Tourist in my Town: Hidden Falls

We recently went on a family hike in Hidden Falls Regional Park.  We really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.  I had not been hiking since my single days, and my husband had never been on a hike.  This was a beautiful, but tough adventure, and I cannot wait to do it again. 

At the end of our hike, 6.2 miles later, we completed our hike! 

Here's a funny clip from the beginning of our hike when Luna thought I was running without her.

Tourist in my Town: Crocker Museum + Tower Bridge

Every Saturday after Luna's ballet class we like to take advantage while we are out and about, and get some exploring in.  On this particular weekend we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Sampino's, and then headed to one of our favorite places the Crocker Museum. 

The featured exhibit was the Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads which was awesome.  I already knew I was in the year of the Horse, and it was great reading up on my husband's year of the Ram and Luna's year of the Snake.  

After the museum, we continued our walk in old town towards the Tower Bridge. 

Tourist in my Town: SF Market & Huong Lan Sandwiches

Last weekend I decided it was time to venture off our regular weekend adventures, and step outside the box.  Every weekend I try to make a more elaborate meal for us, but sometimes I get in a slump. I had been craving a mojarra (fried Mexican fish), but I did not want to have it fried. I looked up some inspiration, and voila we are grilling fish on our barbecue and eating outside Mediterranean style.

I had heard about SF Market, but had yet to go there.  For foodies this is a mecca of Asian food, artisan goods, and for us a field trip.

Our first duty was to feed the belly of a hangry toddler (don't let the photo fool you!).  We headed to Huong Lan Sandwiches.  My husband ordered a barbecue pork sandwich (not pictured), Luna had egg rolls and I had shrimp spring rolls and green salad.  All-in-all our lunch was great, and glad to know after the fact they have great reviews on Yelp.

After lunch we walked over to SF Market with our goal in mind which was to buy fresh fish for dinner.  Luna was excited to see all the "sharks," and lucky for us we did not have to explain to her.

After selecting our fish,Luna and I headed to the fun aisles (while my husband dealt with the fish purchase). 

I loved the kitchen aisle.  They had so many great pots,pans, tea sets and utensils. As always though, Luna made out with some goodies.  I could not resist the little Hello Kitty chopsticks. 

If you missed how I prepared our whole fish, here they are below and here. They are stuffed with fresh herbs, garlic, lemons slices, salt and pepper. I let them marinade and then my husband put them on the barbecue on low heat. Our meal was delicious. 

The three of us ended up having a fantastic day, and I was so glad I pushed us to step out of our comfort zone and continue to explore our surrounding areas. 

If you have been inspired to explore your own town, please let me know how its going or send me a message.  I would love to here all about it. 

Tourist in my Town: Gather Nights

Last Thursday we headed to Gather Nights in the Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento. There website says its a night of community and culinary delight, and they are right. 

As you all may know, I lean towards eating Paleo, and therefore, my family and I ate a light dinner before heading out because I was not sure if they would have any healthy options. Though we did leave room for a light snack/dessert. So if you are on a budget or are not sure if you want to eat there, it is definitely worthwhile. They have a DJ playing great music, cute dogs, lots of people watching and a variety of food options. We are already planning to attend their next gathering on Thursday, August 13th. 

Luna and I were happy girls to be out on the town! 

It was crowded with lots of young families and hipsters. Plus the music was on point!

These two did not waste any time eating up their Daves Pops (ice cream without the cream--Ahmazing!).  We also enjoyed some yummy healthy treats from the Granola Girl food truck. 

We ended the night out with an obligatory family selfie! 

Tourist in my Town: Nimbus Fish Hatchery

This summer one of my goals is to become a tourist in my city and surrounding areas.  I think most of us plan on taking road-trips or vacations elsewhere, but we end up missing the great local places around us. Since I am not originally from Sacramento/Northern California area, I know there are a lot of places we must check out. I hope this post inspires you to be a tourist in your city, as well as, provides great ideas of where to go if you live locally or visiting Northern California. 

Our first place we visited is the Nimbus Fish Hatchery.  In all honesty, I had no idea what it was or where to go, which I learned after the fact I have driven past several times. 

We attended the last Toddler Time event which was so much fun. Luna was in heaven with so many kids, coloring & painting, story time and lastly we walked down for views of the water. Here's a link to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery Facebook page which is best to keep up on their schedule and events. The next toddler time sessions will begin in October. 

Its so easy to forget all the gems we have nearby! This was a great start to our adventure of being tourists in our own town. I highly recommend you check out the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, and to become a tourist in your own town.