Sacramento, San Francisco, Stinson Beach and Home Again (WHEW!)

It's so easy to fall behind, particularly during the holiday season and ESPECIALLY when we're on the road. Our second week in Central California was FULL of activities, the best of which involved visits with family and friends. I'll pick up here where I left off, and share some photos along the way.

While Mr. B was out of school, we all took advantage of the days of to enjoy each other's company and explore as a family. Sunday found us cruising up to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park for Christmas in Coloma, their annual holiday season craft fair. It was raining, and we didn't explore the park's nooks and crannies (was there supposed to be a map somewhere?), so maybe I shouldn't complain. However, I was pretty disappointed in both the park and the event.



Given that this is a park dedicated to preserving the history of the 1848 discover of gold which LEAD to the Calfiornia Gold Rush, I expected more activities related to the time. Instead, what we found were a few booths, most of which were full of dollar-store arts and crafts. The only kids' crafting activities (one of the advertised activities that drew us here for the day) were two tables of crafting materials (glue sticks, stickers, Popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners and the like) which the kids were invited to use at their own discretion. That's fine, but we have those things at home, and, really, how 1848 was that? Panning for gold? Sure, you can do that. It's 7 bucks per person for 45 minutes panning in a raised trough "salted" with "gold dust, pyrite and other minerals."

If I were the Queen of the World, or at least running this event, I would have included period games for kids and adults alike. How about period dining (dutch ovens and jerky rather than hot dogs and deli sandwiches)? Crafters and artisans, while not necessarily focused on works related to that period, would at least have to have handmade their own items. They would be vetted in, like crafters and artisans featured at Portland, Oregon's wildly successful Saturday Market.

Monday, Mr. B headed back to school, and the girls and I headed out to the Koyama Christmas Tree Farm to visit a LONG time family friend. The girls had a blast running around part of the 8 acres (they never made it to the fruit orchard behind the house, or the turkey sheds, long since turkey-free) while the grownups visited. Before we took off, the girls had chosen a Christmas tree to cut down and take home. Never mind that we already have a tree up in the living room. ("Who says you can only have one tree," our friend asked as she offered the gift of a fresh tree to the girls.) We left the tree standing 'til Friday, when we ventured back out to make the fresh cut on our way back home.



Tuesday was our day to meet up with a childhood friend of mine who I haven't seen in probably more than a decade. We've tried to meet up on several occasions, but just haven't gotten in touch. This visit, finally coordinated, started out as "lunch as we pass through the city." But once we got to their home on the edge of the Tenderloin, the visit became a walk to Union Square (where the girls drooled at the ice skating rink), then a city hill walk (Russian Hill, Nob Hill, another hill) and park tour before we made our way into Chinatown, really a world of its own and the largest Chinatown outside of Asia. At You's Dim Sum, we picked up a box-load of goodies and headed to Portsmouth Square Plaza where we enjoyed communal eating on a park bench while visiting and watching the old Chinese people gathered there playing cards, board games and watching each other. What a great way to see the city! I can't wait to do it again!



After our "lunch" turned into "afternoon," we finally tore ourselves away to cruise up to Stinson Beach for a family visit and relaxation. I figured two nights there would give us one full day to visit, but that really wasn't enough. We spent the morning catching up with my cousin, home from college ("I smell roses!") for the holiday break, and her mom, then the afternoon walking the beach between rains before heading back to the house. It's so peaceful here, and the company is marvelous. I always hate to leave.



But leave we did first thing Thursday morning to meet my brother and sister-in-law and three of their kids at the newly revamed California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. The natural history museum includes living displays including a walk-through rainforest, glass tunnel under the aquarium, hands-on displays, a living roof and more. With our kids (and some adults) chomping at the bit to get to the rink at Union Square, our visit was too short, but we got a taste of it before heading out.

One of the most pleasant surprises about the center was, of all things, the food options at the cafeteria. We are all too familiar with the ubiquitous hot-dog/hamburger/cheese pizza/chicken finger offerings of kids menus throughout the country. THIS cafe, however, offers SO much variety, so many flavorful HEALTHY options (lentil soup, Mexican favorites, Lebanese stew, fresh juices, vegetarian offerings, gluten-free offerings, plus tasty deserts, to name a few) we all left more than satiated, and read for the rink.

After winding our way through the streets of San Francisco, we found ourselves back at Union Square where the girls and I skated for about half an hour before the rest of the family found their way there. (Something about a roof rack not jiving with the low ceilings of underground parking.) That 30 minutes was about all it took for me. Memories of painful skates were not figments of my imagination. After 10 minutes, my feet were cramping, and 30 minutes I was maxed out on the pain threshhold. But with cousins to skate with, and newfound friends along the wall, the girls were happy to continue for another hour while my sister-in-law and I and my San Francisco buddy (the one we visited just Tuesday) enjoyed coffee or chocolate and took pictures while we visited.



Traffic in the San Francisco area? A nightmare. Parking? Expensive. Had I to do it over again, I'd ditch the car at the first BART station and go public transit all the way. Plus, the city's so walkabout there really isn't need for a car once you're there.

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Just Thinking Out Loud

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Exploring Sacramento Valley

It’s been a busy week for us exploring California’s capitol. After a dry, relatively quick drive north Sunday, Mr. B headed for school first thing Monday morning while the girls and I took care of the business of settling down. We headed to the grocery store to get stocked up for our weeks here. An overnight snow storm just up the road resulted in an entertaining scene in the parking lot where about 30 percent of the vehicles were topped with snow. I had forgotten how close Sacramento is to snow, so failed to pack our snow gear. Bummer!

Our room includes a functioning kitchen, so we plan to eat in as much as possible to save money. We all enjoy eating out, but it’s just becoming cost prohibitive, largely because the girls are growing and the children’s menu of chicken fingers, frozen pizza or pricey pb&j just doesn’t do it for them anymore. They order of the regular menu more often than not, so that means eating out for four adults, price wise. Yes, sometimes we split orders, but often we all have different dining needs (ok. wants.) and since we’re already out, we indulge ourselves a little.

After wrapping up business, we headed to the 23-mile American River Parkway, the Sacramento Valley’s natural jewel. If I ever find myself living in this area, I suspect I’ll spend a lot of time in this relatively undeveloped, natural area along the riverbanks. The recreational area includes more than 85 miles of uninterrupted, paved bike paths, plus miles of additional dirt paths, designated equestrian trails and unimproved natural areas ripe for exploration. The river runs through it all. It’s a geocacher’s dream, too, with dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of caches hidden throughout. The girls and I picked up half a dozen quick finds, explored San Juan Rapids, considered the modern cliff dwellers with their multi-million dollar homes perched precariously atop eroding river banks, then headed back to the hotel for a swim and dinner.

Tuesday we headed to the Capitol building, home of the California State Legislature. This was a particularly good time to visit if you’re into holiday cheer; students from schools throughout the Bay Area were performing in the rotunda. (There's always something going on. Check out the events calendar before you visit if you'd like to know more.) I particularly appreciated the docent who welcomed us to the living museum; she invited us to wander freely. “As a California resident, this is your home,” she said. Though they liked the décor and the music, the girls weren’t all that impressed by being in the place where the laws of California are debated, killed and sometimes passed. I really hadn't planned well for this trip, so they weren't exactly prepped for it. Had I to do it again, I would introduce them to the idea, the structure and more details about what they were due to see BEFORE we headed out (as we've done so often in the past). I think it gives more value to their visit. (If you'd like to let your kids explore before making a real-life visit, consider starting here.)

We relaxed the rest of the day in the hotel pool, our room (complete with loft bedroom the girls are enjoying heartily), and Jacuzzi before calling it a night. Wednesday we kicked around the hotel most of the day, opting to have a day of rest, reading and relaxation in the comfort of our home away from home, and in from the cold. Then we went to the most fantastic trampoline playground I've ever seen. Sky High Sports offers six separate trampoline areas, including tricking tramps with foam pit landing areas, dodgeball courts for big kids and little kids, and the big floor - a floor of 38 adjacent trampolines with angled walls made up of 19 more trampolines. Visitors of all ages are welcome to bounce off the walls, flip or dodge anywhere in the facility. (There's pizza and other snack food, and an arcade, too.) The girls and I were all exhausted by the time our two hours was up, and it was well worth the entry fee ($9/person/hour with two-for-one Wednesdays). This would be a GREAT place for a birthday party or other gathering of active folks, or a fantastic rest stop to break up a long trip.

Thursday we headed downtown to visit Sutter’s Fort State Park, E’s choice. Unlike the California Missions, Sutter’s Fort was established entirely as a business venture. It was John Sutter, an entrepreneurial Swiss immigrant, who wanted to fire up the water-driven sawmills to provide wood for Western states and Hawaii. When he sent James Marshall into the foothills to find a suitable location for the mill he had no idea his effort would ultimately lead to California’s Gold Rush, and the demise of Sutter's fort. While researching one designated location, Marshall turned up a gold metal which Sutter tested and determined was gold. (This weekend we’ll head to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park to see the other half of the story.)

Sutter’s Fork park had great potential for visitors. We were particularly excited as we shelled over our entrance fee to be told that we were there on an “exhibition day” and there were lots of activity stations set up throughout the fort. There was a blacksmith’s station, basket weavers in action, laundry station, weavers and bakers, carpenters and more. There were kids in costume taking part throughout. The bummer came when our girls tried to take part. They were shooed away. It seems a school had paid extra to take part, and visitors really weren’t welcome to lend a hand. “You just have to watch,” one teacher told them. Pretty much took the wind out of all of our sails. We checked out a few of the static displays in some of the fort’s rooms, then called it a day.

From there, we headed to Safetyville, a public education facility designed to teach kids about safety. Visitors walk through the miniature city, complete with crosswalks, traffic signals and a variety of life-like obstacles and structures, learning about traffic, bicycle and pedestrian safety. There are other talking points at various stations as well. The “animal control office,” for instance, includes a video about animal safety – how to react to strays encountered in public places, etc. It was very cold during our visit, so once our toes and fingers were nearly numbed and we’d completed the tour, we turned in our maps and headed back to the Jacuzzi for some thawing before dinner in Old Town (oddly dark in this shopping season – but we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner at seasonally decorated, welcoming Fat City).

Today, the girls and I drove west to visit Auntie B in Vacaville. We played with her overgrown puppy and visited for awhile before heading a few miles further west to Fairfield where we enjoyed a tour of the Jelly Belly factory. The tour through the confectionery and packaging plant was fun, and the girls particularly enjoyed the free samples throughout, including a whole bag of beans to take home with them.

There’s a lot to do in the Sacramento area, and we did quite a bit of it during our last visit here some three years ago. Next time, we’re bringing our bikes. The uninterrupted path along the river is too wonderful to ignore. We have another week in the area, and more family and friends to visit in the next several days. We'll share whatever we come across in out travels.

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