Best Pumpkin Patches Near Sacramento: Top Farms and Corn Mazes to Visit this Fall

When I was a kid, nothing felt more like fall than heading out to the pumpkin patch. I grew up in Citrus Heights and we'd make our annual trip to The Pumpkin Farm on Old Auburn Road (which has unfortunately closed, sigh). 

The thrill of finding and choosing the pumpkin that would become my jack-o’-lantern was pure magic. Then scooping out seeds and carving it with one of those special dull pumpkin knives was so fun! Now, as an adult, I have gotten to experience the magic through the eyes of the kiddos in my family. There’s something super cool about chaperoning kids through corn mazes, watching them climb hay bales, or hearing their absolute excitement when they spot a pumpkin that’s “the one” no matter how imperfect it is. 

The greater Sacramento region is blessed with plenty of pumpkin patches that capture that same childhood wonder. Here are some of the best spots to explore this fall: 

• Dave’s Pumpkin Patch / Vierra Farms (West Sacramento): A local favorite with something for everyone, like hay rides, a corn maze, pig races, and even pumpkin chunkin’. I went to my good friend's 30th birthday party here (in like 2008, don't judge!) and it is full of adult fun opportunities too.
• Nick & Ray’s Pumpkin Patch (Sacramento) Set on historic Bastiao Farms, this spot offers more than just pumpkins. Kids love the haunted “mining town,” corn maze, corn cannons (!), and giant straw bale pyramid. 
• Cool Patch Pumpkins (Dixon): Home to the world’s largest corn maze, this is the patch to visit if you’re up for adventure. I am not ashamed to admit I have been lost in this corn maze a few times in my life. Beyond the record-setting maze, there’s a “you-pick” pumpkin field, hayrides, and plenty of Instagram-worthy photo ops (as evidenced by my pic above).
• Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm (Wheatland): A true fall destination. Bishop’s has it all—U-Pick pumpkin fields, petting zoo, carousel, corn maze, hayrides, and a bakery filled with seasonal treats. It’s the kind of place you can spend the whole day and still not do it all. 
• Keema’s Pumpkin Farm (Elk Grove): A smaller, family-owned farm that feels more personal and low-key. With tractor rides, farm animals, and a cozy corn maze, it’s perfect if you want a quieter, less crowded patch experience. 
• Rickey Ranch (Granite Bay): Rustic charm defines this patch. Vintage tractors, farm animals, and a hay pyramid set the stage, while hidden skeletons among the vines add a playful twist to the search for pumpkins. 
• Boa Vista Orchards (Apple Hill, Placerville): Pair pumpkin picking with apple cider, pies, and gorgeous orchard views. This stop turns into a full fall day trip, especially if you want both pumpkins and the full Apple Hill harvest vibe. 
• Fog Willow Farms (Wilton): A charming farm with a picture-perfect setting. Visitors enjoy hayrides, friendly farm animals, and a climbing haystack. The on-site sugar shed with fudge and lemonade is a sweet bonus.

Visit one of Sacramento's many Farmers Markets

My husband and I love to visit Farmer's Markets and Sacramento has several to choose from! We are very lucky that we are the "Farm-to-Fork Capital" and have abundant fresh veggies all over town and on different days of the week. Here is a list of farmers markets in the greater Sacramento area:

Midtown Farmers Market -- A year-round market held every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring over 200 vendors offering local agriculture, prepared foods, artisans, and crafters. 

Downtown Sacramento Farmers Market -- Located at Capitol Mall (Wednesdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and at  Caesar Chavez Park (Thursdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) providing fresh California-grown seasonal favorites including fruits, vegetables, baked goods, flowers, herbs, and cheeses. 

Oak Park Farmers Market -- Held at McClatchy Park every Saturday from April to November, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring a diverse group of vendors selling locally produced fruits, vegetables, specialty plants, breads, cheeses, tamales, fresh flowers, and more. 

Carmichael Farmers Market -- Located at Carmichael Park, this year-round market operates every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, honey, eggs, meat, herbs, olive oil, cheeses, and olives. 

Fair Oaks Farmers Market -- Situated at Fair Oaks Park, this market is open every Tuesday year-round from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine, featuring fresh local produce, coffee, arts and craft vendors, meat vendors, and more.  

Sunrise Mall Farmers Market -- Held in front of Macy’s parking lot at Sunrise Mall, this year-round market operates every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring over 80 vendors offering fresh organic produce, baked goods, canned fruits and vegetables, cut flowers, prepared foods, crafts, and more. 

Natomas Farmers Market -- Located at North Natomas Regional Park, this market runs every Saturday from June to September, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., offering a variety of local produce and goods. 

Whether you're a longtime resident or new to the area, exploring these farmers markets is a delightful way to experience the best of Sacramento's agricultural offerings.

Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour - December 2 - 4, 2016

It's holiday home tour in East Sacramento again! 2016 marks the 43rd annual Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour through the Fabulous 40's neighborhood. The homes showcase some amazing renovation and style while still preserving historic detail. All of the homes are decked out for the holidays too. Advance tickets can be purchased online or at a number of local stops (like William Glen, Emigh Hardware, Kerrie Kelly Design Lab, Pottery World, East Sac Hardware, Parkside Pharmacy, RodWorks, and others) until the Thursday night prior to the tour start for $30. This year's tour is Friday December 2nd from 11am to 8pm, Saturday December 3rd from 10am to 7pm, and Sunday December 4th from 11am to 5pm. Funds raised benefit Sacred Heart School.

New Downtown Sacramento Arena "Golden 1 Center" gets two thumbs up from me!

I had the opportunity to attend the very first event at the new Downtown Sacramento Arena, the Golden 1 Center, earlier this week and wanted to share my experience. All in all, I give it two thumbs up!

For mother's day, my brother and I gave my mom tickets to the Paul McCartney Concert for Tuesday, October 4th, and ultimately it became a party of seven, with my husband, my brother's girlfriend, my mom's boyfriend and his son attending with us. Quite the good time!

My husband works downtown, so I took an Uber from our house in the Arden area to downtown Sacramento around 6pm. Traffic into downtown was minimal. We left my husband's car in the City Hall Parking Garage at 11th and J Streets, and walked a few blocks to K-Bar for a beer and dinner. We then walked a few more blocks over to the new Irish pub Malt & Mash that overlooks Saint Rose of Lima Park and the Arena. Both places were busy but not slammed, we got good service and found places to sit.

We then walked in to the arena and the security was thorough, but there were numerous security lines, so no backlog getting on the grounds. We met up the other five, who had walked over from my brother's house, which is just across the Tower Bridge in West Sacramento.

The arena is nice and modern! Lots of food and beverage selections...our seats were in the second row of the upper level. The ONLY complaint I have about the arena is that there was pretty minimal leg-room in the row where we sat. I'm not sure if the rest of the upper level lacks leg-room as we did. Basically sitting was fine, however if someone mid-row needed to go to the restroom, everyone had to stand up to accommodate that person leaving. There is no way to shuffle in your seat to move out of the way.

Of course the concert was amazing. My parents actually took me (and my brother) to my first concert in 1990 which was also Paul McCartney! I was 12 and probably lacked appreciation for his performance at that time. But I have to say, he rocks! He played a nice mix of Beatles music, Wings, and his more recent stuff. I hope I have his energy level when I am 74. He played non-stop for over 3 hours and it was a lively performance.

Once the concert was over, we exited the arena pretty easily. We then walked back to the parking garage. I was surprised that it was only about a quarter full! We had no trouble getting out of the garage, and no trouble getting to 16th Street to take the freeway home to Arden.

Overall, it was a great experience! I admit I was highly skeptical of having an arena downtown for many reasons, but I have to say that I give it two thumbs up and I am excited to attend more events there. Great job Sacramento!

My Husband was one of the Sacramento Business Journal "CFO of the Year" honorees for 2015!

Allow me to brag for a few minutes, if I may. My husband is awesome. He was one of the honorees in today's Sacramento Business Journal "CFO of the Year" awards for 2015! He has worked for nearly two years at the California District Attorneys Association and was recognized for his work there and for his contributions to his profession as incoming President for the California Society of Association Executives. Needless to say I am a super proud wife! Here we are along with our 16-year old Cameron at the awards luncheon at the Hyatt.

Sacramento Holiday Gift Giving Guide -- celebrate and support some amazing local businesses...

For the last few years in December, I have written blog posts about gift ideas from local Sacramento businesses to give to your favorite resident for Christmas, Channukah, Kwanzaa, or whichever holiday you celebrate. If your holiday festivities involve gift giving, there are many local Sacramento gifts you can give! Here are my top 12 gifts that will make any Sacramentan's holiday, at any age or budget:

• A membership to with the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates, aka SABA; another gift that keeps on giving! SABA advocates for making Sacramento a more bike-friendly place. Noticed more bike parking around town? Ever taken advantage of their free "bike valet" at a neighborhood event? It's a great organization! Estimated cost: $30/Individual annual membership.
• A ring or a necklace from compliment.; they have something for everyone, from the most girliest girl, to the "gamer babe" sports fan (my favorite, I'm not gonna lie)! Best of all, everything you purchase from compliment. comes with a "compliment" to let your someone special know just how special he/she is. AND a percentage of all sales goes to their scholarship program.
• A subscription to Comstock's Magazine; it's the only monthly Sacramento business magazine! It's always a great read and generally very insightful regarding local commerce, businesses both small and large, and the state of local cities, counties, and otherwise. Estimated cost: $20/year.
• Yummy cookies or chocolate from About a Bite Bakery; by far my favorite local small batch baker. They have provided many thank you gifts for my clients and have some amazing holiday offerings too. They even deliver! Estimated cost for a box of the best "bites" you will ever taste: $18.
• A new or used camera from Action Camera; This boutique camera store offers everything from new and refurbished camera, lenses, and more! They also do cool swap-meets for folks to sell their gear, photo contests, and "meet-up" events for photographers to take photos of neat stuff! Estimated cost: varies.
• A Run Training Program at Fleet Feet; the gift of fitness is a gift that keeps on giving! This super cool running store has a few locations in the Sacramento area (Downtown, Fair Oaks, Roseville, Davis) and offers several training programs for different levels (5k, half marathon, marathon, triathlon, etc). Their store locations offer a huge variety of fitness apparel too like shoes, synthetic socks, nutrition, etc. Estimated cost: $59+
• Dinner at Mulvaney's; one of my favorite Midtown Sacramento restaurants! Neat setting, great ambiance, and amazing food. The menu is constantly evolving, so call ahead or check their website. Estimated cost per person: $50.
• A Growler of beer from Bike Dog Brewing Company;  If you like craft brewed beer, and haven't discovered this place -- you need to go. Tucked away in a warehouse space near the Port in West Sacramento, they brew their beer in small batches on-site...and have a dog and kid-friendly tap room open to the public. They don't serve food, but there is almost always a mobile food truck in the parking lot. My personal favorite is their "Double IPA." Estimated cost per pint: $6.
• Massage from Elite Massage Therapy; Katie at Elite Massage Therapy in East Sacramento whips me back into shape after a long run, and she gives one heck of a theraputic massage too. Estimated cost/treatment: $80/ one hour.
• Some soap from Sudz by Studz;  they make everything from bars of soap, to lotion soap, to lip balm and more. All of their products are hand made from local Sacramento ingredients and cruelty-free. Estimated cost: $10/bar.
• Tickets to a Sacramento Rivercats game; See the San Francisco Giants' affiliate play at Raley Field. I'm a HUGE SF Giants fan, and many of these players are a phone call away from the major leagues! Estimated cost/ticket: $6-30.
• A new home; Sure, I saved the best for last. Nothing says happy holidays like closing escrow on a Sacramento home...sorry if that was a little cheesy! Estimated cost: Priceless. =)

Check out my posts from previous years too -- there some great ideas there as well!
Post from 2013: Sacramento Holiday Gift Ideas

Post from 2012: Sacramento Holiday Gift Giving Guide -- are you giving back to your local economy and small businesses?
Post from 2011; Holiday Gift Ideas -- for your most beloved Sacramento Resident...
Post from 2010; Holiday Gift Ideas for your Favorite Sacramento Resident...
Post from 2009; Sacramento Holiday Gift Idea Guide
Post from 2008; Best Sacramento Christmas Gifts

41st Annual East Sac Holiday Home Tour coming next weekend!

It's holiday home tour in East Sacramento again! 2014 marks the 41st annual Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour through the Fabulous 40's neighborhood. The homes showcase some amazing renovation and style while still preserving historic detail. All of the homes are decked out for the holidays too. Advance tickets can be purchased online or at a number of local stops (like East Sac Mercantile, Emigh Hardware, Collected Works, Summer Porch, Pottery World, East Sac Hardware, and others)  until the Thursday night prior to the tour start. This year's tour is Friday December 5th from 11am to 8pm, Saturday December 6th from 10am to 7pm, and Sunday December 7th from 11am to 5pm. Funds raised benefit Sacred Heart School.

Staging your Sacramento home is one of the keys to getting the highest price in the shortest time on the market...

Properly "staging" a home listing is incredibly important if a seller is serious about getting top dollar for a property.

What is staging, you ask? In a nutshell, it's basically a process to prepare the home for sale in order to highlight the best aspects of a property. Staging can vary from simply rearranging existing furniture in an occupied home, enhancing with accessories or artwork, de-cluttering, deep cleaning, or making repairs to a home -- all with the intent to enhance and contextualize space so that buyers emotionally connect with a house and can see themselves living there. In a vacant home, it could mean furnishing the entire house from the ground-up. Think of it as "merchandising" your home, just like a store would to entice customers to buy things.

Most sellers I speak with are ready, willing and able to go through this process if it means their home could sell for more money in a shorter period of time on the market. It's rare for a seller to list a home and not want to...although occasionally if the house is being sold via a short sale, needs to be sold really quickly, or it has been inherited and is being sold by the estate in probate or via a trust, it may not be worth the time, effort and energy for that seller. Because it does take all of that.

Staging is a group effort between the seller (you), the listing agent (me), and a professional stager (my go-to stager is Michelle Kaspari with Essential Home Staging). I do include a consultation with Michelle as a part of my listing services. The consultation is critical. Michelle visits the house and inventories existing furniture, accessories, the way rooms are laid-out, colors and textures present, and takes into consideration any unique qualities of the home to highlight...or downplay. She then comes up with a seller "To-Do" list. This list often includes re-positioning furniture, removing or relocating artwork, de-personalizing the home as in removing certain family photos or (thinning them out), re-arranging existing accessories and possibly embellishing with new accessories, possibly bringing in furniture, painting, making repairs, and cleaning. 

Most of the items on the list your average homeowner can do himself / herself in a week or two, which tends to work out well since usually sellers don't want to put their home on the market the day after we meet to take care of the listing paperwork. The "on market date" is usually slated for a future day a few weeks out, so naturally that gives a seller some time to get things ready. Sometimes if more extensive cleaning, painting or repairs are recommended those tasks can take a couple weeks or months to complete. Sometimes it's not feasible to do 100% of the recommendations too; for example you may not have the time or resources to replace your blue carpet with something neutral, or your garage may be too small to store some extra furniture and your one friend with a truck can't help you move it somewhere else. We get it. Usually though it's worth the time, effort and energy to do many of the things on the list...it translates to higher sales prices and shorter time on the market.

Or if you are not into DIY or have a vacant home to stage, Michelle can basically act as your project manager to orchestrate the transformation of your home. And of course staging a home is topped off by having amazing marketing photos for your home...I also use a professional photographer as a part of my listing services, but that's a separate blog post for another day!

How to remove that pungent Cigarette Smoke Smell from your home...

I showed a house in Orangevale a couple weeks ago...as soon as I got to the front steps I detected a very pungent odor. When I opened the front door, the air seemed thick with cigarette smoke. The walls were yellow. My client and I checked out the house in just a few minutes. I could smell the smoke on my clothes later. UGH.

I frequently encounter homes where there is a cigarette smell and am asked how to get rid of it. I spoke to one of my go-to contractors Jon Shepherd, President of JDS Construction (License # 962347), who does work like this all the time. "I once was hired to paint an apartment after tenant smoked for 40 years! Tar seeped out of walls like tree sap." He described a very long painstaking process to rid a home of cigarette smoke. "Wash tar off walls. Prime with denature shellac alcohol based solvent and re-paint. Remove and replace carpets and pad. Spray oil based Killz on the subfloor or slab." He has also had to replace central heating and air ductwork and attic insulation in extreme cases. 

There are other methods of smoke removal. A local Sacramento company "Smoke Busters" claims to eliminate smoke odor by pumping "Photonic Oxygen" into a home.

Whatever method you use -- the expense can be in the thousands of dollars. But I will say that the decline in value your home will suffer will likely far outweigh the cost to remove the smoke smell. This particular Orangevale home was probably priced $25,000 under a comparable property with no odor.

So I guess if you or a family member smokes -- you may want to strongly consider NOT smoking inside your home.

Have you tried New Helvetia Brewing Company in Land Park yet?

I love my husband. I love beer. And I am really starting to love cycling. So really, is there a better way to spend a lazy non-Real Estate day than to take a nice meandering 20-ish mile bike ride with Greg and stop at New Helvetia Brewing Company in Land Park for beer? I don't think so.

If you have not yet tried New Helvetia, it's pretty cool. They are located in a near brick building at the corner of Broadway and 18th Street in Land Park. They have a tasting bar that is open most afternoons/evenings, and a courtyard as well (where we are seated in the photo).

We were impressed with the brew we tasted (I had the Homeland Stout, and Greg had a Rough and Ready Red IPA) and are looking forward to our next visit there.

Where exactly have I been? Well a few Saturdays ago I was at McKinley Park in the Rose Garden...

Where have I been lately? Well, a few weeks ago, in front of our closest family and friends at the McKinley Park Rose Garden, my boyfriend Greg and I got married. Thankfully since our ceremony and reception were outdoors, it was a cool 90 degrees that day and not 107 as it had been just days before. We followed up the wedding with a small reception in the adjacent picnic area catered by Chando's Tacos and cupcakes by Freeport Bakery. Then we made our way on our tandem bicycle with several friends to DeVere's and a few other neat destinations, before concluding the festivities at the Citizen Hotel. It was a truly amazing day.

Greg and I initially crossed paths about 6 years ago when he was the Director of Finance & Operations on staff at the Sacramento Association of Realtors (he has since moved on to better things and has taken on a bigger role at the California District Attorneys Association). At that time, I was a Realtor volunteer on several committees there, and while I knew who he was, I didn't interact with him on a regular basis. Then in 2010 I was elected Treasurer of the SAR Masters Club...As I got to know him better, let's say that I found lots of excuses to need to review the financial reports. He finally asked me out that summer and we haven't looked back!

So it's been an eventful month! On top of tying the knot, and going on a post-wedding "family-moon" (Greg's 14-year old son and his friend were in tow), it was literally the busiest month I have ever had, and I closed 7 transactions in July, and transaction #8 may close next week before the month is officially over. And new listings and buyers in contract too. I'd make a joke that I should get married more often, but Greg will be my partner for life, and I couldn't be happier about it.

Sacramento Holiday Gift Giving Guide...are you giving back to our local economy and small businesses?

For the last few years in December, I have written blog posts about gift ideas from local Sacramento businesses to give to your favorite resident for Christmas, Channukah, or whatever else this holiday season. If your holiday festivities involve gift giving, there are many local Sacramento gifts you can give! Here are my top 12 gifts that will make any Sacramentan's holiday, at any age or budget:

• A 5k Run Training Program at Fleet Feet; the gift of fitness is a gift that keeps on giving! This super cool running store has a few locations in the Sacramento area (Downtown, Fair Oaks, Roseville, Davis) and offers several training programs for different levels (5k, half marathon, marathon, triathlon, etc). Their store locations offer a huge variety of fitness apparel too like shoes, synthetic socks, nutrition, etc. Estimated cost: $89+
• A membership to with the American River Parkway Foundation; another gift that keeps on giving! The parkway is one of the jewels of our Sacramento area, and the Foundation keeps it beautiful. A great cause! Estimated cost: $35/"Seed" annual membership.
• A new bike from Carmichael Cycles; they have everything from road bikes, mountain bikes, cruisers, and all the gear to make you a great rider! The staff is knowledgeable and they do on-site repairs too. Estimated cost: $500+.
• A subscription to Freeplay Magazine; it's the only Sacramento endurance sport magazine! They profile local athletes and give great fitness tips. Estimated cost: $3.50/month
• A California State University, Sacramento sweatshirt; My alma mater! Stay warm this winter while supporting our local CSUS Hornets! My CSUS sweatshirt was a Christmas gift from my mother during my freshman year...I still wear that thing even though it is totally faded and worn out...Estimated cost: $36 - $75.
• A new or used camera from Action Camera; This boutique camera store offers everything from new and refurbished camera, lenses, and more! They also do cool swap-meets for folks to sell their gear, photo contests, and "meet-up" events for photographers to take photos of neat stuff! Estimated cost: varies.
• Dinner at Mulvaney's; one of my favorite Midtown Sacramento restaurants! Neat setting, great ambiance, and amazing food. The menu is constantly evolving, so call ahead or check their website. Estimated cost per person: $50.
• A Growler of beer from Track 7 Brewing Co;  If you like craft brewed beer, and haven't discovered this place -- you need to go. Tucked away in an industrial warehouse space just south of Curtis Park at Sutterville Road and West Pacific Avenue, they brew their beer on-site...and have a tap room open to the public. They don't serve food, but there is almost always a mobile food truck in the parking lot. My personal favorite is the "Soulman Stout." Estimated cost per pint: $6.
• Massage from Elite Massage Therapy; Katie at Elite Massage Therapy in East Sacramento whips me back into shape after a long run, and she gives one heck of a theraputic massage too. Estimated cost/treatment: $75/ one hour.
• A copy of the book "NKOTB and Us", the authorized biography of the New Kids on the Block by Sacramento author Nikki Van Noy. Oh c'mon - someone you know was a New Kids on the Block fan in the 80's!? Estimated cost: $20.
• Tickets to a Sacramento Rivercats game; See the Oakland A's affiliate play at Raley Field. I'm a SF Giants fan, but I do really enjoy these games (especially when they play the SF Giant's affiliate team, the Fresno Grizzlies)...many of these players are a phone call away from the major leagues! Estimated cost/ticket: $6-30.
• A new home; Sure, I saved the best for last. Nothing says happy holidays like closing escrow on a Sacramento home...sorry if that was a little cheesy! Estimated cost: Priceless. =)

Check out my posts from previous years too -- there some great ideas there as well!
Post from 2011; Holiday Gift Ideas -- for your most beloved Sacramento Resident...
Post from 2010; Holiday Gift Ideas for your Favorite Sacramento Resident...
Post from 2009; Sacramento Holiday Gift Idea Guide
Post from 2008; Best Sacramento Christmas Gifts

Want to get rid of that old refrigerator or freezer? Call SMUD and have them pay you to remove it!

Frequently when I help someone buy or sell a house in Sacramento, there is some relic refrigerator or freezer in the garage that still works, but that nobody wants and is just not practical to move. The last thing a home buyer or seller wants to worry about is to figure out how to get an old fridge to the local dump. Borrow a truck, find strong people to help, etc...not anyone's idea of fun! Or sell it on craigslist and have everyone in Sacramento who wants an old fridge call you, come look at it, and decide not to buy it. Blah!

Luckily SMUD has a program that actually pays the owner $35 of the appliance to remove it! Most folks are not aware that this program exists! And it is super easy.

Call SMUD's contract recycler, JACO at 1-800-299-7573 or visit the JACO website to schedule a date to pick up your old refrigerator or freezer.  JACO will haul away and recycle your old refrigerator or freezer for free, and magically in the mail 4-6 weeks later you will receive a $35 check!

In order to qualify you must be a current SMUD customer, the refrigerator or freezer must be in working condition, and between 10-27 cubic feet. Funding for this program is available on a first come, first served basis...so when funding is depleted the program goes away.

2012 "A Taste of Land Park" is right around the corner!

The Land Park Community Association is excited to announce the details for the 11th Annual "A Taste of Land Park" on Sunday, June 10 from 4pm-7pm!  This year’s event will take place along a small section of 3rd Avenue, between Regina Way and 14th Street. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at-the-door. They can be purchased online or at local Land Park businesses -- Capital Nursery, Riverside Clubhouse, Track 7 Brewing, and Vic’s Ice Cream.

This Land Park tradition is a wonderful opportunity to mingle other Land Park residents (or visitors!), taste food from favorite neighborhood restaurants, and sample regional wines and brews, and enjoy live music.  A bike valet will be provided as well. This is one of my favorite neighborhood events -- I hope to see a great turn-out this year!

Another Half Marathon in the books! Finished the American River Parkway Half Marathon...

If you have been following me on Facebook or Twitter you will already know that on today I ran in the American River Parkway Half Marathon! This was my second half marathon (13.1 miles)...I just ran my first about 6 weeks ago (the Shamrock'n Half Marathon). I really liked the course for this run - we started at William B Pond (at the end of Arden Way), ran to about the Campus Commons Golf Course, and back. Pretty scenery, and lots of runners. All the funds raised benefit the American River Parkway Foundation. Here I am with my good friend Katie Vona, who also happens to be the world's greatest massage therapist -- she specializes in working on athletes. She operates Elite Massage Therapy in East Sacramento. I highly recommend her!

The world looks amazing from a two-wheeled vantage point...

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you will know that last week I ordered a new bicycle! It arrived pretty quickly on Thursday, and I have been out toodling around on it a lot since then. My neighborhood is truly a serene, beautiful place from the vantage point of a bicycle. I do not usually give testimonials for places I visit or purchase things at, but I want to give some kudos to the folks at City Bicycle Works on K Street at 24th Street in Sacramento. I visited several bicycle shops as I was contemplating my purchase. At one point, I walked into one with my mind made up as to which bike I wanted, and the employees at this particular bike shop (which shall remain nameless) were so rude that I left empty-handed. When I finally visited City Bicycle Works, the bike guy (his name was Gordon) was SO nice and helpful, it was a no-brainer that I should make my purchase there.