Lake Tahoe Is A Project

My daughter came to visit this past weekend so I took her to Lake Tahoe - for the day. Wow, the day is not nearly enough.

We took the winding Hwy. 50 route, which is stunning in itself, with the twists and turns through pines, tiny outposts of towns and cliff-side views of the lake once you get there.

Once we arrived we headed straight for Pope Beach. Tall pines stand like sentinels along the large-grained sandy beach. Ducks and geese clamored for the attention of the very few people populating the stretch of shoreline.

It was rather cool, but I ventured into the water, while Vanessa, my daughter who lives in Arizona, bundled up and read. We spent about two and half hours just relaxing by the immense basin of water that has three bands of color; a brownish-green near the shore, deep turquoise a ways out and in the middle a deep navy blue. The striations were fascinating to me, as they increased with the amount of sunshine that made it out from behind the clouds.

Van read the stats of the lake to me; 1642 feet deep, 12 miles wide by 22 miles long. It is enormous and very, very beautiful.

Once we left the water, we drove around to the Nevada side, and gambled for two hours on $20 each. Of course, I'm a gambling wimp and won't lose more than $20 (I also play the penny machines!).

Then our time for the day was up! We didn't get to explore other beaches or Emerald Bay, or the historical sites. I'm planning a much longer trip next summer. A whole weekend might be enough.

We'll see.

Sophistication offered at Horseshoe Bar Grill in Loomis

Loomis, a tiny town north of Sacramento off I-80, is home to one terrific restaurant, Horseshoe Bar Grill, located on the main street of Loomis,at 3645 Taylor Road. The restaurant, an oasis of sophistication in a decidely country village, reopened in June with new management. The general manager, Richard Bruce, was present and visiting customer tables the Saturday my sister Laura and I chose to have a late lunch.

While the hour the restaurant opens on Saturday, 3 p.m., was a little past the time our stomachs began to protest. It worked out fine, because the atmosphere and food was definitely worth the wait.

Laura and I were going to be treated to a homemade meal when we got back to her home (my brother-in-law John loves to cook!), so we kept to the light choices, both of us ordered the mushroom soup and we shared an artisan cheese tray. My raspberry iced tea came in a water goblet, with mint sprigs draped over the lip

If I had it to do over, I would order two bowls of the mushroom soup, which was a broth-based concoction with a several varieties of mushrooms and a taste that sent us both over the top. Dainty diners we were not. The delectable soup tempted both of us to consider lifting our bowls and draining the last of drops or follow Laura's best plan of sucking up the last of it through a pair of straws. But our manners prevailed and we satisfied ourselves with moaning with pleasure.

The cheeses arrived accompanied by proscuitto, salami, pancetta, an olive selection and bits of fruit. Coming from a family of cheese lovers, our appreciation of the blues, cheddars and creams was warm. We were checked on by Mr. Bruce and our waiter enough to make us both feel important as we enjoyed our treats and our conversation, in the nearly empty restaurant. Of course, we had arrived as the bistro was just barely opening.

The menu had a several choices of both cuisine and price range. There was also a lovely wine list.

I highly recommend taking a trip out to Loomis for the food alone, but don't drive too fast. You may miss the short but picturesque little main street and country roads leading into it.

Reservations are a good idea. Call(916) 652-4100 for hours and to make sure they'll save a seat for you!

Remember adventure always lies just beyond your everyday life, especially in Sacramento!

A Step Back in Time - Locke

The first thought I had when I drove down into Locke off the 160 Hwy, was, "Wow, this looks like a cowboy town from an old Western."

The narrow one-way Main Street is lined with two-story storefront buildings, most of which are filled with businesses or are historic sites. Locke was built in 1915, by a group of Chinese businessmen after a fire in the Chinese section of nearby Walnut Grove and remains essentially the same as it was after it's completion in 1920.

You can step back in time for free at the Chinese schoolhouse, which dates back to 1915, but was closed in the 1980s due to a lack of Chinese students. The walls are covered with interesting photos.


There is also the Dai Loy Museum, for a little more time travel, open to the public for a very minimal fee.

One local artist, Chris Spencer, characterized Locke as an artist colony, and the art galleries attest to the talent in town. Spencer shows his art in the "Down By the River Gallery" opened by Catherine Conner Erickson.

The name may be politically incorrect (from a time before there was even such a thing as politically correct), but "Al the Wop's" bar and restaurant is very popular with the locals and out-of-towners, who often ride in on motorcycles.

Locke is worth a half hour drive along the Sacramento river, both for the destination and the drive itself. Take Hwy 160 south and follow the signs. Come prepared to stroll Main Street, perhaps buy a piece of artwork, stop into Al's for a libation or maybe dinner - steak and pasta is their speciality, and definitely for a step back into another time.

Freeport Is Jamming On Sundays

I had the good fortune of being let in on a secret. Freeport, which is about 10 from miles of riverside driving from downtown Sacramento, has its own blues celebration every week. Okay, it’s a smaller scale that the blues festivals, with about 120 people attending last Sunday, but it is cozy and lots of fun.

The Moon River Inn hosts the blues jam from 4-8 p.m. on Sundays through Nov. 2 (or until it starts raining!). You can’t miss the Inn, because it’s right on 160 and there will a number of motorcycles leaning to one side, waiting for their owners to return. The music can be heard from the road, too.

The jam is organized by members of the Sacramento Blues Society and rotates local musicians through sets, so you get a different flavor from each group that takes the mike.

The music is good and the atmosphere very relaxing. You can get fed from the Inn's menu or you can buy a hot dog and chips for $3. Alcohol and soft drinks are available inside the bar or if you can catch a waitress, you can have it delivered.

While there are tables and chairs provided, some of us brought our own chairs and blankets. The crowd was very diverse and ranged from families, to older folks to a few twenty-somethings.

Getting to Freeport is easy from almost anywhere, take the 5 to the Pocket Road exit and drive south on Freeport Blvd aka Hwy 160. You'll be there in a couple of minutes.

So, plan to get to the Moon River Inn before the rains come!

Imagine My Surprise...

…when I found a thriving karaoke scene at Marie Calendar’s! Seriously, would you have ever thought of Marie’s as a place for karaoke? Yet, when my neighbor April told me about it I couldn’t wait to see what it was like and I wasn’t disappointed in any way. The Marie Calendar’s we’re talking about is on Sunrise, just north of Madison.

Like any karaoke gathering, there were those who sang for the pure joy or fun of it, but couldn’t carry a tune (which is the group I belong to). However, the great majority of the singers were quite good, and some were great.

Because the bar serves food, kids could come and listen or sing until 9 p.m., which was a treat. Watching them listen to their folks sing or in the case of one really talented young girl, probably 13 at the most, rock the house with old songs from the 60s and 70s, was really a blast.

The picture of Kid Rock’s brother – just kidding – is actually of Tiny, a 7 foot singer who belted out “What a Wonderful World” in Louis Armstrong’s voice. I had to thank him. He did a great job, and Pete, my wonderful late husband, loved that song the best above all others. We played it at his memorial service. So, watching Tiny deliver the goods, was really great. By the way, he does smile…quite a bit.

Then the trio of singers, April, Curtis and April’s daughter Sophie, was who I sat with and cheered on. April is really a fabulous singer, with a strong voice for songs like those Faith Hill sings. Sophie has a sweet voice and is coming along right behind her mother, while Curtis did George Strait with ease and played with a soprano range at the table when only our group could hear. Actually, I liked the high sound a lot.

In the last hour, two of the best singers in the house, gave the audience the chills. First a tiny gal sang RESPECT with a flair that Aretha would have bowed to and then a young woman who looked too young to have lived enough to understand her rendition of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” sang it like someone who had really been through the pain. She hit and hit it hard.

Lastly, a shaved-bald Joseph crooned “Unchained Melody” with such range and sincerity the women in the bar nearly swooned, at least I did.

There were others, too many to recount here, who really did a great job, but the true joy of the evening was just feeling the love in the house. That’s what karaoke is all about. I fell in love with the atmosphere about ten years ago, when under the spell of eight (count them – 8) martinis I got up and sang Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” and nobody laughed. In fact, when the song calls for a crescendo, they even clapped. And take my word for it, I can’t sing. What bliss is this?

I’ll go back again, soon. Maybe I’ll see you there. I’ll be the one with a ridiculous grin on my face, chair-dancing with gusto. Wait a minute, that’s most everyone there…

Downtown Treasures

I was lucky enough to participate in a company mixer held at Barton Art Gallery at 1723 I Street last week. What a lovely little gallery and a perfect venue for an intimate gathering.

The exhibit was "Hot African Nights", the proceeds of which will benefit a school in Kenya. On every wall and pillar was hung beautiful, intensely colorful art. When the conversation lagged on business, all eyes turned to appreciating the creativity surrounding us.

The event was catered by "Michelangelo's" restaurant, right next door, and it was incredible. Although I couldn't get a good picture of the interior of the comfortable, yet elegant bistro, all our staff stepped over to check out the location that had produced such great appetizers.

The individual pizzas were delectable and the meatballs were the tastiest I've ever had. Often, the flavor of the sauce overwhelms the taste of the meatballs, but such was not the case with these. There were also wonderful raviolis and I had my first bit of polenta - lovely.

This little island of culture was right in the heart of government central. As with many of downtown eateries and galleries, both Barton's and Michelangelo's were fabulous little finds that make you want to explore more.

Next time you're looking for someplace a little different to try, wander down to 17th and I Street! You won't be sorry.

Quaint Ain't All It Is - Old Folsom

I have to start with my favorite picture from my exploration of Old Folsom. The star is Guinness and he actually posed for me. I love a good-looking redhead. Guinness was visiting Buffy's Barkery, a doggie treat shop, with his owner. Along with a great selection of treats that look like human fare, but are actually good for your pooch, the Barkery offers upscale accessories to make your beloved pet feel beloved.

Buffy's Barkery is at 711 Sutter Street, Suite E, in Old Town Folsom, and you enter from a wooden sidewalk that covers three block of Sutter Street. Most of the sidewalk is also covered by overhanging storefront and there are plenty of benches for just watching the world go by if you like. But that's going to be hard in Old Folsom, because there's so much to do.

Quaint is the definitive word for the atomsphere that has been so successfully created here. A stroll down the walkway will lead you through a retail community that is awash in antiques, places to eat and unique little shops that will lure you away from your bench in a heartbeat.

There are a couple of places for funky clothes; one is the "Fire House" and another is "Rides." At the Fire House you can load up on distinctive wear that meanders through slightly hippieish to funky, upscale club wear. There are also things for the Red Hat Society and accessories to brighten up any outfit that may have gotten a little staid. Rides offers the type of clothes and accessories you'd imagine a biker chick wearing, hence the name Rides. Just a sidenote here; I sincerely believe there's a biker chick in all of us, so most people will enjoy checking it out.

For a more sedate, but still playful adventure, try "Partea Time" a tea house and gift shop. Here again, is a business which offers the Red Hat ladies a place to meet, but it is also great for little ladies that want to have a tea party, or just the average everyday gal who wants a moment of quiet elegance. You get to pick your tea cup and a hat to wear if you like. What fun! This delightful little spot is located at 727 Sutter Street, just down from Buffy's.


Places to eat vary to accomodate every taste, from pizza at the "Hacienda Del Rio" or "Hop Sing's" for Chinese. There are several little places that offer gourmet dishes and ambiance. The stroll will uncover these for you, and perhaps even lead you right through a door to culinary heaven you hadn't anticipated even finding. Have fun with it.




Willams Carriage House Antiques is a great example of what you'll find if you're a treasure hunter. It's got a wide selection of pieces and lots little nooks and crannies to explore. It's also got a funky facade that will catch your eye, right across from Partea Time, at 728 Sutter Street.

There's much more to Old Town Folsom - like Sunday Farmer's Market, Railroad Museum and Interpretative area where you and the kids can even pan for gold - but that will have to wait for the next installment.

You can even hop the most modern transportation available - the Light Rail - right into the heart of Historic Folsom, then wander back in time, like the folks below did on a lovely Sunday afternoon.