Ice Ice Baby

I met some friends for drinks this evening near the Del Paso area. We parked across the street from Iceland! Oh boy does this place bring back memories! This is one of the few...if not only...ice skating rinks in the area. I remember visiting this place with my cousins and an uncle when I was 9 or 10. All I remember is being on my backside! Ha!

Berry Nice

Someone sent the newsroom a box of strawberries from The Berry Factory to celebrate the completion of the 'Big Fix'! Yum! They even have the I-5 logo! So cute!
If you haven't had a strawberry treat from Shari Fitzpatrick's Berry Factory, you need to!
This is a Sacramento business that literally began as a hobby in the kitchen...nearly 20 years later it has become the nation's leading brand of hand dipped strawberries.
Try one.

Next Stop...K Street

Hard At Work...

Or hardly working?! Funny story...A few weeks ago I asked our loyal Good Day viewers for snapshot ideas. Among the great ideas--downtown Sacramento. So we set up shot near the Hard Rock Cafe to get a shot of the big guitar. In fact, I used the photo a few blogs ago. Any who, we were live on the air and I noticed we had some 'looky-loos' in a nearby State building...so I snapped a picture. They waved. Ha!

Church on Sunday

Church. For many it is a Sunday tradition. Some go early, some go late, others go with family members, and some prefer to go alone. Whatever the case may be I think we can all agree Sacramento has one of the most beautiful places of prayer...the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
The cathedral is both a religious and civic landmark in the heart of downtown Sacramento. It's about a block away from the Capitol, the convention center and even the mall. The cathedral has also been through some major renovations...it was closed for several years.
The cathedral brings back a lot of memories for my family and me. My grandmother is here every Sunday morning...two of my cousins assist with the mass. Years ago, some of my relatives were married here. My high school graduation ceremony was held here. Earlier this year, this is where we baptized my goddaughter.
I'm sure many families have shared memories here too.

Break Time

Get out and enjoy the scene! Soak up the sun!

Bike Friendly

This time of year you tend to see more and more people opting for two wheels instead of four. All around town this morning I saw people ride their bikes. It's very easy to get around town on your bike and there are some amazing bike trails too. Sacramento is also rated one of most bike friendly cities in America.
Apparently it's easy to get around...if you have your own bike. If not...you're out of luck. There are many bike rentals around town, so a local guy came up with Bikes and Bites...a non profit program. It's a pretty cool and easy concept. Rent a bike, grab lunch and help a local charity all at the same time! I checked it out this morning.

City of Trees

Giant Help

Anything for the kids! Once again a superstar athlete opens his heart and wallet to help local kids! San Francisco Giants Pitcher Barry Zito made a special trip to Stockton this morning to unveil the new Barry Zito Junior Giants Fields. He along with two other philanthropic organizations pumped $250,000 to renovate two diamonds...they look great! New fields and an autograph from Barry Zito? The kids had a blast!
FYI, did I mention Zito is also a USC alum? Yup! Fight on!

The Big Fix

Over the last two months construction crews have been hard at work rebuilding one of the most heavily traveled highways--Interstate 5. Commuters have had to find alternate routes to their destinations.
The project is supposed to solve ongoing drainage problems just south of Old Sacramento.
Crews have worked in stages...keeping one side of the freeway open to traffic at all times--thank goodness! Otherwise, the 'big fix' could've been a 'big mess'!
Right now crews are working on the northbound lanes. Then it's all over!

Project Pilot

I love my job! Today I...yes, me...flew a plane! I arrived at the Sacramento Executive Airport about 11:30 a.m...I was in the air by 12:30 p.m.!!! I did turns, take off and landing! It was amazing! Did you know you can have your pilots license after as little as 35 hours of training! That is so crazy to me! Any who, it was much easier than I thought...a little nerve wracking, but very fun! The piece should air in a couple of weeks...I'll be sure to link the video.

On your mark, get set, go!

More than 2,300 people participated in the 35th Eppie's Great Race...the worlds oldest triathlon. Participants run, bike and kayak along the American River.

Rock On!

The Hard Rock Cafe is located at the entrance of the downtown Plaza...you can't miss the ginormous guitar!

Happy Friday! This morning we invited Good Day viewers to a free screening of Kung Fu Panda at the Esquire IMAX Theatre...so I thought I'd add this photo. Have you ever watched a movie on an IMAX screen? It's like being part of the movie!
This really is a great theater...in the heart of Downtown Sacramento. And, rumor has it Dark Knight will soon be playing here as well!
On a side note, I apologize...I forgot to add a picture yesterday! I completely lost track of time!

Extra! Extra!

K and 7th streets across from the Westfield Downtown Plaza.

Sacramento King

I don't normally incude people in my photos...nor do I like posed pictures, but today is an execption...it's a great cause!

When Sacramento Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin isn't on the court, he volunteers at the Sacramento Children's Home. It is one of the oldest non-profit organizations in the area that helps thousands of children and families every year...thanks to the support from the community. Kevin is using his star power to help raise money for the center's programs....they have a big fundraiser coming up next month.

I got to play a little one-on-one with him this morning...he is so tall! Tall, and talented...he was asked to play on USA Basketball's select team. Congrats!

Sacramento Streetcar

Cruise the city streets on an old streetcar. Regional Transit incorporated 8 replica streetcars into its fleet. They travel through downtown and Old Sacramento.

Old Sacramento Scene

One more picture from Old Sacramento. I love the 'old' look!

Private Park for Auction

Imagine having your own multi-million dollar playground. It could happen...to the highest bidder!
Several years ago, the 98 cent store king, Gary Cino sunk nearly $5 million into a 4.7 acre project for his kids in Granite Bay...and now he's over it. He wants to get rid of it, so it's up for auction.
This place is amazing! It includes three 17 foot deep trout ponds, a golf platform, a cabin, a full kitchen, an outdoor pool table, Victorian playhouses, waterfalls and fountains, bridges...the list goes on and on! Did I mention the ponds are filled with fish?...trout, bass, catfish, and sturgeon. Apparently, Cino is a fish-nut...he wanted a place to go fishing.
The auction took place today....they really had no idea how much the outdoor wonderland would go for, but they were hoping for a fair amount. Auctioneer, Kevin O'Callaghan did a little practice with me before today's big event.
UPDATE: It sold for $1.3 !!!

Smoke Fills the Air

It's back! Once again, smoke fills the air...making it very unhealthy for everyone. Wildfires are burning around the region...pushing smoke our way. Air quality is well beyond the what it should be and temperatures are in the triple digits! This is what it looked like from my vantage point on I-5...which by the way, is partially closed as crews work to make some much needed repairs.

Sacramento No. 3

The Firehouse is one of my favorite restaurants in all of Sacramento! The food is delicious, the atmosphere is elegant and did I mention the food is delicious!
Believe it or not, this used to be a working fire station back in the 1800's. The old spiral staircase is still there! Now, this restaurant is an historic landmark in the heart of Old Sacramento.
If you get a chance to visit, ask to see the wine cellar....they have hundreds of great wines and my uncle painted the floor!

Just Wonderin'....what's your favorite restaurant?

All Aboard!

I love riding the train! I rode the train for the first time a few months ago...Hayward to Sacramento. It is so relaxing and I get to enjoy the view! Now with gas prices so high, it's also cheaper!
I took this picture in Old Sac while on the road looking for photos for the blog. The tracks run through the historic town. Old Sac is also home to the California Railroad Museum.

Old Sacramento

Photo Blog Road Trip

This morning, I hit the streets for snapshots of Sacramento! I asked our loyal Good Day Sacramento viewers for suggestions. They responded with a number of great ideas… including Apple Hill, Sutter’s Fort, the caves in Calaveras County, the IMAX Theater, the Tower Bridge… and of course Old Sacramento! So that is where we begin! (You’ll be seeing the other ideas in the days to come.)

Sandwiched between the Sacramento River and downtown Sacramento is Old Sacramento—a National Historic Landmark. On the river, you’ll find the historic Delta King…a floating riverboat that serves as a hotel, restaurant and theater!

The Delta King is just one of the dozens of attractions…from restaurants to the Railroad and Military Museums, art galleries to horse drawn carriages--Old Sac is a popular destination spot. It attracts more than 5 million visitors a year! Locals have voted it best place for a first date! (I have to agree!)

Morning Sun

Sit Back, Enjoy the Ride

A carriage ride! This is always a fun way to cruise around Old Sacramento!

Independence on the American

Happy 4th of July! This holiday weekend many will celebrate our nations birthday on the water. These folks got an early start and showed me how to kayak on the American River. I've never been kayaking before--it was a blast! Look closely and you'll notice they're using inflatable kayaks!
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Tennis Time

Eat, shop, watch a tennis match—this is your ultimate one stop shop! The Sacramento Capitals season kicks-off today at the Westfield Galleria of Roseville. Every summer turn the parking lot into a tennis court! You can go on a shopping spree and watch world class tennis without moving your car!
This morning I got to play with Elena Likhovtseva , James Auckland, and Eric Butorac –that’s him in the picture. It was so fun!
Other big names playing this season include Andy Roddick, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Martina Navratilova and Anna Kournikova.

Painted Ladies

What a beautiful Paint! This morning I hung out with the Painted Ladies Rodeo Performers--a group of 15 gutsy women who ride Paint horses. They're amazing! They're more than just an equestrian team. They do trick riding and drill team routines! They're based in Sacramento, but this weekend they're in Folsom for the big Folsom Pro Rodeo. This rodeo has been the 4th of July weekend highlight for the last 48 years! This morning, they even got me up on a horse!

Just wonderin'...are you a fan of the rodeo?

Hands-Free @ the Nut Tree

As you know, I'm a news/feature reporter so I get to see and a do some pretty fun stuff! Today was no exception! I got to go to the Nut Tree in Vacaville and ride the bumper cars! I love my job!
To celebrate the new hands-free cell phone law in California, the Nut Tree Theme Park is offering free rides on the bumper cars through the Fourth of July weekend. All you have to do is show your hands free device! This morning, I tested out some very cool Bluetooth Oakley sunglasses!
Being at the park sure did bring back a lot of memories. The Nut Tree was one of my favorite places to go as a child. It is a legendary road stop off I-80... about 30 minutes west of Sacramento. My family used to go all the time! I remember it being a big, fun playground! And, for some reason when I think of the Nut Tree the color orange sticks out in my head! Of course, I can't tell you the last time I last visited the park so I had no idea what to expect. It has changed so much! The park went through a major facelift about two years ago. It's a new park, but it brought back a lot of great old memories!

Just wonderin'...Where did you like to go as a child?