Trailmix.net

We have all heard the phrase “Like a kid in the candy store” before. Well screw candy, give me Trailmix!

Trailmix.net is an awesome new store located across the street from the California Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento. As someone who used to live about 15 minutes from Old Sacramento, I am totally bummed that this store was not around back when I was. It is basically an educational toy store combined with an outdoor gear store for kids. They have an awesome book selection and a craft room where kids can make projects like birdhouses, fossil necklaces, and tabletop greenhouses. Are you drooling yet? I know I am.

I absolutely loved meeting the owner who couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful. She let me talk her ear off about geocaching, something I didn’t know much about when I walked in their door but now can’t wait to do. Its basically a scavenger hunt of epic proportions that people can do in their own neck of the woods with a GPS. If you do decide to become a hardcore geocacher, Trailmix.net is your place to get all the latest and greatest supplies.  (Take a really cool virtual tour of the store here.)

Speaking of scavenger hunts, when you are in Old Sacramento with your kids you HAVE TO go pick up a free scavenger hunt sheet from Trailmix.net and try it. At the end of the hunt your kids will be able to go back to the store and claim a little prize out of the treasure chest. The hunt is fun and educational and I can’t wait until my kids come back to Sacramento with me so we can complete it together. My friend Lora at  Tripping With Kids (a must read blog, especially for those of you living in Northern California) completed the hunt and had a blast. You can read about it here.

If you live across the country and have no plans to visit Sacramento any time soon you can still get your fix of Trailmix. They have a great website filled with great products and activity ideas. Check it out here.

Note: This was not a paid or solicited endorsement of Trailmix.net. I just loved this store that much!

Family Travel Tips
Sacramento

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

As many of you know, the California's State Parks are in serious trouble due to budget cuts. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, I will be featuring a different CA State Park every week. I hope to bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places . 

One of the most important moments in California history was when a man by the name of James Marshall found some gold flecks in the tailrace of a sawmill he was building for himself and John Sutter. This discovery lead to an influx of settlers seeking fortune in the form of shiny golden rocks and the establishment of the state of California.  The original mill was destroyed by flooding but a replica now stands in it place along with over 20 historic buildings in the old mining town of Coloma.  A trip to Gold Country is a must for any California native and a great stop for any tourist who wants to catch a glimpse of the oak covered hills where the 49ers set up camp in search of treasure. There are still opportunities to pan for gold and plenty of places to dive into history.

The Marshall Gold Discovery Historic Site is located in the town of  Coloma between Placerville and Auburn on historic Highway 49. If you would like more information on this State Park click here.

Things To Do
Auburn

Family Travel Tips
Placerville

Old Sacramento

Last weekend we went back. Back to that neck of the woods I called home for nine years, Sacramento. It was weird to be back. I wasn't sure I was ready to fully embrace my old home town. When I left, I was ready. Really, really ready. It got to the point where I couldn't find one redeeming quality about that place. But this past weekend, Sacramento was redeemed a bit. We were in town for my best friend's wedding (which was fantastic by the way) and had a day to kill so we checked in to the Embassy Suites (which rock) and enjoyed some time in Old Sacramento.

I have been to Old Sacramento more times than I can count. Sometimes to go costume shopping at Evangeline's and others to enjoy a little nightlife. This time I went to meet up with an old friend and let my kids see the "toot toots".

Like most children their age, my kids love trains. And if there is one thing Sacramento does right, its trains. According to many  trainophiles, the California State Railroad Museum is one of the best. We opted not to go inside due to time constraints but the kids did have a great time climbing on the caboose out front and watching a steam engine being tested on the tracks in preparation for the opening of the spring train ride season. Sadly, we were two days too early to ride the train but I know we will be back and the kids will love every minute of their authentic Steam Engine Train Ride along the Sacramento River.

 

Then of course we had to stop in the candy store and pick out our favorites from the barrels of salt water taffy and other sugary treats.

Finally we ended our trip at the toy store. They have an awesome model train display and so many neat toys to play with. You can't go in there and not want to touch everything. Watching how much my kids loved playing with the train set solidified my decision to get them a train set for their birthday in a few months.  If you find yourself in Sacramento, take the time to stroll through Old Sacramento. It really is a very cool place.

Some Days Life's a Fairytale

I don't miss Sacramento. Sorry all you Sacramento fans out there but it wasn't for me. There are a few things in Sacramento that I do miss. Dos Coyotes Border Cafe. That restaurant holds a very special place in my stomach. Whenever I come back up for a visit you better believe I will be waiting in line for my Ranchero Burrito. Chico's tacos.  Still the best shredded beef tacos I have ever had.  Driving over the river in fall. It really is so pretty see tree tops of all different colors edging the river below. And Fairytale Town. A Sacramento institution that is truly the perfect place to take a toddler.

We went to Fairytale Town with Auntie Chrissy one last time before the big move.  The kids hadn't been in a year and I wanted to take them back since they are big two year olds now.  Fairytale Town brings nursery rhymes and fairy tales to life with farm animals, play structures, and plenty of whimsical scenery. Everything is detailed to delight the toddler eye, right down to the hippo drinking fountain.

You want Three Little Pigs? They actually have three little pigs. You want Mary's Little Lamb? Well I do believe we spotted her (though I don't think she is quite so little anymore).

If you want to run under the Little Old Lady's Shoe, sail in Captain Hook's Pirate Ship, ride in Cinderella's Pumpkin Coach, climb through the Giant's foot on your way to slide down the Beanstalk, or help Jack and Jill fetch a pail of water, you can do it at Fairytale Town.

Whether its you find yourself sliding down the slide at Farmer Brown's Barn

or playing peek-a-boo in the Crooked House at the end of the Crooked Mile,

I guarantee a wonderful day will be had by all those young at heart.

Apple Hill

Everyone has their fall traditions. For many of us it involves going to a pumpkin patch and finding the perfect squash to carve into something special.  It involves buying heaps of candy to pass out to the children of the neighborhood. It involves preparing a large turkey centered meal for those we love. And for many of us in Northern California, it involves a trip to Apple Hill.

Apple Hill is one of those places that signifies autumn in my mind. Located in the mountains just outside of Placerville, it is a large group of farms, wineries, and businesses that put on quite a show every fall. Many of the farms have large expanses of apple orchards set among the pine forest and rolling terrain. Some specialize in treating visitors to a taste of apple country with apple pie, apple fritters, apple cider, and apple butter set amongst craft booths, pick-your-own orchards, petting zoos, pumpkin patches, and even Christmas tree farms.  It is great place to spend the day, enjoy some crisp fall air, and stuff yourself full of fruit.

We went to Apple Hill early this year. My family was in town and so was my friend Jessica who moved to Canada this past year. I have gone to Apple Hill with Jess for years and I wasn't about to miss an opportunity to continue our tradition. Her daughter, Mazzy, is only six months older than my little munchkins and they get along swimmingly.

Our first stop was High Hill Ranch. I consider High Hill Ranch to be the Granddaddy of all things Apple Hill. It is set in such a gorgeous location with a fishing pond overlooking mountain vistas, craft booths, a pie shop, an apple barn, pony rides and even a fudge shop! There is a great grassy hill by the pond so Paul took the opportunity to teach the kids how to roll down the hill, a skill every kids should have in their repertoire.

I think Ben's favorite part of the day was climbing up the hill, getting a couple rocks, and then climbing down the hill to throw them in the pond. He must have done this 563 times. Sometimes the little things in life make us most happy.

 

We all enjoyed hanging out, enjoying some apple goodies and have fun in the sun.

After our snacks we headed over to the pony rides. It was Mazzy's first ride on a pony and she loved it. My kids are seasoned pony riding pros and you would think Mari wouldn't get as upset at the end of the ride as she did. She loves her ponies and she hates having the ride come to an end.

After ponies we went over to the fudge shop and watched the kids act like, well, kids in a candy store.

Next we drove over to Bolster's Hilltop Ranch and did some apple picking. Mari fell asleep in the car on the short drive over so she missed out on the fun. I think Ben was more excited about throwing the rotten apples on the ground then the actual picking but after Mazzy showed him how it was done, he did indulge us long enough for a photo op.

The apple picking had exhausted our group so we bid farewell to Jess, Mazzy, and her mom and headed over to Denver Dan's to pick up pie to take home before heading back down the mountain. What a  wonderful way to kick off the fall season.

In Search of Fall

Today we went searching for fall. It had been cold and windy over the weekend and we mostly stayed in because I was exhausted and having some chronic pain issues. But today we had to get out. It was warm and sunny and the autumn leaves were calling us. Or so I thought. Evidently, Mother Nature has decided to postpone autumn this year. We went to the UC Davis Arboretum and saw nothing but green. No sign of  gold or ochre or even a rust or copper. Nada. Nothing but green, green, green! Maybe there was a tiny hint of yellow in that green but those leaves had no intention of doing anything dramatic while we were there.  We had invited our friend, Matt, his mom, Dawn, and his son, Owen to join us to get some great fall shots. Oops. My bad. I may have jumped the gun just a tad. Lucky for us it was a wonderful day and we at least enjoyed a nice little stroll.

We decided that autumn must have been hiding from us so we drove around Davis looking for it. We finally decided on a park I had never found before called Northstar Park. I thought I knew Davis pretty well but this little gem had escaped me. It is a wonderful park with a playground, pond, and protected wetland area. There were even a few trees that had started to turn yellow! Not much, but we took what we could get.  I think we ended up with a few cute shots.

 

This shot of Owen is adorable even though he ended up falling face first into leaves about two seconds after it was taken because for some reason his Daddy (Matt I am looking at you) was slow on the pickup and didn't grab him in time.

All in all it was a nice time and even though we didn't get the fall shots we were looking for we still had a great day. I have not given up on you yet fall! Expect me to coming knocking on your door looking for the perfect shot in another two weeks. You have alot of leaf painting to do between now and then.

Our day in Gold Country

Once upon a time (January 24, 1848 to be exact) there was a man named James Marshall who was working as a foreman and noticed something shiny in the tailrace of the lumber mill. He brought his finding to the mill's owner, Mr. Sutter, and the two of them had it tested. Eureka! It was gold. Now Mr. Sutter wanted to keep things quiet because he was busy forming an agricultural empire and had no desire to deal with all those wack jobs that a gold rush brings out of the woodwork. Alas, we all know people can't keep their big mouths shut and news quickly spread. Their was gold in the American River! And the rush began. 300,000 fortune seekers quickly filled Northern California and helped create the international port we know as San Francisco, that thriving state capital we all know and some love (not me in particular) called Sacramento, and many little towns all along the Sierra Nevada foothills. The town where it all started, Coloma, is now nothing more than a sleepy hamlet of about 300 residents and its main purpose is to keep the state park and its history alive.  Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park was our destination of the day.

Well I guess I should say it was our final destination. Our main reason for heading out to Gold Country was to go see Paul's aunt JoAnn who has been feeling under the weather as of late. My sister in law, Nicole, was in town for her 20th reunion (I swear if I look as good as she does I may consider attending my 20th reunion) so we figured a visit to Auntie was in order. Auntie lives in a house out in the country near the gold discovery sight. It is set up on a hill and surrounded by scrub oak and other trees that make for a beautiful and peaceful setting. The kids had fun running around her property and exploring.

We enjoyed having lunch, being force fed every snack that Auntie had in her pantry, and chatting away.

Then we decided to pay a little visit to Paul's cousins who happen to live down the road and own alpacas! Can you feel the jealousy seething from my body and into the computer? For those of you (Lisa) who don't know what an alpaca is, it is a cousin of the llama from the Andes and has some of the finest wool nature has to offer. I want to be an alpaca rancher so bad! So bad! Well Paul's cousin decided to buy a few and we decided we needed to go see the babies. I got to pretend to be a ranch hand for 15 minutes and help separate the baby from the herd and ask all the alpaca questions that only a knowledgeable alpaca connoisseur such as myself would know to ask. Basically show off but only impress myself. The kids thought the baby alpaca was so fun to touch. Ben kept laughing every time he touched it and went into hysterics whenever it would sneeze. Mari was a bit more serious (as always) but even she couldn't help but crack a smile when she touched its ultra soft fur.

Then while we were talking alpaca Mari decided to take off and give Auntie a run for a money on a grand tour of the property. Poor Auntie got quite the workout following her around until I came to her rescue.

After alpacas and conversation we bid farewell to our family and headed up to Sutter's Mill in Coloma. Since it was a Monday things seemed to be mostly closed by the time we got there. No panning for gold photo ops for us. Bummer. Luckily I have been there before and I am sure next time we visit Auntie we can go again and finish giving the kids the full gold discovery treatment.

Sutter's original mill did not survive into the 21st century

but a fabulous replica stands in its place

and some of the original lumber is displayed nearby in a building in which you can peer through some musty windows and stare at some old wood. Fascinating.

I am not one to normally mock historical sites or the hard work the state park service does but I really do think they could have figured out a better way to display these pieces of history. You can barely see into the building to see the wood. I am sure they have plans to improve the display but park funds are always the first to be cut and it seems like California is always out of money.

The mill site is really interesting because it takes you back in time to the moment where gold was discovered. There is also a Mormon cabin replica,

a school, and about 20 other historical buildings. The Gold Discovery Museum is cute and very informative. There are some gold panning areas along Hwy 49 which cuts through town but they close at three so we were out of luck this time. We did get to go down and spend some time at the river right next to where gold was discovered. It was just us and the water. Very peaceful. There was a little shallow cove that the kids had a blast playing in. Mari had no problem sitting in the freezing cold water, dress and all. Ben was a bit more mindful of freezing and decided to stay at waters edge and throw rocks into the river.  I snuck a few blackberries off the vines for the adults ( I had no intention of dealing with a wet, berry stained child. Wet was enough for me) All in all, a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.