Do You Love Craft Fairs?

Main Street in Jackson, CA, for Dandelion Days event with craft fair

Do you love craft fairs like I do? What is it about craft fairs that attracts us? Why do we go? I used to dabble in crafts and often think I’d like to get back into it, but then I tell myself, “Who are you kidding? You can barely keep up with what you already do.” So instead, I go to see what wonderful things other artists have created. Craft fairs range from small local events with a few crafters to huge events with hundreds of crafters that take over entire towns, like in the case of Candy Dance. These larger events usually include entertainment and lots of food. They are almost like going to the circus and are great fun for the whole family. The two-day…

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My Gold Country Spring Bucket List

If you are like me, you see something fun and interesting to do, talk about it, then forget about it. At least that’s what happens to me with a lot of things. I’ve been doing better so far this year, checking out event calendars at least a month ahead and actually scheduling them on my calendar. Things are pretty quiet here in the winter. Oh, there are always things to do, but things really start to hop in the spring. There are some things I missed last year that I definitely want to do this year. Here are the events on my agenda so far for spring. My Spring Bucket List Start on Steiner – 4/9 Start on Steiner is a wine tasting celebration of spring put…

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Cronan Ranch Trail Ride on Multi-Use Trails

We enjoyed a day of natural beauty a camaraderie on our Cronan Ranch trail ride. Cronan Ranch is part of the 25-mile South Fork American River Trail.

When it comes to getting up and getting out, the one thing I did a lot of in Southern California was horseback riding. My riding buddy, Nancy, was always ready to hitch up and trailer out for a trail ride so we were off on a different adventure almost every weekend. The eight weeks after my surgery, in the spring of 2014, was about the only time I didn’t ride and I couldn’t wait for my doctor to give me the go ahead to get back in the saddle. I had a lot of riding buddies in Southern California and at least someone in the group had been to almost every riding destination within a few hours’ drive and knew the trails. Trails were easy…

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Gold Country: What and Where Is It?

Northern CA's Gold Country encompasses ten counties that lie along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains, reaching into the Sacramento Valley.

Northern California’s Gold Country, also known as the Mother Lode, encompasses ten counties that lie along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains, reaching down to the Sacramento Valley. Its name comes from the famous, or infamous, California Gold Rush of 1849 that occurred here. The beauty and scenic variety of this area never ceases to amaze me, with its rivers and waterfalls, dense pine and cedar forests, rolling green hillsides dotted with cows and horses, sweeping vineyards, natural caverns and so much more. And, oh the history! I’m finding that the more I learn about the history of the area, the more I want to know. A Very Brief History of Gold Country The history of California and its Gold Country is fascinating and is…

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