Sacramento, CA

I don’t know about the rest of you, but one of my all time favorite parts of Christmas is getting to share all of the classic stories with the next generation. The Polar Express has always been one of my favorites–the BOOK mind you and NOT the movie. Anyway, I’m pretty excited because the California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento is hosting the very first West Coast appearance of the Polar Express Train Ride. On this special train ride, the classic tale will be told and brought to life anew as you travel to the North Pole to see Santa Claus. Santa will even be giving special gifts to all of the children on board the train. To completely surround you in the wonders of a child’s innocence, they will even be serving hot chocolate!

If you can’t get tickets–because they are rather hard to find right now–don’t fret too much. After all, they have recently announced that they will be continuing this new tradition next year as well. Tickets for 2008 will go on sale on October 1st, 2008 and are expected to sell just as quickly as these ones have. In any case, it is one of those things that you just shouldn’t miss out on during the holiday season…like driving around to look at Christmas lights or ice skating under a star filled sky so that even “though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe.”

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The Westfield Downtown Plaza Ice Rink has been open sicne November 1st and I didn’t even know it. This makes me sad to think of how many times I could have been out there already. It’s the only outdoor ice skating rink in Sacramento and it’s pretty much the single most awesome thing that you can do in these parts during the winter. Granted, the rink isn’t the greatest I’ve ever skated at and the employees can be a bit horrible, but there’s just something magical about skating under the open night sky that is just unimaginably incredible to those who’ve never done it before. It’s even one of those things that just gets better and better every time you do it.

The rink is conveniently located next to the K Street Mall so you can even stop by on a break from your holiday shopping at a mall that isn’t as overly crowded as Arden Fair is every year! During holiday hours, they are open everyday from 10AM to 10PM with the hours varying a little bit before December 10th and after December 30th. It is also incredibly cheap at only $6.00 per person for two hours of skating, plus a $2.00 rental fee if you don’t have your own skates. I have heard a lot of people complain about the availability of skates before so be advised taht you might want to bring your own if you have them. Also be advised that they only accept cash–weird I know given that we live in the age of credit. Anyway, go out and have a lot of fun. just don’t end up like this poor lady…

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All of a sudden, it seems like I’ve hit the Halloween jackpot! With the discovery of Scream Extreme in Citrus Heights, I also stumbled across an amazing site that has links to haunted attractions all around the country! In doing so I discovered several more in the Sacramento area–which I will be posting information about over the next couple of days. Thankfully, they should all be open for business due to extended hours of operation just before Halloween.

One of them in particular caught my eye because it’s “rated R.” Most of the others were at least child friendly for brave children. However, this one specifically warns against bringing them in at all. In fact, GYRO’s 3D Fear Factory has warnings for many people, declaring that it “is an authentic simulation of many grotesque and shocking events. It is not recommended for people with heart problems, recent surgery, pregnancy,or frequent nausea. Chidlren and senior citizens are not encouraged to attend.”

In honor of Halloween, the Fear Factory has taken over 100,000 square feet of the Westfiled Downtown Plaza mall at 547 L Street. There are two separate haunted houses–Rob Zombie’s “The Devil’s Playground” and “Toxic Terror.” Both of them look suitably terrifying to make even the biggest horror fanatics tremble in terror. (Not that this should really come as a surprise to anyone since Rob Zombie is pretty much the Lord of Gruesomeness!)

The Fear Factory will be open today and tomorrow from 7:00PM to midnight, making it the perfect Halloween activity for those of us who are without children to take trick-or-treating. I think it’s wonderful that Sacramento has so many opportunities for single adults to go and have a good time–in a lot of smaller cities, people aren’t that lucky. On the same note though, admission is a little bit expensive. Tickets are $17.95 per person. However, if you purchase them from Rob Zombie’s Monster Shop at the mall, then they will give you a free T-Shirt. Remember to be safe and have fun…and don’t let the monsters get you!!!

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Throughout the entire month, I’ve been scouring the internet looking for something truly scary to do in honor of Halloween. Up until now, I haven’t been able to find anything other than the corn maze in Dixon–and let’s face it, that’s only scary if you’re bad at reading maps and have seen Children of the Corn one too many times! I was beginning to despair that haunted houses and other such things that go bump in the night were a thing of the past. Then, almost as if by magic, I stumbled across one in our own backyard, The Scream Extreme “Stitches” Haunted Attraction in Citrus Heights.

The Scream Extreme features three different scare zones. They seem to be pretty secretive about the scenes themselves–neither of their websites even hints at what their themes are. However, they do have some pretty wicked pictures up on their myspace page of some of the grisly characters you are likely to encounter. Of them all, my personal favorite is the adult interpretation of Linda Blair in The Exorcist. They’re all pretty realistic looking and some of them could be downright terrifying given the right environment.

On that note, I would advise that you not bring young and impressionable minds to Scream Extreme. They do not allow children under 13 to go without an adult, so that may be an indicator of whether or not younger children should go at all. However, remember that your judgement is still probably the best there is since you know your kids best. If you think they can handle it, then by all means take them along. I always got to go to our local haunted house back home when I was a kid and it was the best fun I had all year!

This year, they have a new location at the former Room Source building at 5961 Birdcage Centre Lane. It is open everyday through Halloween from 7:00PM to 10:00PM. Tickets are $13.00, but they do have a discounted price of $10.00 each if you purchase at least eight tickets. The best part is that if you purchase your tickets online, you don’t have to wait in the same line as everyone else. This is completely wonderful since it is a pretty popular attraction given that it’s really the only one of its kind here in the Sacramento area.

The very best part though is that 100% of the proceeds will go to aiding children with autism in our public schools. If you don’t know what autism is, I suggest you check out Marcie’s page, Discussing Autism. My high school best friend’s little brother is autistic and it is heartwrenching to see all of the aspects of his life that are made complicated by this. Even Halloween can be a challenge for his mother. However, Marcie has some great tips on how to make it manageable and still let the kids be kids. In addition, her page is riddled with a million and one reasons to make you want to help–even if it is only in something as small as the admission price to a haunted house…

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Weather.com is forecasting another wet week for us here in Sacramento, with a high chance of showers through Wednesday. I’m admittedly the last person in the world who would complain about this–I adore the rain and wish it would rain every day. However, I know that the weather will produce all kinds of mischief in children who are bored and have nothing better to do. (It’ll do the same for some adults out there too for that matter!) Thus, I’ve put together a few ideas for fun things that you can do with your children to keep you from driving each other absolutely insane.

The first is simply to get them out of the house so they can’t destroy it Cat in the Hat style. My personal reccommendation would be to cart them off to Fairfield to tour the Jellybelly Factory. It would make an excellent selection for three reasons. The first is that it is a walking tour through a factory–what better way could there be to tire out your kids and let them vent all of their pent up energy? The second is that admission is free so that everyone can have fun without straining the bank accounts too much. The best part though is that it is in Fairfield and not too close to the city itself. It’s about 45 minutes away which makes it close enough to drive and yet far enough away that it probably won’t be too busy or crowded–especially during the weekdays!

If you don’t want to leave the house, then you could always find something creative and time consuming to keep their little minds busy. My personal choice would be scrapbooking. Kids of all ages love arts and crafts projects–especially ones that involve pictures of themselves. They may not get tired out from it, but since it is so time-consuming this is not likely to matter very much. Plus, Teresa McClary has some really wonderful ideas up here at (Scr)apropos so you won’t have to go searching too far for page layout ideas. Her site also has a variety of digital how-to videos that–as I know from personal experience–will help prevent a ton of stress and guarantee that everyone has more fun in the long run…

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Funderland is a relatively small, old-fashioned amusement park geared towards children from 2-12 years of age located in the Land Park Drive area at 1350 17th Avenue. There is no cost for admission to the park. You only have to purchase tickets for the rides. Each ride is one ticket per person. The tickets cost $1.50 each Monday through Friday and $1.75 on weekends and holidays. During the week, you also have the option to purchase an unlimited wristband for $13.50.

The amusement park offers ten different rides and attractions to excite every youngster: The Funderland Train, Dragon Coaster, Airplanes, Oscar the Fish, Himalaya, Back Road Buggies, Tea Cups, the Log Flume, and two carousels. Be advised that there are limitations on who can ride some of the rides. Expectant mothers and individuals who are in casts are NOT permitted to ride any of the rides due to safety concerns. All of the rides also have size limitations at the discretion of the ride operator. The only rides which specified the exact weight allowed were the two carousels–both of which allow riders up to 175 pounds. Many of the rides also have warnings for those who have recently had surgery, those with heart problems and high blood pressure, and people who have had recent back or neck injuries.

In addition to rides, the amusement park also offers a snackbar which is open from 11-5 on Monday through Friday and 10-6 on Saturday and Sunday. They serve a vairety of carnival favorites including corndogs, snow cones, and churros. Just don’t expect to find anything even remotely healthy to eat–it is an amusement park after all. The park also hosts birthday parties for two hours blocks. The price is $124.95 and includes unlimited riding for ten guests and ten free tickets that can be used either at the party or at a later date. You may bring your own food and drinks into the party area, but be advised that you will not be able to cook anything at the park or bring in any alcoholic beverages. For more information, you can contact the park online or call 916-456-0115.

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Now that the weather here in Sacramento is heating up again and we are seeing those atrocious high-nineties to low triple digits, I figured it’d be nice to find a way for everyone to cool off without having to sell your first-borns to pay your SMUD bills. Normally, I’d tell you to go and check out Raging Waters at CalExpo. However, right now they’re probably extradordinarily busy since the California State Fair is still in full swing. Thus, I decided to do some research and I found another water park in the Sacramento area–Golfland SunSplash in Roseville.

SunSplash has a number of waterslides to choose from. Some of the more popular attractions include Stormrider (the Valley’s first four-person waterslide and the first of its kind in the world!), Master Blaster Water Coaster (the only water roller coaster in California), and the two Dark Holes (where you slide in complete darkness). For the more faint at heart, there are also three pools to choose from. Adventure Island is a three and a half foot deep wading pool with small slides for kids to play on. Thunder Bay is a gigantic wave pool which creates waves the are 84 feet long to board on. The third, Bermuda Triangle, is a lazy inner tube raft where everyone can relax and float along the “river.”

In addition to waterslides, Golfland has a number of other attractions to keep you busy all day long. There are two 18-hole miniature golf courses–Adventure Golf and Lost Continent Golf–which they claim are the best miniature golf courses in California. Since it is a miniature golf park, they also have the standards that seem to come with all parks of this sort. They have Go-Karts at the Fastcars Raceway, Lazer Tag in their 5000 square foot arena Lazer Knights, and an arcade with over 200 games to choose from. You can also grab a bite to eat at either their pizza parlor or Subway.

The park is open Monday-Thursday from 10:00AM-10:00PM, Fridays from 10:00AM-midnight, Saturdays from 8:00AM to midnight, and Sundays from 10:00AM-9:00PM. You can purchase tickets online for special discounted rates. They currently have three internet specials running. You can purchase the 4 For Fun Lazer Tag for $20.00 which will save you $6.00, 4 For Fun Mini Golf for $24.00 which saves you $7.00, or Golf and Games which includes one game of mini golf and 10 arcade tokens for $8.00. In addition, you can also purchase entrance tickets to the waterpark itself. The prices are as follows:

General Admission (48” or taller): $24.99
Junior Admission (under 48” tall): $18.99
Toddlers (age 2 and under with an adult): $1.00
Senior Admission (age 62 and over): $12.99
Evening Admission (from 3:00PM-6:30PM): $18.99

They’re kind of pricey, but in comparison to other parks out there the rates are pretty standard for this area. In any case, it’d be much better to pay them then to try and deal with the crowds at Raging Waters. It’d be less of a hassle and probably more fun in the long run…

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Tomorrow (August 11th) from 11:00AM to 3:00PM Fairytale Town will be celebrating their 48th Anniversary with a birthday party for Humpty Dumpty. Kids can meet the world famous Nursery Rhyme star and help him celebrate “his” birthday with special activities, party games, and even birthday cake for everyone! In addition, the Hipwaders will also be present from 12:00PM to 2:30PM on the Mother Goose Stage. They will be performing family fun friendly music and helping kids sing “Happy Birthday” to Humpty. It’s sure to be a blast for all of the little ones. =)

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The Jelly Belly Factory is open daily from 9:00AM-5:00PM at One Jelly Belly Lane in Fairfield, CA. Tours are also offered daily from 9:00AM-4:00PM. However, this is one of those rare places that you should really go to during the week. The factory line does not operate on the weekends so instead of getting to see the candy made in person, you have to watch the process on television screens throughout the factory. Part of the magic of visiting a factory is seeing how it functions so it would be best to go when it is actually open.

The tour itself is a 40 minute walking tour and is completely FREE. Tours are scheduled to leave every 15 minutes. Most days there isn’t a very long line, but waiting times can be up to 90 minutes during peak seasons such as summer, Spring Break, and during the Christmas Season. Strollers and wheelchairs are both welcome on the entire tour as everything is accessible. They even have hearing impaired devices available. The tour teaches the secret to baking up their 150+ varieties of candy and explains why it takes up to twenty days to create one jelly belly bean!! They also demonstrate the creation of taffy, chocolates, and wild gummi critters. At the end of the tour, they give out a free bag of Jelly Belly jelly beans as a complimentary gift. The gift shop also offers free samples of any of their candy.

Make sure you also check out the Jelly Belly Cafe. They are open daily from 11:00AM-3:00PM. They have really nifty pizzas and hamburger which are shaped like jelly beans. They also have a variety of decadent ice cream flavors and an espresso bar for when you simply can’t stand the taste of one more sugary substance. There is literally something to please every palate.

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On Sunday, July 29th, Fairytale Town will be transforming into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in honor of the recent publication of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. From 6:00PM to 9:00PM you can immerse yourself in the beloved world of Harry and Co. You can join Dumbeldore’s Army, celebrate Harry birthday, and even participate in classes like potions, herbology, and divination. There will even be people dressed up like the different characters including Harry, Hagrid, and many of the Hogwarts staff members. Tickets are $7.00 per person or $5.00 for members. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Fairytale Town Store or downloaded and mailed or faxed to the park. You can also purchase them in person at 3901 Land Park Drive, across from the Sacramento Zoo. For all of you adult Harry fans, be aware that adults MUST be accompanied by a child due to city ordinances. This makes me sad as it means I shan’t be going…alas, such is the life of an adult! hehehe…

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The newest member of the Sacramento Zoo was born on May 16th but just made his debut in the exhibit on July 12th. He originally had a twin, but the other baby died shortly after birth–an occurrence that is sadly common in this endangered species. His eight-year-old parents also recently gave birth to a set of triplets early last year. Black and White Ruffled Lemurs can have litters of up to six babies, but smaller ones of two or three are much more common.

Plus, if you go on the 20th, they will also have a special showing of Zoovies featuring Charlotte’s Web. Gates open at 6:30PM with the movie starting at 8:30PM. It would be the perfect way to spend the day with your little ones. Ticket prices are $7.00 for adutls and $5.00 for kids from ages 3-12. This is actually not too bad a deal considering they include admission to the zoo itself as well. Also, if you sign up for the VID (Very Important Dog) prgoram, you can receive one free Bar-S hot dog for yourself and up to three guests. Who says dinner and a movie can’t be free?!! hahaha…

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Scandia Family Fun Center is a Sacndinavian-Themed Miniature Golf Course amusement park located 5070 Hillside Blvd. It was the first of five simillarly themed parks founded by three Scandinavican families in 1977. The others are located in Fairfield, Las Vegas, Victorville, and Ontario. They have two different golf courses that are eighteen holes each whihc meander through a variety of streams, ponds, fountains, and gardens. There are also numerous obstacles including a giant windmill and a Scandinavian castle.

There are also a variety of activities other than golf. The Baltic Sea Bumper Boats provides both an excellent escape from the heat AND a chance to vent any frustrations you may have with your family and friends!! They have batting cages for hardball and softball with speeds ranging from 25-70MPH. You can race each other around the Stockholm Raceway in double-seated go-carts or, if you’re brave enough, seek out an adrenaline rush on the Scandia Screamer!

They have a variety of rates depending on how many different activities you want to do. There are also special discounts available for groups and birthday parties. During the summer, they are open 10:00AM-midnight Sunday-Thursday and from 10:00AM-1:00AM on Friday and Saturday nights. For more information, or for directions, contact Steve Baddley at 916-331-5757 ext 11.

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Since the weather is starting to get to the normal and UNBEARABLE heat that characterizes the typical NorCal summer, I figured it’d be nice to find some sort of relief for all of us. I had thought (along with pretty much everyone I know who lives here) that the water park at Cal Expo had been torn down. However, I recently found out that it’s just under new management now and is no longer being called Waterworld. Instead, it is now being run by Raging Waters. There are now a total of eight thrill rides to choose from including the Shark Attack Complex featuring the tallest and fastest inline water luge in Northern California–The Great White–and the Hurricane Bay Slide in which riders have to navigate through complete darkness. They also have a brand new slide that just opened this year called the Dragon’s Den. In addition, there are other attractions geared more towards children–such as Hook’s Lagoon–so that everyone can have a good time.

The newly rennovated park also now features a variety of activities to make the day more complete. They have sand volleyball pits, horseshoes, and even private cabanas that you can rent for $80-$125 a day if you want somewhere a little bit more private to hang out. The best part though is that they have set out to improve customer satisfaction as well. To that end, they have set up a variety of different sales promotions. To begin with, if you purchase an adult day pass for $29.99 anytime before June 30th, you will automatically receive a free Splash Pass. This will gain you free entry to the park for the rest of the summer–with the exception of a couple of Holidays like the 4th of July and Saturdays before 3:00PM. For ten dollars more, you can get a non-restricted Season Pass. However, you should be aware that prices will be a little bit more during the California State Fair because the park is located at the fairgrounds.

Also, starting this year, the Season Pass is now valid at the other Raging Waters locations in San Jose and San Dimas. The best part though is that they are also now offering a 100% Money Back Guarantee. If you’re not happy with the park, you can get your money back as long as you’re there for no more than an hour. This is pretty nice since it gives you a chance to kind of see what they have to offer (and how busy it is!) and not get penalized if you decide it’s not really your cup of tea.

If you’re not going to be in the area often enough to need a Season Pass, there is an additional discount that you can receive. Stop by the Best Western Expo Inn (located at 1413 Howe Ave) before you go to the park and pick up a flyer next to the Front Desk. On the back, you will find a coupon good for $4.00 off of General Admission. This is extremely worthwhile as the park is located less than a mile from the hotel at 1600 Exposition Blvd. If you’re more into saving time and avoiding lines, you can also purchase your tickets online.

Throughout the summer, the park is open from 10:30AM-6:00PM Monday-Friday and from 10:30AM-7:00PM on Saturdays and Sundays. You can find detailed driving directions here or you can contact the park directly at 916-924-3747.

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…If you’re going to be in twon tomorrow, the Sacramento Zoo is having a California Celebration tomorrow, June 2nd, from 9AM-4PM. They will be celebrating California’s cultural diversity with live entertainment such as the California Middle School Band, the Hmong Women and Men Circle, and Folklorico Aztlan de Sacramento. These performances will take place at the Reptile House Lawn Stage. There will also be special exhibits by Bug Planet, Sacramento Area Beekeepers Association, and Norcal Bats among others. The Zoo will also be celebrating their 80th birthday–a very special occasion as it is also the 80th birthday for their oldest animal on exhibit–Herkimer the Desert Tortoise. They will even be giving him a special veggie cake at 12PM. Be sure to take enough time to just enjoy the many things that the zoo has to offer too. There are over 400 animals on display including Sumatran Tigers, a brand new exhibit of Magellanic Penguins, and the ever popular array of primates =)

The zoo is located at 3930 West Land Park Drive, Sacramento, CA 95822. For more information, call 916-264-5888 or visit saczoo.com. Admission costs are $7.50 for adults and $5.00 for children on the weekends. However, if you take a detour to Best Western Expo Inn (located at 1413 Howe Ave, Sacramento, CA 95825), we have a flyer that doubles as coupon for 50% off for up to six people. If you need directions, you can call us at 916-922-9833. It’s definitely worth the sidetrip–especially if you have a large family like mine

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