The day after Thanksgiving we loaded up the car and headed North-East from Sacramento into Apple Hill. Itβs about an hour drive from our house to the Placerville and El Dorado County area. We had been looking forward to selecting and cutting down our own Christmas tree all week!
Apple Hill is one of the few places in Northern California where you can go into the Christmas tree farms and cut down your own tree. The Christmas tree varieties include Douglas Fir, White Fir, Canaan, Noble Fir and Silvertip. Most of the Christmas tree farms open the day after Thanksgiving and stay open until the week of Christmas (or until they sell out).
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Apple Hill is essentially an outdoor playground for families, with numerous farms that welcome visitors. While Apple Hill is known for its apple picking in the fall season, there is also plenty to do during the months of Thanksgiving and Christmas. This scenic area of Northern California is not just about apple orchards. Here you can taste fine wines from local wineries, attend unique seasonal events, picnic surrounded by picturesque scenery, and enjoy classic holiday traditions.
Visitors have been coming to this beautiful area for over 50 years, and believe it or not, the popularity of these farms continues to grow in modern times. With so much to do in Apple Hill, you may need some advice on where to start. Read on for suggestions on some of the most popular things to do during the holiday season.
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After all my holiday celebrating and Christmas-themed research Iβve done in this past month of December, I can officially declare that thereβs no shortage of holiday cheer in Californiaβs capital city of Sacramento.
One common theme I discovered is that the people of Sacramento really love supporting their peers, i.e. fellow Sacramento locals. On my list youβll find ample opportunities to shop both small businesses and local artisans, plus support the arts like the Sacramento Ballet.
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It's the most wonderful time of the year, and I'm here for it! I'm a big fan of Christmas. I love the decorations, the sweet aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg, the cheery lights, and all things sparkly. When a city's festivities and spirit bring on the holiday joy, it makes for an especially memorable experience, and San Francisco will always have a permanent place in my heart for that.
I grew up in the small town of Half Moon Bay which is located just south of San Francisco. My husband and I eventually moved into a tiny apartment in the heart of downtown San Francisco, and we got to experience Christmas in the city firsthand.
In this guide Iβve rounded up my top things to see in the month of December should you find yourself spending the Christmas holiday season in San Francisco. From picture perfect holiday card spots, to the best yuletide sweets, and of course Christmas shopping, weβve got everything you need for a festive itinerary while on your California winter vacation.
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Apple Hill is pretty much a farm loverβs paradise! Most farms throughout the US are closed to the public, but in Apple Hill youβll find over 50 local family farms and small businesses that welcome guests to pick produce and enjoy the countryside scenery.
Apple Hill is not actually a city itself, the territory runs through the small town of Camino into Placerville, CA. The Apple Hill community includes fruit & veggie farms, wineries, B&Bs, flower gardens, Christmas tree farms, restaurants and even a day spa.
While Apple Hill is most popular in the autumn season for apple picking and pumpkin patches, thereβs actually plenty to explore year-round. In this blog post I outline all the hidden gems to see, eat, photograph and explore inside Apple Hill.
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Just an hour's drive from sunny San Diego toward the mountains, and you find yourself in a completely different world. Julian is a tiny town β just a few streets and nearby farms and ranches. Because of its location in the mountains, there is a much brighter sense of seasonality β the heat in summer, yellow and red leaves in fall, snow in winter, and flowers in spring.
Tourists love coming to Julian, especially during the fall season, because it is one of the few places in Southern California where you can see colorful fall foliage. Combined with the beautiful scenery, it is also a great place to vacation out of town.
Another reason why Fall is great for visiting Julian is that it is apple picking season. Since the town's culture is associated with pies, this dish is a must-try. In Julian, they are baked and sold hot in all kinds of flavors, though the most popular, of course, is the apple pie.
We visited during the second week of November and in our pictures you can see all the holiday festivities and colorful fall foliage. In this guide youβll see plenty of Julian family-friendly activities and even some romantic weekend itinerary ideas for a coupleβs weekend away. For the foodie fans, Iβve also included all the must-try autumn foods and deserts.
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Located inside the Kimpton The Sawyer Hotel in Midtown Sacramento youβll find Punch Bowl Social. This venue can be best described as an entertainment and amusement hub featuring old-school meets modern games, arcades and billiards.
Inside the two story 25,000 square venue thereβs bowling alleys, foosball table, giant versions of favorite board games, darts, vintage video games and more. Not to mention thereβs a restaurant and multiple bars for crafted food and cocktails.
The aesthetics and decor are quirky and modern with large glass windows showing skyline city views of Downtown Sacramento. This is an ideal place for date nights or friends girls and guys night out.
Iβve been both in the daytime and at night to Punch Bowl Social. During lunch hours itβs very calm and low key lounging. But when the sun goes down the energy level kicks up and thereβs twinkling lights everywhere and a buzzing scene.
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The scene at Yankee Jims is totally picturesque with turquoise clear waters surrounded by rocky mountains and a vintage style suspension bridge hanging way above. The water is a little chilly when you first get in but on a hot summer day it feels amazing. Between June - August the summer temperatures easily reach the 90βs to the 100βs.
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Sacramento is centrally located in Northern California, making it the perfect basecamp for exploring all that the region has to offer. My husband and I have lived in Sacramento for over 5 years now and we quickly discovered how incredibly convenient this prime location is for road-trips.
Within a 2-hour drive of the city, you'll find plenty of scenic places to visit, including top destinations like Lake Tahoe, Napa Valley, and San Francisco. So whether you're looking to enjoy the great outdoors, experience some of the best wine and dining in the country, or want to explore a big urban city, Sacramento is the perfect starting point for your road-trip.
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Fairytale Town is the perfect affordable, and fun place to spend time with your kids or grandkids, keeping them from watching too much TV or video games during school breaks and getting them out and about in the great outdoors.
It's ideal for the little ones to run around and enjoy themselves while exercising their brains with fun literacy games and colorful play sets that challenge them to use their imagination and keep them entertained for hours.
In this blog I'll take you through some of the best things you can do and all you need to know about the park. After this quick read youβll be prepared and ready to maximize your day of family fun in Fairytale Town.
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If you havenβt guessed it by now, I am a huge fan of the TV show The Office - as evidenced by this massive guide youβre about to read. My friends and I decided to completely geek out on a trip to Los Angeles and dress up as our favorite The Office characters while we went on a self-guided tour to many of the filming locations in Southern California. I was dressed as β3-hole-punch Jimβ, Kara was Dwight and Brianna was Kelly.
The Office show takes places in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but in reality most of the show is filmed in Los Angeles. The most commonly used cities for filming locations is Van Nuys, Panorama City and Studio City - which are commonly known as βThe Valleyβ to LA locals.
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San Diego is a desirable vacation destination for many reasons. The weather is excellent year-round, the beaches are pristine, and San Diego is home to two of the most world-famous animal parks.
Both the San Diego Zoo and the Safari Park are enormous parks filled with a huge variety of rare and endangered wildlife. You can easily spend an entire day exploring each park, which leads to the conundrum of how to decide which park to visit during your trip. Hence this guide!
My husband and I are former San Diego residents, and my entire in-law family still live there. Weβve spent many family vacations exploring both the animal parks with our kids, and we can provide both a local and insider perspective.
In this comprehensive guide youβll find detailed information about both animal parkβs exhibits, top animals to see, location information, baby and kid-friendly pointers, and even what to eat. Weβve left no stone unturned and you can use all these tips to help you make an itinerary decision.
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One of the highlights from this summer was our Highway 1 road trip from Sacramento to Carmel-by-the-Sea. We added a new twist to our road tripping adventures by swapping our hybrid car for a completely electric Chevy Bolt car rental. We have considered purchasing an all-electric vehicle so this was the perfect opportunity for us to get some real-life experience driving one.
Our Chevy Bolt EV gets over 200 miles on a full charge, which makes it ideal for California road trips. There are a plethora of charging stations sprinkled all over the state, making it easy and cost-effective to drive between major cities.
In this guide we will share our learnings and tips from our experiences driving an EV vehicle on long road trips. While some may seem like common sense, Iβm sure thereβs at least one point youβll find as helpful advice for your own future road trips.
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Sacramento is quickly becoming one of Californiaβs favorite travel destinations, thanks to the thriving farm-to-fork foodie scene and modern stylish surroundings without the big city price tag. Sacramento is also one of the few places in California where you can really experience all the seasons. In fall the foliage turns beautiful autumn colors, summer is very hot and ready for pool swimming, winter is cold and spring is full of April showers and sweet blossoms. During the cold days of winter you bundle up in your home, but once spring rolls around youβre ready to breath fresh air and enjoy some time outdoorsβ¦ hence the raincoat and boots!
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We live in the heart of East Sacramento, which means that Yolo County is right in our backyard. Yolo County is located directly west of the urban Sacramento city blocks and across the Sacramento River. Surprisingly West Sacramento is technically part of Yolo (go figure!) and is the most populated and developed part of Yolo. The further west you travel, the more rural the landscape becomes with quaint countryside scenes.
This blog post guide is filled with photos and stories from our family adventures in Yolo County. Here youβll find my top recommendations for agritourism farms to visit, foodie and restaurant eats, photography spots and unique shopping experiences.
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I have been a βdog mamaβ to my Black Labrador Holly for over 10 years now. She has travelled with me all over our home state of California, often on very long roadtrips from Northern California to Southern California.
Holly was a rescue adopted from the Humane Society when she was about one year old. She has always had a sweet disposition and is loving towards people, but sheβs also had very severe anxiety from past trauma. I never knew what her history was before I adopted her, but she clearly suffered in the hands of her previous owner.
Hollyβs anxiety can especially get triggered when she knows thereβs an upcoming trip. The moment she sees my suitcase come out of the closet, she begins to pace around nervously and follows me everywhere I go in the house. Sheβs either worried that Iβm leaving on a trip without her, or sheβs nervous to be taken on a roadtrip to a new place. Either way, traveling puts her on edge.
I have worked with several dog trainers over the years to help Holly with her anxiety. This blog post has been several years in the making, as Iβve complied many of my learnings, personal experiences and professional advice from trainers into one guide. I hope all dog owners with pups suffering from anxiety can use these tips to find relief for their fur babies.
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No matter the type of experience you wish to share with the girls at your bachelorette party, to make it impeccable for you, Americaβs Finest City will lay it out on the canvas of the finest weather you could dream of.
In the mood for wine-induced gaiety wrapped in classy sophistication? Wanting to explore sites that offer different scenery and heart-throbbing adventures every five minutes of the walk? Driven by the desire to bask in the sun of the finest beaches? Up for a hiking challenge with breathtaking views while compiling a collection of quirky pics?
Whatever your preferences, the San Diego area has a whole array of body and soul-pampering experiences to make for a stupendous catalog of life-long memories. Letβs jump right to the list of tempting bachelorette destination choices!
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There are many fun things to do in San Diego - and despite what you may have heard, not all of them break the bank.
If thereβs one thing this area is criticized for, itβs that the high-standards lifestyle often comes with a price tag thatβs just as soaring.
But San Diego is called Americaβs Finest City - not its priciest city. While there are some high-priced attractions and establishments that attract the affluent, itβs also possible to enjoy this amazing area without a big budget.
Today weβll highlight some of the best restaurants, attractions, and locations that allow you to fill your stomach and your day without requiring you to drain your savings in the process. Weβll also mention some of the spots you can head to when itβs time to splurge and treat yourself.
Letβs plan our San Diego day together!
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