Explore Sacramento 2022

EXPLORE

FIND SACRAMENTO’S TREASURES AT

NOW TAKING NEW PATIENTS!

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15 Things To Do in Sacramento

Get ready to tour, view, ride, dine, cheer and splash

Sacramento’s Neighborhoods

Take a tour of the region’s hottest communities. 44 Road Trips

Sacramento is known for being “close to everything.” Take any highway to other Northern California destinations.

54 Shop Till You Drop

Bring your buying power to these enticing local stores.

56 The Restaurant Scene

Sacramento’s farm-to-fork designation is well-earned—and reflected in area dining.

You Are Here: Sacramento

Welcome to our great region! Whether you’re here for the weekend or forever, we think you’re going to love it. The Sacramento area is home to the state Capitol, center of California’s government, and the bustling downtown around it anchors a several-county metropolis that teems with opportunities for business, dining, arts, recreation, shopping, sports and more. In the middle of the Central Valley, Sacramento’s position on the map has generated a couple of specific designations: Farm-to-Fork Capital of America (thanks to the rich agricultural valley land just beyond our doorsteps) and “close to everything”—because it literally takes only 30 minutes to two hours to drive to almost any other true destination in Northern California. As you’ll see on the following pages, Sacramento has a rich Gold Rush history and a fascinating presentday vibrance that continues to grow and evolve. We’re glad you’re here. Now get out there and explore!—Krista Minard, Editorial Director

PUBLISHER

Dennis Rainey

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Krista Minard

ART DIRECTOR

Gabriel Teague

PROJECT ART DIRECTOR

John Facundo Jr.

EDITORIAL AND ART

MANAGING EDITOR

Darlena Belushin McKay

DINING EDITOR

Marybeth Bizjak

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

MARKETING AND WEB

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND DIGITAL MEDIA

Dan Poggetti

PRODUCTION

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Stephen Rice

CIRCULATION

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Barbie Baldwin

SACRAMENTO MEDIA LLC

CEO

Stefan Wanczyk

PRESIDENT

John Balardo

Discovery Beach/Tiscornia Park at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers.

Photography by Tim Engle

Debbie Hurst

CONTRIBUTORS

Hans Bennewitz, Tim Engle, Marcus Meisler, Jessica Nicosia-Nadler, Kari L. Rose Parsell, William Thompson

ADVERTISING

ADVERTISING MANAGERS

Lisa Bonk, Duffy Kelly, Victor Obenauf, Carla Shults

SENIOR ADVERTISING DESIGNER

John Facundo Jr.

For bulk copies of Explore Sacramento, go to sacmag.com/sacramento-guest-relocation-guide.

HIRING THE BEST REAL ESTATE TEAM WITH OVER 55 YEARS OF SUCCESS IN THE REGION

Kevin & Sue Cassidy: “I have bought and sold many homes. Steve Rath is by far the best Real Estate Broker I’ve ever used or known. Steve’s neighborhood and home knowledge are amazing and surpassed only by his negotiating skills.”

Kendel Boston: “Steve & Kris are thorough, knowledgeable and honest. I highly recommend them to anyone!!”

Randy & Laurie Miller: “We were fortunate to nd Steve as we started to look for homes. e way he treated my wife and I, made us feel like he is family. I would refer anyone to him in a minute.”

Melissa De La Rosa: “Both Steve & Kris were easy to communicate with, highly knowledgeable & gave us con dence in our success.”

Keith Sweetnam: “Steve had an incredible ability to determine the best of the best to match our interests and desires. I have recommended him to many and will continue to do so.”

Liang Liu: “Steve’s research, knowledge and negotiation skills made us stand out in arguably the craziest seller’s market ever.”

Fernando Rodriguez: “Steve & Kris are the most detailed people I know, with everything of importance. Highly recommend.”

A beautiful night descends upon the Old Sacramento Waterfront.

Tim Engle

Greetings!

So you’ve moved to our fair region. Or maybe you’re visiting. If you’re in Sacramento only temporarily, don’t be surprised if a deep desire to relocate here starts to stir within you. That’s what happens as the Central Valley’s open skies, gentle Delta breezes and kinetic rivers work their magic on your mind and body. You’re being lured by the same geography and climate the region’s inhabitants enjoyed long before the city of Sacramento was settled as a supply center for gold prospectors who came from around the globe to make their fortunes along the American River (where gold was discovered in Coloma, just east of Sacramento, in 1848). The city sprang up at the intersection of the American and Sacramento rivers—now the Old Sacramento Waterfront—and over the course of the second half of the 19th century, it withstood floods and fire to become a thriving commercial and railroad hub—and California’s capital.

Fast-forwarding to modern-day commerce, Sacramento is the capital city of the fifth-largest economy in the world, so it’s an attractive location to start or grow a business. The rebounding economy, robust workforce, ethnic

diversity and seismic stability make it one of the most livable cities in the nation. And the region has surged in prominence since Golden 1 Center, the $558 million arena, debuted in 2016. The “greenest” and most technologically advanced arena in the world is home to the Sacramento Kings, our city’s NBA team, and it also hosts a plethora of high-profile concerts and events.

Sacramento has burgeoned into a hip metropolis with a vibrant cultural scene that’s been steadily reopening since COVID-19 shook our region—a scene replete with theater, music and dance. You’ll also find literary readings, comedy shows and lots of community festivals. Artworks painted during the Wide Open Walls mural festival have splashed color throughout the city.

Sacramento offers much for families and recreationalists in the way of year-round outdoor activities, too. With several regional parks, golf courses and gathering spots along the American and Sacramento rivers, the area draws people who love the great outdoors. One local gem: the 32-mile American River Bike Trail, which runs from Old Sacramento to Folsom and beckons not just cyclists but runners, walkers and

others who just want to explore along the banks of the river. Cool off at Folsom Lake, where miles of trails wind into the foothills, or Lake Natoma—home of Sacramento State Aquatic Center. The region’s other river, the Sacramento, provides prime boating conditions.

As you delve into our region’s offerings, you can feast at some of the many dining spots that use the freshest and most local California ingredients. Many of them have extended their alfresco options. The region’s designation as the Farm-to-Fork Capital of America celebrates its position among some of the greatest agricultural producers in the world. From the verdant fields of the Capay Valley just north of town to the apple orchards of El Dorado County east of it, the region produces an admirable array of fruits, vegetables, livestock and other foodstuffs, and chefs and farmers see each other as partners in what turns up on restaurant plates.

Many of the friendly folks you’ll meet during your explorations are longtimers with deep roots in our community and a drive to sustain the region’s vibrancy. Let their hospitality warm your heart as the region embraces you. We’re glad you’re here.

CANTINA LAREDO • CAPITAL ONE CAFÉ • CINEMARK THEATRES

CRATE & BARREL • FABLETICS • GUCCI – OPENING SPRING • H&M • LAND OCEAN LEGO • LOUIS VUITTON • LULULEMON • MADEWELL • NORDSTROM • PELOTON

POTTERY BARN • RH • ROUND1 BOWLING & AMUSEMENT – OPENING SPRING

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE • SAINT LAURENT • SEPHORA • TIFFANY & CO.

TILLYS • TRAVISMATHEW • VANS • ZARA

180+ SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS ALL UNDER ONE ROOF

Getting Around

AIRPORTS

Executive Airport (SAC)

6151 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 875-9035, sacramento.aero/sac

Mather Airport (MHR) 10425 Norden Ave., Mather, (916) 875-7077, sacramento.aero/mhr

Sacramento International Airport (SMF) 6900 Airport Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 929-5411, sacramento. aero/smf

Sacramento McClellan Airport (MCC)

3028 Peacekeeper Way, McClellan Park, (916) 570-5317, airport.mcclellanpark.com

AIRLINES AT SACRAMENTO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Aeroméxico Terminal B, (800) 237-6639, aeromexico.com

Air Canada Terminal A, (888) 247-2262, aircanada.com

Alaska Airlines Terminal B, (800) 2527522, alaskaair.com

American Airlines Terminal A, (800) 4337300, aa.com

Boutique Air Terminal B, (855) 268-8478, boutiqueair.com

Delta Air Lines Terminal A, (800) 221-1212, delta. com

Frontier Airlines Terminal B, (801) 4019000, flyfrontier.com

Hawaiian Airlines Terminal B, (800) 3675320, hawaiianairlines. com

Horizon Air Terminal B, (800) 252-7522, alaskaair. com

JetBlue Terminal B, (800) 538-2583, jetblue.com

Southwest Airlines Terminal B, (800) 4359792, southwest.com

Spirit Airlines Terminal B, (855) 728-3555, spirit. com

United Airlines Terminal A, (800) 864-8331, united. com

Volaris Terminal B, (855) 865-2747, volaris.com

TRAINS

Sacramento Valley Station 401 I St., Sacramento (877) 974-3322, amtrak.com/stations/sac Open daily 5 a.m.–11:59 p.m.

Capitol Corridor (capitolcorridor.org) is an intercity passenger train system that runs daily service among 18 stations, from Auburn to San Jose, connecting the Sacramento region to the Bay Area. The 170-mile rail corridor services eight Northern California counties. A dedicated motorcoach network provides bus connections to Napa, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Marysville, South Lake Tahoe and beyond. San Joaquins (amtrak.com/san-joaquinstrain) runs daily passenger service between Sacramento (or the San Francisco Bay Area) and the Central Valley, including bus connections to Yosemite National Park and between Bakersfield and Southern California.

PUBLIC TRANSIT/ BUS SERVICE

Sacramento Regional Transit (916) 321-2877, sacrt.com

SacRT operates over 80 bus routes, 43 miles of light rail serving 52 light rail stations, an on-demand rideshare shuttle and ADA paratransit services covering a 400-square-mile service area. Access mobile-optimized m.sacrt.com to plan trips and check bus and train locations in real time, including the next scheduled stop at each location. Download SacRT’s mobile fare app, ZipPass, to purchase bus, light rail and SmaRT ride tickets from your smartphone, or purchase them at kiosks. Airport service: Route 142 offers express service in zero-emission buses from downtown Sacramento to Sacramento International Airport every 30 minutes daily from 4:45 a.m. to 11:29 p.m. See schedule at sacrt.com.

SacRT GO Paratransit Services (916) 3212877, sacrt.com/apps/ sacrt-go-paratransitservices

Door-to-door, shared-ride transportation for individuals unable to use SacRT’s bus and light rail systems due to a disabling condition. Schedule

rides up to two days prior and before 5 p.m. the day before by phone or using SacRT GO mobile app. All previous policies for ADA paratransit service and non-ADA service remain in effect, provided now by SacRT GO.

Yolobus (916) 371-2877, yolobus.com

Intercity bus service serving West Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, Winters and other Yolo County towns as well as downtown Sacramento and Sacramento International Airport. Connects with other local transportation systems including Sacramento Regional Transit.

Causeway Connection (916) 321-2877, causewayconnection.com

Zero-emission buses run hourly express service weekdays among UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and three stops on the UC Davis campus in Davis.

International Airport Greyhound Bus Station, 420 Richards Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 4446858, greyhound.com/ en-us/bus-station-893189

Service from Sacramento to more than 2,400 destinations throughout the United States

Megabus (877) 4626342, us.megabus.com

Budget bus service between Sacramento and San Francisco; picks up at Pony Express Statue, 999 Second St., Old Sacramento

FlixBus (855) 626-8585, flixbus.com

Budget bus service between Sacramento and numerous West Coast cities; picks up at 29th and K streets, midtown and Second and J streets, Old Sacramento

APP-BASED RIDESHARE SERVICES

SmaRT Ride Microtransit Service (916) 556-0100, sacrt.com/ apps/smart-ride-faqs

SacRT’s on-demand rideshare shuttle takes riders curb to curb (in some areas) or corner to corner in zones throughout the city and suburbs; pick up and drop off within same boundaries.

Lyft lyft.com Uber uber.com

West Sacramento OnDemand (916) 318-5101, cityofwestsacramento. org/via

On-demand service uses Via rideshare app to take riders throughout West Sacramento.

Wingz wingz.me TAXIS

Access Taxi Cab & Town Car (916) 444-8888, accesstaxicabsacramento. com

Americab (916) 4415555, americab.net

Best Deal Taxi Cab (916) 444-0404, best-deal-taxi-cab. business.site

California Co-op Cab (916) 444-7777, californiacoopcab.com

Sacramento City Cab (916) 604-1111, sacramentocitycab.com

Sacramento Taxi Yellow Cab Co. (916) 888-2222, sacramentoyellowcabco. com

Yellow Cab Co. of Sacramento (916) 444-2222, yellowcabsacramento. com

EXECUTIVE CAR SERVICE/ LIMOUSINES/ MOTORCOACHES

About Time Limousines (916) 331-2211, abouttimelimos.com

API Limousine (916) 852-5466, apilimos.com

Baja Limo (916) 6381400, bajalimo.net

Camelot Limousine Service (916) 847-0413, camelot-limousineservice.business.site

Empire Limousine (916) 444-3344, limousinesacramento.com

ExecuCar (916) 6482500; (800) 410-4444, execucar.com

Galaxy Limousine & Sedan Services (916) 721-5466, limo-galaxy.com

Limo Club Sacramento (916) 444-5466, limoclub. com

Limo Service Sacramento (916) 221-0462, limoservicesacramento. com

Neumann Enterprises (916) 525-7657, neumannlimo.com

NorCal Limousine Services (916) 905-4665, norcalimo.com

Platinum Limousine (916) 827-1007, platinumlimosac.com

Regal Carriage Sacramento (916) 956-8507, regalcarriagesacramento. com

Sterling Ride Co. (916) 905-3995, sterlingride. com

Universal Limousine and Transportation (855) 361-5466, universallimo.com

BUS AND MOTORCOACH CHARTERS

All West Coach Lines (916) 423-4000, coachusa.com

Amador Stage Lines (916) 444-7880, amadorstagelines.com

Champion Charter Bus Sacramento (916) 209-8414, championcharterbus.com

Delta Charter Bus (209) 465-1053; (888) 241-8543, deltacharterbus.com

GoGo Charters (916) 604-4880, gogocharters. com/sacramentocharter-bus

MGM Transportation (916) 804-5466, limomgm. com

Lux Bus America (916) 306-1305, luxbusamerica. com

Prompt Charters (877) 277-6678, promptcharters. com

Metropolitan Shuttle (866) 419-8506, metropolitanshuttle.com

US Coachways (855) 473-5969, uscoachways.com/ sacramento-bus-rental

CAR RENTAL

Rental car companies at Sacramento International Airport include Alamo, Avis,

Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Thrifty and Zipcar. See carrentals.com, expedia.com, kayak.com, priceline.com, orbitz.com or rentalcars.com for available cars at these companies.

CAR SHARE

Gig gigcarshare.com

Turo turo.com

Zipcar zipcar.com

BIKE RENTAL

ASUCD Bike Barn bikebarn.ucdavis.edu

1 Shields Ave Tb 24 The Barn, UC Davis, Davis, (530) 752-2575

Biker Bar Bicycle Shop & Cafe bikerbarcafe.com

10136 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks, (916) 241-9038

BlueZone Sports –Roseville bluezonesports.com

392 Roseville Square, Roseville, (916) 516-1095

Folsom Bike folsombike.com

7610 Folsom Auburn Road #100, Folsom, (916) 844-1000

Green Bicycle Depot greenbicycledepot.com

965 Olive Drive, Davis, (530) 759-0828

Practical Cycle practicalcycle.com

905 Leidesdorff St., Folsom, (916) 706-0077

Trek Bicycle –Sacramento Midtown trekbikes.com

2419 K St., Sacramento, (916) 447-2453

E-SCOOTER AND E-BIKE SHARE

Bird bird.co

Helbiz helbiz.com

Lime li.me

Spin spin.app

Bird, Helbiz, Lime and Spin electric scooters and Lime electric bikes help locals cruise the city’s streets, mostly in downtown, midtown and adjacent neighborhoods, as well as at Sacramento State and in West Sacramento. To use, download the company’s app to your smartphone to create an account, locate (or reserve) your ride, pay for it, unlock it, and go! Helmets recommended.

Photos by Carol Peterson

Cheers-burger! Cheers-burger!

Hotels

Where To Stay

Whether you’re new in town, waiting for your perfect home to be ready, or visiting for the weekend, the Sacramento region is ready for you. With some 16,000-plus hotel rooms in the area, we’ve got the welcome mat out. Big-name luxury, moderate-level comfort, chic downtown hot spot, historic B&B or a bargain pillow right off the freeway—you’ll find it.

Here’s a select list of inns and hotels in and around downtown, near the central city action.

Amber House Bed & Breakfast

1315 22nd St., (916) 444-8085, amberhouse.com, 10 rooms

Best Western Plus Sutter House 1100 H St., (916) 441-1314, thesutterhouse.com, 95 rooms

The Citizen Hotel

926 J St., (916) 447-2700, citizenhotel.com, 198 rooms

Courtyard by Marriott— Sacramento Midtown 4422 Y St., (916) 455-6800, marriott.com/saccy, 139 rooms

Delta King Hotel 1000 Front St., (916) 444-5464, deltaking.com, 44 rooms

Embassy Suites Sacramento Hotel 100 Capitol Mall, (916) 326-5000, sacramento.embassysuites.com, 242 rooms

Fort Sutter Hotel

1308 28th St., (916) 603-2301, fortsutterhotel.com, 105 rooms

Governor’s Inn Hotel

210 Richards Blvd., (916) 448-7224, governorsinnhotel.com, 133 rooms

Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza

300 J St., (916) 446-0100, holidayinnsacramento.com, 359 rooms

Holiday Inn Express

Sacramento Convention Center

728 16th St., (916) 444-4436, hiexpress.com/sacramentoca, 132 rooms

Hyatt Centric 1122 Seventh St., (916) 371-7000, hyatt.com, 172 rooms

Hyatt Regency Sacramento 1209 L St., (916) 443-1234, sacramentohyatt.com, 503 rooms

Inn at Parkside Bed & Breakfast 2116 Sixth St., (916) 658-1818, innatparkside.com, 11 rooms

Inn Off Capitol Park 1530 N St., (916) 447-8100, innoffcapitolpark.com, 37 rooms

Kimpton Sawyer Hotel 500 J St., (916) 545-7100, kimptonhotels.com, 250 rooms

Residence Inn by Marriott Sacramento Downtown at Capitol Park 1121 15th St., (916) 443-0500, marriott.com/sacdt, 235 rooms

Sheraton Grand Sacramento 1230 J St., (916) 447-1700, sheraton.com/sacramento, 503 rooms

Sterling Hotel

1300 H St., (916) 448-1300, sterlinghotelsacramento.com, 16 rooms

The Westin Sacramento 4800 Riverside Blvd., (916) 443-8400, westinsacramento.com, 101 rooms

Fort Sutter Hotel in midtown

Resources

SAFETY

Emergency:

Call 9-1-1 (to report a fire, save a life, or report a crime in progress or just occurred)

Non-Emergency:

Sacramento Police Department (916) 8085471, cityofsacramento.

org/police

Sacramento Fire Department (916) 8081300, cityofsacramento. org/fire

Sacramento County Sheriff (916) 874-5115, sacsheriff.com (events in Sacramento County only)

CITY SERVICES AND UTILITIES

Sacramento City Hall 915 I St., Sacramento, (916) 264-5011, cityofsacramento.org/ city-hall

The oldest incorporated city in California, Sacramento was founded in 1849 and is run by an elected city council, consisting of a mayor and eight council members.

Sacramento Public Library 828 I St., Sacramento, 24-Hour Information Line: (916) 264-2700; Customer Service: (916) 264-2920, saclibrary.org

City of Sacramento Services Call 311 or (916) 808-5011 – available 24/7; 311.cityofsacramento. org/311

Report non-emergency issues or request information about animal control, code enforcement, parking, streets, urban forestry, water, utilities and more.

County of Sacramento Social Services Call 211 or (916) 498-1000 – available 24/7; 211sacramento. org/211

Request information about essential social and health services—food, shelter, counseling, disaster relief and more.

County of Sacramento Services Call 311 or (916) 875-4311 – available 24/7; saccounty.net/services; 311.saccounty.net (for mobile app)

Report non-emergency issues or request information about abandoned vehicles, animal control, curb repair, drains, illegal dumping, street lights and more.

Sacramento Municipal Utilities District (SMUD) Customer Service Center 6301 S St., Sacramento, (888) 742-7683, smud.org

As the country’s sixth-largest, publicly owned electric utility

provider, SMUD has been lighting up Sacramento for 75 years. It serves 1.5 million customers in 900 square miles, boasts rates among the lowest in the state and is an industry leader in renewable power technologies. Start, stop or transfer electricity services at myaccount. smud.org.

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) 24-Hour

Customer Service: (800) 743-5000; 24-Hour Power Outage Information: (800) 743-5002; pge.com

PG&E provides natural gas services to Sacramento, although the 116-year-old company provides both natural gas and electricity

to most of northern and central California. To report a suspected gas leak, leave the area and call 911, then call (800) 743-5000. Start, stop or transfer service and manage account at m.pge. com/#login.

City of Sacramento Department of Utilities 1395 35th Ave., Sacramento, Service Requests: (916) 264-5011, Accounts/ Billing: (916) 808-5454, cityofsacramento.org/ utilities

The city provides water, sewer and storm drainage services and manages billing for trash, recycling and yard waste services. Services

Downtown Sacramento

Tim Engle

appear on the same bill. Manage your account at secure8.i-doxs.net/CityofSacramento.

County of Sacramento Utilities 9700 Goethe Road, Suite C, Sacramento, General/Service: (916) 875-5555, Accounts/ Billing: (855) 587-5779, myutilities.saccounty.net

The county provides water, sewer, garbage/recycling and stormwater drainage services. Billing is managed by Consolidated Utilities Billing and Service at sacutilities.org.

INTERNET, PHONE AND CABLE PROVIDERS

AT&T (833) 657-2693, att.com

Consolidated Communications (916) 789-3037, consolidated.com

EarthLink (800) 217-6231, earthlink.net/ california/sacramento Frontier (866) 352-8161, go.frontier.com

HughesNet (844) 4061664, hughesnet.com

Verizon (800) 225-5499, verizon.com

Viasat (877) 697-2926, viasat.com Wave (866) 928-3123, residential. wavebroadband.com

Xfinity (800) 934-6489, xfinity.com

VISITOR INFORMATION

Old Sacramento Waterfront 1124 Second St., Old Sacramento, (916) 442-8575, oldsacramento. com

Sacramento Visitors Center 1000 Second St., Old Sacramento, (916) 808-7644, sachistorymuseum.org/ sacramento-visitorscenter

Visit Sacramento (Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau) 1608 I St., Sacramento, (916) 808-7777, visitsacramento.com

Sacramento365 1608 I St., Suite 200, Sacramento, (916) 808-8642, sacramento365.com

AREA BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS & CHAMBER INFORMATION

Downtown Sacramento Partnership 980 Ninth St., Suite 200, Sacramento, (916) 442-8575, downtownsac.org

Galt District Chamber of Commerce 604 N. Lincoln Way, Galt, (209) 745-2529, galtchamber. com

Greater Sacramento Economic Council 400 Capitol Mall, Suite 2520, Sacramento, (916) 4412144, greatersacramento. com

Handle District (916) 765-5052, thehandledistrict.com

Midtown Association 1401 21st St., Unit A, Sacramento, (916) 442-1500, exploremidtown.org

Midtown Neighborhood Association PO Box 162555, Sacramento, (916) 629-4449, midtownsac.org

Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce 1017 L St., Suite 557, Sacramento, (916) 552-6800, metrochamber.org

Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce 1610 R St., Suite 322, Sacramento, (916) 446-7883, sacasiancc.org

Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce 5770 Freeport Blvd., Suite 44, Sacramento, (916) 231-0416, sacblackchamber.org

Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 1491 River Park Drive, Suite 101, Sacramento, (916) 486-7700, sachcc.org

Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce PO Box 160126, Sacramento, (916) 2669630, rainbowchamber. com

Auburn Chamber of Commerce 1103 High St., Suite 100, Auburn, (530) 885-5616, auburnchamber.net

Carmichael Chamber of Commerce 6241 Fair Oaks Blvd., Suite K, Carmichael, (916) 481-1002, carmichaelchamber.com

Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce 7625 Sunrise Blvd., Suite 207, Citrus Heights, (916) 7224545, chchamber.com

Davis Chamber of Commerce PO Box 74094, Davis, (530) 9027699, davischamber.com

Davis Downtown Business Association 826 Second St., Davis, (530) 756-8763, davisdowntown.com

East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce 3104 O St., Suite 367, Sacramento, (916) 794-1165, eastsacchamber.org

El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce 2085 Vine St., Suite 105, El Dorado Hills, (916) 933-1335, eldoradohillschamber.org

Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce 8820 Elk Grove Blvd., Elk Grove, (916) 691-3760, elkgroveca.com

Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce PO Box 352, Fair Oaks, (916) 967-2903, fairoakschamber.com

Folsom Chamber of Commerce 200 Wool St., Folsom, (916) 985-2698, folsomchamber.com

Greater Broadway District PO Box 188182, Sacramento, (916) 956-8434, greaterbroadwaydistrict. com

Greater Arden Chamber of Commerce 3308 El Camino Ave., Suite 300-261, Arden-Arcade/ Sacramento, (916) 2492991, greaterarden.com

Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce 540 F St., Lincoln, (916) 645-2035, lincolnchamber.com

Loomis Basin Chamber of Commerce 6090 Horseshoe Bar Road, Loomis, (916) 652-7252, loomischamber.com

Natomas Chamber of Commerce 3511 Del Paso Road, Suite 160, Sac-

ramento, (916) 877-5436, natomaschamber.org

North Sacramento Chamber of Commerce PO Box 15468, Sacramento, northsacchamber.org

Power Inn Alliance 7801 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 453-8888, powerinn. org

Rancho Cordova

Chamber of Commerce 2729 Prospect Park Drive, Suite 117, Rancho Cordova, (916) 273-5700, ranchocordova. org

Rocklin Area Chamber of Commerce 3700 Rocklin Road, Rocklin, (916) 624-2548, rocklinchamber.com

Roseville Area Chamber of Commerce 650 Douglas Blvd., Roseville, (916) 783-8136, rosevillechamber.com

West Sacramento Chamber of Commerce 1401 Halyard Drive, West Sacramento, (916) 371-7042, westsacramentochamber. com

MEDIA

Newspapers

The Sacramento Bee—daily, print and online, (916) 321-1000, sacbee.com

Sacramento Business Journal—business news weekly, print and online, (916) 447-7661, bizjournals. com/sacramento

Sacramento News & Review—alternative news and entertainment online weekly, (916) 4981234, newsreview.com/ sacramento

The Sacramento Observer—African American-owned weekly, print and online, (916) 4524781, sacobserver.com

Capitol Weekly—covering California government and politics, (916) 4754840, capitolweekly.net

Inside Sacramento (Inside East Sac, Inside Pocket, Inside Land Park/Grid, Inside Arden)—hyperlocal

monthlies, Inside Publications, (916) 443-5087, insidesacramento.com

Magazines

Comstock’s Magazine—business monthly for the capital region, print and online, (916) 364-1000, comstocksmag.com

Outword Magazine— biweekly magazine serving the region’s LGBTQ+ community, print and online, (916) 329-9280, outwordmagazine.com

Sacramento Magazine—the city and region’s premier monthly lifestyle magazine, print and online, sacmag.com, (866) 660-6247

Sacramento Visitors’ Guide—Visit Sacramento’s guide to the region, (916) 808-7777, visitsacramento.com

Radio Stations

AM Stations

KSTE 650 AM Talk

KFIA 710 Christian (“The Word”)

KLIB 1110 International

KHTK 1140 Sports (“Home of the Kings”)

KCVV 1240 Spanish Religious/Catholic

KIFM 1320 Sports (“ESPN 1320”)

KTKZ 1380 Conservative Talk (“The Answer”)

KJAY 1430 Hmong/ Gospel

KIID 1470 Punjabi

KFBK 1530 News/ Weather/Traffic (“NewsRadio KFBK”)

KSMH 1620 Catholic

KFSG 1690 Spanish

Religious

FM Stations

KEBR 88.1 Religious (“Family Radio”)

KCPC 88.3 Religious

KXPR 88.9 Capital Public Radio/Classical, Jazz, Blues, Opera

KQEI 89.3 Public Radio (KQED, San Francisco)

KVMR 89.5 Community Radio/Variety, Nevada County

KDVS 90.3 Non-commercial/Eclectic/College, UC Davis

KXJZ 90.9 Capital Public Radio/NPR/News

KBEB 92.5 Soft Adult Contemporary (“The Breeze”)

KFBK 93.1 News/Weather/Traffic (“NewsRadio KFBK”)

KYRV 93.7 Classic Rock (“The River”)

KKDO 94.7 Alternative Rock (“Alt 94.7”)

KYMX 96.1 Adult Contemporary (“Mix96”)

KSEG 96.9 Classic Rock (“96.9 Eagle”)

KRXQ 98.5 Rock (“98 Rock”)

KLVB 99.5 Christian Contemporary (“K-Love”)

KZZO 100.5 Contemporary Hits (“Now 100.5”)

KHYL 101.1 Urban Adult Contemporary (“V101.1 – Sacramento’s #1 for Throwbacks”)

KCCL 101.5 Oldies (“101.5 K-Hits”)

KHHM 101.9 Global Latin Urban/Hot Hits (“Radio Fuego”)

KSFM 102.5 Rhythmic Contemporary Hits Radio

KKCY 103.1 Country

KKFS 103.9 Contemporary Christian (“The Fish”)

KNCI 105.1 Country (“New Country 105.1 KNCI”)

KSAC 105.5 Business Talk (“Money 105.5”)

KUDL 106.5 Contemporary Hits (“106.5 The End”)

K296GB 107.1 New Country (“The Bull”) TV Stations

KCRA 3 NBC “KCRA Channel 3”

KVIE 6 PBS “KVIE Channel 6”

KXTV 10 “ABC10”

KOVR 13 “CBS13”

KMUM-CD 15 “Telemundo Sacramento”

KUVS 19 “Univision 19”

KMAX 31 “CW31”

KTXL 40 “FOX40”

KQCA 58 “My58”

SACRAMENTO REGION WALDORF SCHOOLS

Camellia Waldorf • Davis Waldorf

Live Oak Waldorf • Sacramento Waldorf www.sacwaldorf.org/sacramentowaldorf

The Sacramento region is home to five Waldorf schools affiliated with the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America. Our shared goal is to provide Waldorf education to as many children as possible, building confidence and imagination through the educational philosophy developed by Rudolf Steiner in 1919.

Waldorf education focuses on a child’s developmental stage, prioritizing wonder, creativity, and imagination as essential childhood values. Rigorous academics in the upper grades provide strong math and sciences interwoven with fine and practical arts.

Music, dance, theater, writing, literature and imaginative play are building blocks for deep thinking and character-building. Teachers focus on students’ intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual capacities.

Waldorf education is an early childhood through 12th grade journey. We invite you to visit our campuses for tours and experience what a Waldorf education can do for your child!

Learn more at www.sacwaldorf.org/sacramentowaldorf

SACRAMENTO COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

Sacramento Country Day School is a PK-12, independent, non-profit, college preparatory school in Sacramento that inspires intellectual discovery and engages a diverse community to think critically, live creatively, and act compassionately.

Founded in 1964, Sacramento Country Day School is the only independent school of its kind in the region and is consistently recognized for its top academics, quality teachers and student achievements. We have a beautiful, expansive campus specifically developed for each of our three divisions - Lower, Middle and High – providing students with personalized learning, immersive course offerings, and pathways to develop their passions.

Students at Country Day discover their true selves in an environment where they are known, seen and heard.

Sacramento Schools

Whether you are relocating to the region or moving to a new neighborhood across town, “How are the schools?” is a worthy question to ask—definitely if you’re a parent of schoolage children, but even if kids aren’t currently in your orbit. After all, the health of schools (including colleges and universities) impacts the quality of life for everyone in a community.

So how are Sacramento-area

schools?

The good news is that there are great educational options throughout the Sacramento region—from nurturing neighborhood elementary schools to high schools whose academic programs consistently send students to the best colleges and universities. Sacramento also is home to an array of options when it comes to PreK–12 education: myriad charter, magnet and religious-affiliated schools, schools with dual-language immersion and International Baccalaureate programs, and public and private schools offering Montessori and Waldorf educations. You’ll find Sacramento-area educational options well-represented on Niche.com, which reviews and ranks schools—PreK–12 to university and beyond—using an informative range of metrics.

Major School Districts Within Sacramento County

Elk Grove Unified School District (PreK–12) 9510 Elk Grove-Florin Road, Elk Grove, (916) 686-5085, egusd.net

Folsom Cordova Unified School District (TK–12) 1965 Birkmont Drive, Rancho Cordova, (916) 294-9000, fcusd.org Natomas Unified

School District (TK–12)

1901 Arena Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 567-5400, natomasunified.org

San Juan Unified School District (TK–12) 3738 Walnut Ave., Carmichael, (916) 971-7700, sanjuan.edu

Sacramento City Unified School District (TK–12) 5735 47th Ave., Sacramento, (916) 6437400, scusd.edu

Twin Rivers Unified School District (TK–12) 5115 Dudley Blvd., McClellan Park, (916) 566-1600, twinriversusd.org

Major School Districts Adjacent to Sacramento County

Buckeye Union School District (TK–8) 5049

Robert J. Matthews Parkway, El Dorado Hills, (530) 677-2261, buckeyeusd.org

Davis Joint Unified School District (TK–12) 526 B St., Davis, (530) 757-5300, djusd.net

Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District (TK–8) 8849

Cook Riolo Road, Roseville, (916) 770-8800, drycreek.k12.ca.us

El Dorado Union High School District (9–12) 561 Canal St., Placerville, (530) 622-5081, eduhsd. k12.ca.us

Eureka Union School District (TK–8) 5455

Eureka Road, Granite Bay, (916) 791-4939, eurekausd.org

Rocklin Unified School District (TK–12) 2615

Sierra Meadows Drive, Rocklin, (916) 6624-2428, rocklinusd.org

Roseville City School District (TK-8) 1050 Main St., Roseville, (916) 771-1600, rcsdk8.org

Roseville Joint Union High School District (9–12) 1750 Cirby Way, Roseville, (916) 786-2051, rjuhsd.org

Washington Unified School District (TK–12) 930 Westacre Road, West Sacramento, (916) 3757600, wusd.k12.ca.us

These public high schools get top marks for academics, Advanced Placement courses and scores, high graduation and college admission rates, and (for some) outstanding programs in sports or the arts:

C.K. McClatchy High School / Humanities and International Studies Program, Visual and Performing Arts Program 3066

Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 395-5050, ckm. scusd.edu

Davis Senior High School 315 W. 14th St., Davis, (530) 757-5400, dshs.djusd.net

Folsom High School 1655 Iron Point Road, Folsom, (916) 294-2400, fcusd.org/fhs

Granite Bay High School 1 Grizzly Way, Granite Bay, (916) 7868676, rjuhsd.us/granitebay

Mira Loma High School / International Baccalaureate Program 4000 Edison Ave., Sacramento (530) 971-7465, sanjuan.edu/ Page/2014

Natomas Charter School Performing and Fine Arts Academy (6-12) 4600 Blackrock Drive, Sacramento, (916) 928-5353, pfaa. natomascharter.org

West Campus High School 5022 58th St. Sacramento, (916) 277-6400, westcampus. scusd.edu

Vista del Lago High School 1970 Broadstone Parkway, Folsom, (916) 294-2410, fcusd.org/ Domain/32

These top-rated private schools draw high school students from throughout the region:

Al-Arqam Islamic School & College Preparatory (PreK–12, College Prep, Islamic, Coed) 6990 65th

St., Sacramento, (916) 391-3333, alarqamislamicschool.org

Christian Brothers High School (College Prep, Catholic, Coed) 4315 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 733-3600, cbhssacramento.org

Cristo Rey Sacramento High School (College Prep + Work Study, Catholic, Coed) 8475 Jackson Road, Sacramento, (916) 733-2660, crhss.org

Jesuit High School (College Prep, Catholic, Boys) 4660 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 4826060, jesuithighschool.org

St. Francis Catholic High School (College Prep, Catholic, Girls) 5900 Elvas Ave., Sacramento, (916) 452-3461, stfrancishs.org

Sacramento Country Day School (PreK–12, College Prep, Independent, Coed) 2636

Latham Dr., Sacramento, (916) 481-8811, saccds.org

Sacramento Waldorf School (PreK–12, College Prep, Waldorf, Coed) 3750 Bannister Road, Fair Oaks, (916) 9613900, sacwaldorf.org

The Sacramento region is home to four community colleges, a California State University, a University of California, a topranked medical school, a prestigious law school, and more.

Los Rios Community College District 1919 Spanos Court, Sacramento, (916) 568-3021, losrios.edu

Four campuses—American River College, Cosumnes River College, Folsom Lake College and Sacramento City College—plus six outreach centers serve 70,000 students, offering degree, transfer and certificate programs.

William Jessup University 2121 University Ave., Rocklin, (916) 557-2200, jessup.edu

Private Christian university serves about 1,840 undergraduate and graduate students on 130 suburban acres.

Sacramento State (California State University, Sacramento) 6000 J St., Sacramento, (916) 278-1000, csus.edu

One of the most diverse campuses in the West, “Sac State” serves 31,500 undergraduate and graduate students.

University of California, Davis One Shields Ave., UC Davis Campus, Davis, ucdavis.edu

Ranked fifth among public U.S. universities in 2021 by Wall Street Journal, this tier-one research university is third largest of the nine-campus UC system, serving over 39,000 undergraduate, graduate and health science students. It has professional schools in education, law, management, nursing, veterinary medicine (#1 in U.S.) and medicine.

Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing 2570 48th St., Sacramento, (916) 734-2154, health. ucdavis.edu/nursing UC Davis School of Medicine 4610 X St., Sacramento, (916) 7344800, health.ucdavis.edu/ medschool

University of the Pacific, Sacramento Campus 3200 Fifth Ave., Sacramento, pacific.edu/ sacramento-campus Stockton-based UOP offers graduate and professional degrees in Sacramento at McGeorge School of Law, School of Health Sciences and Benerd College.

For Your Health

Whether at in-person appointments or through the newer trend of telehealth, chances are you’ll easily find the health care services you need because the Sacramento region is home to some of the finest medical care in the country.

Here’s some information on the major groups.

Dignity Health’s mission is rooted in the compassion of the Sisters of Mercy, a group founded in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. Several of the Sisters arrived in San Francisco in 1854 to care for the city’s residents. The organization grew and in 2012 changed its name to Dignity Health. Dignity blankets our region with six hospitals: Mercy General Hospital, Mercy Hospital of Folsom, Mercy San Juan Medical Center, Methodist Hospital of Sacramento, Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital and Woodland Memorial Hospital. dignityhealth.org

Kaiser Permanente provides high-quality, affordable health care services to uplift whole communities by promoting health rather than solely treating illnesses. In the greater

Sacramento area, the organization has identified four critical health needs to focus upon: access to care and coverage; community and family safety; economic security; and mental health and wellness. Kaiser’s 24/7 advice line streamlines service for members seeking to schedule appointments, receive treatment advice or locate the nearest urgent care. thrive. kaiserpermanente.org

Sutter Health is a not-for-profit network whose hospitals serve more of the Medi-Cal patient population in Northern California than any other health system. This integrated network has created a model of care that strives to be accessible to all, including the region’s diverse communities. Sutter Medical Center, Sac-

ramento is centrally located in midtown and houses facilities that include the Ose Adams Medical Pavilion, Anderson Lucchetti Women’s & Children’s Center and the Sutter Center for Psychiatry. sutterhealth.org

UC Davis Health has the expertise, discoveries and technology of a world-class university behind it. The UC Davis Medical Center, located in Sacramento, is a leading referral center for medically complex cases and the most seriously ill or injured patients. It’s the only Level 1 trauma center for adult and pediatric emergencies in inland Northern California. UC Davis is also renowned for its MIND Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Institute for Regenerative Cures. health.ucdavis.edu

15 Things To Do in Sacramento

By Darlena Belushin McKay

California State Fair

1

Visit the Old Sacramento Waterfront. The historic district is known for its boarded sidewalks, museums, shopping and dining, and also its newer attractions, such as its Waterfront Wheel (a 65-foot Ferris wheel) and the Front Street Carousel. Operated by Brass Ring Amusement, these new amenities started entertaining families during the pandemic. They are located in the new Waterfront Park, in front of Rio City Café, and within view of the iconic Tower Bridge.

2

Enjoy o erings fresh from a farmers market. The Sacramento region contains about 1.5 million acres of farmland and 8,000 acres of boutique farms, earning its status as America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital. In the summertime, the farms kick into high gear, delivering a huge variety of produce at its biggest and best. Take advantage of this freshness boon—and support local growers.

The Sacramento region has more than 40 farmers markets. Some are open year-round. Others open in mid-spring and close in mid-fall. But during the summer, they’re all open for business, and it’s boom, boom, booming.

Of course, you’ll find much more than just fruits and vegetables. You’ll likely also come across goodies like artisanal cheeses and honeys, baked goods, herbs, flowers, locally ranched meats and locally caught fish. Some, like the Oak Park Farmers Market, feature live music or kids’ activities like storytelling, face painting or art making. california-grown.com.

3

See a film at the Crest Theatre. The beautifully lavish art-deco Crest has the same story as many K Street traditions: It was great, then it wasn’t, there were renovations and re-imaginings, and now it’s cooler than it’s

ever been. Having undergone an extensive modernization project a few years ago, the Crest has been fully restored as the heirloom crown jewel of the once-beleaguered downtown district. Catch a screening of an old-time favorite like “Singin’ in the Rain” (shown seasonally). crestsacramento.com

4

Cheer for a sports team. Fans of the Sacramento Kings basketball team have been through a lot together (see: the early ’90s, 2013 and the Maloofs), and perhaps nothing signifies the pride of that NBA journey quite like ringing an engraved cowbell at Golden 1 Center. Catch a game between October and mid-April. nba.com/kings

At a Sacramento River Cats baseball game, you’ll find a fully loaded kids’ zone and an unbeatable view of the sunset. You’ll have plenty of reasons to raise your glass and cheer with your fellow Sutter Health Park revelers for the Giants Triple-A a liate baseball team. Games take place April through September. rivercats.com

If you think professional soccer is just for Europeans, you’ve never been to a football match in the States. And if you think Americans only get excited for American football (as opposed to the football we know as soccer), you’ve never witnessed the Tower Bridge Battalion at a Sacramento Republic FC match at Heart Health Park. This group of crazed fans is on their feet, chanting in unison and waving custom flags and banners at each and every match. The season runs March through October. tbbattalion.com

5Meet the animals of the California State Fair, and eat some fried food, too. People used to call Sacramento a cow town, and while the expanding downtown skyline laughs at the city’s former reputation, for 17 days you can still find cows in the center of

town. The California State Fair hosts an animal education center as well as a petting zoo, so when you chase a corn dog with a funnel cake and call it dinner, you can chalk up your appetite to all that manual labor on the makeshift farm. castatefair.org

6 Walk, run or bike the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail. Also known as the American River Trail, it runs 32 miles along the American River, connecting a string of public spaces including Sutter’s Landing Park, Paradise Beach, William B. Pond Recreation Area, River Bend Park and Beals Point at Folsom Lake. Each spot has its own highlights, from the salmon ladders at Nimbus Fish Hatchery to the archery range at Discovery Park and the creature comforts of Old Sacramento.

The Jedediah Smith is one of the longest paved trails in the country. If you’re on a bike, you can ride just long enough to justify a destination reward. But the trail has plenty of room for everyone. Families and couples abound on both wheels and sneakers. regionalparks. saccounty.net

7Take a tour in the city. You might not know that the late Bishop Alphonse Gallegos was a lowrider fan or that 30 movie theaters were built on J, K and L streets between 1922 and 1932. These fun facts are some of the many nuggets of knowledge you’ll gain on a Local Roots Food Tour. The walking tours, in midtown, R Street, downtown and the Sutter District, are led by savvy guides and blend bits of Sacramento history and popular culture with samples of food from area restaurants and stops at locally owned shops. localrootsfoodtours.com

By taking an Old Sacramento Underground Tour you’ll learn how Sacramento was literally raised out of flood danger. A colorful cast of guides take

you underground, through hollowed-out sidewalks and sloped alleyways. shopsachistorymuseum.org

Hop on your bike or rent a Lime bike for California Gold Rush: The Sacramento Grid by Bicycle, a two-hour audio tour led by storyteller Marc Christensen. Departing and ending on the west side (10th Street) of the State Capitol, the tour stops at various sites that describe the state’s founding and Gold Rush. voicemap.me (search “Sacramento grid by bicycle”)

8

Visit the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Whether for religious reverence (it’s the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento) or architectural reverence (construction started in 1887, and the building is one of the largest cathedrals west of the Mississippi River), the cathedral holds a special place in the hearts of many Sacramentans. Mass is held seven days a week, guided tours are o ered on Sundays, and video-assisted self-guided tours are available. cathedralsacramento.org

9

Say hello to exotic animals at Sacramento Zoo. Some animal lovers have mixed feeling about zoos. But seeing animals from faraway places is fun. It stirs the imagination. It promotes conversation. Kids love it. And the very best time to go to Sacramento Zoo (3930 W. Land Park Drive) is first thing in the morning when the critters are waking up. So get up early and go hang with the coolest vertebrates when they’re active. Check out the viewing deck where you can meet gira es eye-to-eye. And the big-cat exhibits are always a crowdpleaser. saczoo.org meet the

10

Peruse the artifacts at a local museum. The world-class California State Railroad Museum is the largest of its kind in North America, boasting 19 steam locomotives and telling the story of the Transcontinental Railroad, which was completed only yards from the museum’s entrance. With more than 225,000 square feet of space for exhibits with trains that kids (and adults) can climb aboard and peek inside of, storyboards detailing railroad history (such as Abraham Lincoln’s influence over the Union Pacific Railroad and the Pullman strike of 1894) and current events (high-speed rail), the museum offers a full day of entertainment and education. californiarailroad. museum

Also well worth a visit are the California Museum, Sacramento History Museum, Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum and others. sacmuseums.org

11

See a show at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center. The newly renovated performing arts center boasts a new L Street entryway, activity plaza north of the theater, enhanced accessibility, new AV and lighting systems and larger concessions areas, among other enhancements. It’s home to Broadway Sacramento’s Broadway on Tour series, Sacramento Ballet’s “Nutcracker,” and the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, among other local arts groups. While there, take a minute to see the diverse art installations—including “Lunar Specimen 12038,7,” a clear, acrylic resin sculpture modeled after a moon rock brought back from the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, and “Cathedral,” a 25-foot homage to California’s forested landscape. safecreditunionconventioncenter. com

12

Get out on the river. Sometimes it’s fun to be on the water looking back at the shore instead of the other way around. American River Raft Rentals has been a Sacramento staple for water cannon-toting rafting enthusiasts since 1974. Rafters flock to the American River for the three- to four-hour floats starting at Sunrise Bridge and down to River Bend Park, a mostly easy, family-friendly ride with a little thrill through the San Juan Rapids. Happily, because of the need to keep saltwater out of the Delta to protect fish flows, enough water is released from the upstream dams to accommodate recreational use, even in times of drought. Expect myriad wildlife sightings and maybe even an all-out water cannon fight among rafts. raftrentals.com

13

View art at Crocker Art Museum. The musem permanently houses a collection of more than 15,000 works of art. World renowned for its collection of California art and European master drawings, the museum also offers a diverse spectrum of exhibitions, events and programs to augment its collections, including films, concerts, studio classes, lectures, children’s activities and more. In 2017, the museum received national recognition for excellence by the American Alliance of Museums, joining only 3 percent of the nation’s 33,000 museums. crockerart.org

14

Shop at a pop-up or makers market.

“Sankofa” is a Ghanian symbol depicted as a bird with its head directed backward to signify the importance of looking back to inform the present and future. Sankofa pop-up market in Oak Park is held at Greentech Farm in Oak Park on the second Sunday of each month. The market features locally grown produce such as baby kale

and cabbage, information on composting, starter plants for home gardens, herbs, bath and body soaps and oils, shea butter, spices and incense. Pop-up goers may also find lobster mac and cheese, tri-tip and greens, and grilled chicken or burgers. sankofamarketsac.com

Three staffers at Space 07, a hair salon, have created The Big Little Market, a pop-up held every third Thursday of the month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to showcase local artists and businesses. You will find ceramics, apparel, flowers and plants, candles, skin care, jewelry and home décor by Northern California artists and artisans at 1421 R St. IG: @thebiglittlemarketplace

The DOCO Makers Market is held on the fourth Saturday in July, August and September, with local vendors, crafters and artisans, and live music all converging downtown on DOCO’s outdoor plaza. godowntownsac.com

15Experience Wide Open Walls. Each September, artists from all over the world to join local artists in creating murals throughout Sacramento. This Sacramento festival was founded in 2016 to activate buildings and alleyways throughout the city. Some of the newest works were painted by local artists Joshua Lawyer, Lin Fei Fei, John Connolly, Lord Pawn, Jolene Russell and Miles Toland. In 2021, Wide Open Walls partnered with the Museum of Science and Curiosity, adding paintings to various locations within the museum. wideopenwalls.com

The Sacramento region has a neighborhood for everyone, no matter their style, from urban hipster to committed suburban dweller. Take our tour to discover the perfect neighborhood for you.

DOWNTOWN

Until recently, downtown Sacramento was largely known for being the center of state government. (The state Capitol is located there, along with a number of state agency buildings.) But Golden 1 Center changed all that. The $558 million sports and entertainment arena, which opened to great acclaim in late 2016, has provided downtown with a massive boost of energy and excitement. The Sacramento Kings basketball team plays all its home games there, and the arena attracts top-caliber entertainers such as Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish and Justin Bieber, along with productions such as Disney on Ice. But you don’t need a ticket to enjoy the arena’s elegant architecture, marked by undulating exterior panels that evoke the foothills, or to visit the striking Je Koons

sculpture on the plaza. (In case you’re wondering, the colorful sculpture depicts Winnie-the-Pooh’s Piglet.) A multitude of new restaurants and bars have popped up around the arena and on nearby K Street Mall, making this a great place to grab a drink or a bite to eat.

Downtown is home to Crocker Art Museum (the oldest art museum in the West) and California Museum, where you can visit the California Hall of Fame. Nearby, the state Capitol o ers fascinating guided tours that allow you to watch legislators at work when they’re in session. Stroll the grounds of Capitol Park, which feature the International World Peace Rose Garden and the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

MIDTOWN

This live wire of a neighborhood in the heart of the city is a magnet for fun lovers. There are dozens of hip restaurants and bars, and the monthly Second Saturday Art Walk draws thousands of merrymakers. On Saturday mornings, the Midtown Farmers Market on 20th Street between J and L is a great place to shop for seasonal produce from local farmers, along with artisanal food products and handmade goods. Midtown is also home to a large number of independently owned boutiques and art galleries.

The neighborhood is both walkable and bicycle friendly. It’s made up of several smaller sub-neighborhoods, each with its own distinct personality. The Handle District is the epicenter for fine dining, with

restaurants such as The Waterboy, Zócalo and 58 Degrees & Holding Co. R Street Corridor is Sacramento’s old warehouse district. Many of those atmospheric old buildings have been redeveloped and are now home to exciting bars, restaurants and lofts. Lavender Heights is the hub of Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community. Shaded by trees and built on a gentle rise, Poverty Ridge is largely a residential neighborhood, known for its classic Victorians and Craftsman bungalows. (It got its colorful name from the Gold Rush days, when the city’s poor would flock here during heavy rains to escape the floodwaters.)

LAND PARK

Life in this elegant, tree-shaded neighborhood centers around William Land Park, a 166-acre oasis of green in the middle of the city. In addition to a jogging path, picnic areas and picturesque ponds, the park o ers attractions such as the Sacramento Zoo, Fairytale Town (a children’s play park with 25 sets based on fairy tales and nursery rhymes), Funderland (a small amusement park) and a nine-hole golf course. William A. Carroll Amphitheatre in the park hosts concerts, plays, an annual Shakespeare festival and other productions.

Sacramento Historic City Cemetery on Broadway is an outdoor museum that pays homage to the city’s history from the Gold Rush onward. It’s the final resting place for many of the city’s first citizens, from early mayors and governors to more colorful denizens such as bootleggers and saloon owners. The cemetery’s Historic Rose Garden features old and antique roses in a profusion of shapes and colors. Guided tours of the cemetery and rose garden are available.

Land Park is home to the classic Tower Theatre, a grand old movie house on Broadway that shows mostly foreign, indie and art films. Nearby, you’ll find numerous restaurants serving global cuisine: Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Ethiopian, you name it. Venture out into the residential parts of the neighborhood to see exquisite examples of European Revival architecture from the 1920s and ’30s.

EAST SACRAMENTO

This pedestrian-friendly neighborhood east of midtown is like a little village plunked in the middle of the city. It’s easy to walk or bike to the area’s many independent restaurants, cafes and retailers. The jewel of the neighborhood is 32-acre McKinley Park, home to a library, duck pond, rose garden, garden and arts center, tennis courts, soccer and baseball fields and a popular 1.1-mile running path. (Back in the ’90s, then-President Bill Clinton famously jogged on the track during a trip to Sacramento.)

Dog Parks

in City of Sacramento

Barandas Dog Park 2805 Grasslands Drive

Blackbird Park Dog Parks 3765 Hovnanian Drive

Glenbrook Park 8500 La Riviera Drive

Granite Regional Park 8200 Ramona Ave.

Jacinto Creek Park 8600 West Stockton Blvd.

Lynn Robie Dog Park 7895 Freeport Blvd.

North Natomas Regional Park 2501 New Market Drive

Partner Park 5699 South Land Park Drive

Regency Community Park 5500 Honor Parkway

Sutter’s Landing Park 20 28th St.

Tanzanite Community Park 2220 Tanzanite Way

Truitt Bark Park 1818 Q St.

University Avenue Dog Park 1900 University Ave.

Valley Oak Dog Park 2780 Mabry Drive

The neighborhood has a mix of bungalows and Tudor, Craftsman and Mediterranean Revival-style houses built in the 1920s and ’30s. It’s also home to an upscale sub-neighborhood called the Fabulous Forties, with grand old houses and sweeping green lawns. As governor, Ronald Reagan lived on 45th Street with his wife, Nancy, and their two children.

OAK PARK

This quaint, working-class city neighborhood is undergoing a big transition. Members of the city’s creative class and young homeowners are moving in, attracted to Oak Park’s proximity to downtown and a ordable housing stock.

The area has seen significant development. A slew of restaurants, bakeries, ice cream shops, juice bars, boutiques and design businesses have opened in the vicinity of Broadway Triangle, a stylish development with stores, loft apartments and townhouses. The area is also home to a co eehouse called Old Soul @ 40 Acres, a farmers market, an urban nursery, art studios and gallery spaces.

ROSEVILLE

This family-friend suburb, located at the base of the Sierra Nevada foothills, has recently come into its own as a city. In 2020, Money magazine named Roseville one of the top places in the United States to live and to retire. The largest city in Placer County, it has about 150,000 residents and a median household income of more than $90,000. It is an a ordable place to live, compared to other California cities, and it has a strong base of large employers o ering high-paying jobs, including Kaiser, Hewlett Packard and Sutter Roseville Medical Center. Excellent public schools and outdoor amenities, including parks, biking and walking trails and recreation programs, make Roseville a popular destination for families with children. There’s a wide variety of housing available, from high-end new construction to active senior communities. In 2020, Roseville added an estimated 1,013 new single-family housing units, the seventh-highest total in the state. You’ll

find excellent shopping at Westfield Galleria (home to Nordstrom, Ti any, RH, Crate & Barrel and more), Fountains (where you’ll find Anthropologie, West Elm and Whole Foods, among other upscale retailers) and a myriad of smaller shopping centers.

FOLSOM

This beautiful foothills town is a place of stunning beauty, with rolling green hills, spectacular views and two lakes (Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma). Located 25 miles east of Sacramento, Folsom has a lot to o er: a strong economic base, good schools, lots of shopping options, and nearly 60 miles of biking and hiking trails. Folsom’s rich history starts with the fact that it was home to the West’s first railroad, which connected the gold fields to Sacramento’s ports. In 1880, the famed Folsom Prison was built out of solid granite blocks by inmates. The prison still stands and is known throughout the world, thanks to Johnny Cash and his song, “Folsom Prison Blues.” Today, there’s a small museum on the prison grounds. Folsom’s 34 square miles o er plenty of housing options, including a ordable new construction, multimillion-dollar homes in the hills and active-senior housing.

ELK GROVE

The leafy suburb of Elk Grove, located 15 miles south of the state Capitol, is popular with families and young professionals. It’s got a lot going for it, including a highly rated public school system, more than 90 parks, two major highways (Interstate 5 and Highway 80) and a diverse housing stock that ranges from starter homes to estate ranches. In recent years, Bay Area buyers have been drawn to Elk Grove by its a ordability and booming home construction, making this one of the fastest-growing economies in the Sacramento region. Large employers include Intel, UC Davis, Kaiser Permanente and Blue Shield. Restaurants, movie theaters and shopping abound, and outdoor amenities include

Laguna Creek Parkway, a 13-mile waterway with walking and riding trails; Stone Lakes Refuge, a 3,000-acre floodplain along the Pacific Flyway; and Cosumnes River Perserve, a riparian habitat. Elk Grove also o ers opportunities for the community to gather at events like the Elk Grove Western Festival in May, the Giant Pumpkin Festival in October and historic Old Town’s Dickens Faire in December.

outdoor amenities include

WEST SACRAMENTO

Directly across the Sacramento River from downtown Sacramento lies West Sacramento, a diverse city with more than 53,000 residents and a median household income of about $70,000. At one time, this port city was a center for manufacturing and distribution, but in recent years it has attracted families and businesses with its a ordability and accessibility. Housing options include sleek new lofts, townhouses and apartments in the city’s redeveloped Bridge District, along with family-friendly housing developments in the Southport area. There are numerous outlets for people interested in outdoor recreation, including walking and bike trails. The Vic Fazio Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area o ers hiking and both bird and bat watching. And the

river provides numerous opportunities to get out on the water, via River City Rowing Club and West Sacramento’s Sailing Club and Rowing Club. For sports fans, there’s Sutter Health Park, home to the River Cats

Triple-A baseball team. The crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd are familiar and much-loved sounds every summer in this small but growing city.

DAVIS

This picturesque college town, just 11 miles west of Sacramento, is an extremely bike-friendly city with lots of cultural and educational amenities. It is, of course, home to UC Davis, a world-class state university with more than 30,000 students. The campus o ers numerous draws that attract the community at large, including

UC Davis Arboretum, Mondavi Center (which hosts concerts, plays, lectures and more) and Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. Another important touchstone is the Davis Farmers Market, held year-round on Saturdays (8 a.m.–1 p.m.) and Wednesdays (3–6 p.m.) in Central Park. The market, one of the best in the region, o ers locally grown produce, along with live entertainment, ready-to-eat foods and arts and is a popular gathering spot for residents. While it is a desirable place to live, Davis does not have the robust residential development that characterizes other Sacramento suburbs. Thus, housing prices are generally higher than much of the rest of the region. Still, the city’s quality of life, excellent schools and relationship with the university make this a desirable place to live.

Sacramento sits two hours from the mountains, two hours from the coast—close to everything.

BY KRISTA MINARD P HOTOGRAPHY BY GABRIEL TEAGUE

As the rest of this publication points out, the Sacramento region is wonderful on its own, even before you consider its location in the center of California’s Central Valley. But its location does afford some additional advantages to residents and visitors with itchy feet. It’s a prime jumping-off point, with roads leading in all directions. We take a highway-by-highway look at some of the experiences available with a few hours’ drive—or less.

THIS WAY TO THE OCEAN

Interstate 80 West

The most direct route to the San Francisco Bay Area, Interstate 80 rolls westward through parts of ag-rich Yolo County (you’ll see the Ruhställer hops fields just outside of Dixon), including Davis , where the world-renowned University of California, Davis campus boasts the Mondavi Center concert hall and the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. In the city of Davis, drop by the Saturday farmers market in Central Park—one of the best in the region, with many organic goodies straight from nearby Capay Valley, including fruits, veggies, flowers, olive oil, nuts, meat and eggs.

Vacaville makes a nice stop along the way as well, with a lively downtown area backdropped by hillsides. Shops and restaurants surround a town square; grab a coffee at Journey, located in an old movie house, and wander past historic buildings (such as the original Town Hall) and beautiful old homes nearby.

Traffic can be a bear between Sacramento and Fairfield, bottlenecking at the causeway between West Sac and Davis, slowing down again in Dixon and sometimes a few more times before you get to the Bay Area. Word to the wise: Travel early on weekends—try to be on the road by about 8 a.m.—and a little later on weekdays, to miss the morning commute.

To ferry into San Francisco, pick up the boat in Vallejo, Richmond or Oakland. San Francisco Bay Ferry runs daily; check times online before you travel.

View of East Bay and San Francisco from the Oakland hills

Davis Farmers Market in Central Park

San Francisco

In the Bay Area, Berkeley has several fun districts to visit, including Fourth St reet (packed with shops and restaurants) and the Shattuck Street area around University of California, Berkeley, with bookstores and thrift shops and a very eclectic grocery store, Berkeley Bowl. The university itself makes for a beautiful walk among historic buildings and the iconic clock tower known as the Campanile, as does the Berkeley Marina, with a path alongside the choppy bay. Just south of Berkeley lies Oakland’s Rockridge area, with food halls, coffeehouses, sidewalk dining, galleries and urban artwork. The East Bay is a vibrant spot, rushing with scooterers and cyclists and Bay Area Rapid Transit trains.

Across the Bay Bridge, drop into San Francisco and head for the Embarcadero and the Ferry Building, a waterfront collection of retail shops and restaurants, where the ferry lets off and a Saturday farmers market draws crowds. Hit the San Francisco hot spots, including Fisherman’s Wharf for clam chowder and cracked crab. Take a Red and White or Blue & Gold fleet voyage, or ferry to Angel Island, for a day of hiking, or to Alcatraz, to learn all about the famous island prison. The beach at Crissy Field has free parking and promises a wind-filled day in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge; dogs run loose out here. Hike the trails in the Presidio or out at Land’s End, one of the most scenic spots in the state. For big-city shopping: Union Square. For chocolate: Ghirardelli Square. Of course, take a cable car—so much fun to careen down the hills of San Francisco as you’re seeing the sights— and walk the block famous for being the crookedest in the world, Lombard Street.

Across the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands provide some of the best hiking in the Bay Area, with windswept bluffs overlooking the water. Afterward, grab a bite to eat in Sausalito or Tiburon, two scenic little waterfront towns.

NAPA VALLEY WINE COUNTRY

World famous for vineyards, wineries, restaurants and inns, the Napa Valley is an easy day trip from Sacramento, not much more than an hour away via Highway 12 off Interstate 80. You can drive, or you can take a tour shuttle. The sheer number of tasting rooms (at least 90) in the valley can be daunting, so choose a few to focus on; reservations are required. The valley, tucked between the Mayacamas Mountains on one side and the Vaca Range on the other, includes a couple of scenic highways—Highway 29 and Silverado Trail—that deliver you to many of the wineries. Downtown Napa offers a number of tasting rooms in a walkable grid, as well as the Oxbow Market food hall (wine, cheese, olive oil, books, gifts, oysters, cupcakes and more), a pretty promenade fronting the Napa River and that station for the Napa Valley Wine Train. Up the valley, the towns of Yountville (the famous French Laundry is here), St. Helena (so charming!) and Calistoga (natural springs and spas) treat visitors to more wine, shopping and dining. Don’t miss the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone outside St. Helena, a gorgeous stone building that used to house Christian Brothers winery. It’s one of numerous spectacular buildings in the Napa Valley, where you’ll find opulent tasting rooms, breathtaking wine caves and restaurants serving unforgettable wine-country cuisine.

UC Berkeley

Cable car in San Francisco, Alcatraz in the distance

Crissy Field in San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge

FOOTHILLS FUN

Interstate 80 East

Less than half an hour out of Sacramento, you’ll come upon the exits for Roseville, a suburban city that’s home to approximately 146,000 people, the region’s largest and most upscale shopping mall, and plenty of retail and restaurant options. Roseville’s Historic Old Town includes the Carnegie Museum, run by the Roseville Historical Society, as well as some shops and restaurants. Old Town skirts the railroad tracks near Denio’s Farmers Market & Swap Meet (always worth a wander). The trendier—and spendier—part of town, off East Roseville Parkway and Galleria Boulevard, has Westfield Galleria at Roseville mall, with anchors Macy’s, Nordstrom, JCPenney, Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn, and a Promenade teeming with restaurants including Il Fornaio and Ruth’s Chris steakhouse. Across the street in Fountains, you’ll find DSW, Anthropologie, Sur La Table, West Elm and other retailers, along with Whole Foods, Yard House and local standout Mexican restaurant Zócalo. If you’re looking for some gaming fun, head out to Thunder Valley, off Highway 65 in Lincoln , or Hard Rock, in Wheatland .

A bit farther east on Interstate 80, the small foothill communities of Loomis , Newcastle and Penryn invite people to drive the back roads and discover farms, breweries and wineries. Check out the Placer County Wine & Ale Trail to know where to find the region’s wineries and breweries, many with gorgeous views of the rolling countryside. Taylor Road in Loomis includes a couple of outstanding places to stop, including High-Hand Nursery and Cafe (brunch in the greenery-filled conservatory is a delight), Blue Goose Fruit Shed (for local fruits and nuts) and The Feathered Nest (home décor). In Newcastle, the produce sheds are home to a gallery, restaurants and delightful Newcastle Produce, with a deli counter loaded with housemade treats and a store full of local products and creations. Cross over the freeway to discover North Fork Chai Co., which makes a nice breakfast or lunch stop.

Next stop: Auburn . The Placer County seat, this city of almost 68,000 people includes a historic downtown complete with a red-and-white-striped firehouse shaped like a witch’s hat and a gorgeous courthouse on a hill. Enjoy a coffee on the patio at The Pour Choice or a craft brew at Auburn Alehouse, and shop the boutiques on Sacramento Street. Also in the area: some of the best trails around at Auburn State Recreation Area, where the Middle and North forks of the American River meet. Park at The Confluence under the Foresthill Bridge and hike to Lake Clementine, where water falls over the dam in a cascade of beauty, or take the trails on two wheels. It’s a mountain biker’s dream out here.

Fountains in Roseville

PaZa Winery in Placer County

Biking in Auburn State Recreation Area

Lake Clementine dam

Auburn

LAKE TAHOE

Accessible from Interstate 80 (North Shore) or Highway 50 (South Shore), Lake Tahoe is a two-hour drive from Sacramento either way. A hub for skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing in the winter and hiking, boating, mountain biking and swimming in the summer, the Tahoe Basin includes the clear-blue freshwater lake, which straddles the state line between California and Nevada, the 165-mile Tahoe Rim trail, and numerous historic destinations. Along the 80 corridor, the town of Truckee and Donner Lake—named for the tragic Donner Party that tried to cross the Sierra in the winter of 1846–47—make great stops for lunch or a little time by the smaller lake before dropping into Tahoe’s North Shore, which includes Incline Village and the gorgeous clear-water Sand Harbor. On the Highway 50 side, the ride includes a sobering view of wildfire-ravaged forests, then spectacular views of Lake Tahoe as you descend from Echo Summit into South Lake Tahoe and Stateline. There, you’ll find sandy beaches, casinos, Tallac Historic Site and lots of trails. From there, it’s a short drive west to Emerald Bay and Vikingsholm Castle or east to Zephyr Cove. For the best views, take the Heavenly Tram up the mountainside. While Tahoe can be done in a day trip, we recommend spending a night or two or three—even a week.

Heavenly Tram in Lake Tahoe

HISTORY LESSONS

Highway 49

Known as the Golden Chain, Highway 49 runs in the foothills, linking one Gold Rush town after another. Between Placerville (see “Highway 50” on page 52) and Auburn, Coloma —on the banks of the American River—is where the Gold Rush began in 1848 with the discovery of gold at (John) Sutter’s Sawmill. e (James) Marshall Gold Discovery Site and sawmill are part of the interpretive state park, which includes remaining buildings, a still-working blacksmith shop, a restaurant and signage throughout. Also in this area: some of the best whitewater rafting in the world.

South of Placerville, a collection of Gold Rush towns dot the hills, including Jackson and Sutter Creek (see more about this area under “Highway 16” on page 51) and the Amador Wine Country (see box on page 51).

North of Auburn, Grass Valley is home to a bustling downtown district that has an impressive dining and drinking stretch (along Mill Street and Main Street), with lots of shops and galleries, too. e 28-room Holbrooke Hotel, recently renovated, provides a great spot to spend the night—or just an evening for dinner and drinks. Grab a savory Cornish hand pie at one of the pasty shops in town; these stu ed pies are a Grass Valley staple. Just outside of town, Empire Mine State Park has beautiful grounds and one of the oldest and deepest gold mines in the state.

Adjacent to Grass Valley, Nevada City is a picturesque foothills town that has preserved its historic downtown. It’s got wooden sidewalks and lots of original old brick; the downtown commercial district is on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s busy with visitors and residents, with most of the activity on Broad Street and its side streets, and packed with arts, culture, shopping and dining opportunities. It’s got all the small-town staples: inns in old mansions, at least one bookstore, third-wave co ee, galleries that show local artists’ works, an old Miners Foundry and someplace to get a fancy piece of chocolate.

Beyond Nevada City, along the Yuba River, there are lots of camping and picnicking spots, as well as rafting opportunities, and hiking and mountain biking trails. About an hour outside of Nevada City, the pretty mountain town of Downieville hosts summer’s Downieville Classic mountain bike race and festival.

Nevada City

Sutter’s Sawmill in Coloma South Yuba River

Mill Street in Grass Valley

MORE MOTHERLODE

Highway 16 to Highway 49 South

Just outside of Sacramento, Highway 16 shoots off from Folsom Boulevard and leads out through straw-colored meadows toward Rancho Murieta (horses!), Sloughhouse (home of perhaps the juiciest locally grown corn!) and Jackson, where it connects with Highway 49. Favorite stops in this area include Amador City, great for antiques shopping (clothing and furniture). In nearby Sutter Creek , a sweet little historic stretch of downtown is laden with shops, restaurants and wine-tasting rooms within walking distance of one another. The Antique Gardener is one of the most charming home and garden shops in the area. Jackson , the largest city in Amador County, has all the conveniences of home—supermarkets, chain coffee, good cell coverage—as well as a walker-friendly downtown Main Street. Hein & Company houses more than 650,000 volumes of used and antique books, and you’ll find a terrific kitchen store, candy shop and Serbian bakery in town. Keep going to teeny Volcano, with its historic St. George Hotel and the fabulous Kneading Dough Bakery, and on into Calaveras County for wine tasting in Murphys , a cute downtown in Angels Camp and the Columbia State Historic Park , a working town where shopkeepers and the blacksmith dress like it’s the 1850s and you can sip a sarsaparilla and pan for gold. In the vicinity, several caves lure the adventurous. Tour Black Chasm Cavern, Moaning Caverns or Mercer Caverns.

AMADOR WINE COUNTRY

Some 30 wineries, many of them award-winning, populate the Shenandoah Valley, bucolic with rolling hills and vineyard views. Amador Vinters’ website gives a detailed map. Some of our must-stops: Andis, Helwig, Rombauer, Jeff Runquist, Story, Wilderotter and Young’s. It’s important to make tasting reservations. Zin is the signature varietal, but many other reds, whites, pinks and sparklings grace the inventories and tasting options. While you’re in the Shenandoah Valley, enjoy a picnic lunch on the grounds of Amador Flower Farm, where the acres of gardens showcase some 1,200 varieties of day lilies that bloom each spring and summer.

Downtown Sutter Creek

Young’s Vineyard in Shenandoah Valley

HEAD FOR THE HILLS

Highway 50 East

Take Highway 50 east out of Sacramento and within about 20 minutes you’ll be in Folsom , a suburban city with a historic downtown (Sutter Street), Palladio outdoor shopping center, and two lakes connected by the American River Parkway bike trail. At Lake Natoma, a dammed-up portion of the American River at the edge of Rancho Cordova and Folsom, the Sac State Aquatic Center rents paddleboards and kayaks. Folsom Lake, the region’s largest reservoir, is a prime spot for shing, boating, water skiing, sunbathing, mountain biking and hiking. Because historic Folsom is just o the American River bike trail, it’s a cycling hotbed. ree bridges cross the river here.

Next stop o Highway 50 east is El Dorado Hills , a bedroom community with a lovely town center, where you’ll nd restaurants, shops and lots of activities including movie nights and outdoor concerts.

Another 20 minutes’ drive brings you to Placerville, one of the larger small towns in the foothills and a common rest stop for travelers between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe. Its

downtown district—rife with storefronts, restaurants and museums—is anchored by the Bell Tower, a monument to the city’s volunteer re department, and a gathering spot for events today. Walk this Main Street and you’ll be treated to some of the nest 1850s architecture in the foothills.

Just east of Placerville in Camino is Apple Hill , a region chock full of farms and wineries. In the summer, farms open for berry picking, and every fall, Sacramentans drive up with the kids for apple picking and, in October, pumpkin patches with corn mazes, craft fairs, barbecue, apple cider doughnuts and other baked goods. en it’s Christmas tree-cutting season. Along the back roads, vineyards and tasting rooms invite visitors in. Boeger and Lava Cap are favorites, with beautiful rolling hills covered in grapevines and mountain vistas.

As Highway 50 climbs into the Sierra, heading for South Lake Tahoe, stop in at Sly Park for a picnic or hike to a waterfall. In the Eldorado National Forest, lots of trailheads lead hikers and mountain bikers into the woods.

Apple Hill

Rainbow Orchards’ apple cider doughnuts

Main Street Placerville

Hiking at Folsom Lake

TAKING FIVE

Interstate 5

Two highways leading south from Sacramento, Interstate 5 and Highway 99 parallel each other, running through the town of Elk Grove, a farming and bedroom community with a small downtown and one of the region’s largest auto malls. Further south is Lodi , an area rich with wineries. Spend a day wine tasting in Lodi and you’ll see the gnarled old zinfandel vines, many of which still produce grapes for today’s reds. It’s not just zin out here, although it’s what the region is known for. Start at the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center, attached to the Wine & Roses inn, to pick up a map of the 85-plus wineries in the area. Some of our favorites include Harney Lane, Jessie’s Grove, Klinker Brick, d’Art, Michael David and m2. In downtown Lodi, tasting rooms are interspersed with shops and restaurants, making it an easy, strollable stop. Also in Lodi, Micke Grove Regional Park has a zoo and Japanese garden.

About an hour from Sacramento, the city of Stockton lies on the San Joaquin River. Here, you’ll find a waterfront area with a marina offering kayak and paddleboard rentals. Haggin Museum features local history displays and local artworks. In Oak Grove Regional Park, trails, a catfish-stocked lake and a nature center will keep visitors entertained. In the spring, Stockton is home to the famous San Joaquin Asparagus Festival.

Highway 5 takes travelers north out of Sacramento as well, delivering them to the airport as well as Woodland and out to the agriculture-rich Capay Valley via Highway 16. This area provides the basis for Sacramento’s farm-to-fork designation, with al mond, walnut and olive orchards; farms growing tomatoes, squash, corn, greens and much more; and ranches producing meat and poultry. A few miles away, off Highway 128 toward Vacaville, the little town of Winters has a sweet downtown area with a thriving food scene.

DELTA WINE COUNTRY

The closest wine country to Sacramento, Clarksburg lies in the Sacramento River Delta just south of downtown and West Sacramento. Take River Road along the river into a rural region rife with grapevines and wineries. A collection of tasting rooms at Old Sugar Mill (14 in all) make it a one-stop, or expand the day with visits to others in the area, including Bogle, Miner’s Leap, Heringer, Julietta and River Grove. On the Sacramento side of the river, pop into Scribner Bend, another award-winning winery in the area.

Capay Valley

Old Sugar Mill

Shop Till You Drop

Midtown, East Sacramento and Oak Park’s Triangle District are home to some of the most interesting shops and boutiques in the region. Those neighborhoods are all very walkable, as well. Want to find it all in one place? Then Arden Fair mall, right o the Capital City Freeway, is a good bet. Also in Sacramento, Pavilions, on Fair Oaks Boulevard, is an upscale, openair shoppers’ playground. Heading north on Interstate 80, you’ll find that the city of Roseville o ers much shopping, including Westfield Galleria at Roseville, the region’s largest shopping mall, and Fountains, which often serves as a venue for concerts and other activities right among its stores and restaurants. In Folsom, you’ll find Folsom Premium Outlets and Palladio, and just up the hill, there’s El Dorado Hills Town Center. Want to see and be seen? Then head over to DOCO, adjacent to Golden 1 Center. Here’s a look at some of the best shops in the region, where you’ll find the latest and greatest.

FASHION

All Good

If you’re going to hike Half Dome or stroll the shores of Lake Tahoe, you may as well

accessories and jewelry. You’ll find pieces by small manufacturers featuring unique fabrics from artisans in Bali and elsewhere. You’ll never have to worry about running into someone wearing the same outfit as you. 920 24th St.; (916) 4268037; shopthepurpose.com

R. Douglas

When it comes to fashion, there’s one thing that never goes out of style: clothes that fit well. Custom clothier R. Douglas specializes in hand-tailored suits, shirts, tuxedoes, overcoats and custom denim for men who appreciate one-of-akind garments that fit to a T. Just be sure to plan ahead: It can take four to six weeks for a tailor to turn out custom items. R. Douglas also carries a line of handmade silk ties from Italy as well as cu links, pocket squares, shoes and custom-made belts to help pull o your signature style. 1020 12th St.; (916) 438-9455; rdouglas.net

By Marybeth Bizjak

look good doing it. That’s where All Good comes in. Part apparel retailer, part camp store, the shop is outfitted with all the trappings of a fashionforward adventure, from color-block parkas to camo-print jogging pants. 1715 R St.; (916) 706-2057; allgxxd.com

Crocker Art Museum Store

Museum gift shops are often a great place to find interesting and unusual gifts, and the Crocker Art Museum Store is no di erent. Located on the downtown museum’s ground floor, it carries books, prints, jewelry, apparel, puzzles, toys, cards and many more artistic and art-related items. 216 O St.; (916) 808-5531; crockerart.org/ shop

Jam Baby

This absolutely delightful boutique, selling thoughtfully selected baby and children’s clothes made from organic fibers such as linen and cotton, along with beautiful wood toys. The most striking thing about this store is the wares’ color palette; the clothes all come in muted pastels and earth tones; no primary colors and no pink! 3328 Broadway; (916) 706-2472; shopjambaby.com

Old Gold

At this little gem of a shop in WAL Public Market, fans of vintage apparel

and local goods strike it rich. The jewelry cases brim with minimalist and statement pieces, many of them by local jewelry makers. Vintage fiends flock here for funky dresses, blouses, handbags and a boot selection that will have you kicking up your heels. The home decor, most of it crafted by local artisans, is fresh and fun. 1104 R St.; (916) 329-8569; shopoldgold.com

#Panache

#Panache is an eclectic shop that demands frequent visits because the selection is always evolving. Owners Ralph Barnett and Hector Lopez scoop up unique items from their favorite flea markets and travels abroad, which means all the merchandise here (aside from the soaps and candles) is secondhand. Lopez describes the store as a celebration of “a ordable luxury” that encompasses everything from 1970s designer sunglasses to Kelly-green suede Louboutin ballet flats to a French caned bedside table. 5379 H St.; (916) 813-5758

Purpose

Situated on a side street just o J in midtown, Purpose is a hip little women’s boutique that carries ethically produced apparel,

Sacramento Kings Team Store

If you’re a basketball fan, don’t leave Sacramento without stopping in to the Sacramento Kings Team Store. Located next to Golden 1 Center in Downtown Commons, this shop is your one-stop shop for o cial team merch and memorabilia. 500 David J. Stern Walk; (916) 701-5450; kingsteamstore.com

Sacramento Republic FC Team Store

While an MLS expansion team for Sacramento is a maybe, Sac Republic FC-branded memorabilia is still hotter than hot. At the Sacramento Republic FC Team Store in midtown, stock up on apparel, hats, scarves and souvenirs for the soccer fan in your life. 1050 20th St., Suite 200; (916) 307-6138; sacrepublicfc.com

Strapping

Looking for a gag gift or fun stocking stu er? Check out Strapping, which carries a mindboggling selection of fun, funny, silly and naughty items. Do you really need a wiener dog wine stopper, an o -color co ee mug or a pair of Ruth Bader Ginsburg socks? No, but you’ll definitely want them once you see them. The store, with locations in Oak Park and midtown, also carries a nicely curated selection of kitchen and housewares, including pillows, cutting boards, cocktail glasses and more. 3405 Broadway; (916) 476-3376; 1731 L St.; (916) 400-3922; strappingsacramento.com

FOODSTUFFS

Allspicery

Cooks will discover sugar, spice and everything nice at this fully stocked spice shop across the street from the state Capitol. Owner Heather Wong, a self-described “food nerd,” was inspired by her love of travel and food to open this quaint store filled with unusual and hard-to-find ingredients, including zhug, barberries, porcini mushroom powder, scorpion pepper salt and habanero sugar. Come here to stock your own pantry or find a useful gift for the foodie in your life who has everything. 1125 11th St.; (916) 389-7828; allspicery.com

The Chefs’ Olive Mix

Sure, you could buy olive oil and vinegar from the supermarket, but what’s the fun in that? Owner Lisa Lubeley contends her shops are about the experience, not just the sale. “They are cool stores because you can taste everything before you buy,” she says. “We have tasting cups so that you know exactly what you are getting.” Each Olive Mix boasts more than 60 tanks of oils and vinegars, including extra-virgin olive oils from around the world—Portugal, Tunisia, Chile, Australia and more—as well as a selection of specialty vinegars in every imaginable flavor, like black cherry balsamic and serrano honey vinegar. 131 J St.; (916) 706-3105; chefsolivemix.com

Good Bottle

This downtown liquor store is stocked with an impressive selection of unexpected and hard-to-find wines and spirits, all aimed at taking your home bar to a new level. Here, you’ll get great service and expert advice about stocking your bar, regardless of your alcohol IQ. In addition to spirits and wines, the shop sells quirky barware and practical tools for building out your home setup. 1123 11th St.; (916) 3094868; goodbottleshop.com

DISPLAY California

Change is good. That’s the uno cial motto for Display California, a revolving pop-up shop that reinvents itself every few weeks by rolling out a new crop of artisan products made in California, with a heavy emphasis on Sacramento makers and designers. The fun is in discovering something unexpected every time you shop, whether it’s glass bead necklaces from Cabine, colorful greeting cards from Cara Emilia or linen tea towels from Loft Studios. The corner store has led an exciting retail revival in Oak Park that continues to flourish as creative entrepreneurs hang out their shingle in the historic neighborhood. 3433 Broadway; (916) 822-4925; displaycalifornia.com

Kechmara Designs

Moroccan rugs bring instant interest to any room, thanks to their shaggy texture and irregular geometric lines. But you needn’t settle for a West Elm look-alike when buying one. Rug gallery owner Ali Setayesh sells an impressive selection of new and vintage Moroccan rugs that he unearths during regular trips to the North African country. And unlike the chain-store copycats, every carpet sold here is handmade and unique. 1104 R St.; (916) 342-0257; kechmaradesigns.com

The Kitchen Table

HOME, GARDEN & GIFTS

Bungalow Vintage Living

There are few shops in the Sacramento region as pleasing to the eye as Bungalow. Every corner has something interesting to capture the imagination: time-worn furnishings; industrial light fixtures; weathered architectural pieces; on-trend jewelry, apparel and accessories. Owner Kim Panighetti has a gift for bringing it all together with flair. 10139 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks; (916) 967-7000

Propagate

This hip midtown retailer carries houseplants sourced from local nurseries and independent growers, along with pots, accessories and gifts. It also o ers free “plant doctor” services as well as design services for homes and businesses and plant workshops. 1700 I St.; (916) 3994804; propagatesac.com

BOOKS

East Village Bookshop

This charming shop in the East Sac neighborhood hearkens back to a simpler time, before Amazon, when people actually went to stores to buy their books. The shop is light-filled and welcoming, with a sofa where you can curl up and read The New York Times, a table set for an impromptu game of chess and a children’s reading section. The inventory ranges from beach reads and New York Times bestsellers to Booker Prize winners. The store also carries high-brow magazines, greeting cards, canvas totes and more. 3604 McKinley Blvd.; (279) 202-9018; bookshop.org/shop/ eastvillage

Ruby’s Books

Run out of a darling pink bungalow cottage in East Sacramento, The Kitchen Table overflows with a beautifully curated selection of kitchen wares, entertaining pieces, bar accessories and more. You’ll find the perfect gift for your cookingobsessed friends, and you’ll probably leave with at least one item you didn’t know you needed. 1462 33rd St.; (916) 588-9866; kitchentablesac.com

The Plant Foundry

This colorful urban nursery in the heart of Oak Park caters to all types of gardeners, from veteran green thumbs who know their way around a composting bin to newbies just getting started with a terrarium for their apartment. Owner Angela Pratt stocks a variety of native and drought-tolerant plants in addition to house plants, succulents, fruit trees, vegetable seeds, fertilizers— even chicken coops! Not looking to get your hands dirty? The Plant Foundry also carries patio furniture by Fermob, as well as garden-related gifts and cards. 3500 Broadway; (916) 917-5787; plantfoundry.com

shoppers find just the right fit by conducting a free video gait analysis on a fit station scanning machine. In addition to carrying a wide selection of shoes and technical apparel, Gold Country also hosts educational workshops and training programs. And during demo runs, customers can take a pair of kicks out for a trial run before committing. 4370 Town Center Blvd., El Dorado Hills; (916) 303-4786; 7610 FolsomAuburn Road, Folsom; (916) 817-1151; goldcountryrunandsport.com

Sutterville Bicycle Company

Tucked away in an industrial section of Hollywood Park is this canine- and people-friendly, full-service bike shop. They service and sell all kinds of bikes: vintage cruisers, earlystyle mountain bikes, BMX bikes, fixies and more. The Sutterville team also does custom builds and can repair just about any bike you bring in. 2635 Sutterville Bypass; (916) 7377537; suttervillebicycle.com

Folsom’s only independent bookstore, this shop in Folsom’s historic district carries 12,000 handpicked books. It o ers children’s story time, authors’ signing events (including local authors), book group bulk orders and partnerships with nearby schools for book fairs and educator discounts. 724 Sutter St., Folsom; (916) 790-8760; rubysfolsom. com.

Underground Books

This friendly shop, which serves as Oak Park’s literary hub, is one of only a handful of Black bookstores in the United States. The store carries predominantly works by Black authors and hosts book signings, children’s story time, a book club, panel discussions and art talks. It shares space with 40 Acres Market, which sells Oak Park swag, Harriet Tubman “The Original Ride or Die” T-shirts and items made by local Black-owned businesses. 2814 35th St.; (916) 737-3333; undergroundbooks.com

SPORTS & FITNESS

Gold Country Run + Sport

Everyone knows that runners are fanatical about their footwear, and this pair of stores caters to that fanaticism. At Gold Country Run + Sport, well-trained sta ers help

FLEA AND ANTIQUES MARKETS

Folsom Boulevard Flea Market

This long-running outdoor marketplace features more than 450 sellers and food booths. 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 8521 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 383-0880; folsomflea.com

Sacramento Antique Faire

More than 300 vendors from around the state gather to sell antique and vintage furniture and decor, jewelry, garden accessories and more. 6:30 a.m.–2 p.m. second Sunday of the month. 1 Sports Pkwy, Sleep Train Arena; (916) 600-9770; sacantiquefaire.com

Galt Market

On Tuesdays, more than 400 vendors spread out over 10 acres to o er clothing, tools, pottery, rugs, blankets and more. On Wednesdays, the market spotlights new retail merchandise, garage sale vendors and produce sales. 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, plus special holiday hours. 610 Chibolla Ave., Galt; (209) 366-7161

Denio’s

This farmers market and swap meet is open, rain or shine, yearround. 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Saturdays, 7a.m.–5 p.m. Sundays. 1551 Vineyard Road, Roseville; (916) 782-2704; deniosmarket.com

The Sanford Pizza, Federalist Public House & Beer Garden

By Marybeth Bizjak

The Restaurant Scene

People who think of Sacramento as a boring government town are operating from a very old playbook. The capital city offers many delights, not the least of which is its booming restaurant scene. The New York Times, Thrillist and Eater have all raved about the food culture here: the freshness of the ingredients, the caliber of the restaurants, the inventiveness of the chefs. The past few years have been particularly exciting ones for Sacramento. In 2016, the city’s then-mayor, Kevin Johnson, proclaimed it the Farmto-Fork Capital of America, in recognition of the region’s remarkable fecundity. And in 2019, the world-famous Michelin Guide acknowledged that Sacramento deserved a place alongside such well-known restaurant cities as San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles by awarding one of its coveted stars to a local restaurant (The Kitchen) and singling out others for recognition.

So, as a newcomer or visitor to Sacramento, what should you know about its food scene? First off, you will find an amazing diversity of dining options, from humble food trucks to fine-dining establishments like the aforementioned The Kitchen, a prix-fixe demonstration-style dinner house that is like a cross between The French Laundry and Benihana. Several nights a week, chef Kelly McCown takes center stage in the open kitchen and keeps up an entertaining patter with diners while creating a stunning eight-course meal based on the season’s bounty. Popular with people celebrating major occasions such as birthdays and engagements, it is without a doubt one of the hottest tickets in town.

Other fine-dining options include The Waterboy in midtown, where chef/owner Rick Mahan has perfected a style of food and service that is sophisticated but not fussy or stuffy. The menu is Mediterranean,

A Full Spread of Fried Goodness, Nash & Proper

Chicken and Waffles, Fixins

Soul Kitchen

Marcus Meisler

with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients and classic dishes such as steak tartare, sautéed sweetbreads and pollo al mattone (chicken cooked under a brick). Nearby, at the recently remodeled Localis, talented chef Chris Barnum-Dann oversees a tasting menu, with options for seven or 12 courses. His is refined, high-concept “tweezer food” composed of high-end ingredients such as tru es and artful garnishes. Also in midtown, Mulvaney’s B&L o ers a more casual variation on fine dining. Located in a historic firehouse and a favorite haunt of local lobbyists and politicians, Mulvaney’s has a laid-back, friendly, “Cheers”-like atmosphere, thanks to its garrulous owner, Patrick Mulvaney. An early champion of the region’s farmers, Mulvaney lets the beauty and purity of his seasonal and local ingredients shine. You can’t miss if you order the house-smoked salmon with Irish brown bread, followed by a grilled double-cut pork chop or 21-day-dry-aged Niman Ranch rib-eye. Downtown Sacramento also o ers its fair share of fine-dining destinations, including Camden Spit & Larder (a modern London-style bistro), Grange (a chic eatery inside The Citizen Hotel) and The Firehouse (old-school elegance in Old Sac). In East Sacramento, there’s Allora, a contemporary Italian seafood restaurant where you can get caviar service with your three-, four- or five-course tasting menu. But it’s not all tru es and caviar in town. This city o ers a plethora of places to have a hamburger, tuck into a taco or pig out on pizza. Speaking of pizza, The Waterboy’s Mahan serves some of the best woodfired, thin-crust pies in town at his East Sac eatery, OneSpeed, where you can also get a salad, a bowl of house-made pasta or a burger. For deep-dish pizza, you’d have to look hard to find any better than Zelda’s Original Gourmet Pizza, a no-frills joint in midtown with legions of fans. Not far away is Federalist, an outdoor pizza-and-beer joint

operated out of a restaurant cunningly built from shipping containers.

You could be forgiven for thinking Sacramentans are obsessed with fried chicken. You can find superb fried fowl at any number of places, including South, whose mouthwatering chicken comes from the owner’s secret family recipe; Nash & Proper, which started out as a food truck and now has several brick-and-mortar locations serving Nashville hot chicken; Fixins Soul Kitchen in Oak Park, partly owned by former mayor Kevin Johnson; and Bawk!, an R Street chicken shop that also serves excellent craft cocktails. Even Sibling by Pushkin’s, a popular midtown restaurant serving gluten-free fare, has a crispy fried chicken sandwich on its menu— made without gluten, of course.

The Paragary Restaurant Group is the company behind some of the most successful eateries in town, including Centro Cocina Mexicana, a J Street restaurant serving regional Mexican cuisine; Paragary’s, a beautifully designed Mediterranean boîte on 28th Street; and Cafe Bernardo, a small chain of casual, open-all-day bistros with an eclectic menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner fare. The newest Cafe Bernardo recently opened in the Fort Sutter Hotel on the edge of midtown, the final o ering from legendary restaurateur Randy

summer.

Finally, a word about outdoor dining: Thanks to its moderate climate and short (nonexistent?) rainy season, Sacramento has always been a great place to eat outdoors. One of the great silver linings to the pandemic is that it encouraged even more restaurants to invest in outdoor seating. The city of Sacramento helped out by allowing restaurants to encroach on sidewalks and other public rights-of-way and closed several streets to vehicle tra c, enabling restaurants to spill out onto the roadway. The result? Exciting new “streeteries” and a vibrant, enlivened streetscape that many compare to the best of Europe. Aioli Bodega Española, The Rind, LowBrau Bierhalle, The Porch and Zócalo are just a few examples of great places to dine outdoors in Sacramento.

Paragary before he passed away this past

House Smoked Salmon, Mulvaney’s B&L

Steak Salad, The Firehouse

Great outdoor dining downtown, Zócalo

Out and About

What to see while you’re here:

museums, galleries, performing arts groups, venues and more

MUSEUMS

Aerospace Museum of California 3200 Freedom Park Drive, McClellan, (916) 643-3192, aerospaceca.org

A collection of military and civilian aircraft and engines housed at a former Air Force base.

California Agriculture Museum 1958 Hays Lane, Woodland, (530) 666-9700, californiaagmuseum.org

See the world’s largest assemblage of antique tractors, plus antique farm equipment and trucks.

California Automobile Museum

2200 Front St., Sacramento, (916) 442-6802, calautomuseum.org

A collection of automobiles from every era, tracing their evolution and impact on California culture.

California Museum 1020 O St., Sacramento, (916) 653-7524, californiamuseum.org

Permanent and special exhibits spotlight California history and the state’s contributions to the world through arts and culture, ideas and innovation. Home of the California Hall of Fame.

California State Capitol Museum

State Capitol Building, 1315 10th St., Sacramento, (916) 324-0333, capitolmuseum.ca.gov

Explore exhibits and take a tour of the seat of state government, a “living museum” since 1869.

California State Library 914 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, (916) 323-9843, library.ca.gov

Tour the renovated library in the circa-1928 Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building.

California State Railroad Museum 125 I St., Old Sacramento, (916) 3239280, californiarailroad.museum

Explore railroad history in the West through beautifully restored cars and locomotives and interactive exhibits in one of North America’s finest railroad museums. Ticketed excursion train rides (from nearby Central Pacific Passenger Station, 930 Front St., Old Sacramento) behind a vintage diesel or steam locomotive available weekends April–September, Tuesdays in March, April and October, and for special events and holidays.

Folsom Historical Society: Folsom History Museum, Pioneer Village

823 Sutter St., Folsom, (916) 9852707, folsomhistoricalsociety.org

The museum focuses on local native peoples, gold discovery and mining, and special exhibits; the village is an interpretive center with a miner’s cabin, blacksmith shop and gold panning.

Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park

1526 H St., Sacramento, parks.ca.gov

Built in 1877, this Second Empire Italianate Victorian mansion was home to 13 California governors, then served as a museum. Gov. Jerry Brown and wife Anne Gust Brown refurbished it and lived there from 2015 to 2018. In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom opted to move his family to the Sacramento suburb of Fair Oaks. The mansion is closed to tours until further notice.

Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art 254 Old Davis Road, Davis, (530) 752-8500, manettishremmuseum. ucdavis.edu

Opened in November 2016, UC Davis’ newest museum showcases expansive architecture and works by renowned first-generation UC Davis art faculty among other must-see attractions.

Maidu Museum & Historic Site

1970 Johnson Ranch Drive, Roseville, (916) 774-5934, roseville.ca.us

Crocker Art Museum

216 O St., Sacramento, (916) 8087000, crockerart.org

The oldest public art museum in the West (est. 1885) and one of the state’s best, the Crocker boasts top collections of California art, Old Masters drawings and international ceramics plus hosts special exhibitions year-round along with a full calendar of cultural and family events.

Don & June Salvatori California Pharmacy Museum 4030 Lennane Drive, Sacramento, (714) 376-0424, donjunesalvatoricapharmacymuseum.org

Thousands of pharmacy artifacts and books from the past two centuries, organized in three time periods.

Explorit Science Center

3141 Fifth St., Davis, (530) 756-0191, explorit.org

Science museum for school-age children with hands-on exhibits and special programs.

An indoor-outdoor interpretive center about native Maidu at a site where Nisenan Maidu families lived for 3,000 years. An outdoor trail takes visitors by mortar holes and petroglyphs.

Museum of Medical History

5380 Elvas Ave., Sacramento, (916) 452-2671, ssvms.org/museum.aspx

An array of artifacts and books illustrating developments in medicine, 1850s through today.

Old Sacramento

Schoolhouse Museum

1200 Front St., Old Sacramento, (916) 483-8818, oldsacschoolhouse.org

Replica of 1800s-era schoolhouse fiilled with desks and artifacts re-creating the experience.

Old Sacramento State Historic Park

Between Capitol Mall and I Street, Sacramento River/Front Street and Interstate 5, Old Sacramento, (916) 445-7387, parks.ca.gov

This cluster of city blocks along the Sacramento River is where the city got its start, featuring 50-plus restored Gold Rush-era commercial buildings now housing museums, shops and eateries.

Roseville Utility Exploration Center

1501 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville, (916) 746-1550, roseville.ca.us/ explore

Explore tools for sustainable living at school, work and home, with “green” exhibits and events.

Sacramento Children’s Museum

2701 Prospect Park Drive, Rancho Cordova, (916) 730-5079, sackids.org

For kids 8 and younger: interactive zones for art making, water play, building and creating.

Sacramento Historic City Cemetery

1000 Broadway, Sacramento, (916) 448-0811, historicoldcitycemetery.org

The parklike cemetery (est. 1849) is the resting place of notable Sacramentans and Californians.

Sacramento History Museum

101 I St., Old Sacramento, (916) 8087059, sachistorymuseum.org

Learn the story of the city: founders, rivers, Gold Rush, agriculture, industry, culture and more.

SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity

3615 Auburn Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 674-5000, powerhousesc.org

Exhibits, weekend programs and planetarium shows bring STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) experiences to life.

Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum 2251 Florin Road, Sacramento, (916) 320-9573, sojoartsmuseum.org

African American history, culture and art is celebrated here with exhibits, events and outreach.

State Indian Museum

2618 K St., Sacramento, (916) 3240971, parks.ca.gov

Discover the cultures of native Californians through artifacts, photographs and exhibits.

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park 2701 L St., Sacramento, (916) 4454422, suttersfort.org

Established by city founding father John Sutter in 1839, the fort supplied goods and shelter for pioneers. Today, living history programs reveal what their lives were like during the Gold Rush.

PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS

Big Idea Theatre

1616 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 960-3036, bigideatheatre.org

Small collaborative community theater company stages dramatic, artful, edgy works.

Broadway Sacramento—

Broadway at Music Circus

1419 H St., Sacramento, (916) 5571999, broadwaysacramento.com

A series of professional, theater-in-theround Broadway musicals staged every summer since 1951.

Broadway Sacramento—

Broadway on Tour

1301 L St., Sacramento, (916) 5571999, broadwaysacramento.com

Broadway Sacramento brings national touring Broadway shows to town, performing at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Complex.

B Street Theatre The Sofia, 2700 Capitol Ave., Sacramento, (916) 443-5300, bstreettheatre.org

One of Northern California’s top professional theaters, B Street stages Mainstage and Family Series plays along with a Music Series and other entertainment at The Sofia, which opened in 2018.

Camellia Symphony Orchestra

1731 Howe Ave., Suite 499, Sacramento, (800) 838-3006, camelliasymphony.org

Maestro Christian Baldini leads the community orchestra, first established in the 1960s.

Capital Stage

2215 J St., Sacramento, (916) 9955464, capstage.org

Professional actors perform bold, thought-provoking contemporary works in an intimate setting.

Celebration Art

2727 B St., Sacramento, (916) 4552787, celebrationarts.net

The region’s only theater dedicated to performing works by and about African Americans.

El Dorado Musical Theatre

5011 Golden Foothill Parkway, Suite 4, El Dorado Hills, (916) 941-7464, edmt.info

One of the premier youth musical theaters in the West, EDMT stages topquality, full-scale musicals and revues at Harris Center in Folsom.

Sacramento Ballet CLARA

(E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts), 2420 N St., Suite 100, Sacramento, (916) 552-5800, sacballet.org

Founded in 1954, the professional dance company performs classics, world premieres and innovative works by emerging choreographers. Home of The School of the Sacramento Ballet.

Sacramento Children’s Chorus

25 Cadillac Drive, Suite 220, Sacramento, (916) 646-1141, sacramentochildrenschorus.org

Area students, ages 7 to 20, train and perform a range of choral works in four choirs.

Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra

4025A Bridge St., Fair Oaks, (916) 536-9065, sacramentochoral.com

An audition-based, 140-voice community chorus and 55-member professional orchestra.

Sacramento Jazz Cooperative (800) 564-5228, sacramentojazzcoop.org

Dedicated to the preservation of classical jazz, SJC hosts concerts featuring jazz artists.

Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera

1110 Second St., Old Sacramento (916) 476-5975

The philharmonic and opera joined forces to put on classical and pop series plus operas.

Sacramento State School of Music

Capistrano Hall, 6000 J St., Sacramento, (916) 278-5155, csus. edu/music

The School of Music hosts 150 concerts annually, including piano and world-music series, the Festival of New American Music every fall and the New Millennium Series every winter/spring.

Sacramento Theatre Company 1419 H St., Sacramento, (916) 4436722, sactheatre.org

Productions include classics, contemporary works, musicals, youth shows and cabarets.

Sacramento Youth Symphony 3443 Ramona Ave., Suite 22, Sacramento, (916) 731-5777, sacramentoyouthsymphony.org

The region’s top orchestral youth organization cultivates youth talent at many levels and in several performing ensembles.

Sutter Street Theatre

717 Sutter St., Folsom, (916) 353-1001, sutterstreettheatre.com

Off-Broadway and Family Series productions performed in an intimate setting.

Woodland Opera House Theatre

340 Second St., Woodland, (530) 666-9617, woodlandoperahouse.org

Mainstage and family theater productions and concerts performed in a historic opera house.

ART GALLERIES

Second Saturday Art Walk

Galleries in downtown, midtown, East Sacramento and outer areas hold open receptions on the second Saturday of every month, mostly 6 to 9 p.m., sacramento.downtowngrid.com/2ndsaturday.

2nd Friday ArtAbout

Davis galleries and businesses hold open receptions on the second Friday of every month, mostly 5 to 9 p.m., davisdowntown.com/artabout

Arthouse

1021 R St., Sacramento, arthouseonr.com

ACAI Gallery & Studios

7425 Winding Way, Fair Oaks, (916) 966-2453, acaistudios.com

Axis Gallery

625 S St., Sacramento, axisgallery.org

Brickhouse Gallery & Art Complex

2837 36th St., Sacramento, (916) 4751240, thebrickhouseartgallery.com

B. Sakata Garo

923 20th St., Sacramento, (916) 4474276, bsakatagaro.com

Elliott Fouts Gallery

1831 P St., Sacramento, (916) 7361429, efgallery.com

Sacramento Ballet

(916) 453-2999, jayjayart.com

Kennedy Gallery

1931 L St., Sacramento, (916) 400-4272, kennedygallerysac.com

John Natsoulas Gallery

521 First St., Davis, (530) 756-3938, natsoulas.com

Pence Gallery

212 D St., Davis, (530) 758-3370, pencegallery.org

The Gallery at 48 Natoma 48 Natoma St., Folsom, (916) 461-6601, facebook.com/ Galleryat48Natoma

Tim Collom Gallery

3809 J St., Sacramento, (916) 8827003, timcollomgallery.com

Verge Center for the Arts 625 S St., Sacramento, (916) 4482985, vergeart.com

Viewpoint Photographic Art Center

2015 J St., Sacramento, (916) 441-2341, viewpointgallery.org

Ace of Spades

1417 R St., Sacramento, (916) 9300220, aceofspadessac.com

An entertainment anchor of the hipsterheavy R Street Corridor, this popular 1,000-person live music venue brings in national touring recording artists.

Drake’s The Barn

985 Riverfront St., West Sacramento, (510) 423-0971, drinkdrakes.com

Crowned by a sinuous wave of barn wood, this indoor-outdoor event space in West Sac’s Bridge District is a community gathering spot anchored by Drake’s Brewing Co. for food, beverages and entertainment.

CLARA: E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts, 2420 N St., Sacramento, (916) 7942787, claramidtown.org

Several local arts organizations including Sacramento Ballet, McKeever School of Irish Dance and Sacramento Preparatory Music Academy are tenants of the renovated, century-old Fremont School, which includes intimate performance spaces.

Cal Expo

1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 263-3000, calexpo.com

Golden 1 Center

500 David J. Stern Walk, Sacramento, (888) 915-4647, golden1center.com

Home to NBA’s Sacramento Kings since its October 2016 debut, the state-ofthe-art downtown arena seats 19,000, boasts farm-to-fork concessions and attracts top performing artists to town. Harris Center at Folsom Lake College, 10 College Parkway, Folsom, (916) 608-6888, harriscenter.net

The performing arts center holds hundreds of public performances a year, including national touring artists and regional groups, in 850-seat, 200-seat and 100-seat theaters.

Mondavi Center

UC Davis campus, Davis, (530) 7542787, mondaviarts.org.

Davis’ premier performing arts venue welcomes world-renowned artists, lecturers and entertainers to its 1,801seat Jackson Hall and Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, which seats up to 250.

Sacramento Memorial Auditorium

1515 J St., Sacramento, (916) 808-5291, sacramentomemorialauditorium.

The National Historic Register-listed brick structure is part of the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center Complex.

SAFE Credit Union Convention Center

festivals, trade shows and concerts. Also on site: the 12,000-seat sports and entertainment venue Heart Health Park, home to Sacramento Republic FC soccer team, plus Raging Waters water park and a harness racing track.

Crest Theatre

1013 K St., Sacramento, (916) 4763356, crestsacramento.com

The historic art deco-style theater hosts nationally known musical acts and comedians, local performing ensembles and film festivals, and screenings of classic and cult films.

Downtown Commons (DOCO) K Street between Third and Seventh streets, (916) 273-8124, docosacramento.com

At the doorstep of Golden 1 Center and Kimpton Sawyer hotel, DOCO is downtown’s new epicenter of cool—an expansive outdoor, walk-friendly space with dozens of dining and drinking spots, retail (local boutiques to Macy’s) and an upscale cinema. Art, pop-up events and street performers add to the mix. It really comes alive during Kings games and concerts.

1400 J St., Sacramento, (916) 808-5291, safecreditunionconventioncenter. com

The city’s newly renamed convention center recently underwent a multimilliondollar renovation and expansion.

SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center

1301 L St., Sacramento, (916) 808-5291, safecreditunionconventioncenter. com

The city’s largest theater space recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation.

Sutter Health Park

400 Ballpark Drive, West Sacramento, (916) 376-4676, sutterhealthpark.com

Sacramento River Cats’ ballpark hosts concerts, charity runs, festivals and community events.

Toyota Amphitheatre

2677 Forty Mile Road, Wheatland, (530) 743-5200, livenation.com

With 18,500 seats (8,000 reserved, the rest on the lawn) in this open-air amphitheater in farm country 35 minutes north of downtown, owner Live Nation can bring in its big summer tours.

Crocker Art Museum

Good Sports

Whether you’re a fan of NBA basketball, minor league baseball, pro soccer, college sports or long-distance running, Sacramento’s got game.

BASKETBALL (October–April)

Sacramento Kings: National Basketball Association

Golden 1 Center, 500 David J. Stern Walk, Sacramento, (888) 915-4647 general, (916) 701-5401 box office, golden1center.com

In the LEED-certified Golden 1 Center, Sacramento’s NBA franchise continues its quest to break through and become a championship-caliber team. The fans are as ready as ever!

Sacramento State Hornets: Big Sky Conference (men’s and women’s)

The Nest gymnasium, Sacramento State campus, 6000 J St., Sacramento, (916) 278-4323, hornetsports.com

University of California, Davis Aggies: Big West Conference (men’s and women’s)

University Credit Union Center, UC Davis campus, Davis, (530) 752-2471, ucdavisaggies.com

BASEBALL (April–September)

Sacramento River Cats: Pacific Coast League (Triple A)

Sutter Health Park, 400 Ballpark Drive, West Sacramento, (916) 3714487, milb.com/sacramento

The River Cats are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Francisco Giants.

FOOTBALL

(August–December)

Sacramento State Hornets: Big Sky Conference Hornet Field, Sacramento State campus, 6000 J St., Sacramento, (916) 278-4323, hornetsports.com

University of California, Davis Aggies: Big Sky Conference UC Davis Health Stadium, La Rue Road, Davis, (530) 752-2471, ucdavisaggies.com

RUNNING/TRIATHLON

Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run (June) wser.org

With its inception in 1974, the world’s oldest 100-mile trail race includes a climb of 18,000 feet and a descent of 23,000 feet as it follows the Western States Trail from Olympic Valley near Lake Tahoe through Sierra high country and historic Gold County, finishing in Auburn.

Great American Triathlon (July)

greatamericantriathlon.com

After Eppie’s Great Race ran its 45-year course in 2018, local race enthusiasts introduced this no-swim, run-ride-paddle triathlon in 2019, which uses Eppie’s course in and along the American River in Rancho Cordova and Sacramento.

California International Marathon

(First Sunday in December) runsra.org/california-internationalmarathon

The CIM annually attracts thousands of runners from around the world thanks to its fast, net-downhill course that starts near Folsom Dam, gently winds through scenic suburbs and ends at the Capitol. Certified and sanctioned by USA Track & Field, CIM is a Boston Marathon and U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier.

SOCCER (March–October)

Sacramento Republic FC: United Soccer League Heart Health Park, Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 307-6100, sacrepublicfc.com

The multinational men’s pro soccer team, which enjoys a large and loyal fanbase, was awarded an MLS expansion franchise in 2019, with plans to build a glam new stadium. But the lead investor backed out, leaving expansion franchise and stadium plans in limbo. So as the players play on and the fans cheer them, the hunt for a new lead investor is on.

Sacramento Republic FC

A relaxing summer night at Sutter Health Park with the Sacramento River Cats

William Thompson

A Bit of Adventure

Take advantage of the region’s great weather and many recreational opportunities.

With two major rivers—the Sacramento and the American—convening near downtown, two lakes east of town (Natoma and Folsom), and plenty of parks and trails, the great outdoors beckons yearround. Winters are mild, springs burst forth with an incredible biodiversity of plant and animal life, and even the hottest summer days are refreshed by cool evening breezes coming off the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. In autumn, we relish not only the harvest in this rich agricultural area but the changing colors of the city’s famously thick canopy of trees. So grab your running shoes, hiking boots, bike, binoculars, swimsuit, paddle board, climbing gear and golf clubs, and discover why we love living here.

PARKS

The Sacramento region is blessed with many parks—223 parks and parkways in the city alone—generously shaded by elms, oaks, redwoods and more. Whether you want to meet up with friends for a walk, get in a run or get the kids to a playground, check out these favorites.

Capitol Park

10th, 15th, N and L streets

Surrounding the Capitol, this 40-acre oasis spanning 12 city blocks boasts a World Peace Rose Garden, 150 memorials and monuments, and more than 200 species of trees, some well over a century old. You’ll see Capitol staffers briskly walking the outer 1.1-mile path on weekdays, and tourists and wedding parties snapping photos on the Capitol’s west steps on weekends.

McKinley Park

Alhambra and McKinley boulevards, H and 33rd streets

With more than 32 acres, this park in stately, residential East Sacramento contains a 1920s-era library, community

center and pool, rose garden, duck pond, garden and arts center, tennis courts, community-designed playground and 1-mile perimeter running track. A major underground water vault project wrapped up in fall 2021, restoring the sports fields with new sod and additional trees and replacing aging picnic areas and restrooms with new ones.

Southside Park

T, Sixth and Eighth streets

The site of numerous annual festivals, this 20-acre urban park has an amphitheater, pond with fishing piers, ¾-mile running track, basketball courts, swimming complex, and an expansive and engaging playground, much of which is sensory-rich and accessible, with handrails and ramps.

William Land Park

Riverside and Freeport boulevards, 11th and 13th avenues, Sutterville Road

Surrounded by grand older homes in the lovely Land Park neighborhood, this 166acre park has it all: sports fields, duck ponds, a playground with summer play pool and nine-hole public golf course. The park also claims three top attractions for families: the Sacramento Zoo;

Fairytale Town, a storybook-themed park for young children; and Funderland, an old-school amusement park featuring a carousel, roller coaster, mini train and other rides for families with young children.

Folsom City Lions Park

403 Stafford St., Folsom, (916) 461-6601, folsom.ca.us

Although outside Sacramento city limits, this Folsom park’s many features make it well worth a mention: sports fields, library, art gallery, city hall and community center, two playgrounds and trails to the river, not to mention a 12-inch gauge railroad offering 10-minute open-car rides and the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary, home to a variety of animals unable to be released back into the wild.

Sacramento also boasts a number of specialty parks, including skate parks, off-leash dog parks, spray parks and nearly two dozen parks with community gardens. For a map of the city’s parks and their many amenities, visit cityofsacramento. org/parksandrec/parks.

Mountain biking in Hidden Falls Regional Park, Auburn/Lincoln

Tim Engle

AERIAL ADVENTURE PARKS

Quarry Park Adventures 5373 Pacific St., Rocklin, (916) 824-1680, quarrypark.com

Built in a 60-foot deep, 160-year-old granite quarry, this 5.5-acre family adventure park is filled with zip lines, ropes courses, free falls, a via ferrata, rock climbing walls, a rappelling station, paddle boats, a waterfall, a “kids kove” for younger children, picnic areas and observation decks.

Tree Top Sac

50-meter competition-size pool with shaded bleachers, 25-meter rec pool, two slides, zero-entry pool and water playground next to a new indooroutdoor community center.

Raging Waters

Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 9243747, rwsac.com

NATURE AREAS WITH WALKING TRAILS

Cosumnes River Preserve 13501 Franklin Blvd., Galt, (916) 684-2816, cosumnes.org

Sac Heritage Oaks Park, 1300 Lake Washington Blvd., West Sacramento, (916) 893-1596, treetopsac.com

This adventure park offers high-ropes obstacle courses with hanging bridges, ladders, slacklines and ziplines amid a grove of heritage valley oaks—plus yoga, kids’ camps, and a kiosk serving coffee and kombucha.

AQUATIC CENTERS AND WATERPARKS

Staying cool in a pool is almost mandatory here come summer, when temps can climb higher than 100 degrees.

Elk Grove Aquatics Center

9701 Big Horn Blvd., Elk Grove, (916) 405-5600, cityofwestsacramento.org

Multipool complex includes competitionsize pool, two 30-foot slides and lazy river. Memorial Day–Labor Day. Lap/ fitness swimming available year-round.

Golfland Sunsplash

1893 Taylor Road, Roseville, (916) 784-1273, golfland.com/roseville

Waterpark’s 30 attractions include extreme slides, lazy river, 84-foot wave pool, in-pool play area for kids and cabanas. May–September. (Golfland’s two 18-hole miniature golf courses, arcade, bumper cars, race cars and laser tag are open year-round.)

Manor Pool

Slide Hill Park, 1525 Tulip Lane, Davis, (530) 758-2000, cityofdavis.org

Complex includes a large lap pool, diving pool, water slide, beach-entry pool and sprayground. Memorial Day–Labor Day.

North Natomas Community Center and Aquatic Complex

North Natomas Regional Park, 2601 New Market Drive, cityofsacramento.org

Coming soon: This eagerly anticipated multipool complex will feature a

Waterpark with 25 attractions and rides featuring tube and extreme body slides, wave pool, lazy river, two younger children’s areas and cabanas. May–September.

Roseville Aquatics Complex

3051 Woodcreek Oaks Blvd., Roseville, (916) 774-5262, roseville.ca.us/aquatics

Multipool complex includes competition-size pool, shallow rec pool, slide and kids’ interactive water play area. Memorial Day–Labor Day. Lap swimming available year-round.

Steve Miklos Aquatic Center

1200 Riley St., Folsom, (916) 4616640, folsom.ca.us

Multipool complex offers recreational swimming, slides, in-pool obstacle course and play area. Memorial Day–Labor Day. Lap/fitness swimming available year-round.

Wackford Aquatic Complex

9014 Bruceville Road, Elk Grove, (916) 405-5600, yourcsd.com

Multipool complex features wading pool with splash playground, zero-entry pool with in-water play attractions, and competition-size pool with slide, diving boards and inflatable obstacle course. Memorial Day–Labor Day. Lap/fitness swimming available year-round.

Wake Island Waterpark

7633 Locust Road, Pleasant Grove, (916) 655-3900, wakeislandwaterpark.com

Eighty-acre waterpark offers cable (boatless) wakeboarding, floating playground/obstacle course, “freefall” tower, human hamster wheels, paddleboards, canoes and pedal boats, swimming beach, over-water zipline, beach volleyball, picnic area and grill. May–September (April–October for wakeboarding).

West Sacramento Recreation Center Aquatics 2801 Je erson Blvd., West Sacramento, (916) 617-4770, cityofwestsacramento.org

Multipool complex includes a zero-entry pool, slides and in-pool play areas. June–August. Lap/fitness swimming available year-round.

In the floodplains and riparian habitat along the Cosumnes River south of Sacramento, this 50,000-acre preserve is home to more than 250 bird species, among other flora and fauna. Bring binoculars and hike the 4 miles of trails (including a 1-mile universally accessible trail and half-mile ADA-accessible boardwalk trail) to spy Swainson’s hawks, tundra swans, sandhill cranes, and other native and migratory birds that winter here, a critical stop along the Pacific Flyway.

E e Yeaw Nature Center

Ancil Ho man County Park, 2850 San Lorenzo Way (o Tarshes Drive), Carmichael, (916) 489-4918, sacnaturecenter.net

Walk the handful of trails through this 100-acre riparian nature preserve to experience what this river-blessed region once looked like throughout much of the valley. Visit a replica Nisenan Maidu village, spot jack rabbits, wild turkey and deer, and stop by the small, kid-friendly museum.

The Preserve District56, 8230 Civic Center Drive, Elk Grove, (916) 627-3747, district56elkgrove.com/ thepreserve

Explore the network of trails, wetlands overlooks, native grassland meadows and oak woodlands in this aptly named preserve, the newest addition (opened fall 2021) to Elk Grove’s amenity-rich District56 (home to The Center events venue, Avenue of the Arts concourse and Elk Grove Aquatics Center). The expansive oasis features interpretive signs, an outdoor exercise court, inclusive play equipment, picnic areas and kinetic art sculpture.

UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden

448 La Rue Road, UC Davis campus, Davis, (530) 752-4880, arboretum.ucdavis.edu

Meander along a paved 3.5-mile loop path through this historic 100-acre living museum, where more than 20 demonstration gardens feature plants native to California and places around the globe with similar dry-summer climates. You also can hit the public trails at nearby Putah Creek Riparian Reserve, a rare stream and grassland ecosystem.

WALKING TOURS

Local Roots Food Tours (800) 407-8918, localrootsfoodtours.com

Experience the city from a culinary perspective with walking and dining tours of specific neighborhoods, such as Downtown Historical, R Street, Sutter District and Midtown Arts.

Sacramento History Museum

Walking Tours

101 I St., Old Sacramento, (916) 808-7059, sachistorymuseum.org/tours

The museum puts on guided historical walking tours with such themes as Old Sacramento Underground, Underground After Hours and Old Sac Paranormal Investigations.

Sacramento Tree Foundation (916) 924-8733, sactree.com

Take a walking tour of various tree-rich neighborhoods with local tree experts, or visit the nonprofit’s website to download self-guided tree tours of several area parks and sites.

CYCLING, RUNNING, HIKING

American River Bike Trail

For outdoor enthusiasts, the crowning jewel of the region is the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail, commonly known as the American River Bike Trail—though runners, walkers and hikers utilize it as much as cyclists. This nationally recognized trail starts at Discovery Park (at the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers north of downtown) and wends its way through the bucolic American River Parkway, paralleling the American River for 32 miles to Beals Point at Folsom Lake. With trail and river access points and adjacent parks all along the way, it is especially popular on weekends.

Folsom Trails

Folsom is not just an endpoint to the American River Bike Trail, but a bike- and hike-friendly city itself, with more than 50 miles of wellmaintained paved trails for recreational use. Three to try: Humbug-Willow Creek Trail, Folsom Parkway Rail Trail and Johnny Cash Trail. For an easy nature hike, visit Hinkle Creek Nature Area in Lew Howard Memorial Park. And for a roundup of cycling routes in Folsom and beyond recommended by local cyclists, check out the database at folsombike. com.

Lake Natoma Trail, Folsom

This 11.3-mile paved bike and pedestrian trail loop (with dirt offshoots for runners and walkers) offers views and access points to the lake, densely forested spots, gentle inclines and wildlife.

Miners Ravine Trail, Roseville

A haven for wildlife in this bustling suburb, the approximately 8-mile paved bike and pedestrian trail runs along Dry Creek from Old Roseville under Interstate 80 and past residential neighborhoods to Sierra College Boulevard.

Hidden Falls Regional Park, Auburn/Lincoln

Among the 30 miles of multi-use trails in this 1,200-acre park used for hiking, biking, running and horseback riding is a popular 3-mile stretch that takes you alongside creeks, through wooded areas and by interpretive panels to a 30-foot waterfall outfitted with two observation decks. Parking reservations are required for weekends and holidays. placer.ca.gov/6106/Hidden-FallsRegional-Park

RIVERS

Sacramento got its start near the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers, which have shaped the region in innumerable ways: geographically, agriculturally, economically, culturally. Experience the River City by getting out on a river and having some fun!

Cruise the Sacramento River

Departing from Old Sacramento Waterfront, City Cruises by Hornblower offers one- to 1 1/2-hour cruises with views of the river and city skyline. Choose from local history- or holiday-themed excursions or one of several cocktail-themed cruises for the 21 and older crowd. cityexperiences. com/sacramento/city-cruises

River City Queen runs several themed outings from Old Sacramento Waterfront, including sunset cocktail, lunch, dinner, holiday and dessert cruises. rivercityqueen.com

Sac Brew Boat, a pedal-powered party boat, takes up to 16 guests on 1 ½ hour river jaunts from Old Sacramento Waterfront. BYO food and drink. sacbrewboat.com

Sacramento Jetboat Excursions revs up your river cruise experience with 30 minutes of speed, spray and spins, plus city sights and a bit of local history. From Old Sacramento Waterfront. sacramentojetboats.com

Raft or Kayak the Lower American River

Rent a raft or kayak for a selfguided trip down the river along the American River Parkway.

The Class I–II river is popular with DIYers, and young folks out for a good time. Embark near Sunrise Bridge, float to River Bend Park, then return by shuttle. Contact American River Raft Rentals (raftrentals.com) or River Rat Raft & Bike (river-rat.com).

Whitewater Raft the American River’s Upper Forks

In the foothills an hour east of Sacramento, the upper American River’s three forks—South, Middle and North— make up the most popular whitewater rafting destination in California, offering varying levels of difficulty (Class II–IV) and excitement. But don’t go it alone unless you’re an experienced rafter. Visit californiawhitewater.com for a list of outfitters and tours.

Explore the Delta

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which feeds valley rivers into the San Francisco Bay, encompasses more than 1,000 miles of waterways. Explore the sloughs, islands, marinas and historic Delta towns up close by canoe, kayak, ski boat, wakeboard, paddleboard, houseboat or personal watercraft. For rentals, see deltaboating.com. To learn more about this unique estuarine environment, where fresh water meets salty seawater, stop in at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley. ebparks. org/parks/big_break

Windsurf and Kiteboard in the Delta

Rio Vista and Sherman Island, about an hour’s drive southwest of Sacramento in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, are an international mecca for windsurfing and kiteboarding, thanks to superb water and wind conditions. Learn more at rvwa-siko.org and deltawindsports. com.

LAKES

Folsom Lake

About 25 miles northeast of Sacramento, this drought-sensitive reservoir on the American River (created by Folsom Dam in 1955) attracts boaters, sailors, water skiers, personal watercrafters, paddleboarders, fishers, swimmers, beachgoers and picnickers to its waters and 75 miles of shoreline.

The surrounding Folsom Lake State Recreation Area includes nearly 100 miles of trails for hiking, trail running, horseback riding and mountain biking. On the lake’s western side is a campground at Beals Point; on the eastern side is Folsom Lake Marina at Browns Ravine.

Lake Natoma

Downriver from Folsom Lake is slender Lake Natoma, created by Nimbus Dam and part of the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. The 5-mile-long lake flanks the city of Folsom and offers picturesque scenery for kayakers, paddleboarders and college crew teams rowing on its calm surface. (Motorized watercraft have a 5-mph speed limit.) Among several boat launch sites is Sacramento State Aquatic Center, which provides instruction and equipment for rowing, sailing, paddleboarding, canoeing and kayaking to the public.

Another attraction is Nimbus Fish Hatchery, which raises Chinook salmon and steelhead for release into the river. While the visitor center and tours are on pandemic pause, the public can watch salmon ascend a new and improved fish ladder through several large outdoor windows during salmon season, November 2021–February 2022.

Sacramento State Aquatic Center

1901 Hazel Ave., Gold River, (916) 278-2842, sacstateaquaticcenter.com

Nimbus Fish Hatchery 2001 Nimbus Road, Gold River, (916) 358-2884, wildlife.ca.gov/ fishing/hatcheries/nimbus GOLF

These public golf courses showcase the valley’s natural terrain, albeit sculpted and wellwatered.

Ancil Ho man Golf Course 6700 Tarshes Drive, Carmichael, (916) 482-3813, golfancilho man.com

Beautiful 18-hole course along the American River Parkway designed by William Bell in 1965.

Bartley Cavanaugh Golf Course

8301 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 808-2020, bartleycavanaugh.com

Designed by Perry Dye in 1995, an 18hole championship course close to the Sacramento River.

Bing Maloney Golf Complex

6801 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 808-2283, bingmaloney.com

Championship 18-hole and express nine-hole courses plus a covered, nightlighted driving range.

Cherry Island Golf Course 2360 Elverta Road, Elverta, (916) 991-7293, golfcherryisland.com

Championship 18-hole course designed by Robert Muir Graves plus a dawn-todusk driving range.

Cordova Golf Course

9425 Jackson Road, Sacramento, (916) 362-1196, cordovagc.com

Affordable public course plus a lighted driving range.

Empire Ranch Golf Club

1620 E. Natoma St., Folsom, (916) 817-8100, empireranchgolfclub.com

This lush “country club quality” course designed by Brad Bell offers 18 holes of links/park land-style golf plus a driving range and pro shop.

Haggin Oaks Golf Complex

3645 Fulton Ave., Sacramento, (916) 808-2531, hagginoaks.com

Two 18-hole championship courses (Alister MacKenzie and Arcade Creek) plus a lighted, 100-stall, Toptracerequipped driving range, nine-hole putting course, player performance studio and huge golf shop.

Mather Golf Course

4103 Zinfandel Drive, Mather, (916) 364-4354, playmather.com

Championship 18-hole course on a former Air Force base is designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

Teal Bend Golf Club

7200 Garden Highway, Sacramento, (916) 9225209, tealbendgolf. com

Brad Bell-designed 18-hole championship course adjacent to the Sacramento River with 250 acres of wetlands and native trees, plus a grass driving range and putting greens.

WildHawk Golf Club

7713 Vineyard Road, Sacramento, (916) 688-4653, wildhawkgolf.com

South Sacramento 18-hole championship course plays well in wet weather.

William Land Golf Course

1701 Sutterville Road, Sacramento, (916) 277-1207, williamlandgc.com

Popular nine-hole course in lush William Land Park is the city’s oldest course, built in 1924.

INDOOR CLIMBING

Time for a change of pace from outdoor pursuits? Go climb the walls!

The Boulder Field

8425 Belvedere Ave., Suite 100, Sacramento, (916) 329-8994, theboulderfield.com

Indoor gym offers 10,000 square feet of bouldering space, training and fitness areas, family climbing area and yoga studio in an open layout with workspaces, cafe and shop.

Granite Arch Climbing Center 11335-G Folsom Blvd., Rancho Cordova, (916) 852-7625, granitearch.com

More than 20,000 square feet of indoor, realistic wall space plus a members-only outdoor boulder park.

Rocknasium

720 Olive Drive, Suite S, Davis, (530) 757-2902, rocknasium.com

Community climbing gym since 1992 with 5,500-plus square feet of vertical terrain plus yoga and fitness classes.

Sacramento Pipeworks

116 N. 16th St., Sacramento, (916) 341-0100, touchstoneclimbing. com/pipeworks

Cavernous gym with 14,000 square feet of climbing terrain, 8,000 square feet of bouldering, 40-foot-high lead wall, huge CrossFit area, full gym with cardio and weight equipment, yoga and fitness classes, and pro shop. A training destination for Nor Cal climbers.

MORE INDOOR FUN

Sacramento’s got its share of skating rinks, bowling allies and trampoline parks, but be sure to check out these spots for that rare rainy day.

Flatstick Pub

DOCO, 630 K St., Suite 120, Sacramento, (916) 872-0772, tipsyputt.com

With dozens of local craft beers on tap, duffleboard tabletop golf games and 18 holes of mini golf on two courses, putting has never been this fun. 21 and older.

iFly

118 Harding Blvd., Roseville, (916) 836-4359, iflyworld.com/ sacramento

Kids 3 to 103 (with some health and safety restrictions) experience the thrill of indoor skydiving thanks to wind-tunnel technology.

Punch Bowl Social

DOCO, 500 J St., Suite 100, Sacramento, (916) 925-5610, punchbowlsocial.com/location/ sacramento

Enjoy fun and games—bowling, billiards, ping pong, foosball, darts, karaoke and more—plus food and drink in a modern 25,000-square-foot space. Kids welcome before 10 p.m.

Smart Axe

1151 Trade Center Blvd., Suite 106, Rancho Cordova, (916) 389-0178; 726 Sutter St., Folsom, (916) 790-8482; thesmartaxe.com

It’s like throwing darts, but with axes. For ages 12 and older.

Topgolf

1700 Freedom Way, Roseville, (916) 200-1002, topgolf.com/us/ roseville

Imagine your favorite sports bar opening directly onto the driving range of your dreams. For all skill levels. Families welcome.

Urban Air Adventure

Park 1700 Arden Way, Sacramento, (916) 930-6822, urbanairtrampolinepark.com

Treat the kids to trampolines, climbing walls, ropes and obstacle courses, a tubes playground, slam dunk zone, tumble track, bumper cars and an aerial sky rider coaster.

CASINOS

With several Indian gaming casinos in the area, you don’t have to travel far to try your luck.

Cache Creek Casino Resort 14455 Highway 16, Brooks, (800) 992-8686, cachecreek.com

Cache Creek’s recent expansion and series of upgrades gives the resort a total of 659 rooms and luxury suites plus added conference space, concert space, second pool and new restaurant, complementing its casino, multiple dining options, day spa and 18-hole championship golf course.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Sacramento at Fire Mountain 3317 Forty Mile Road, Wheatland, (833) 337-3473, hardrockhotelsacramento.com

This full-service casino resort—with 1,600 slots and game tables, hotel with outdoor pool, multiple dining options and Rock Shop—opened next to Toyota Amphitheatre in 2019.

Harrah’s Northern California 4640 Coal Mine Road, Ione, (866) 915-0777, caesars.com/ harrahs-northern-california

The casino has 950 rotating slots, 20 gaming tables and several dining options, and partners with hotels and inns in Jackson and Sutter Creek for overnight guests.

Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort

12222 New York Ranch Road, Jackson, (800) 822-9466, jacksoncasino.com

Patrons at this 24-hour casino have access to 1,700 slot and video games, 32 gaming tables, an 86-room hotel, RV park, three restaurants and a concert venue.

Red Hawk Casino

1 Red Hawk Parkway, Placerville, (888) 573-3495, redhawkcasino.com

This 24-hour casino has more than 2,500 slots, dozens of table games, six restaurants and has broken ground on a 150-room hotel with pool and fitness center.

Thunder Valley Casino Resort

1200 Athens Ave., Lincoln, (916) 408-7777, thundervalleyresort.com

This expansive 24-hour casino resort has 3,400 slots and video machines, 110 table games, dozens of gaming tables, a 25,000-square-foot poker room, 14 restaurants and bars, a 400-room luxury hotel, outdoor pool, day spa and banquet hall. Coming soon: The Venue at Thunder Valley, a state-of-the-art 150,000-square-foot entertainment venue.

Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort

Happy Trails

Photography by William Thompson

Only 25 miles south of the state Capitol lies the Cosumnes River Preserve, 46,000 acres of grasslands, vernal pools, wetlands and valley oak forests. It’s a prime area for hiking, paddling and wildlife viewing. Expect sightings of birds and birders: The preserve is a habitat for sandhill cranes and 250 other species.

For over 25 years Lisa Paragary has been helping buyers find their perfect homes. Whether it’s a Midtown condo, first time home in Roseville or a country club estate in El Dorado Hills, Lisa can help you navigate the buying process with care, experience, integrity and market knowledge like no other.

Top expertise for a vibrant region

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