What happens if you read the list of 51 things to do in Sacramento before you die and you discover you’ve done most of them? Sacramento Magazine’s cover story for January 2017 throws down the challenge. So over lunch at Plates2Go I read through the list and realized that I have very little to do before I die.
Of course I have lived here most of my 54 years so it is perhaps not surprising that I have done so much of what is on Anna Quinlan’s list.
So here is what I have done: (using their numbers)
2. Drink a $2 beer with the River Cats… I have been to numerous River Cats games, plus the Assembly vs. Senate ballgame, plus a 107.9 concert with SmashMouth. Great venue on a summer’s eve.
3. Dance on the Patio at The Pheasant Club. I have not danced, but I have dined at the Pheasant Club many, many times, including on the patio. It was former County Supervisor McGowan’s favorite place to meet. I sometimes wonder if they saw a dip in business when he got his Governor’s appointment. Supervisor Oscar Villegas prefers Broderick.
4. Find some food-truck fare. Not hard around the Capitol. But I have also been to Sactomofo.
5. Pack a picnic with items from Corti Brothers. I have shopped at Corti Brothers and it deserves respect for having a wide selection of gourmet items before anyone really appreciated gourmet in Sacramento. But if I am packing a picnic lunch, I am going to Selland’s on H Street.
6. Get a roast beef sandwich at Bud’s Buffet. OMG, get anything there and your delish meter will tilt, as will your fat and carbs meter. Funny how those are related.
7. Don’t walk past Moxie’s front door. It is in my neighborhood so I do walk past the front door, but I have also gone in and enjoyed an amazing dinner or two.
13. Cheer on the dachshund races. I have been to Picnic Day at UC Davis numerous times and I got close to the races, but could not get in. Happily settled for sheepdog trials instead.
14. Milk a cow at the State Fair. I have visited the livestock barns many, many times over the years…as a 4Her, as a cousin of a 4Her, and as a summer employee of the State Fair. I did not milk a cow, but I did get to ride a Budweiser Clydesdale early one morning at the Cavalcade of Horses.
15. Bet on the horses at Cal Expo. I remember when there were trotters.
17. Row a scull at the Port of West Sac. Okay this shouldn’t count but I’m going to try anyway… my daughter rowed one season at Lake Natoma and I watched.
20. Cheer on cyclists at Amgen Tour of California. YES! As a cycling fan I don’t miss this unless I am in Italy watching the Tour d’Italia.
21. Ring a cowbell at a Kings Game. Okay so I’ve sat a quarter at courtside courtesy of Southwest Airlines, and I have sat through many other Kings Games. I may not have rung a cowbell but my basketball days are done, so check.
25. See an indie flick at the Tower Theatre. Too many to count…
26. Take a friend to the drive-in… saw the first Star Wars there.
27. Pregame a show at Crest Theatre with drinks at Empress Tavern. Been to both more than once.
29. Go sledding in Strawberry. Check.
30. Check out the corpse flower at UC Davis Arboretum. I have walked around the arboretum too many times to count and I recommend you do too if you haven’t experienced it yet. My favorite is the oak grove.
31. Take a walking tour of the Christmas lights in the Fab 40s. My P.O. Box is right in the thick of the Christmas light traffic. Walking is a good suggestion. I have walked Dove Court in Orangevale with my family to see the Christmas displays. Counting it.
32. Tour the Old City Cemetery at Halloween. I have gone on a tour with a group of mystery writers. Highly recommend this experience with a knowledgeable docent any time of year.
33. Run to Feed the Hungry. Check.
35. White knuckle white-water rafting trip. I did this with a group of colleagues from the US Bureau of Reclamation as a team building exercise. Got my adrenaline pumping!
36. Take a historic river cruise. Check. Several times. They actually want you to take a cruise where they tell you the history. Technically I have done the river dinner cruise, and I’ve spent several evenings on the Delta King for various fundraisers.
37. Get a foot massage and Thai coffee in Sacramento’s Little Saigon. Thanks to my friend Anita and the Happy Day Spa, I’ve done this. Good times.
43. Tour the Capitol. It is a gem.
44. Pan for gold in Coloma. I was a 4th grader in Sacramento; my two children were 4th graders in Sacramento. Need I say more?
45. Light a candle at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. I have attended concerts at this beautiful church, but I regularly attend St John’s Lutheran and we have a wonderful tradition of celebrating Santa Lucia Day. At the end we light candles and process to a light supper and dancing round the Christmas Tree.
46. Go on a dive bar pub crawl. I’ve met people at these establishments over the years and I hosted a pub quiz crawl fundraiser one year.
47. Grab a late night sweet at Rick’s Dessert Diner in midtown. Check.
49. Refuse to share a buttermilk bar from Marie’s Donuts. Well not the buttermilk bar per se…
50. Scream for Ice Cream… Yes, I have tried all of these ice cream establishments except Burr’s.
51. Customize a box of chocolate at Ginger Elizabeth. I lived above this shop for a year so I have eaten my fair share of delicious chocolate.
These ideas are worth pursuing:
One. Go to an event at The Barn in West Sacramento. Good idea, I hope to someday soon.
8.Score a ticket to the Tower Bridge Dinner. Want to take me?
9. Eat at The Kitchen. I am probably the only one of my friends who has not eaten there.
11. Get a degree from Cocktail Academy at Hook & Ladder. I don’t drink much but it still sounds like a fun and useful skill to acquire with friends.
18. Take your down dog off leash at Yoga in the Park. I enjoy yoga. I might try this. I did take my dog Radar to McKinley Park for dog training many Saturdays ago–so I’ll watch where I put down my mat!
19. Join the Tower Bridge Battalion at a Sac Republic Game. Really, really want to do this.
24. Dance at the Crocker Ball. I am not an enthusiast for getting all dolled up, but I do love to dance. And I love the Crocker Art Museum. Maybe if the right fella asks me.
38. Dance to the sound of Taiko drums at the Buddhist Church bazaar. I love percussion. I am game for this.
39. Eat a gyro at the Sacramento Greek Festival. Sure why not.
Sorry, I am not into that…
10. Ride the SacBrewBike. Oh, they are ubiquitous on a summer evening in Midtown. I don’t begrudge them their fun, just would rather ride my own bike to Big Stump Brewery for Pub Theology with St John’s Lutheran crew.
12. Book a limo tour of Amador County’s best wineries. Pass.
16. Get your butt kicked at SacTown Fit Crawl. Nope, if I am going to get sweaty it will be a Zumba class with Paco at Sierra II.
22. Let your freak flag fly at SacAnime. Hey, I enjoy seeing you all come into Starbucks when the the various conventions are going on, and I enjoy looking at Bill Reid’s photos of “freaks” but I will stay on the sidelines thank you.
23. Wear white after Labor Day at Diner en Blanc. I don’t enjoy getting dressed up. In fact, I have a friend’s fancy dress birthday party on the Isle of Wight in June and I am already getting stressed about what I’ll wear. Besides I’m sure to spill and then it would be Diner en blanc, and green, and yellow, etc.
28. Go paddle-boarding on the river. They are suggesting paddle-boarding from Discovery Park to Crawdads. Hmmm. I participated in Young Life’s Raft Race back in the day and I’m not sure I’d recommend paddleboarding on the Sacramento River.
34. Get on board the beer train. No thanks.
I’m not a super huge live music enthusiast: 40. Claim a front row picnic blanket at Pops in the Park; 41. Rock out with Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera; 42. Be an audience for One Man Band. I have enjoyed the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus holiday concert.
47. Smoke a hookah and watch the belly dancers at Kasbah Lounge. Allergic to smoke.
americanjulie.com 