Seeing Sacramento & Beyond
Exploring a City with a Small-Town Feel and World of PotentialThe 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]
www.yolobasin.org
Sacramento’s Annual FREE MUSEUM Day is Here
Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
Free Museum Day is just ’round the bend, this Saturday, February 6!
Free shuttle and all the art and culture you can handle in one day included.
Rain or shine. Expand your mind!
www.sacmuseums.org
Arden Fair – Hits Midlife at 52
A 'Retro' Arden Fairl
It’s a cold and wet Friday afternoon. We drive into the Arden Fair Mall parking lot and slip right into a convenient parking space (Obviously, it’s not Christmastime). We walk down the mall, which is full of people and light, and still I find myself missing the gargantuan Christmas decorations that really make the place sparkle during the holidays (But then again, I don’t usually get to see them because I usually avoid the December crowds like the dentist).
After some rather intense shopping, Tom and I decide to take a load off and rejuvenate at the quiet and cozy California Cafe bar. There’s a couple eating a late lunch, two women just finishing cappuccinos and a woman with an armful of bags having a beer and what looks to be a shot of vodka.
Refreshed, we separate to cover greater ground. Tom finds the perfect black t-shirt at Banana Republic. I sample 20 different ‘butters’ at The Body Shop and try on some billowy little nighties at Victoria’s Secret.
I think back on what Arden Fair used to be like: Small and dark with Weinstocks on one end and Sears – separated by a small street – at the other. I look out and see an open field across the street… notice the scent of caramel corn emanating from Caramel Corner… see the five and dime Ben Franklin store… the movie theater hidden underground and the psychedelic 70s paisley carpet luring us down into its clutches… There’s the groovy Food Circus and Corti Brothers speciality market separated from the main mall by an automotive shop to the east…
I loved that little mall, and how it still reminds me of childhood and the magic lurking in dark, quirky spaces.
These days, Arden Fair is hardly anything like it used to be. It’s better in so many ways – large, clean and constantly full of the latest and greatest shops. There’s a handful of restaurants encasing it like a half circle. And at Christmastime, the crowds are so great that shuttles scoot people from the parking lots of other nearby businesses. (Of course, that field across the street is now full of buildings… and I may be the only one bothered by the loss of that little touch of nature).
Still, what was once the Little Humble Mall that Could is now the large contemporary mall that does. I wonder what 10 or 20 more years will unveil, and how we’ll look back on this particular time and place with nostalgia.
www.ArdenFairMall.com
{photo courtesy Arden Fair Mall}
Warm Reprieve on a Winter’s Day
Summertime at Lucca
Sometimes, a little Lucca is just what the doctor ordered on a stormy winter day…
Sometimes, they’re so friendly you wonder if it could be true.
Sometimes, warm, hearty food such as this is exactly what the doctor himself is having.
Most often, the Happy Hour menu makes you feel like royalty, indulging with little monetary care.
And always, those tiny little flaky fried zucchini chips are like swallowing a handful of mini happy smiling faces.
So back to verse 2… It must be true then. They’re just always eating those lovely little crunchy bits of bliss.
Many know that Summertime’s a breeze at Lucca with her trellised outdoor patio and large open-air windows. But don’t let Wintertime stop you from visiting… because Lucca can be downright cozy ~ when the heavy rains are beating down the long windows and you, gentle ladies & men, are warm and dry inside.
www.LuccaRestaurant.com
Cool Surprise Awaits in Midtown
Midtown Ice Rink
It’s a beautiful sunny day and a new year full of potential. Forget the finger-pointing ’shoulds’ of your resolutions… why not combine something that’s fun and good for you?! The Midtown Ice Rink is still open, after all (through Jan. 18), and what better way to liven up after the holidays than with a little brisk, lingering cheer!
You can grab a warm drink at Peet’s next door, a warm slice at Luigi’s next to that, or stop in afterward for a glass of bubbly at Lounge on 20. While the theme is still Christmas-based, the glittering lights and pop music add a little sparkle to an otherwise dull January. Just bring your mittens and some cash, because they don’t take American Express.
Midtown Ice Rink
20th between K & J Streets
$8/adults, $5/kids, $2/skate rental
www.exploremidtown.org
Old Sacramento – Take Another Look
Early Winter in Old Sacramento
No matter what you do – or don’t do – in Old Sacramento, there’s always something spectacular waiting up the cobblestone street, down the alley or ’round the bend.
www.OldSacramento.com
www.DiscoverGold.org
I do. They Did. Would you?
Ye Olde Sugar Mill is a sublime wine tasting spot with several tasting rooms in one historic building. But I’m not here to talk about the wine (this time). It’s the getting hitched in a fabulous location that’s permeating my personal airwaves.
Our very own ‘Nick on the Town’ recently tied the knot at the Old Sugar Mill just outside of Clarksburg and only 15 minutes from Downtown Sac. And even though it was cold and drizzly outside, inside was all about romance, with soft lighting and magical ambiance ~ worth reciting some vows for.
Planning on only doing it once in a lifetime? No problem. There’s always the wine tasting!
Happy Nuptuals, Nick & Amber~
www.OldSugarMill.com
Ode to the Tube
Oh, the many things that come in tubes!
When a box arrived at my door last night with both ends beaten open, it was nearly a miracle that none of the contents were lost. Although obviously imperfect, boxes are generally considered a handy way of transporting things.
The tube, however… The tube, is a special invention not always utilized or praised as such.
Think about the tube that protects the $10 poster or priceless fine art: It’s sturdy, easy to carry and makes for a great faux weapon or voice-projecting device afterward. When you ship a tube, you don’t worry that the contents inside are going to be damaged, because the cardboard is a special bionic ultra-condensed material and those plastic end inserts fit so snugly in place that the tape around the outside is just an amusing aside.
When I receive a tube in the mail, in fact, I often feel quite guilty that it is serving such a temporary purpose. I feel I need to re-use the tube in a manner fitting its special heartiness… perhaps as the body of a lamp, a table leg or decorative column outside the home.
I think the tube just has that special something we all search for…. A smooth, hug-able core, no sharp ends, and a surprise tucked safely inside. Things that come in tube-shaped containers tend to be good things overall. Take, for instance, pixy stix.
So, just remember when packing, shipping and receiving all those glorious items in bulky boxes this holiday season… Sure, boxes can be great. But tubes… they never let you down.
Preston Castle: Selective Self-Destruction?
Preston Castle, Ione CA
You can see it suddenly appear from behind the hills and trees as you near… It can be a little unsettling.
Preston Castle, which is located outside the small Gold Country town of Ione in the foothills just above Sacramento, was built in 1894 and was once the Preston School of Industry for troubled boys. But time has a way of scarring the space that surrounds us….
In 2009 the television show ‘Ghost Adventures’ spent a night in the castle…. Only to find some troubling memories, and perhaps spirits, still lingering within the decaying walls ~ possibly seeking escape, justice or redemption?
Just a 40 minute drive from the heart of Sacramento, the castle is worth a look (and second glance over your shoulder). With roofs, walls and floors caving in on some accounts, the castle still stands like a determined soldier protecting its inhabitants. Only, no one human has resided in the castle since 1994. (Although it appears to have been dilapidating since the day it was built).
The exterior of the structure is misleading, as some rooms within are actually “rooms” no more. While others, curiously, seem somehow preserved. And although the school sought to help troubled youths by teaching them skills and giving them structure and purpose, there were those somehow beyond reach. Just ask the ghosts of murdered workers who are believed to still be lingering.
The Preston Castle Foundation holds fundraisers, wine tasting events and craft fairs, as well as offers special photographer tours and overnight stays. General public tours are availalable spring through fall, and proceeds go toward preserving the outwardly majestic castle… perhaps as a way to honor those who’ve come (and died) before us.
www.PrestonCastle.com
Sacramento Icons
Tower Bridge connecting Old Sacramento with West Sacramento
Q. Tower Records, Tower Theatre, Tower Cafe, Tower Bridge… What do they all have in common?
(Aside from their namesake)
A. Sacramento!
Q. Why is the Tower Bridge gold?
A. Because Sacramento is the gateway to the Gold Country?? That might have factored into the decision, but the real answer is simply: Because Sacramento’s citizens voted for it!
There is something special about Sacramento; the rich land upon which she was built, the rivers that flow through her, the bounty around her and the people who make it their home.
Life is good in California’s Capital City for many reasons, including climate and geography, community and amenities, nature and wildlife, and more. It’s hard to imagine a warmer feeling than a sunshine-drenched morning here, an easier feeling than a refreshing spring day, or a more engaging experience than a night on the town after a cleansing rain.
There’s truly something 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 nighttime 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.
