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This Saturday, September 27, 2008 anyone can fish for free, without a license! So, grab the kids and the fishing rods & head to the nearest river or pond & drop in a line! This is being promoted by the State of California, Department of Fish and Game as a way to enjoy California’s natural resources. This is open to adults and children. Normal restrictions still apply on size, limit and stream closures.

There is also a “Fishing in the City” event at Elk Grove Park from 8:30am until Noon to welcome newcomers to the sport. Instructions and equipment will be available.

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If you’re new to the Sacramento area, one of the first things you’ll probably want to find is where the shopping malls are located. There are several in the greater Sacramento area, from the open-air Downtown Plaza to the expanding Roseville Galleria.

Arden Fair
Location: Sacramento, CA
Anchor Stores: JC Penney, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Sears
For many years, Arden Fair reigned supreme, as far as indoor shopping malls. It’s light, airy, has nice stores, and parking isn’t bad (except for around holidays). Nextdoor is the Marketplace at Arden Fair with restaurants & a movie theater.

Country Club Plaza
Location: Sacramento, CA
Anchor Stores: Bed Bath & Beyond, Gottschalks, Macy’s, Ross Dress For Less, Sport Chalet
Renovated in 2003, Country Club Plaza is the area’s smallest indoor shopping mall. It doesn’t nearly get as much traffic as the other malls, which may be an attraction for many shoppers.

Sunrise Mall
Location: Citrus Heights, CA
Anchor Stores: Albertsons, JC Penney, Macy’s Women’s & Children, Macy’s Men’s & Home, Sears, United Artists 4
With the addition of a food court in 2007, Sunrise Mall is one of the area’s oldest indoor shopping malls. It has the typical stores found in a typical mall, but does have a United Artists movie theater.

Westfield Downtown Plaza
Location: Downtown Sacramento, CA
Anchor Stores: Century Theatres 7, Hard Rock Cafe, Macy’s, Macy’s Mens & Furniture
Downtown Plaza is an open-air mall located near Capital Mall and I-5. It houses a large indoor food court and movie theater, but also has a fair number of vacancies.

Westfield Galleria at Roseville
Location: Roseville, CA
Anchor Stores: Borders Books, Crate & Barrel, JC Penney, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Sears
The Roseville Galleria, located at Hwy 65 and Galleria Blvd, is the gem of the shopping malls in the area. It has many upscale stores and is expanding, but parking can be a major hassle.

The Sacramento River is the largest river in California, stretching 327 miles from Mt. Shasta down to the the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which empties into the San Francisco Bay. The river snakes its way from Northern to Central California, passing I-5 several times along a path that takes it past Redding, Sacramento and Davis. Sacramento and San Joaquin valley farmers utilize the Sacramento River for irrigation and the Sacramento Valley basin is a major source of drinking water for the state. Ocean going ships are able to navigate up the river from the San Francisco Bay to Sacramento via the Port of Sacramento’s deep water channel.

Beginning in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the American River runs all the way to the Sacramento River, near I-5 and Richards Blvd, where Discovery Park is located. Along the way the American River flows into Folsom Lake, created by the Folsom Dam. Water is released from the Folsom Dam into Lake Nimbus, which is created by the Nimbus Dam. The American River, as it flows toward Downtown Sacramento, is bordered by the American River Parkway and various State Parks.

The Tower Bridge, dedicated by Gov. Frank Merriam on Sun, December 15, 1935, was the first vertical lift bridge in the California highway system, replacing the M Street steel swing span. Originally painted silver, the Tower Bridge was painted a yellowish color in 1976 and then, due to a controversial online vote, it was repainted in 2002. The new color is supposedly gold, but that’s debatable. The Tower Bridge connects Downtown Sacramento to West Sacramento and is frequently used by people attending River Cats games at Raley Field.

Map 1 Northwest - Including: Antelope, Arden-Arcade, Downtown, McClellan AFB, North Sacramento, North & South Natomas, Point West, Sacramento International Airport, Rio Linda

Map 2 Northeast – Including: Carmichael, Citrus Heights, City of Folsom, Fair Oaks, Gold River, Orangevale, Rancho Cordova

Map 3 South Sacramento – Including: Elk Grove, Laguna, Land Park, Meadowview, Oak Park, Pocket Area, Sheldon, South Land Park, Vineyard

Map 4 South County - Including: Delta Area, Galt, Isleton, Wilton

Map 5 Downtown Detail – Including: Central Business District, CSUS, Midtown, Old Sacramento, State Capitol, surrounding neighborhoods

Map 6 American River Bike Trail – Includes restrooms, telephones, parking and access points along this popular bikeway that extends from Old Sacramento to Folsom Lake

Source

The American River Parkway is well known for its bike paths, horse trails and parks. It runs from Old Sacramento, just past Downtown Sacramento, to Folsom Lake in Folsom, CA (about 30mi). There is river access for vehicles along several points where people start or end their rafting trips. If you’re in for a nice bike ride, you’ll pass California State University, Sacramento, Cal Expo, Discovery Park and many more smaller parks and attractions. When the weather is nice, the bike trails can be crowded and some bikers use it as their own race course. Walkers are to stay on the left side, facing on coming bicycle traffic and bikers use the right lane, as on city streets. The parkway is also home to much of the area’s natural wildlife including deer, coyotes, skunks, snakes and the occasional mountain lion. Warnings are usually given by the media when mountain lion sightings occur.

American River Parkway Official Site

Old Sacramento is a place that every resident and tourist should visit at least once. Families, especially kids, will enjoy the historic western atmosphere with wooden sidewalks, buildings, railroad museum and close proximity to the Sacramento River. Most people will see everything there is to see that first time, but many locals enjoy some of the antique, costume, and novelty shops. There are also several restaurants unique to Old Sac and fun events in June during Gold Rush Days, such as mock gun fights, mining camps, etc. Keep in mind that parking in Old Sac can be a pain, but you can make use of nearby parking garages.

Old Sacramento Official Site