GROWN LOCAL: UCDAVIS ARBORETUM

Our family tries to do local things on the weekends, either staying in our town, or in the surrounding areas. Grown Local posts showcase some of the best things to do in our area.

 

 

This past weekend, we went to the UCDavis Arboretum. It's just a 10 minute drive from our home, and really, we need to go there more often. It's a great way to spend an afternoon, walking the paths and just being outdoors. Also? Totally free.

 

 

The weather has been ridiculously beautiful here in our part of California. In the 70s in January.  The grown-ups around here have an edge of worry about them. These temperatures and no rain are a problem for a region full of agricultural worries. But the children can only think of being outside, no jacket, soaking in the sun. So we grown ups can tuck our worries of the drought away for an afternoon of frolicking in the arboretum, where there was no whining, at all, all afternoon.

 

 

Just happiness over choosing a path.

 

And the excitement of finding a tree that matches your shirt.

 

Hoping for rain but loving these little moments.

 

Plan your own visit: here.

GROWN LOCAL: FAIRYTALE TOWN

Our family tries to do local things on the weekends, either staying in our town, or in the surrounding areas. Grown Local posts showcase some of the best things to do in our area.

 

 

Fairytale Town is one of my absolute favorite places in our area.  It's a large park, full of play structures inspired by fairytales and nursery rhymes. I went there as a child, and love taking my own two there now.

King Arthur's castle surrounded by a moat greets you as you enter. To the left is Captain Hook's pirate ship.

 

 

 

To the right, the Old Woman who lived in a shoe.

 

 

In between there are animals, (the three little pigs! Mary's lamb!), Mr. McGregor's Garden where children can water plants and see an alphabet garden, Cinderella's coach and horses, Sherwood Forest, and the all time favorite of children everywhere, The Crooked Mile, a raised path through bushes that children run, walk, and laugh through, over and over.

 

 

Fairytale own has been in Sacramento for over 50 years and it is truly a treasure. Promoting both literacy and imagination, Fairytale Town inspires children to simply play. 

It is such a gift to have this park close to us to take our children to.

 

Planning a Visit?:

 

Fairytale Town

3901 Land Park Drive

Sacramento, CA 95822

Get directions

‎

(916) 808-7462

fairytaletown.org

 

Admission: $4 Weekdays, $5 Weekends and Holidays

Children 1 and under, free

 

Parking: Free

GROWN LOCAL: FARMER'S MARKET

Our family tries to do local things on the weekends, either staying in our town, or in the surrounding areas. Grown Local posts showcase some of the best things to do in our area.

 

Living in California is a food lover's dream; it seems that everything is fresh and local, from flowers to food to wine. We are lucky that so much of what we eat is truly local, grown within a 250 mile radius of us. And the farmer's market is the cream of the crop (figuratively and actually).

I love a farmer's market. You can't beat the freshness of the produce of course, but it's more than that. Seeing the people who grow food, and supporting growers and crafters in your area is important. We live in an agricultural based area, and are lucky to be able to show our children tomato fields and corn growing. The farmer's market takes it even a step closer, where they can meet the people in our area growing these vegetables and baking bread and raising free range chickens.

 

Woodland Farmer's Market

 

 

The Woodland Farmer's Market, our local farmer's market, is a great market. They've just moved to a new location in the heart of our little downtown on Saturdays and they opened this past weekend. We headed over to buy some fruits and veggies and flowers and bread, to enjoy the spring sunshine, and to see the alpacas, llamas, and baby dairy goats from local farms that were visiting for opening day.

 

highlight of the morning.

 

 



"Food says what's best about our region, and that we have a food culture that's worth preserving." -Richard McCarthy, in Local Flavors by Deborah Madison

 

 

The Woodland Farmer's Market

Heritage Plaza, near the Opera House

Woodland, CA 95695

Saturdays 9am-Noon

GROWN LOCAL: THE CROCKER ART MUSEUM

Our family tries to do local things on the weekends, either staying in our town, or in the surrounding areas. Grown Local posts showcase some of the best things to do in our area.

 

 

 At school, my son received a family pass to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. Over spring break, we took a morning to go and explore. In my teens, I visited the Crocker several times, but it had been expanded greatly since I had moved away from home. They have an entire area for children now, along with a huge collection of California artists.

He wasn't sure about some of the pieces.

This was more his scene.

 

The antique china collections, one of my (nerdy) favorites.

 

In the children's area, called Tot Land, there is a electronic, touchable art board that has different media options that fascinated both the children.

 

 

 

There was also materials for arts and crafts, art books, and design toys.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kids loved it and is was almost abandoned, so they had all the books and art supplies to themselves.

 

To top it off, you can have lunch at the Crocker Cafe by Supper Club, which has amazing food. They use several local ingredients, and have a wide variety of salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts. We just used the counter service, but there is also sit down seating with an even more extensive menu.

 

BLT for days.

 

The Crocker Art Museum is a great place to take kids in the Sacramento area. The museum is stroller friendly, there are a ton of docents willing to answer questions, there is a good, decently priced cafe, and art that is interesting to both adults and kids. The museum also offers art workshops for kids of all ages and their families.

 

 

 

 

Planning a Visit?

 

Crocker Art Museum

216 O Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916.808.7000 

 

Tickets:

Adults: $10

Youth (7-17): $5

Children (6 and under): free

 

Paid parking (meters)