Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "travel"

Airport provides music to travelers

2011-12-16T01:59:59Z

Sacramento International Airport’s new Terminal B echoes with the sounds of local musicians this holiday season, with airport officials saying they want to add to the flying experience, especially since travelers are recommended to arrive earlier.

“Under normal circumstances, we advise them to get here 90 minutes earlier,” said airport spokeswoman Laurie Slothower. “For the holidays, we’re saying two to two and a half hours early because there are so many little stresses that can be alleviated if you get here early.”

Travelers who haven’t been to the new terminal – which opened in October – should check the airport website to be sure they know where their airline is located.

Anyone traveling with gifts might want to leave them unwrapped, as Transportation Security Administration officials may search the packages, and Slothower said snow globes are another holiday item to be wary of, as they typically cannot be taken in carry-on luggage due to their liquid content.

Bustling holiday traffic has a new soundtrack on Thursdays and Fridays – more harmonic than the typical footsteps, clacking luggage wheels and security announcements.

A number of local musicians perform on the third floor of Terminal B Thursdays and Fridays, giving travelers on layovers – as well as people waiting to meet passengers – something to listen to before they jet off.

For a schedule of all performers, click here.

“It’s something the airport wants to do to sort of thank customers,” Slothower said. “It’s something that’s pleasant for them.”

Ron Goldberg, a musician from Davis, sang and alternated playing a ukulele, guitar and mandolin Thursday afternoon.

Goldberg said he has been playing at the airport during the holidays for five years.

“My music is varietal,” he said. “I’ve tried lots of different styles in my lifetime, and I try to mix it up as best I can – folk and blues and country, reggae, calypso and a couple other directions.”

He added that the new terminal is quieter than the baggage return in the older Terminal A, allowing the music to be more pure.

“This is really a lovely spot,” he said. “This is a musically much more conducive sight.”

Passengers listening to Goldberg Thursday said the music gave them something to do during their downtime.

“If you’re not in a hurry, it’s a great thing to take a minute with,” said Mike Kolesar, a 55-year-old salesman from Elk Grove who travels through the airport about three times per week.

“This was perfect,” he said. “(Goldberg) interacted well with the audience and engaged us and asked us what we liked to hear.”

Kelly McDonald, a 50-year-old saleswoman from Seattle, said she thinks airports with live music provide a better experience.

“It’s a must,” she said. “It adds such a great level of charm to the atmosphere. Not a lot of airports are doing it, but it seems like more and more are, and it’s very enjoyable.”

The musicians performing at Sacramento International Airport are paid for their performances, with a total entertainment budget this holiday season of $18,500.

Ticketed passengers in Terminal B can spend their layovers or preflight waits getting free photos with Santa Claus at gate B17 until Dec. 23, Slothower added.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Amtrak now offers free Wi-Fi on Capitol Corridor trains

2011-11-30T00:38:46Z

Travelers on Amtrak riding through the Capitol Corridor will now have Wi-Fi access on board the trains – and it’s free.

Amtrak launched the new service Monday to coincide with “Cyber Monday,” the busiest Internet holiday shopping day of the year, according to a press release from Amtrak.

The Capitol Corridor is an intercity passenger train system that provides rail service along a 170-mile rail corridor to 16 stations in eight counties, including Placer, Sacramento and Yolo.

The route extends from Auburn to San Jose, and includes stops in Rocklin, Roseville, Davis, Richmond and Berkeley and other cities.

Passengers can connect to the Wi-Fi service onboard the trains through any laptop or other portable device that is Wi-Fi enabled.

For commuters, such as Sacramento lobbyist Jack Bean, the new service will make working while traveling more convenient.

“I commute every day from the Bay Area so this will definitely benefit me,” Bean, 53, said Tuesday.

Bean said he’s looking forward to having a single, reliable network connection while on the train.

“There are alternate (wireless) connections (available),” Bean said, “but you lose it, and you get it, and you lose it in each area – so this will be nice.”

According to the Amtrak website, the service is not password protected, and travelers only need to connect to the "AmtrakConnectStation” network on their wireless devices to use it.

California state passenger rail agencies funded the implementation of Wi-Fi by reinvesting cost savings from prior completed rail projects, according to the press release.

“This has been the number one request from passengers since about 2003,” Luna Salavar, spokeswoman for the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Agency, said Tuesday.

“We tried several different techniques (to provide the service) in the past,” Salavar said, “but this was the first one that we feel will be successful in providing free Wi-Fi to our customers.”

The biggest challenge to connectivity on trains is the limited bandwidth available through third-party cellular data networks along many routes.

Salavar said that the AmtrakConnect service is designed to take advantage of technology improvements such as faster 4G speeds, as they become available along rail routes.

Sarah Tarlano, a college student headed to San Francisco from Penn Valley Tuesday – with her laptop in tow – said she read about the new service online.

“I’ll probably be checking email, using Facebook or reading the news (on the train),” said Tarlano, 19.

Although she usually likes to download media files while she travels, Tarlano said that the limited bandwith and file size restrictions won’t stop her from using the new service.

“I’ll do other things, so that’s ok,” Tarlano said. “(Wi-Fi) will still be good to have.”

Network performance on the trains will vary as the train travels, depending on the proximity of cell towers and strength of wireless signals along the route, Salavar said Tuesday.

The Wi-Fi service also blocks access to streaming video and restricts file downloads larger than 10 MB because of limited bandwidth on board. Passengers will want to download any large files before boarding the train.

The CCJPA was able to contract with Wi-Fi vendor Nomad Digital to use their wireless network technology and cellular towers for service, according to Salavar.

Amtrak is part of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Agency which delivers transit service in coordination with the Union Pacific Railroad and Caltrans.

Wi-Fi service is already available on Amtrak high-speed express trains along 12 East Coast routes and on the Amtrak Cascades rail service in the Pacific Northwest.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Art installed in Terminal B, opens Oct. 6

2011-09-13T03:55:23Z

Art installations are largely complete as the Sacramento International Airport’s new Terminal B readies to open Oct. 6, and they include a range of pieces from technologically advanced works to traditional painting and mosaic pieces.

While not the first thing arriving passengers will see, a giant red rabbit seemingly jumping from outside the building into a waiting suitcase opening up like a vortex on the floor is one of the most-talked-about of the 12 currently installed works.

More than 1,600 aluminum triangles make up the rabbit’s exposed surface. The work, entitled “Leap,” is by Denver-based artist Lawrence Argent and is suspended above the ticket hall in the “land side” portion of the terminal.

The land side is the portion housing the ticket halls and is nearest the parking lot. The air side portion contains the gates and Jetways, and the two are connected by two trains.

Argent’s “Leap” is one of the more literal interpretations in the theme of “bringing the outside in,” said Shelly Willis, director of the Art in Public Places Program of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission.

SMAC helped select artists and works, and $8 million was set aside for the arts, with $6 million already spent and the rest put into an endowment for future preservation and maintenance of the works, Willis said.

While public projects like the airport usually have about 2 percent of their budgets spent on art, a little more than three quarters of a percent of the $1.03 billion project’s budget was spent on the arts, a number approved by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.

Artists and their works were selected by about 50 panelists from various organizations including SMAC, the airport and arts professionals, Willis added.

Opposite two of the second-level ticket counters are wood works by Los Angeles-based artist Christian Moeller titled, “The Baggage Handlers.”

The 8,000 pieces of wood that make up the two wall panels are unique, and computers were used to ensure the art flowed well and had no seam lines where the wood comes together, Willis said.

Six faces – five men and one woman – make up the artwork, and they are the faces of airport baggage handlers, who were photographed about a year ago.

Sacramento International Airport spokeswoman Karen Doron said the airlines refer to the baggage handlers as people who work “under the wing.” Bringing them into the visible area of the airport is a way to pay homage to them, she said.

Sacramento artist Gregory Kondos has an oil-on-canvas painting in the air side section of the terminal entitled “Sutter’s Gold.”

In the painting, a nod to the 1848 discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill, the Yuba river is prominent. Placed in the international arrivals section, it is one of the first works visitors will see and is meant to give them insight into the region’s history.

One of the other initial pieces of artwork to be seen in the air side portion of the terminal – connected to the land side by a pair of elevated trains – is a propeller-shaped tree with Swarovski crystals hanging from it.

Titled “Acorn Steam,” San Diego-based artist Donald Lipski’s mixed-media piece portrays three Valley Oak trunks coming together and branching out at their ends, with the hand-cut Austrian crystals giving it the feel of a chandelier.

Willis said the arbor motif is especially applicable to Sacramento as the “City of Trees” and is a good representation of the region.

Local artist Suzanne Adan created one of the mosaics on the floors, a 12-foot-by-18-foot work called “Flying Colors.”

A circular design with numerous birds and cattails is reminiscent of the wetlands areas throughout the region.

Another of the air side portion of the terminal’s artworks is just in front of where the security checkpoint will be.

Willis said the house serves as a reminder of being home, the ultimate destination for all travelers.

The glass sculpture with metal framework is called “The House Will not Pass for any Color but its Own” and was done by San Francisco native Mildred Howard. At 17 feet tall, travelers are free to walk inside it and explore the way light plays off the glass surfaces.

Possibly the most interactive piece of art in the area, “Your Words are Music to My Ears,” by artists Po Shu Wang and Louise Bertelsen, allows travelers to compose email messages to loved ones and send them. Those messages are then, through a computer code, translated into musical notes and played from the gleaming French horn-shaped artwork on the air side of the terminal.

Installed as part of the ceiling in the international arrivals area is Marcia Stuermer’s “Migration,” which is a piece made with 32 acrylic panels depicting cranes migrating through a backdrop that changes colors as lights behind the piece come on and off.

Another interactive piece is in the land side portion of the terminal, installed as multiple flat screens on the side of one of the glass elevator shafts.

“Active Ecosystem,” by Camille Utterback and Michelle Higa, will feature animations of seeds, leaves, birds and other natural elements. Computers will control the movements and speeds to keep the work constantly changing and unique.

A 12-foot-by-18-foot mosaic in the floor by Joan Moment is called “A Fragment of the Universe” and shows a world of water and air in thousands of hand-cut pieces.

“You can really see the artist’s hand in the work,” Willis said, adding that the work contrasts with some of the very technologically advanced pieces in using a technique that goes back to ancient times, yet still provides a relevant experience today.

Near the mosaic is a Terrazzo-and-steel work with suspended resin pieces by California artist Lynn Criswell, called “As the Crow Flies.” Numerous birds, including a steel magpie taken from a painting in 1650 by Johann Walther, decorate the floor, and 21 emerald-green birdcages will be suspended overhead.

Artist Ned Kahn’s steel wind vanes are placed along the elevated train tracks connecting the two portions of the terminal and move with the movements of the trains or wind.

“It’s really exciting that there’s such a range of work that is represented in this collection from this monumental (rabbit) sculpture to the mosaic floors,” Willis said. “You have work that’s much more subtle, you have work that’s interactive. It’s really exciting.”

Check back tomorrow for more information on Sacramento International Airport’s Terminal B.

To see shots of the construction from one year ago, click here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Local artist paints in Monet's garden

2011-06-30T05:24:11Z

Sacramento artist Karen O’Haire was inspired to paint by Claude Monet, father of the Impressionist movement. She recently returned from spending a week working in his former gardens in Giverny, France.

“They let us in before and after the gardens were open for tourists,” O’Haire said. “I sketched in the morning when just me and the other artists and the garden workers were there. That was really fun.”

O’Haire was one of nine American painters who, through a friendship with another artist, worked in the garden from May 26 - June 8. She produced a painting and a number of sketches each day.

“It was my third time I got to do this. I feel very fortunate,” she said. “When you’re there you sort of just channel (Monet). To be able to paint where he actually stood and painted is incredible.”

With about 1 million tourists passing through the space each year, the solitude in the times it was closed to tourists offered an opportunity that O’Haire said she had to experience, from the light playing across the water to the sounds of the frogs croaking.

A second location she and the other artists were allowed to paint was the Hotel Baudy. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, numerous artists including Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Auguste Rodin and American John Singer Sargent, stayed there and worked in a studio.

The studio is now somewhat in disrepair, with vines growing through the walls, but O’Haire said there are still paints and other artifacts such as an old easel from their time in the space.

“You feel a connection to the painters who worked there before you,” she said.

While working in the garden, O’Haire painted in watercolors and oils to stay true to Monet’s techniques. In her other works, she also paints with acrylics and pastels – whatever she feels the painting calls for – but not in Monet’s old haunts.

“I want to honor Monet, so I use the media he used,” she said.

O’Haire had a career as a water protection lawyer before she took her first art class at American River College in 1996. Since then, she has continued to take workshops and classes to hone her skills.

Artist and instructor Roxie Munro, who lives in New York City and does work for The New Yorker as well as illustrations for children’s books, said O’Haire is the ideal student.

“I think she has a great sense of color, and her work has what we call a painterly quality with fluid brush strokes,” she said. “When she asks for advice, she does it, and I really appreciate that. She doesn’t reject what you have to say.”

Munro hosted several workshops near Lake Como, Italy, that were attended by O’Haire, as well as one on the Italian Riviera and another in Napa, Calif.

“At one point when she was working in Lake Como, she taught me how to make really great watercolor leaves on trees with just the stroke of a brush instead of outlining them,” Munro said. “It was cool to learn from my student.”

Closer to home, O’Haire befriended renowned Sacramento artist Gregory Kondos.

“She is very energetic,” he said. “She is just bubbling over to not only understand a painting, but to execute it.”

He said she not only paints in the daytime, but he suspects she dreams about paintings at night, and she takes every opportunity to learn more about her craft.

“She’s right there at the top,” he said. “She’s far from finished, though, like I am. I want to learn until I die, and she’s got that kind of attitude, and she’s very humble.”

Kondos, who is inspired by the work of Paul Cézanne, said traveling to the places the great masters worked is integral to understanding their work and creating one’s own.

“It’s a crusade. You have to go to areas where these great painters worked and grew up,” he said.

O’Haire said that painting is only part of the experience. Working in Monet’s garden, she said she felt a deeper connection to the great artist, and in staying with the eight other artists who spent time in Giverny with O’Haire, it was a way to experience the same artistic camaraderie once shared by the great Impressionist painters.

“They became friends, and we did, too,” she said. “You all live together in a small space and chat and have wine and great food, just like they used to.”

O'Haire's website will soon be available at http://web.me.com/kohaire.

The Crocker Art Museum is currently running a series of shows for its "Summer of Impressionism" exhibit, including several by Monet. To read about it, click here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Sacramento eye doctor restores sight in Vietnam

2011-05-27T19:55:24Z

In Vietnam, even when you’re in a room with air conditioning, you’re soaked with sweat within five minutes. When the temperature’s in the ’90s every day, and even the Vietnamese are telling you that they can’t stand the heat, you know you’re in for it.

So, imagine this intense heat and the equally intense accompanying sweat. Imagine unfamiliar sights and sounds all around you – the pandemonium of Saigon, the capital of Vietnam, a major city in Southeast Asia. Maybe you sweat a little bit more in this new unfamiliar territory.

With all of this firmly planted in your mind, now imagine performing a surgery on one of the most delicate parts of the human body, the eye, to restore sight to a person who hasn’t been able to work and has been dependent on a family member or friend for all of their needs. Nervous yet?

Dr. Mark Drabkin, a Sacramento ophthalmologist, hasn’t just imagined it. He has lived it. And because of his incredible skill and expertise, he wasn’t nervous.

Drabkin recently returned from a trip to Saigon where he volunteered for Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International, performing sight-restoring surgeries for almost 200 people over four days with local Vietnamese doctors.
Blindness is an underlying cause of poverty and hunger in developing countries. The World Health Organization estimates that of the world’s 37 million blind people:
o 90 percent live in developing countries
o 80 percent of the cases are avoidable or treatable
o 48 percent are blind because of cataracts
Drabkin said a cataract-removal surgery usually takes him about 15 to 30 minutes to perform, though his best time was 13 minutes on one eye. Some doctors perform the surgery so regularly, they are able to restore sight in just three to five minutes.

Imagine. Sight restored in just five minutes. In the United States, we cannot imagine that something as easily taken care of as cataracts could tragically alter a person’s life. But in countries like Vietnam, it does.

“I’m so impressed by how resourceful and skilled the local doctors are in spite of a lack of what we refer to as ‘basic resources’ here,” Drabkin said. “By American standards, cataract-removal surgeries are quite cheap in Vietnam. However, most people in the country simply can’t afford them, so they live their entire lives handicapped by a condition that can be treated with one fairly quick procedure.

“It’s wonderful to be able go on trips with SEE to make a difference in not only the patients’ lives, but in the lives of their caretakers, who have been dramatically affected by blindness, even if they themselves can see,” he continued. “Now the caretaker can go back to school or hold a regular job and support themselves and their family. Now the caretaker can live a fuller, more productive life. We don’t think about the effects of blindness on an entire community, but many people around the world live it every single day.”

Most of the people Drabkin operated on were from provinces outside of Saigon. In the capital city, it costs about $300 to $400 to have cataracts removed, and there are plenty of eye doctors in Saigon to do it. But once you step out of the city, there are few ophthalmologists and people are poor.

To help fill this gap, Buddhist monks from outside Saigon gathered together people who needed the sight-restoring surgeries and took them to the capital so they could receive the care they needed from Drabkin and several Vietnamese doctors. With supplies from SEE International, Drabkin performed 30 cataract-removal operations in just four days.

Of course, Drabkin experienced some cultural challenges. He doesn’t speak Vietnamese and it’s a very difficult language, so he had to muddle through with his nine months of Vietnamese language lessons and a sense of humor.

He also remembers that his hosts were convinced he didn’t want to eat Vietnamese food, so for lunch he was graciously provided with KFC or Pizza Hut.

In the operating room, Drabkin experienced other cultural differences.

“The concept of patient privacy does not exist in Vietnam,” he said. “While I was performing surgeries, the next four to five people I was to operate on would be right in the operating room with us, watching the surgery being performed. The graciousness of the patients – and their resilience – to watch the surgery, to know what it looked like and then humbly submit to it themselves – they are willing to go through so much to have their sight back.”

Drabkin has been on several other volunteer trips with SEE International to Nepal, Ghana and the Philippines.

“It’s challenging each time – you have to adapt each time to a different system, different circumstances and each country’s available resources to give people back their sight,” he said. But at the end of the day, I get to see the reality of these countries, not just the picture-perfect view from a fancy resort. I experience the real people, in their struggles with blindness and other problems. It’s been said a thousand times, but it’s true: For every trip I go on, I get so much more out of it than I put into it.”

Disclosure: Marjorie Wass works in public relations for SEE International

Railroad museum seeks volunteers

2011-05-19T01:08:19Z

The California State Railroad Museum and Historic Park is calling all volunteers to enter its 50th volunteer academy – volunteers who, according to officials, are the museum’s backbone.

“We couldn’t run the museum without our docents. They are everything,” said Theresa Gonsolis, a guide and volunteer coordinator.

She added that the museum – founded in 1981 – is considered the premiere indoor railroad museum in the country.

Applications for the volunteer docent class are online and are being accepted through May 31, though Gonsolis said there is some “wiggle room” in the deadline.

“Our philosophy is: the more the merrier,” she said.

Docents are only required to work seven hours per month, which can be split up between two days or done in one day, she said, adding that many docents prefer to work more often – some several days per week.

Chip Fong became a volunteer docent nine years ago shortly after retiring from the California Highway Patrol.

“I like to tell people about the history,” he said. “Sacramento is ground zero for California history.”

Fong said working in the dining car in the museum is his favorite because it’s one of the best examples of an original dining car from an era when rail travel was far more common.

He has also worked on the active Sacramento Southern Railroad operated by the museum and other positions.

“It’s a great social life if you like to talk about the history of the railroad and what it did for America – it was the glue that held us together,” Fong said.

To be a docent, previous knowledge of the railroad is not required, Gonsolis said.

The volunteer course, which starts June 25, runs for four weeks and includes three-hour classes Monday and Wednesday evenings as well as seven-and-a-half-hour classes Saturdays.

After graduation, docents can go to work in one of several areas – the museum, the car shop (where train cars are cleaned and maintained), the signals group (which operates train signals), the model train exhibits on the second floor and others.

“We recommend shadowing other experienced docents for a little bit first,” Gonsols said. “They can learn even more from their wealth of knowledge.”

That knowledge is shared with the approximately 500,000 people who pass through the attraction every year.

School groups are common visitors, and 10-year-old fifth grader Cecilia Estrada of Berkeley said Wednesday that the docents were very helpful.

“I enjoyed the trains,” she said. “(The docents) told us really interesting stories about them.”

Cecilia said she thought the refrigeration car was interesting.

Gonsolis added that refrigeration cars allowed California produce to be transported all over the nation, making it the state’s “true gold” as part of the economy.

For more information about applying and an online application, click here.

“This is really a museum where the interaction we have with the public who come and visit is important,” Gosolis said. “(The volunteer docents) are what make our visitors so in awe of this museum.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Drawing America by Bike: Cycling through the recession

2011-04-19T00:23:41Z

With a string of dead-end jobs taking him nowhere despite having a master’s degree from Rutgers, Eric Clausen decided to ride his bicycle around the country, documenting what he sees and the people he meets through sketches.

“New York is kind of a terrible place for young artists,” the 26-year-old Clausen said. “There’s plenty of art to look at, but there are almost no opportunities. I was kind of miserable and decided to just hit the road.”

He sold almost everything he owned and started in Brooklyn on Sept. 5. He arrived in Sacramento this weekend.

A run-in with a bicycle gang, a fall that cut his arm so badly he had to stitch himself up and a night spent in an improvised shack are a few of the stories he tells in his blog, Drawing America by Bike.

His blog drives the primary funding for the trip, and with a budget of $20 - $30 per week, he said he almost has enough to finish out the journey's remaining seven months.

“If they send me $5, I send them a postcard,” Clausen said, adding that the link to the donation page is on his blog.

He travels light – with three sets of clothing, a few sketchbooks, a metal box of pens and pencils, an iPhone and a few other odds and ends that fit in a backpack smaller than many college students lug for a single day of classes.

“I spend a lot of nights camping, and I find some places through Couch Surfing and Warm Showers, a site like that for cyclists,” he said.

Clausen arrived in Sacramento on his way to Carson City and Reno, after which he will loop back to the coast and head north.

“This is one of the coolest places I’ve been,” he said Monday afternoon. “It’s got a great bike and art culture, and the drivers are really good and make way for you.”

He said bicycle lanes are far more frequent on the West Coast, and the drivers are more aware of cyclists.

Clausen made a stop in Sacramento because he was contacted by Mike Flanagan, owner of local music label Bad Current Records.

Flanagan found Clausen’s blog and started reading because it was something he’d wanted to do, but didn’t think would be practical.

“It’s such an undertaking just to think about doing that,” Flanagan said. “Just to even be able to figure out how you’re going to map something like that and take a year to bike around the States, it’s impressive.”

Flanagan, who knows what road life is like from a musician’s standpoint, offered Clausen a place to stay and shower.

“I trusted him, and he seemed like a good guy,” Flanagan said. “I know that it’s nice to have a place to stay, since you don’t want to have to pay for a hotel just to use a shower and some other amenities. You can’t afford it.”

Clausen joined Flanagan and some friends at Luigi’s Slice in Midtown and spent a lot of time biking around the city Monday afternoon.

“It’s amazing how easy it is to get around here,” Clausen said.

When it comes to sketching, Clausen said he rarely draws the touristy locations, preferring to sketch people and oddball objects he spots on the road.

“I drew some of Joshua Tree (National Park), but I usually just draw interesting people I meet,” Clausen said.

In the photo above, Clausen drew a couple of cyclists he came across in Los Angeles. One woman rode with a birdcage on her handlebars, and a man had a chainsaw stuffed into his backpack.

Oftentimes, Clausen arrives in a town without knowing where he will sleep, but he’s learned to ask about campsites at police stations and from other “bike hobos.”

That was how he met a newly formed bicycle gang in Tennessee.

“I saw these guys out in a front yard,” he said. “They had bikes, and as I got closer, I saw they were all wearing the same thing – army fatigues with cut-off sleeves and jeans shorts and combat boots or flip-flops.”

They had just purchased their bicycles a few days earlier, and they invited him to stay with them – and he eventually spent the night in one of their cars, which was full of fast food wrappers and half-burned incense sticks.

Looking back on seven months – and 7,700 miles – Clausen said the initial challenge was the physical demand of traveling 70 - 110 miles per day, but the later stages of the trip demanded more mentally than physically.

“I don’t listen to music when I ride because I want to hear the cars,” he said. “I end up playing games and making up songs as I ride.”

He also counts things – like alligators in the Florida Everglades. Over a period of an hour and a half in December, he counted 230 alligators sunning themselves.

He said he calls his girlfriend for normal conversation, since he otherwise ends up having the same basic conversations over and over with people he meets on his travels.

The trip will eventually be the basis for a graphic novel he wants to publish, he said. It will be expanded from his blog, which is typically short since he writes from his smartphone.

Having reached the halfway point of the trip, he said he doesn’t think about the future and the uncertainty that lies ahead.

“Almost nothing in my life is certain,” he said. “I’m just enjoying the trip. I always knew I wanted to take a trip and see America, but I never thought that trip would be on a bike.”

Clausen leaves Sacramento Tuesday and said he expects to be in Carson City on Wednesday. To see him describe his route and a little bit of his travels, watch the video below.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @brandon_darnell.

What's In Your Genealogical Research Suitcase?

2011-04-15T17:55:29Z

Are you starting to plan your summer vacation? Despite spring weather trying to take hold in the Sacramento area, it's not too early to think about summer-time travel. For many family history researchers, travel will involve going to their ancestor's place of origin, visiting with newly discovered relatives and delving into courthouses, libraries and other record repositories.

What research documents and equipment should you take with you? What should you leave home? What should you wear?

Get answers to these questions and more at Glenda Lloyd's presentation "Planning a Research Trip" at the next meeting of Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society. All meetings are free and open to the public.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011
7pm-8:30pm
Citrus Heights Community Clubhouse
6921 Sylvan Way, Citrus Heights
Contact Sandi Benward 916-412-3511

Website: www.rootcellar.org
email: rootcellarsgs@gmail.com

About the Presenter: Glenda has over 30 years of genealogical research experience involving visits to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and multiple record repositories in the U.S. and Europe. She has taught beginning and intermediate genealogy classes through local adult education for 28 years. She is a founding member of Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society.

El Dorado, Wild Wine Region

2011-04-05T06:20:59Z

Springtime comes suddenly to El Dorado, California’s most charming and mysterious wine-producing region. At the foothills of the still icy Sierras, the collection of 70 odd wineries perched over and under the winding roads and hilltops prepare their tasting season with a ‘Passport Weekend' festival. No matter if you are visiting as a veteran wine hound or taking your first insipid sips, El Dorado's 'first blush' season is recommended as a genuine California wine-tasting experience. The region offers an exceptionally candid taste of a local wine-making practice that is both old and new, and entirely not to be missed.

The wineries of El Dorado make up a budding wine country that wins competitions anywhere in the state for quality of wine, but which offers a more eclectic and personable environment for wine tasting and adventuring than more well known wine regions. North Central Valley wine lovers have every reason to get to know this remarkable wine producing country better, since it is right in our neighborhood.

Passport Weekend is a great place to start. A 20 year old affair that currently attracts 3,500 people, but still somehow feels quiet and uncrowded, the event exists to preview the upcoming year’s barrels. The event also offers a chance to taste just about every bottle in stock from years past. It is a rollicking good time.

The spirit of a brand new summer season comes spilling out of musty storerooms and fermenting cellars in the form of magical liquids which stain fingers and wooden barrels, and then mingle with the tongue and the blood. Just a sip or two of these strong wines transform the whole budding California hillscape into a jolly Dionysian Disneyland. Afterwards, the winding roads must be navigated carefully. Fortunately, Passport Weekend offers a designated driver ticket at a fraction of the cost.

Visitors looking for the fastest route to El Dorado's wine, should take Highway 50 to Placerville. From that exit you are mere minutes from the most polished tasting rooms in the region. However, this reviewer recommends Route 16, through Amador county, and in through the Southern side of El Dorado for adventures looking to explore the unusual geography and culture of the county.

Driving from the South, hawks can frequently be seen staring fiercely from lonesome telephone lines. They prefer wires to trees for the better views of the fields and tasty spring voles. Peering down onto the topographical overlay of a Google map on my handset, I feel sympathetic. My destination is a small vineyard on a big dome of rock 2,600 feet above sea level. There’s nothing else around it on the map, and the satellite shows a lot of woods. I haven't seen any vines yet. I wonder if the promise of El Dorado wine is an overblown myth. Then I take a right turn and suddenly there are vines everywhere.

The landscape is truly spectacular, with sudden valleys and steep hills increasing the sensation that something exciting is hiding any new curve. But it is the warm and welcoming scale of the vineyards that draws visitors every year. During this year’s Passport Weekend in particular, the vineyards Mount Aukum, Latcham, Fitzpatrick, as well as the very polished vineyards to the North: Boeger, Jodar and Lava Cap, provide exceptional tasting experiences.

All the wineries in El Dorado are small, family operations. Even at the most popular and oldest vineyards like Boeger, Latcham, Granite Springs, Lava Cap or Fitzpatrick’s, it is easy to meet the owners and winemakers.

Each of the vineyards is quite distinct and charming. Many reflect a history of winemaking and farming in the region that dates to the Gold Rush and before. Others are a product of the years after prohibition when small farms squeaked out their livings in relative obscurity. Many also represent a new and ambitious generation of wine-makers and vineyard owners whose vines and wines are brand new to El Dorado.

Latcham vineyard is an example of a farm with older roots in the region. It is a converted chicken farm which has retained the charm of its roots in its charming white farmhouses and fences and big black oak trees. The tasting room is unpretentious and staffed with clever, friendly people who pour liberally.

Mount Aukum is a newer vineyard with an outstanding outlook. At seven years old, it is already producing surprisingly complex Zinfandels and Syrahs from purchased local grapes, as well as from its own, snow touched Petit Syrah fields. Under the expert guidance of mischievous French owner and wine-maker Michel Prod’hon, formerly a resident of Northern France, Mount Aukum is thriving. For the spectacular view alone, as well as the charming host, this South end winery is worth a visit.

Another European winemaker whose acquaintance I made was Rugerro Masteroserio, of Milan. A man tasked with producing two distinct bodies of work for both the Latcham and the Granite Springs vineyards, Ruggerio appears to show very little stress or pressure. He shares with Michel the cool European mentality, and his whole being seems to suggest that it is a foregone conclusion that great wines can be produced in El Dorado. He himself said after I complimented his wine, “You like the smooth taste of our European wines, no?”

There is no mistaking the fine vintage of this exciting part of the state once you’re there. However, the getting there takes some effort. The barrier is primarily perceptual, El Dorado is less than an hour from Sacramento, and just over two hours from San Francisco, so there is no reason throngs of visitors shouldn’t stop in all year round. But, El Dorado is overshadowed by the combined Sonoma/Napa wine-destination juggernaut. People simply don’t know how close they are to world class winemaking.

All of the vineyards have their distinct charms, but they all share a common cause in the production and promotion of the El Dorado grape. Colder winters and the varied granitic and volcanic soils of El Dorado can produce an exceptionally wide array of distinctive vines that are quite distinct and well loved in Europe. Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Syrah and Chardonnay are produced in quantity, but also interesting varietals such as Barbera, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot and many others.

Winemakers from the region demonstrate their admiration for European and exotic styles in exotic blends, but also produce many single varietal bottles that reflect the distinct character of El Dorado. Grapes that thrive in El Dorado include prized cold weather varieties. They can produce the rich anti-oxidant tannins that age well and mingle in complex formations with the oaken insides of American and French barrels, and they can last many years in the bottle.

The climate of the region produces extremes of heat as well as cold, which puts a distinctive stamp on the wine from year to year. Says Michel Prod’hon, the quiet owner of Mount Aukum, who grows Petit Syrah and a little Zinfandel at 2,615 feet, “It snows here a very little, but the grapes love the heat.”

Wine-makers like Mr. Prod’hon are enigmatic and complex. They are engaged in a complicated and old game with high stakes, and therefore are locked in deep syncopation at all times with the contents of their barrels. Their psyches feel sophisticated, often exotic, sympathies for their grapes, and they are busy fermenting out their next achievement a year or so in advance, even as they decant you a taste. They can only afford to be eccentric men.

The El Dorado region might not be as well known as Napa, but its wines have a particularly brilliant distinction among wine geeks and lovers. The skill of the region is well known to wine-world insiders who have been visiting El Dorado for decades. While the region is still considered a bit of a secret to the public, it is no secret to anyone in-the-know that world class wines have been produced here for many years.

That El Dorado is not overrun by throngs of weekend wine-warriors is a good thing, says Jolaine Collins, an advocate for and member of the El Dorado Winery Association.

“But people of the Sacramento region spend an hour and a half traveling to Napa and Sonoma without realizing that a first rate local bottle is available from the vinyeard 45 minutes from their door.”

El Dorado’s eureka moment for wine tourism may be tampered by a sense that its entry point is a quick-stop on the side of Route 50, between the ski hill and home. Travelers from the North will pass through the narrow streets of Placerville, which retails heavily to the snow crowd and gold country tourist, and will not see the rolling vistas of wine yards that are so clear to travelers in Napa and Sonoma.

Still, the Northern entry of El Dorado is the most used nonetheless. The polished wineries of Boeger, Jodar and Lavacap are minutes off highway 50 through Placerville.

Here, an experienced taster will have no trouble falling into conversation about the subtleties of a particular Aussie blend that influenced a particular bottle or discussing an unusual South African varietal.

Beginners will, meanwhile, discover much help in developing their understanding of wine. Especially during Passport Weekend, these friendly faces travel from many locations, like Folsom or Auburn, for their love of wine and to be part of the occasion.

For beginners like your reporter, basic rules of engagement become interesting. The best plan is to keep a cool head and to avoid saying or doing too much at first. It is best to try to listen to what other people are saying.

It is also acceptable to have no idea what you are tasting and to say so outright. A direct question, such as, “Is this what a Petit Syrah usually tastes like?” will invariably be greeted with a warm response and a good, informational leg up. Almost everyone pouring or tasting likes to share what information they have with someone who has a little less.

In El Dorado, you are much more likely to converse with your winemaker than in the oversized Napa or Sonoma regions. In fact, they are often the ones pouring liquids into your glass.

Winemakers are hip and accessible people if you can get close enough to them. At Single Leaf Winery, I leaned over to ask my pourer over the blast of 1970s arena rock, “Which person is the wine-maker?” He pointed down the line to the center of the crowd where a middle aged guy with sunglasses and a mic was jockeying discs to the joy of many other middle aged people, also in sunglasses. Many people were getting down in a serious way. Okay! Not my vintage, but good to see people having fun.

For a beginner, one exciting avenue of exploration is “futures,” which are wines that have been fermented but not necessarily bottled or aged. These youngsters have a lot more of their original grape juice fruitiness, which is easy for a newbie pallet to understand. The term that describes the way these flavors hit the tongue and mouth is “up front.” As soon as you put it in your mouth, the flavors hit you.

Comparing these new wines with bottles of the same variety that can be older by say two, five or even seven years, is interesting. You get a clue about what the whole process is really about. Grape juice flavors are, of course, undesirable because they are too obvious. The entire craft of wine making concerns the gradual seduction of wild, youthful sugars into sophisticated and unusual flavor entities.

To appreciate what such an accomplishment means in El Dorado it is necessary to get a feeling for the kind of country the wineries grow in. Passing through a small town on my way to wine country, I see a grizzled wooden biker bar presiding toothily over a downtown junction and gravel yard. Hordes of bikers suddenly motor by. A sign outside the nearby bar says, “Cage Fight: Saturday.”

But with a quick turn, the entire scene turns back into grassy knolls and narrow valleys. Green valley oaks and orange, lichen-covered rocks lean amiably against each other, and the whole silvery scene is ruffled by breezes.

Visiting El Dorado county presents many similar contrasts. It is the untamed edges of the place that give the settled vinyards their beauty. The soul of the place is wild, and therefore perfect for cultivated grapes. The granite and vesuvial feet of the snowy Sierra Nevadas, produce distinct flavors- but the somewhat forbidding history and landscape is what defines El Dorado as a region of potential and mystery. If you live in Sacramento or nearby, don’t take my word for it, travel the 45 minutes and taste for yourself what it’s all about.

Zest for the freedom of skiing and riding

2011-03-24T19:17:26Z

Twenty years ago, Haakon Lang-Ree’s sister encouraged him to volunteer for Disabled Sports USA Far West, the founding chapter of the nationwide organization that provides adaptive sports instruction and adventures.

“I got hooked. I really liked the people I was working with and thought, ‘This is pretty cool’,” explains Lang-Ree, the Disabled Sports USA’s Program Director. “As humans we all strive to achieve, to meet a challenge and we all have distinct abilities to get there.”

He talks about the “rush” of skiing and riding. Truckee resident Erin Freeman knows about this rush. Freeman is one of four students from Choices Transitional Services, a Truckee-based program for people with developmental disabilities, visiting the Disabled Sports Program Center on a recent snowy weekday morning.

“I love getting out there and snowboarding on my own,” Freeman, a twenty-six year old first skied when she was five years old, said. She went from skiing with a rigged up hospital walker to outrigger to snowboarding with a balance bar to riding independently.

Disabled Sports provides instruction to children and adults with permanent disabilities as defined under the American Disabilities Act. This translates to a large and diverse client base including people with cognitive, developmental, physical and emotional differences. The majority of students explore “stand up” skiing and riding. Others take advantage of equipment including sit down bi and mono skis. Individual donations, grants and membership/lesson fees fund operations, equipment and the small staff led by Lang-Ree. Trained volunteers support core staff to make it all possible. There are 150 volunteers including instructors and lesson assistants. Volunteers also play a huge role in supporting annual fundraisers including the upcoming Ability Bash on Saturday, March 26.

“The best part about volunteering for Disabled Sports events is the sense of unity. From the first time volunteer to the long time financial sponsors and everyone in between, I feel like each person is there for the same reason. It’s to help someone in some way, however big or small that is. That feeling gives a sense of connecting with people that want to better the life of someone,” explains volunteer Dawn Courtney.

Get involved
Wonder how a financial investment can make a difference? Consider this: $100 provides a water ski lesson, $200 provides a snow ski lesson, $250 provides outriggers, and $2,500 provides a mono-ski.

The mission of Disabled Sports USA is to provide affordable, inclusive physical and recreational activities that build health and confidence. Support includes donating time, money and talent. An intensive weekend training session can turn an advanced skier into a lesson assistant and Disabled Sports is dedicated to ongoing training throughout the season.When the snow melts, the action picks up in nearby lakes and on the street. Instruction is available in cycling, water skiing, rowing, sailing and there are four wheeling and white water rafting adventures.

Courtney reflects on riding a recumbent style bicycle with a young woman. “My first hands-on experience was a cycling event in Sacramento and I remember being just terrified about doing or saying something wrong. We both had pedals and a handle that allowed us both to aid in steering. It took a few minutes to get used to the awkwardness of the bike itself, but we worked together and found a rhythm…the next thing I knew we were chatting away with the wind in our hair. For that twenty or thirty minutes she wasn't a blind or handicap person at all, but just a nice girl that I had the good fortune of enjoying a ride with on a beautiful day.”

“That day, I learned the true value of volunteers and the Disabled Sports programs that help everyday people have extraordinary experiences. I feel very lucky to be a part of that,” Courtney adds.

2011 Ability Bash

What: Gourmet plated dinner, fine wines, microbrews, rockin’ live tunes, awesome auction items
Where: The Lodge at Alpine Meadows
When: March 26, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Cost: $100
Tickets: (530) 581-4161 and DisabledSports.net

A look inside Sacramento International's Terminal B

2010-11-13T05:39:01Z

Sacramento International Airport’s expansion – dubbed “The Big Build” – is on-track to be completed by the end of next year, providing 19 new gates and an all-new, two-building terminal.

“We started this effort in May of 2000,” said G. Hardy Acree, director of the Sacramento County Airport System. “We started construction in June of 2008 and are 30 months into a 42-month construction cycle.”

The new terminal, known as Terminal B, will be composed of two buildings connected by an above-ground people-moving train system.

The “land-side” portion of the terminal will front a two-level roadway, with one level for arrivals and the other for departures. That section will also include ticket sales, retail shops and food vendors.

The Sacramento Press took part in a tour of the “air-side” portion of the new terminal, which will contain passport control and customs, 19 gates connected by a concourse and the terminal’s security checkpoint.

Originally included in the plans were a hotel and additional parking structure, but Acree said the economy forced those to be nixed for now.

The projected cost of the project is $1.08 billion, but Acree said he believes the final amount will be closer to $1.03 billion.

Bond sales were recently completed, and Acree said the financing is all assembled.

“A lot of the uncertainty and the risk associated with this program has been run out,” he said.

The area in the above photo is the site of the future customs and passport control point. The floor – like most of the terminal’s floorspace – is done in eco-friendly terrazzo in blue and green to represent the importance of agriculture and water to Sacramento, according to Bryan Leavitt, air-side design manager for Corgan Associates, the terminal’s architects.

The air-side portion of Terminal B is oriented on an east/west axis and is currently built to house 19 gates, but is capable of future expansion to 27 gates.

The interior of the Terminal B concourse will have its high-traffic areas paved in terrazzo while the less-trafficked seating areas will be carpeted. Large windows will allow natural light to handle all the lighting for the terminal most of the year, saving on electricity. Special sunshades and window treatments keep the sunlight from heating the terminal, and it is projected to receive a LEED silver certification.

In the hub of the Terminal B concourse is a food court. Leavitt said the space is designed like a shopping mall, and the food court is centrally located just past the security checkpoint.

The above space will house a sit-down restaurant near the food court.

Trains will carry passengers from the land-side portion of the terminal to the point in the photo above, which will house the security checkpoint. Leavitt said the train ride will take 45 seconds.

Trains will arrive at the above spot. If a train breaks down or there is an emergency, passengers can be moved between the terminal buildings on foot between the twin train tracks.

The air-side portion of Terminal B viewed from the train tracks connecting it to the land-side portion.

The photo at the top of the article is the land-side portion of Terminal B as seen from the train tracks connecting it to the air-side portion.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Rick Steves Travels to Sacramento

2010-10-21T18:49:27Z

Acclaimed travel writer Rick Steves made an appearance at St. John's Lutheran Church in Sacramento on Wednesday night. Brought in to raise funds to support the 'The Rwanda School Project' and 'Lutheran Social Services of Northern California,' Rick spoke about traveling as a spiritual act.

The speech hi-lighted the nearly 30 years of Rick's life on the road and his desire to learn from each experience. Rick Steves, who is the author of more than 40 travel books, preaches about the transformative power of travel. His latest book 'Travel as a Political Act' was the basis for his speech Wednesday night. The speech, as well as the book, encourages the audience to travel abroad to experience history and culture and see what life is like for 96 percent of the planet's citizens, the ones who are not American. He speaks about his growth as a Lutheran and how travel has vastly opened his eyes to his spirituality.

With many personal stories Rick made the point that, “Travel should change you, get you out of your comfort zone,” and continued with “When you travel you realize there's exciting struggles going on that we would be clueless to if we didn't get out there and talk to these people.” He firmly believes that throughout the world there are numerous sets of morals and no one person or country should dictate the morals of others.

During the hour and a half speech Rick interjected numerous personal vignettes. He recounted a conversation with an Irishman from the country's west coast: “I asked him, 'Have you lived here all your life?'” The Irishman replied, 'Not yet.'” Then he asked, “Did you grow up around here?” and the man replied, “No, about five miles away.” The point Rick was making was that the world sees life differently; to understand cultures and people there must be an open mind and willingness to learn.

As Rick wrapped up his presentation to the roughly 200 people in attendance, he reiterated his challenge to travel as a political act, travel to broaden your perspective and come face to face with some of the world's less pleasant realities. He stated that, “Fear is for people who don't travel very much.”

He ended with his own version of an amen, telling the crowd, “Happy travels!

______

Since the 1994 genocide of nearly 1,000,000 people in Rwanda the new government has expressed an interest in building secondary education. The government believes that through secondary education its youth can build critical thinking skills, sound academic and moral training, enhanced science and math skills and a good understanding of teamwork and self-discipline.

The main beneficiary of the evening, The Rwanda School Project, was founded in 2005 as a way to bolster this secondary learning initiative through the building of a new high school in Rwamagana (eastern Rwanda). The school, which officially opened September 30, 2010, will accommodate 540 students when complete and is striving to be a fully sustainable complex.

The schools self-sustaining systems includes the use of solar panels, water catchment systems, a bio-gas digestor, passive lighting and permaculture gardens. The schools curriculum focuses heavily on concepts of sustainability and careers which relate to sustainable development. With a desire to see graduates move on to university the Rwanda School Project teaches in English and accepts students of all income levels and faiths.

For more information on the Rwanda School Project or to make donations please visit www.rwandaschoolproject.org

For more information on Lutheran Social Services of Northern California or to make donations visit www.lssnorcal.org

For more information on St. John's Lutheran Church click here

For more information on Rick Steves click here

Marc McLaughlin is a Contributing Writer and Photographer with Sacramento Press

Rick Steves to give travel talk

2010-10-14T00:32:47Z

Award-winning travel writer and TV host Rick Steves is coming to Sacramento next week to share his thoughts on travel at St. John’s Lutheran Church.

“Americans can travel in one of two ways,” Steves said. “They can travel in a way that widens the gap between them and the rest of the world, or with the proper attitude, you can broaden your perspective and get empathy for other cultures.”

Steves got his start in the travel industry as a tour guide, and he has since authored more than 50 guidebooks. He is also is the host of the PBS series “Rick Steves’ Europe.”

He had a simple message for those who are nervous or afraid about setting foot on foreign shores:

“Fear is for people who don’t get out much,” he said. “You should go to places that seem frightening and see if they are frightening.

“When the people in the U.S. were talking about bombing Iran, I went there,” Steves said. “Some of the nicest people in the world are in Iran, and when they found out I was an American, they were even nicer.”

Working 12- to 14-hour days would be too much for some, but Steves said he considers himself lucky.

“I happen to love my work,” he said. “I can work 60 12-hour days and feel younger and more refreshed.”

But that’s not to say travel is relaxing for him.

“I’m not a vacationer,” Steves said. “I just work. I work really hard, and I’m spending 120 days a year in Europe working, and when I take a hike, I’m taking notes on how others can do it easily. When I go into a museum, I’m comparing it to other museums and taking notes on the art to relate it to readers. I hire local guides, and I pick their brains so I can assemble a guided tour for others so they don’t have to hire a guide.”

When it does come time to relax, Steves said he enjoys doing the mundane, everyday things near his home in Seattle – going to the movies, being on the waterfront or in the mountains and shopping at the market on Saturdays.

Best-known for his European travel guides and TV shows, Steves said he is most commonly asked which is his favorite country, but the answer surprises many.

“I usually say India," Steves said. “India rearranges my cultural furniture in a beautiful way and reminds me how ethnocentric even broad-minded travelers can be.”

There won’t, however, be a guidebook on India from Steves.

“India is too personal of an experience,” Steves said. “I don’t want to write in India. When I go to Munich, I can tell someone exactly what to see in four days, but I couldn’t do that in India.”

When it comes to European countries, Steves said Italy is his favorite.

While famous for his guidebooks, Steves published a book last year titled “Traveling as a Political Act,” and it received the Lowell Thomas award for best travel book Monday from the Society of American Travel Writers.

That book will be the groundwork for Steves’ talk, “Traveling as a Spiritual Act,” on Oct. 20 to Sacramentans at St. John’s Lutheran Church on the corner of 17th and L streets.

“The talk is funny,” it’s not just heavy stuff,” Steves said. “It’s thought-provoking and really helps celebrate the ultimate goal of traveling – getting a broader perspective.”

Ticket sales will benefit the Rwanda School Project and Lutheran Social Services of Northern California.

“We’re tremendously honored that he’s doing this, and we really are excited to have him as a partner in this philanthropic project,” said Angela Nickerson, director of discipleship for St. John’s Lutheran Church.

Nickerson said there is a strong Sacramento link to the schools in Rwanda, with several members on the organization’s board living in the city.

“We see that not only as a way to be evangelical, but to be part of a reconciliation process and helping them after the genocide,” Nickerson said.

Steves is well-known for his philanthropic efforts, including volunteering at pledge drives and telethons through KVIE and efforts in and around Seattle.

“We can get a few hundred people together and raise serious money for the schoolchildren of Rwanda, and people will leave here with enthusiasm for embracing the world,” he said.

And after his talk, he said he hopes more people are inspired to get out and explore.

“We’re all children of God, and it’s nice to get out and meet the family,” he said.

The event will be at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 20 with a reception at 5 p.m.

Tickets ($40 for the lecture only and $99 for the lecture and reception) can be purchased here.

St. John’s Lutheran Church is located at 1701 L St.

Photos courtesy Rick Steves.

Photo 1: Rick Steves at Mont St. Michel in Normandy, France.

Photo 2: Rick Steves and his camera crew on the Amalfi Coast, Italy.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Rafting - an Awesome Sacramento "Stay"-cation

2010-07-29T19:01:33Z

Many Sacramento residents are unaware that they live just around the corner from a world-renown hotbed of whitewater rafting. Whether you are rafting the South Fork of the American River in El Dorado County, the Middle or North Forks, Cache Creek or one of the many other rivers flowing in the Sacramento area, here's a great article on how to go about planning your trip.

As a first-time rafter, many questions are likely running through your mind if you are considering a trip. Maybe you’re nervous. Perhaps you can’t swim. Are you going off of waterfalls? Are you fit enough? Are you old enough? Are you young enough? What do you wear? How do you wear it? Do you need special shoes?

Not to worry – everyone has these questions. You will be fine. On the South Fork of the American River alone, upwards of 65,000 people go rafting each and every year. California whitewater rafting is an excellent vacation option, and so close for Sacramento residents!. If you have been invited or are considering planning a trip on your own, it is great to be cautious, but you shouldn’t let any fear or trepidation stop you.

Here are fourteen easy steps to make your trip a breeze:

1. RELAX! If you are rafting with a professional company, you are in great hands. They know what they are doing, and how to get you down a river.

2. Go with a “can-do” attitude. It is perfectly normal to be nervous, as this is a new experience, but don’t be “that guy” who complains the whole time. Just take a deep breath, and take it all in.

3. Rafting, like the rest of the world, has different seasons. What you WEAR depends on the season:

SPRING rafting tends to be cooler. You should definitely consult with the company you are rafting with, but a thin wetsuit may be appropriate. More commonly, wetsuit booties or wool socks with your STRAP-on sandals or old tennis shoes (more on footware below), shorts, a wool sweater, a splash jacket or dry top, and even possibly wool cap are all appropriate choices for cool-weather rafting.

SUMMER rafting is a bit warmer. Strap-on sandals or old tennis shoes are recommended, and shorts are a must. You can wear a bathing suit but trunks/shorts are recommended as you are sitting on rubber and bathing suits tend to get…ahem…moved. Other clothing necessities include a t-shirt, hat and sunglasses. Some companies wear helmets, in which case you may or may not be able to wear a hat while rafting.

4. No matter the season, and no matter your skin tone, wear SUNBLOCK! We like to recommend all natural / biodegradable sunblock, given the detrimental effects of certain chemicals on the environment. Some specific ingredients to avoid include PABA, octinoxate, oxybenzone, 4- methylbenzylidene camphor and the preservative butylparaben.

5. Wear proper SHOES! Shoes must strap to the foot. Crocs and their composite foam ankle strap do not count as they do not bind to the foot. Name brands that make appropriate footwear include Teva, Chaco, and Keen. Water booties with a sole are fine, and old tennis shoes are a great solution as well, as they tie directly to your feet. No one wants you swimming without your consent, but if you do swim, you want something on your feet.

6. Trust the GEAR. You will be wearing top-of-the-line personal floatation devices (PFDs). In nearly all instances these are Class V Coast Guard-approved flotation devices, which are the highest quality PFDs on the market. Rafts themselves are some of the toughest boats on the water, as they are made to commercial standards with commercial-quality materials.

7. COMMIT fully to the experience. If you are offered the opportunity to swim a rapid, do it! This is an incredible place to be, so take advantage of everything it has to offer. The last thing you want is to walk away from your experience regretting that you did not engage in the opportunity to the fullest.

8. Remember what NOT to do. Believe it or not, you shouldn’t bring a towel to the river. There’s no place on the raft for a towel. Keep it in the car for the end of the trip. Don’t wear suntan oil. Oil + Skin + Rubber = swimming. And drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes will not only impede your ability to get down the river, but can be downright dangerous when mixed with rafting.

9. There are plenty of rafting companies to choose from. On the South Fork of the American River alone, you are afforded no less than 33 options. Pick someone you feel comfortable with. Most prices are going to be within $10 of one another, so the most important factor is comfort. Just about everyone will provide a comfortable trip, but there are different attitudes and energies with each company.

10. Generally there are NO waterfalls! There are drops, but nothing that equates to a waterfall. The boats are made to do what you will be doing, so relax.

11. Yes, chances are, you are FIT enough. This is not an olympic paddle crew timed trial. You will be pulling your weight, along with five or six other people.

12. The trips are professionally GUIDED. You will have a professional, competent guide in the back of the raft controlling the action. Just be sure to follow directions!

13. Age CAN be a factor, so check with the company with whom you are rafting. There are rivers where tighter age ranges do come into play.

14. Finally, do not disqualify yourself based on unfounded PRECONCEPTIONS. Chances are, you are going to love this adventure. We have sent young children down the river along with their grandparents without a hitch. You CAN do this!

Christopher Pyle is owner operator of www.actionwhitewater.com, a whitewater rafting and retreat offering as well as www.natures-classroom.com a leading outdoor education and class trip provider.

The Big Build at Sacramento International Airport

2010-04-27T20:03:52Z

A United Airlines passenger jet makes a landing yesterday just to the west of the new expansion project, The Big Build, at Sacramento International Airport.

According to a press release, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded an $8.6 million Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant to Sacramento International Airport the first week of April. It is the second installment in the seven year $59 million FAA Letter of Intent (LOI) funding program for the Big Build at Sacramento. AIP funds support construction of terminal aprons, taxiways and overnight aircraft parking for the Big Build project.

“On a project as large as the Big Build, funding is a critical piece of the overall program and the support of the Federal government is very important, “said Roger Dickinson, Chairman of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. “Every dollar of grant money helps reduce the amount of bond funding we have to borrow and helps us complete the project on time and on budget.”

The Big Build is designed to meet current and future air travel demands by replacing the outdated Terminal B with a 669,000 square foot multi-story terminal. The new Central Terminal B will offer 19 aircraft gates, a two-level roadway system, 42,000 square feet of concessions space, an international arrivals facility and an automated people mover. The airside construction projects supported by the AIP grants are necessary to facilitate movement of aircraft around the new terminal.

“One of our goals for this project is to create an even more efficient airfield,” said Interim Sacramento County Executive Steven Szalay, “and the aprons and taxiway funded by this grant will help us achieve that goal.”

The Letter of Intent program is designed to provide annual grants over a seven-year period concluding in fiscal year 2015.
Sacramento County Airport System is responsible for planning, developing, operating and maintaining the county’s four airports: Sacramento International Airport, Executive Airport, Mather Airport and Franklin Field.

The Big Build Facts:

    •    Approximately 1 million labor hours have been spent on the Big Build. That equals $38.6 million in straight wages for the people working on the project.
    •    Over the course of the Big Build, approximately 2400 jobs will be created
    •    On any given day, about 400 people are working directly on site
    •    The total economic impact for the Big Build construction project is approximately $2 billion
    •    By the year 2020, the new terminal will produce $2.6 billion in economic impact and 16,500 jobs annually

Since construction began on the Landside project: 13,750 truckloads of dirt were excavated to form the basement for this new terminal. 5.1 million pounds of rebar have been used, 32,565 cubic yards of concrete have been poured, 609 piles have been driven, and 5000 tons of steel have been erected.

Also see: www.sacramentopress.com/headline/25728/Sacramento_International_Road_Closure_Returns

For more information on the system, visit www.sacairports.org.

SacPress Photo | Kati Garner

The Best Tree-lovers Monument

2010-03-30T05:21:41Z

"John Muir exclaimed "This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world," declared conservationist John Muir when describing the majestic coast redwoods of Muir Woods."

It's an easy drive from Sacramento for a day excursion.

Bark has pulled away from this fallen tree.

"The incredible diversity of flora and fauna at Muir Woods can be daunting sometimes, elusive at other times. The redwoods themselves dominate the scene, but the Steller's jay often steals the show. Ladybugs clustering by the thousands on ancient horsetail ferns boggle the imagination, while the slimy banana slug is able to disgust and fascinate all at once. Plants adapt to low light levels on the forest floor, while whole plant and animal communities bustle in the canopy above our heads.

John Muir was ahead of the Internet revolution when he wrote, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."

Muir Woods was designated the 10th National Monument for the United States of America. Although it was the 10th National Monument, it was the first in three very important ways. It was the first time a private individual (William and Elizabeth Kent) donated land to the federal government to create a National Monument. It was the first time a National Monument was created in an urban setting, just 12 miles north of San Francisco. And it was the first time the Antiquities Act of 1906 was used to preserve a living species, the Coast Redwood tree."

These huge redwoods reach high for the light.

It's an easy walk exploring Muir Woods.

Muir Woods has 1.5 miles of paved or boardwalked trail which is mostly flat. Loops of half a mile, one mile, or two miles are easily achieved on this trail.

Muir Woods is located 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Take Highway 101 to the Highway 1/ Stinson Beach Exit. Follow the signs to Muir Woods. Roads to the park are steep and winding. Vehicles over 35 feet long are prohibited. Parking space is very limited and fills quickly on most days. There are no RV parking facilities. For an interactive map, please visit http://maps.google.com/maps and type in Muir Woods National Monument.

For information line 415.388.2595

Information accompanying photos from www.nps.gov/

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner

Home Sweet. . . . Sacramento?

2010-02-24T18:48:19Z

"You moved where?"

"Sacramento"

"Why?"

Sacramento is not thought of very highly by a lot of Bay Area-ites. I'm not entirely sure why. I suppose many cannot separate the town from the stink wafting up from the State Assembly and Capital. Politics as a whole is repugnant to your average person, and California's is especially loathsome. It's an unfortunate metonymy, "Sacramento" for the sludge that leaks out of the State Assembly, but it is to be expected. When one considers "Washington DC", its a rare soul who thinks of the Smithsonian first and the politics second. I grew up in Menlo Park, decidedly Bay Area-centric. In the circles I came of age in, Sacramento wasn't thought of negatively so much as it wasn't thought of at all. To many, it was simply a road marker, signaling the halfway point to the slopes or the lake house. That may sound snobbish and condescending, but so is Menlo Park.

Up until a week ago I was living in Menlo Park. I had moved back in with my folks in November. The plan was to help them finish an addition that my stepdad has been building since the mid 1990's so that they could sell and enjoy their retirement in the peace and tranquility of the midwest. My stepfather, Pieter, was born in Holland and grew up in South Africa. He moved to the States when he was 15, lied about his age in order to join the Marine Corps just after his 17th birthday. He is a veteran of two tours in Viet Nam. He was involved in Operation Phoenix and the Tet Offensive. He lived in Hell's Kitchen in the '70's. When we met him, in '86, he was an inpatient at the Menlo Park Veterans Hospital. . . the setting for Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". Books could be written about the crazy crap that he has done and seen in his life, but that isn't the point right now. The point is, he is a hard man. . . a good man. . . .but a hard man. I love him, he loves me, but we have had more than our share of problems in the last 20 odd years. And a week ago one such problem reached a boiling point. The living situation became untenable. I had to leave. Sacramento was my port in a storm. I left the next day.

Sacramento , despite living just 2 hours away for most of my life, is a place that I had visited exactly twice. The first time was for a Phish show at Cal Expo in '95. (http://http.phantasytour.com/phish/shows.cgi?showID=1006) I enjoyed the hell out of this visit, but Sacramento had very little to do with it. The second visit was this past november, when I spent a day and a night visiting an ex-girlfriend in LandPark. (The ex, Jess, is the reason I moved here this week, we are giving it another shot). I had a nice time, we had a lovely dinner at her aunt and uncles who spoke very highly of their adopted home. Second Saturday was brought up more than once. The next morning, Jess and I went to breakfast at Tower, then wandered around Old Town for a bit. I ate a chocolate covered cricket at one of the candy stores. Then I left.

Thats it. Until one week ago today, when I packed up my crap and moved here. . . . Sacramento. . . . . Midtown. . . my new home. I've decided to document and share my upheaval and subsequent discoveries, with all of you lovely people. It's a unique situation I find myself in, had you told me 2 weeks ago that I would be here today I would have scoffed at the notion, and yet here I am, with an open mind and open heart. Alright Sac. . . . show me what you've got.

Meaningful Carbon Offset - Solar Cooking

2009-11-25T16:43:00Z

Solar Cooker System as “Most Meaningful Carbon Offset” Campaign Launched

Sacramento, CA, November 24, 2009. Solar Cookers International (SCI), a not-for-profit organization founded in 1987, announced today the launch of “The most meaningful carbon offset is also the simplest” campaign.

This campaign is arriving at a time when an enormous number of individuals want to do something meaningful to slow global warming. Yet, while our governments are painfully slow to act, options to offset our own carbon usage have been limited and, for many, of questionable impact. A recent report that voluntary carbon offsets for airline travelers do more to assuage guilt than reduce carbon emmissions has created a cloud of doubt around the benefits of such programs. "SCI's campaign is different from airline programs in that placing solar cookers in the hands of people who would otherwise burn wood or fossil fuels, actually reduces black carbon by up to one ton per family per year," says Kevin Porter, Director of Education Resources at SCI.

SCI is launching an online campaign, with a video where people can make a fifty-dollar donation that will allow SCI to provide one of the neediest families on earth with a Solar Cookit system and necessary training. Donors of the $50 CooKit systems will receive certificates showing a woman with a solar cooker next to the large pile of wood that will not have to be gathered or burned as a result of the tax deductible carbon offset contribution.

“Solar cooking emits zero carbon, and it reduces the desperate need to dangerously gather and burn wood in deforested environments,” said Honey Walters, of the SCI Board of Directors. “Each Cookit provides recipients with everything they need to transition from wood fires to solar cooking, including essential on-the-ground training, a solar cooker, a black cooking pot, a clean water container and an innovative water indicator to tell when water has heated enough to kill deadly microbes in drinking water.”

Solar Cookers International is widely considered the world pioneer in advancing solar cooking, through its product development and field training experience. SCI has improved the lives of tens of thousands through the development, distribution and training of solar cooking devices in Africa. SCI helped invent an innovative “water pasteurization indicator,” a simple life-saving device that measures when solar-heated water is clear of all disease-causing microbes. For more information, visit www.solarcookers.org.

Progressive Source Communications created the campaign and the video found on the webpage.

The New York Times gets Sactown right

2009-10-30T20:04:38Z

Longtime Sacramentans are accustomed to our city being misrepresented in the media - we get attention for legislative gridlock, under-performing teams, homeless tent cities, the foreclosure crisis and the latest, our chart-topping rate of drunk driving. Oh, and Dorothea Puente.

We're so insecure about how we're perceived that we have a well-established civic inferiority complex.

But we're a pretty good time, really. Beautiful, interesting, comfortable, entertaining, sporty, unpretentious - if you tell the truth about our city, it sounds like a made-up personal ad. But it's true!

So, it's gratifying to have Sactown portrayed so accurately today, in no less a place that the New York Times. The Times regularly features a city or place in its "36 Hours in..." feature, which runs in its Sunday Travel section.

In the chronological feature, which suggests a step-by-step weekend here from Friday at 4 p.m. into Sunday afternoon, author Beth Greenfield takes a virtual visitor from the Capitol (with the inevitable lede about how dysfunctional it is) to Ella for dinner, the B Street Theatre for a play and Harlow's for a nightcap. Saturday she throws in everything from the Tower Cafe and Old Sacramento to Second Saturday to dancing at Faces. Sunday she forgets about eating, but features a visit to the farmers' market and a ride on the American River bike trail.

In all, a very appealing portrait of a very appealing city. Ours.

Kudos to New Yorker Greenfield for getting it right. Take a look and let us know how you think she did - and what she might have missed. The story won't be published until Sunday's Times Travel section, but you can get a sneak peek online now:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/travel/01hours.html

Still hope to see fall colors

2009-10-11T18:02:17Z

See fall colors in Hope Valley!

Yesterday I went with a group of 13 photographers to Hope Valley to capture fall colors. We saw spectacular views.

Here is the route we roughly followed:

Hwy 50 to Mormon Emigrant Trail to 88, followed 88 over Carson Pass and through Hope Valley to 89, followed 89 over Monitor Pass (high and glorious views) to Hwy 395, took 395 North and looped back to 88, followed 88 back to 89 and take Luther Pass to Echo Summit and came back to Sacramento on Hwy 50. Caught a great sunset while passing Placerville.

Photos | Kati Garner

Michael Muir & Access Adventure Need Your Support

2009-08-02T21:01:44Z

Saturday, October 10, 2009
Solano Land Trust Rush Ranch
“Celebrate Adventure!”
The Walk with Rock & Horse Fair

Even though outside the Sacramento County boundaries, this is an organization that deserves all our attention and support. Spearheaded by Michael Muir (great-grandson of John Muir) he is an adventurer and trailblazer in his own right. Access Adventure needs your/our help! In order to continue serving the community and accomplishing their mission to provide recreational and educational programs for people with mobility challenges and underserved youth, they need a steady funding stream. They depend on their annual “Celebrate Adventure” event to pay for horse feed, transportation, and program costs.

On Saturday, October 10, 2009, come “Celebrate Adventure” with a major fundraising Walkathon and Horse Fair at Access Adventure's headquarters, the Solano Land Trust’s Rush Ranch near Fairfield/Suisun City. The gentle giant Rock, the largest Percheron draft horse in North America, will lead the 2.5-mile walk.

The venue is the historic 2,070 acre Rush Ranch located within the largest estuarine marsh in North America . The scenery, the antique farm equipment, the recently dedicated Nature Center and Native American displays are only surpassed by the opportunities for bird watching. All combine to make the 2.5 miles a pleasant hike. The walkathon will be followed by a fun-filled afternoon at the Horse Fair. Lunch, auction, entertainment and exhibitions including draft horse, mule and oxen hitches, wagon rides, traditional horse farming, antique carriages, and demonstrations of various equestrian disciplines will enhance the celebration.

Access Adventure is seeking corporate sponsorship to underwrite this annual event, as well as teams of participants to join the 2.5-mile walk. Your support will establish your company’s reputation as committed to caring for the needs of the disabled and the many youth programs coordinated by Access Adventure. Last year’s walkathon at Lynch Canyon (another of Solano Land Trust's jewel properties) was well received and they expect an even larger turnout this year at the Rush Ranch.

Sponsors will be prominently listed on all promotional materials. As an individual, you too, can help. Plan to attend the walkathon, ask your friends to sponsor you, win an award for having the largest team, or collecting the most sponsors. Donations from individuals unable to attend are welcome. For more information, contact:

Michael Muir & the Volunteers of ACCESS ADVENTURE
P.O. Box 2852
Fairfield, CA 94533
Info@access-adventure.org
707-432-0152
www.access-adventure.org

Looking for Something Fun to do This Weekend? NorCal Wine and Food Events

2009-05-15T00:27:23Z

While there are many phrases in life that are sure to bring a smile to my face—“early retirement,” “winning lotto ticket” and “three-week vacation” among them—I must admit “Food and Wine Festival” is right there at the top of my list. I can hardly contain my enthusiasm ("ARE WE THERE YET?") as the rubber meets the road, with a full tank of gas, a couple of baguettes and a Google map at my side, knowing that at the end of the journey lies my pot of Epicurean gold.

One thing Sacramento does not lack is geographical appeal (a.k.a., location, location, location). In two hours or less, you can be skiing, gamboling, taking a bay cruise beneath the Golden Gate, or walking the vineyard trail, tracing the footsteps of Robert Mondavi himself. How many cities can lay claim to that? The same can be said for our proximity to "Wine Country"—pick a direction and point the car—we're literally surrounded by grapevines, and tasting rooms, and nice, smiling people, ready to pour. I'll toast to that! Head north and experience the wines of Placer County. East, how about El Dorado or Amador counties? South—well, there's Lodi, of course, but also Livermore, and if you're in the mood to slow things down a bit, spend a lazy day visiting the wineries along the Sacramento delta, top-down convertible optional. To the west lies the motherland, Napa and Sonoma counties; don't forget the Gold Card.

So now that you have your geographical bearings, have a look at the festivals that are happening around our area this weekend, all just a short drive away. Don't forget to bring some extra water in your travel kit, as the mercury is supposed to hover around the century mark—hmmm, makes me thirsty, just thinking about it!

For a listing of local wine and food events this weekend, you can find additional information here: www.examiner.com/examiner/x-4055-Sacramento-Wine-Pairing-Examiner~y2009m5d13-Northern-California-wine-and-food-events-this-weekend

Happy Trails!