I had a picnic at Folsom Lake on Sunday. Who would believe we’re still having sunny days to enjoy our beautiful lake. We walked in at the levee entrance at Sophia Parkway and GreenValley Road in El Dorado Hills and found we weren’t the only ones with the same idea. Boaters, families, individuals with dogs, Whipperwils, Seagulls, Geese and a lone Loon populated the lake. Hikers, Cyclists, Equestrians, and nature enthusiasts alike enjoy the many trails. One of the popular trails leads to Brown’s Ravine in Folsom Lake State Recreation Area that is home to the Folsom Lake Yacht Club and Folsom lake Marina, also located on Green Valley Road in El Dorado Hills. Although only the brave would g

Labor Day honors the contribution of working people commonly enjoyed as an end of summer celebration with picnics, parades, and a long weekend. At Land Park, the annual Labor Day Working Families picnic came with lunch, light hearted laughter, and an appearance by Gov. Jerry Brown. Gov. Brown spoke on jobs and the economy. A short clip of what he said at the picnic is here. Many noteworthy political leaders were also at the picnic including Sen. Darrell Steinberg, Assembly member Mariko Yamada, and Assembly member Richard Pan.  In this clip, they sing an ode to the working folks and their unions. We do have unions to thank for giving us the weekend known as Labor Day. It's a good ti

Spring is here, which means the kids have been hibernating all winter and are ready for some outdoor fun. The Sacramento Press recently posed the question, “Where is the best place to take kids to have fun for less than $20,” to people at Westfield Downtown Plaza. Joseph Enriquez, 22, of Elk Grove is a personal trainer. “(I would take them to) Funderland,” he said. Funderland is a small, outdoor amusement park at 1350 17th Ave. for children ages 2 to 12. There are nine child-sized rides. Admission to Funderland is free and each ride requires one ticket. Funderland offers single tickets for $1.75 on weekdays and $1.95 on weekends and has ticket books, wristbands and season passes. For

Thursday, Aug. 12 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Bloodsource Sacramento will be collecting blood donations near the fishpond. Friday, Aug. 13 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. The California State Library will hold a picnic near the patio and fragrance garden. About 100 people are expected to participate.

Throwing a Fourth of July celebration? Your fellow Americans have some tips, ranging from home-grown parades and potlucks to Elvis impersonators, dunk tanks and old-school amusements. This week, a handful of Sacramentans offered ideas on how to have fun and maybe even save a little cash this holiday with celebrations as diverse as the country. Organizing your own Independence Day parade topped the list of suggestions. Processions can be as small and impromptu as a clanging pots-and-pans parade of kids and adults moseying around the block or as big as a community parade with marching bands and dozens of floats closing down streets. Jeff Dominguez, who owns Exit Realty West in Midtown, i

 Red and white ribbons dangled from the top of a Maypole that stood near the Rose Garden in McKinley park on Sunday, signaling the Sacramento Turn Verein's Maifest. The group brought a little piece of its German heritage to the park with traditional German food, a beer garden and a traditional Maypole dance performed by the Sacramento Alpentänzer Schuhplattlers (Alpine Dancers). The event helped people from different walks of life learn a bit more about the Turn Verein group and its traditional German roots. The dancers were dressed for just the occasion, with the men in lederhosen and the women in dirndls, traditional German dress. The celebration raised money for the Turn Verein's Germ

Springtime will soon be in the air and you and your family are invited to get take a break from the 9 to 5 and city life to experience the awakening of life. The Center For Land-Based Learning at the Farm on Putah Creek is hosting Welcome Back Springtime at the Farm on Putah Creek Sunday March 28, 2010 from 10:00am – 4:00pm. The Center For Land-Based Learning is a non-profit whose stated mission is to “engage youth in learning experiences on the land that foster respect for the critical interplay of agriculture, nature and society.” Under the leadership of Mary Kimball, Executive Director, the Center uses a network of farms, ranches, and natural ecosystems as educational laboratories for