. Sheats) that finally pulled us out and about Uptown last Saturday evening. So with friends in tow we walked in through the new entrance at the convergence of Del Paso and Arden Way to the sleek new wine bar, where we were greeted warmly and given a brief tour of the new space.

Walking through the bar area, we could see the extensive patio to the right, but kept on going straight, all the way to the back. I was surprised to see that what once was the entire restaurant and bar is now simply a quiet, secluded dining room. (The old bar looked to have been absorbed by an open-style kitchen area). Patrons were nestled at their tables and in booths enjoying fine contemporary California cuisine dining. Later, I discovered the clean, classy (and well-stocked) Ladies’ Room, a fitting respite for the fair maiden in want of powdering her nose.

Finally we reached our destination, entering the spacious but welcoming courtyard patio and getting comfortable at a lounge-y table facing the musical duo. We chose a nice balanced white wine from Argentina (perfect for a warm spring evening), sampled the Happy Hour menu (warm Marcona almonds, olive medley and the fanciest grille cheese we’d ever eaten), and listened to some soothing but surprisingly hip music in a let-go-of-all-your-troubles kind of way.

I highly recommend it.

http://www.Enotria.com

https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/clemon.charles?fref=ts

Sacramento’s Pet-A-Palooza 2013
is just a week and 1/2 away, and if I can’t find a reason to make you want to attend… well, then I think I’m gonna have to check you for a pulse.

It’s no secret – I love animals and always have. To me, there’s hardly anything cuter than a fluffy feather-light kitten or wobbly floppy-eared puppy. Cows – love them too. Mice – I have a soft spot for ‘em. Snakes – It depends on how and where we meet, but I did enjoy a nice cuddle with one once…

Anyway, you know the quote by Gandhi that goes something like this: ‘The greatness of a society can be measured by how well it treats its animals’? Well, it’s events like these, that in my opinion too, take our society up a notch in emotional evolution.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun doing it!

Enter Pet-A-Palooza!

The Fun Stuff:
IT’S FREE
HINDER, Vicci Martinez and Sara Skinner all performing Live
Pony Rides & Petting Zoo
Giant Slide and Tubs Ride
Rock Wall
Toddler Playland
Beer Garden
Photo Booth
Lots of Vendors
Splash Dogs

The Feel-Good Stuff:
Animals in need up for Adoption
Rabbits visiting from the House Rabbit Society
K9 Unit Appearances
Kids + Animals = LOL
One person really can Make a Difference!

The What’s What:
Sacramento Pet-A-Palooza 2013
Saturday, April 27th, 10AM -4PM, Rusch Park (7801 Auburn Blvd, Citrus Heights)

The Website (or best online presence I could find): http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/pet-a-palooza-2013/