Cameron Park Lake Swimming Lagoon

I was really excited when I first heard about this place: a lifeguarded lake in our area! Sort of. Cameron Park is actually a bit of a hike--figure on about 1 hour 15 minutes up to 1 hour 30 depending on where you live and which way you go. Now the reason I like lifeguarded swimming areas is because I have four small children, and though I am very diligent about watching them in the water I also know that human error is something that can't always...

Read More

Roseville Aquatics Complex

There are a few of these water complexes in our area, which can be categorized somewhere between a public swimming pool (like Memorial Park Pool) and an expensive water park (Sunsplash comes to mind). All of these places are great if you're looking for something a little more interesting than a basic pool but not as pricey as a water park. The Roseville Aquatics Complex is definitely a good option, but there are a couple of reasons why I don't recommend...

Read More

Turtle Bay Exploration Park

We've done Turtle Bay as a day trip, but to get the most out of your visit you might want to plan a weekend away and combine Turtle Bay with a visit to Shasta Caverns, also in the Redding area. Or make it three or four days and spend some time on Lake Shasta, too. Turtle Bay is a pretty good sized complex that features permanent and traveling exhibitions. This was a home for the "Art of the Brick" Lego exhibit as well as "Grossology," both of which...

Read More

The East Bay Vivarium

Like the more semi-local Serpentarium, the East Bay Vivarium is a shop for reptile enthusiasts. They have a lot of really amazing animals here, and unlike the Serpentarium, there is no entrance fee. This shop bills itself for what it is: a pet store, where you can buy anything from a Colombian Giant Tarantula to an Angolan Python. They don't have the feeding "experiences" like they do at the Serpentarium, but you may be able to hold or pet a snake...

Read More

King's Beach

Do you think you can't make it to the beach on a day trip? You can! Sort of. It's not the ocean, but King's Beach at North Lake Tahoe is about as close as you'll come in a single day. Lake Tahoe is a cold lake so wait until late in the summer to visit King's Beach if you plan to swim. Bring your floaties, sand toys and a big umbrella since the sun can be pretty fierce. This is a great place for a lakeside picnic and a day in the sun. Specs ...

Read More

Old Faithful Geyser of Californa

(Unreviewed) Hey did you know you don't have to go all the way to Yellowstone to see Old Faithful? California has an Old Faithful of its very own! Now I can't personally say anything about this place but I gather from some of the reviews I've read elsewhere that at $14 a person it's pretty expensive for what it is. The geyser itself is located in a shallow pool of water, and it erupts once every 30 minutes or so. On site there is also a picnic area...

Read More

Top 10 places to take your grandparents in Grass Valley

Dylan's first grade teacher sent me this link, it's probably the custest thing I've seen all day! :) The kindergarten class at Grass Valley Charter made this video of 10 places in Grass Valley to take your grandparents. It's about five minutes long, so cute and very informative, too! Hope you check it out: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=aN6ushQiM7A&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DaN6ushQiM...

Read More