We're excited about what is happening in Sacramento.  And you should be too.  As the summer travel and tourism season kicks off, Sacramento events, attractions and more are ready to accommodate your group's itinerary.  I have compiled a list of 5 things we are excited about in Sacramento.  There is something here to fit all the varied interests of the members of your group, and we are here, as always, to help you plan the best itinerary to fit the needs of your group.

Here are five things we are excited about in Sacramento:  

1. The Beer Renaissance - Beer-making has long been a tradition in Sacramento, but a wave of new breweries has recently popped up in town. Track 7, Ruhstaller and American River Brewing have joined the ranks of Sierra Nevada Brewing,  Rubicon, River City Brewing Company, Sacramento Brewing Co, Two Rivers Cider and more to help reinvigorated Sacramento's beer scene. Come on over for a cold one!
   
   
   
   
    
2. Fun on the river - The weather is warming up and that means it's time to get out and enjoy great Sacramento recreation on our local waterways. For the adventurous, there's whitewater rafting from companies such as EarthTrek Expeditions and Gold Rush Whitewater. For the slightly less adventurous, there's "slow drift" rafting from American River Raft Rentals. For those who prefer to view the river while enjoying a glass of wine, Hornblower Cruises offers sightseeing and dinner cruises throughout the week.
   
   
    
3. "Follow the Chef" is Back - Grange Restaurant's wildly popular "Follow the Chef" lunches return this month and run through October. Each Wednesday, the head chef from Grange will take a group of lucky folks through the farmers' market across from the restaurant. Guests sample fresh produce as they soak in the chef's culinary knowledge. Then it's back to Grange for a fabulous 3-course lunch using many of the ingredients picked up at the market.  Many other Sacramento restaurants also offer "Farm to Fork" inspired menus that feature the best of the bounty of the region.
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
4. Pedal Power - Sacramento is one of the country's top cycling cities. With miles of paved bike trails along the river, an abundance of safe bike lanes in midtown and an overall easy terrain, it's no surprise Sacramento biking has become such a popular attraction.  Experienced bikers and amateur enthusiasts come from all over to experience the American River Parkway.  You'll see everything from beach cruisers and fixed gears to high-tech road bikes being pedaled around town and chained up in front of Sacramento's super bike-friendly restaurants and cafes. Bike culture continues to flourish in Sacramento as visitors and residents embrace a more green-friendly and healthful lifestyle. 
   
   
    
5. City of Festivals - Everyone loves a celebration, and a quick peek over at the sacramento365.com event calendar will show that Sacramento truly is the City of Festivals. Celebrations of food, wine, art and culture keep Sacramento buzzing. Grape Escape, Juneteenth, Gold Rush Days, California Capital Airshow and The Sacramento Music Festival are just a few examples. Have a group with a specific interest? Give us a call - we probably have a festival they'd be interested in.
   
    

See anything here that you would like to include in your group's itinerary?  Email me to learn more planning your group's visit to Sacramento.

This Sunday, April 22 is Earth Day—a day for appreciating and celebrating the planet we live on and meant to encourage people to give back to it—and Sacramento outdoor activities abound. Events surrounding Earth Day run the gambit from coordinated volunteer efforts to kid-centric activities to full-on festivals. Take a look at our list below for some options, and don’t forget to check our Holiday Events section for more.

Festivals for Earth

Earth Day Celebration: Cesar Chavez Park & City Hall; Thurs 9am-2pm

Come out and join for a free day of fun and interactive green education, carnival games, and great entertainment. The day includes live entertainment from Radio Disney and Magician Bill Devon with Top Class Magic, face painting, balloon artists, and more than 50 local vendors providing information and demonstrations.

Sacramento Earth Day Celebration:

Southside Park; Sun 11am-5pm

The 6th Annual Earth Day Celebration will be filled with diverse business, non-profit, cultural, and government vendors with practical information, goods, and services for saving money, living healthier, and protecting the environment. There'll also be great entertainment, activities, and cuisine!

Give a little back

Ride for Earth 2012: Practical Cycle; Sat 8:30am-Noon

For the 3rd annual Ride for Earth join Practical Cycle for the Great American River Clean Up. Participation in the Clean Up is a real contribution to the health of the Parkway and river. The ride will be leaving Practical Cycle at 8:30am, giving plenty of time to bike along the Parkway to the assigned spot at Northrop and Highway 160 by 9am.

Creek Clean Up: Miwok Park (and other sites in Elk Grove); Sat 9am-1pm

Help the Cosumnes Community Services District clean and beautify the natural landscape of Elk Grove and Laguna Creeks, protect environmental resources, and have fun! Participants will be treated to a BBQ lunch.

Adopt a Pet for Earth Day: Extra Space Storage; Sat 10am-2pm

Come in and adopt a pet for Earth Day! It's good for the planet, it's good for the pet. Join Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary, the Sacramento SPCA, and Extra Space Storage for complimentary food, prizes, and fun for the whole family.

Global Youth Service Day: Midtown Clean Up: J St btwn 20th & 21st Streets; Sun 9am-Noon

Join hundreds of youth in making Midtown clean and litter free! Volunteers will remove trash and do some basic beautification projects such as removing stickers from signs/poles/newspaper stands etc. Grab your walking shoes and enjoy the sunshine (we hope) while making Midtown even more beautiful. Refreshments and lunch will be provided so stick around after to socialize with your fellow volunteers.

Nature appreciation

Guided Nature Walk: Earth Day Every Day: Effie Yeaw Nature Center; Sat 10:30am

Mother nature's gifts are all around us. Learn how we can all make a difference.

Feast for Earth

1000 Vegan Cupcakes for Charity: Embassy Suites – Riverfront Promenade;

Sun 4pm-7pm

This vegan cupcake competition is taking on global warming and raising funds for three local charities with 10 local bakers making 100 cupcakes each to themes like: Fresh n’ Local, Cupcakes Around the World, and Save the Rainforest. There will be eco-vegan raffles prizes from local businesses, the opportunity to learn about sustainable living from Policy in Motion, and a display of 1000 cupcakes from Sacramento bakeries you won’t forget!

Recycle, Reduce, & Reuse

Love Your Mother Earth Art Exhibit: Little Relics Boutique & Galleria; Mon-Sat 11am-7pm

Honor the earth and the onset of spring by viewing theLove Your Mother Earth exhibit dedicated to art that showcases creations comprised of recycled and repurposed products into textiles by featured artist Lisa Young and jewelry by owner, Susan Rabinovitz. To round out the show, Rabinovitz added much loved and admired floral and fawna paintings by Award Winning Artist Karen Dukes, Laura Pallatin, and Florence Skiadas.

Recycle + Reuse = New Fun!: Discovery Museum; Sat & Sun 12:30pm-4pm

Celebrate Earth Day with some crafting fun for the kids using great recycled materials. Bring home a project constructed out of clean, purposed items. Remember to leave time for enjoying the grounds by having a picnic or exploring the acreage, looking for flowers and wild critters.

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There are always lots of things to do in Sacramento California. Find these events and many more on Sacramento365.com - the year-round source for Sacramento events.

Do you have an event coming up? Make sure it's on Sacramento365.com, the Sacramento Calendar of Events.

Follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook to get day-to-day scoop on Sacramento's happenings.

Email support@sacramento365.com to get the Top 10 Events Newsletter delivered to your inbox.

Sometimes traveling isn’t pleasant.  Gas prices, traffic jams and other factors can cause major anxiety on the way to your destination.  The trip to the destination is considered the means to an end.  Getting there could be considered the hard part.  What if the trip to the destination was part of the fun?  The Capitol Corridor is an excellent and convenient way to travel to Sacramento from the Bay Area.  There are several reasons you should consider using Amtrak and the Capitol Corridor when planning your next trip to Sacramento.

1. Convenience.  The Capitol Corridor provides direct train service to 16 stations along a 170-mile rail corridor between the Sierra Foothills, Sacramento, the Bay Area and Silicon Valley/San Jose.  Dedicated bus routes extend the service to various communities in Northern California.  If you live in Northern California and want to visit great Sacramento attractions, chances are you live conveniently close to one of these stations. 
2. Location.  The Sacramento Amtrak station is located in downtown Sacramento, walking distance from several Sacramento museums, hotels, attractions, shopping and restaurants.  Old Sacramento and the famous California State Railroad Museum are two blocks away from the station.  The train will drop you off in the heart of Sacramento – get off the train and start enjoying your vacation immediately.
3. Options.  There are several different ticket options tailored to your needs.  Discounts and promotions are often available for seniors, children, disabled persons and members of select organizations.  Amtrak also routinely offers specials to all of their riders, depending on the season.  Group travelers and frequent business travelers can also be eligible for special rates and discounts.  Plus, some Sacramento hotels offer special packages for travelers of the Capitol Corridor.
4. Stay Connected.  Did you know that Amtrak now offers free WiFi to passengers?  You don’t have to miss a thing when you travel.  You can plug your electronic devices into one of several surge-protected outlets located throughout the cabins, connect to the free WiFi and conduct your business without any interruptions or expensive fees.
5. Bring Your Own Connection.  Based on availability, you can bring your bicycle with you when traveling the Capitol Corridor.  The Sacramento area has world-class biking trails, including the American River Parkway, available for all cycling enthusiasts.  Sacramento is also a bike-friendly city with an abundance of bicycle racks for storage and bicycle lanes for travel.  Bring your bicycle, and enjoy all the fun things to do in Sacramento at your own pace.

Getting to Sacramento has never been easier and more convenient.  The Capitol Corridor is an excellent way to experience Sacramento.  Click here for more information about the Capitol Corridor.  Please visit our website to learn more about Sacramento attractions, accommodations and more to help you plan your visit to the Capital City.

Sometimes not all group activities are for everyone. Maybe whitewater rafting is a bit too daring.  Or the group is wine-tasting and you don’t drink. We all find ourselves in this type of situation from time to time. Well, have no worries. The Sacramento CVB strives to make everyone in your group enjoy their time here - even if that means planning a separate activity for an individual or small group that isn’t interested in doing the group's main activity. 

We want everyone in your group to enjoy their visit to Sacramento, even if it takes several itinerary options.  For example, if a person does not wish to participate in one of the many Sacramento recreation activities such as whitewater rafting or biking on the American River Parkway, we are happy to provide options for those group members so they do not feel left out or have to wait on the "sidelines." 

We recently had a large group in town that was scheduled for a hard-hat mine tour in the Gold Country. A couple of group members knew they wouldn’t feel comfortable in such a situation, so we helped them fill their day with other – less strenuous – activities such as shopping, visiting a museum and going on a carriage ride.

We are more than happy to make such plans for any members of your groups that, for any reason, don’t wish to participate in the main group activity.  There is a wide range of fun things to do in Sacramento. 

Contact me to learn more about what I can do to accommodate all the members of your group.

• Play ball! Build your team's camaraderie with the Sacramento River Cats. The Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland A's has consistently won division, conference and league titles. Notable ballclub members include Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, Huston Street, Eric Hinske and Bobby Crosby. www.rivercats.com

• Train for the Tour de France. Established in 2006, the eight-day, 700-mile Tour of California has become a compelling road race for cycling's most elite athletes. During your stay in Sacramento, Escape Travel Tours leads a less grueling tour of the 32-mile American River Parkway. Bring your bike or rent a new Trek 7.3 FX road bike. http://www.escapetravelinc.com/amgen.html

• Walk it out. Learn something new through low-impact exercise. Downtown Sacramento Partnership leads unique tours through downtown Sacramento to introduce visitors to people, places & events that have shaped more than 150 years of state and local history. Topics range from art and architecture to cultural, religious and urban history. http://www.downtownsac.org/DSPAPP/V/life-and-culture/Book-a-Tour.html 

Hoots and honks were pretty much the only noise in the air on my recent ride along the American River Parkway bike trail, which is just five minutes from our downtown office. As the sun was setting and dusk was stirring the native wildlife, sights of deer, turkey, squirrel and bunnies were surrounding me. 

If you're looking for fun things to do in Sacramento you can't go wrong with spending some time here.  There are some true hidden gems in the Captal, one of them is the amount of trails, trees and scenic beauty in the area.


It had been years since my last journey on the trail and I had forgotten how almost immediately it plunges you into surrounding wild and scenic territory, forbidding manmade noise to penetrate the invisible barrier separating residences, commercial buildings and traffic from intruding. The 32 miles of rural, scenic landscape along the American River is a safe haven from the daily congestion of one’s life.

There were plenty of other humans enjoying the bike trail, either for recreation and fitness purposes or simply as a commute vehicle to get to the University. But even with walkers, joggers, fellow bike riders, etc., there were virtually very few sounds other than that of the water in the nearby rapids or the hooters and the honkers.

This post was supposed to be about Spring in Sacramento. That's when the buds begin to bloom on the city's tree-lined streets, Sacramento nightlife really comes alive, and flip flops become the unofficial shoes of the masses.

Instead, consider this a detour post before Spring arrives. Why? Because it's been raining... really, really raining. (As a Californian, I'm obligated to say the following: "But we need the rain." Okay, I said it.) Besides, everyone loves a good weather story. So, here's mine.

A lot of the rain from Sunday's storm ended up in my office. I (literally) walked into a nice little puddle this morning. If it was anything like the last time rain found its way into my office, it must have been a doozy of a sight. During the last storm, streams of water trickled down the walls and heavy drops hit the edge of my desk and sort of plopped everywhere. There were four to five wastebaskets and something that might be kind of an ugly vase collecting the rainwater. The best part was the fleece jacket in the window absorbing the drips before they hit the ledge, ricochet like a projectile and take out the eye of an unsuspecting co-worker. I can only surmise that it was a similar scene last night as judged by the layer of water found floating through my paperwork and office supplies.  

So, that's it...it's raining. Very shortly it won't be. And this will all be a distant memory. The City of Trees (one of Sacramento's many monikers) will bloom again and people of all ages and backgrounds will find themselves strolling on the Old Sacramento boardwalk, biking and enjoying nature along American River Parkway, and just enjoying this pretty cool California city.

Until then, I gotta go get a towel and soak up the water.