Trains & Jazz in Sacramento

For the three-day weekend we decided it might be fun to take the boys back to the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. Sacramento is always a great getaway, even on a Holiday weekend. You can get a nice hotel fairly cheap, and it never seems to book up.

Jonathan and I were perplexed when our favorite hotel in Sacramento was $200 a night, and the Embassy Suites was sold out. But we did a little research, and stayed at the Governor's Inn which was well priced, clean, nice and near all our favorite places.

Some fun places to eat in Sacramento with kids

I had to volunteer at the Little League Snack Shack, so we couldn't start our adventure until 4 pm on Saturday. Which is okay, we could still make it to Sacramento by 6:30 pm for dinner at our favorite sit-down Mexican restaurant in Northern California Tres Hermanas. The food is yummy, and you don't feel sick later. The boys love the restaurant too. When in Sacramento, we like to eat, and there are lots of great places to discover.

The next day we tried the Tower Cafe for breakfast. It is in an old Tower Records. With lush flowers and world arts and artifacts decorations, the boys liked playing eye-spy in the restaurant. And the breakfast lived up the Yelp reviews ... it was wonderful. Xander, my breakfast connoisseur, loved the bacon, eggs, hashbrowns and french toast. Caleb ate a pancake ... this is a pretty big deal for him. One note, our kids are early risers. We were up and at breakfast at 7:30 am (the restaurant opens at 7 am). When we left at 8:30 am there was already a line forming. We are not alone in thinking this place is pretty great, so either get there early, or be prepared to wait a little.

Trains and ... Jazz

After breakfast we headed to the the California State Railroad Museum. We knew it didn't open until 10 am, but thought we would walk around Old Town Sacramento beforehand. When we got to Sacramento on Saturday we found out why everything was booked. It was the annual Sacramento Jazz Festival. But, what we didn't know was that Old Town was the destination for the festivities.

Since we were early for both the museum and the festival, we found parking - no problem. We had plenty of people watching to see before the museum opened, as the musicians did their soundchecks before the 10 am show.  Once we went in the museum there were musicians set-up near one of the exhibits, and on the train as well. After our train ride, as we were leaving for the day, we stopped to watch some jazz in the family tent, as well as enjoy some traveling troops throughout Old Town.

The Sacramento Jazz Festival also had a street fair like quality. We ended our morning with some kettle corn and fresh lemonade for the boys (their favorite).

We had a wonderful time, and the coincidence of a museum visit during Jazz Festival was great luck, instead of a nuisance. We've been to the museum multiple times. It is immense.  This time we even went for a family membership (we can bring the grandparents, or friends for that matter under our membership), so we'll be back again soon.

Kids Eat Free: Sunday Breakfast at the Hayes Mansion

My five-year old, Xander, loves breakfast. It is his favorite meal of the day. His favorite foods? Eggs, bacon and toast, washed down with a yummy cocoa. So when we find a great brunch where kids eat free, we get excited.

Two weeks ago we tried the Hayes Mansion brunch for the first time. The historic landmark is a conference center and hotel here in San Jose... it is the last place you would expect to have a family friendly and inexpensive, but delicious breakfast. Did I mention the Hayes Mansion is a very nice hotel? Places like this I imagine are pretentious, expensive and not a good place for kids... but I'm very wrong.

The before 10 am on Sunday's kids eat free offer gets you an all you can eat breakfast buffet for a family of four for just under $25. With kids, buffet means different things depending on your kid. Xander eats breakfast like an adult (the kid loves breakfast), and Caleb has a bowl of corn flakes and a few strawberries.

Xander loved the breakfast so much that he begged to go back today, which we did. 

The other appeal is the vicinity of Hayes Mansion to the Edenvale Garden Park.  The park used to be a Frontier Village amusement park that closed in 1980. It now has a lovely woodsy trail, and a great playscape including a rock slide. So, after breakfast we walked to the park for an hour or so of play.

Vicinity to a park is an important criteria for us. It gives us something to do after breakfast, and a way to burn off some energy outdoors before we start our day.  I'm certain we'll become regulars at the Hayes Mansion on Sundays this summer.

The Social Calendar of a 5-Year Old

The last several weekends we've collapsed at the end of the day on Saturday. Exhausted from a non-stop week and an intense Saturday.

Kindergarten graduation is approaching. Our calendar is filled with t-ball games, school events, parties and ice skating. But come June 4 and our calendar will change for the summer.

What happens then? On June 2, Xander graduates from Kindergarten, and on June 4 we play our last t-ball game of the season.  Then what?

We have summer day camp at the Y, and still Saturday morning skating, both boys have summer birthdays, so no reprieve on the party-front. Xander will also start Cub Scouts. But happily we are under-scheduled until soccer begins in August. Just three more weeks, then summer begins early here.

Are we ready to take a long hike with our little boys?

Today was the Willow Glen 5K a big fundraiser for our elementary school. We signed up the family to walk, after all 5K is a little over three miles. I also had an ulterior motive. I was curious as to whether our family had now graduated from nature trail to more serious hikes.

By serious, we're not ready to climb half dome, yet... But it would be great to do some hikes in the three to five mile range.

Taking up the rear we finished the walk/run in one hour and 40 minutes. Not too bad. And although Xander's "socks were on fire" in the last mile we made it without too many complaints.

So now we just need to find a great five mile hike in our area, pack a picnic lunch and head out. It has been more than four years since we've taken a hike that was more than one mile, and I can't wait to get the boys out and about and explore some nature.