Saturday, February 6, 2010, is the 12th Annual Sacramento Museum Day presented by the Sacramento Association of Museums (SAM). Twenty-six participating museums will be open free of charge from 10:00AM to 4:00PM. Continue Reading »

Entire Garage Set Up as a Christmas Diorama

 If you need something to spark your Christmas spirit a trip to Dovewood Court, Orangevale, CA is just the ticket.  It is definitely a family destination for Christmas that could easily become an annual tradition. The entire court is decorated to the hilt in a variety of themes; everything from Jimmy Buffet’s Christmas Island to Whoville with The Grinch, Santa, and lot of Disney.  Every house and yard is covered with lights and several have music to go with their theme.  One yard even had a light show set to music that really held everybody’s attention and had the kids dancing and everybody else tapping their toes while another house had Burl Ives enticing everyone to sing along. Continue Reading »

The first tree lighting of the season is in Old Sacramento on November 25 at 6 pm. The 50-foot tree will take center stage at Front & K streets as a part of Old Sacramento’s brand new Theatre of Lights.

The festivities will kick off at 6 pm with live entertainment a visit from Father Christmas, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and will continue with the Tree Lighting at 6:30 pm and the first Theatre of Lights show at immediately following.  Two 10-minute light shows will run throughout the holiday season Thursdays through Sundays at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm

Moguls with Moseley will

Highlight Squaw’s birthday bash

By Jeffrey Weidel

Although there’s no telling who might be blowing out the candles, several big names in the ski world will be on the slopes Nov. 21 when Squaw Valley celebrates its 60^th birthday.

Olympic hero Jonny Moseley, who serves as a mountain host throughout the year at Squaw, will be attacking the moguls and the public is welcome to try and follow him down those challenging runs on Saturday afternoon - weather or significant artificial snow permitting, of course.

In honor of Squaw Valley extreme skier Shane McConkey, who was tragically killed jumping off a cliff with a parachute while filming a movie this past March in Italy, his longtime friend JT Holmes will be a scene stealer at the birthday festivities, performing a huge base jump from the cable car. Continue Reading »

Test your knowledge of Old Sacramento with a FREE scavenger hunt October 24, 2009, from 10:00AM to 4:00PM at the Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street, Sacramento, CA, 95814.   This is a unique opportunity to delve into multiple aspects of the rich and diverse history of the Sacramento region. By exploring both permanent and temporary exhibitions visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the development of Sacramento City and County, and its unique place in the history of California and the nation. Continue Reading »

This is a great way to make history fun for the whole family and it’s FREE.  Get your own little piece of history by visiting the California State Capitol Museum 10th & L Streets State Capitol, Room B-27, Sacramento, CA 95814.  Continue Reading »

Last night (October 6, 2009) marked the exact day that Sacramento’s Crest Theatre 1013 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, opened its doors for the first time sixty years ago.  I feel honored that I was there to witness the event and see the Crest in all her glory.  The movie was the same one that flickered across the screen for the first time back in October 1949, “That Midnight Kiss”.  Continue Reading »

California became a state in September, 1850, but the original constitution was written in 1849 and a great way to celebrate this historic event is to take a look at the original state constitution.  October is California Archives Month and the state constitution and other historical treasures will be on public display for one day only on Saturday, October 3, 2009, from 4:00PM to 8:00PM at the California State Archives, 1020 O Street, Sacramento, CA.  This event is hosted by the California Secretary of State: My Voice. My Choice. My Vote! and it’s FREE.  Visitors can also take part in a rare behind-the-scenes tour of the secure, climate-controlled building and learn how historical records are preserved.

Winchester Mystery House in San Jose

Last weekend our family loaded in the car and headed out to San Jose for a day at the Winchester Mystery House.  I have heard lots of stories about this crazy house with stairs and doors that lead to nowhere, but I don’t think you get the full impact of all the quirkiness until you actually experience it. Continue Reading »

Dog Wearing Sunglasses and a Snuggie

Last weekend on a day trip to San Jose to visit the Winchester Mystery House we saw this dog wearing sunglasses and a snuggie while he was riding in a BMW convertible.  This pretty much gives you a picture of how much fun a day trip from Sacramento can be.  This great trip inspired us to create a new category for day trips. 

Some people think Sacramento is in the middle of nowhere; but I think just the opposite, Sacramento is in the middle of everything.  We can go to San Francisco for a day by the Bay.  We can go to Napa, Sonoma, Lodi, or even stay in Sacramento to have a day of wine tasting.  We can go to the Sierras for hiking or skiing.  We can go to Gold Country to visit working mines or pan for gold or visit museums.  We can go to South Lake Tahoe for casinos and lake cruises.  We can even go to Calaveras County for the frog jumping contest.

If you know of any hidden gems that would be fun day trips from Sacramento feel free to click on the contact us tab and share so everybody can enjoy.