fun things to do: The Victory Steps, Verrado Arizona
- 04/03/23 05:19 PM
We decided to try some hiking West of our home in Goodyear, Arizona, this week. We have been hearing about the Victory Steps in Verrado and decided to give them a try. There are over 300 steps that lead to a beautiful view of the surroundings. The hike started off with optimism, but I quickly learned why I had received two caution warnings. I fell less than 15 seconds into the hike. There was only a skinned knee and a slightly bruised ego, but it was a good reminder that the stairs are irregular. Be careful! The Views
Once
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fun things to do: My First Cactus League Game!
- 03/11/23 11:08 AM
I have been an avid baseball fan for my whole life, but have never made it to a Cactus League Game (spring training in Arizona). It is something that I have been looking forward to doing for years, but I had never made it a priority. Last Monday, that all changed. My buddy, Jim, called me and invited me to the Reds v. Rockies game at Goodyear Park. It was a blast! The ballpark was beautiful. The spring-like weather was perfect for an evening game. We really enjoyed watching the game between the Reds and the Rockies. Jim and I had a
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fun things to do: Pickleball! It's What's Happening in Addison!
- 03/02/23 08:30 AM
It is remarkable the trajectory that pickleball has been on the last few years. I think we are still just at the beginning of its growth. Of course, when one of my colleagues write about the sport, I feel compelled to share it, especially when it conveys the fun loving and social aspects of the game. If you seek out the pickleball groups in your area, you will find friendly people ready to invite you on the courts and teach you the game. As Lorrie Semler, REALTOR® in the Dallas area. Call/text 972-416-3417 says in her post, "Pickleball is fun and great
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fun things to do: Farm to Fort with David Garibaldi
- 10/23/22 02:23 PM
Runnin for Rhett's inaugural Farm to Fort event was held last night. The event featured numerous local restaurants serving tasty bites of their fair along with samples of local wine, beer and spirits. Historic Sutter's Fort was the perfect cozy venue to enjoy the delightful fall evening and the night's entertainment, David Garibaldi's energetic painting of two American icons. His first painting was a very vibrant Mickey Mouse. It is amazing how Mr. Garibaldi uses broad brush strokes, flings paint at the canvas and, for lack of a better description, finger painting to create such unique artwork. How quickly can you
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fun things to do: Fun Things to do Near Elk Grove-Wine Tasting
- 10/01/22 04:24 PM
We are blessed to have some great wineries within a short distance from Elk Grove. There are some fun place to go in Clarksburg, just West of Elk Grove on the Delta. There is the Lodi area and, of course, there is the world famous Napa area less than two hours away. We recently visited the Amador Wine Region. With over 40 wineries to choose from in the area, there is a lot of variety. We visited Jeff Renquist Wines, Rombauer and Villa Toscano. Jeff Renquist Wines We thoroughly enjoyed our time here. The gentleman that poured us our wine was very friendly
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fun things to do: Prices Down! Real Estate Market Update for Elk Grove, 9/14/2022
- 09/14/22 01:54 PM
The sales price of single family homes in Elk Grove is still up over the last year, but since the Fed started raising interest rates earlier this year, the average price of homes has dropped 7% from $703,000 to $654,000. On Average, homeowners have lost $49,000 in a very short period of time. It is clear that the Fed will be raising interest rates again at their next meeting. They have made their strategy very clear. It is too bad they did not take their mandate more seriously and address inflation much earlier instead of waiting until it was so entrenched. It
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fun things to do: Allan Witt Park-New Pickleball Courts!
- 08/20/22 06:50 PM
Our friends from the Solano Pickleball Club invited our Elk Grove group to join them for a big party at Allan Witt Park to celebrate two of their member's birthdays and their brand new courts. Their club is always so gracious. They treated us to some really tasty food and, more importantly, some very spirited, but friendly competition. And take a look at the courts. They are fantastic! We like the club and the courts enough that we are already planning our next trip back. It is an hour's trip each way from Elk Grove so you know we must have
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fun things to do: Our Trip to Israel
- 07/09/22 05:31 PM
I have to admit that our trip to Israel was not on the top of my most wanted places to visit, but Mary Margaret really wanted to go so away we went. Three flights, two lay overs and a bus ride and we made it just in time for a late dinner and bed. It worked out well. We were fresh and ready to go the next morning. We spent eight days in Israel and had a very tight itinerary. It is a blur. In Jerusalem, we visited the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, David's Tomb, the Church of the
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fun things to do: Our Favorite Garden Art Destination, Lomeli Statuary
- 06/05/22 06:51 PM
Our favorite destination for yard art, pots, statues and fountains is Lomeli Statuary. I bet we have been visiting this place of business for over 30 years. We have purchased several items to decorate our yard over the years. We just visited Lomeli Statuary again a few days ago and look who greeted us! There were several other beautiful peacocks strolling through the gardens and even a few babies. The babies were so cute. It was a pleasant surprise. We are always surprised by the diversity of items at Lomeli Statuary. There is so much more to see, but I
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fun things to do: Chihuly in the Desert...Amazing! ! !
- 04/14/22 01:27 PM
I have wanted to take my wife, Mary Margaret, to the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix for quite sometime now. Recently, we had the chance to visit and we stumbled onto the, Chihuly in the Desert, exhibit. It is a remarkable display of Chihuly's work. I loved the sophisticated glass artwork displayed against the rugged beauty of the desert, especially after the sun went down. If you are in the area, you really need to view it, but hurry. It is scheduled to end June 19th. You will not be disappointed! Please subscribe to my Youtube Channel to see my upcoming videos!
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fun things to do: 2022 USA Pickleball Southwest Regional Tournament
- 03/26/22 09:20 PM
I was warming up this morning when this guy comes walking up behind me and says, "Hey, bend those knees if you want to hit a better shot." I barely looked over my shoulder and thought, "Really, it is starting already at 7:30!" I was focused so intently on pickleball that I missed that it was Brian England and, quite frankly, he was right. He hung around and watched us win one match and then lose the next too. Once I was out of the men's doubles competition we may have enjoyed the spoils of losing, a couple adult beverages! Thank
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fun things to do: Waterfalls and Rainbows!
- 01/28/22 07:45 AM
One of our favorite hikes in the Sacramento area is an up and back hike that starts at the confluence of the Middle Fork and North Fork of the American River and ends at Lake Clementine. It is mostly a gently sloping hike up to the lake with an easier return trip that is mostly down hill. It is about just about a four mile hike round trip and you get to enjoy the North Fork of the American River the whole way. It is a beautiful hike, especially in the winter when everything is so green, and in the
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fun things to do: Apple Hill, then Apple Butter!
- 10/24/21 12:45 PM
We recently visited Apple Hill to celebrate our anniversary and purchased a bunch of really great tasting apples. We decided to try making apple butter for the first time. I used the crock pot recipe found in this article, Apple Butter (3 Ways!), as a rough guide. It is pretty easy. There is an option to peel or not peel all of the apples. We chose not to peel them. Was I being lazy? Maybe. Did it turn out really good? Yes and the author of the article says that it adds extra structure to the apple butter. We have a pretty
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fun things to do: Apple Hill, Porcelain and 31 Years of Bliss
- 10/10/21 11:11 AM
Thirty one years of marriage and all my wife wanted was a trip to Apple Hill and a new toilet. I did not know that porcelain was the preferred gift for thirty one years of marriage, but who am I to argue. Apple Hill is about an hour's drive up Highway 50 from Elk Grove. It is a perfect place to visit for the day. It is open year around, but really comes alive during apple season with all kinds of fun things to do. There are pumpkin patches, mazes, craft shops, bake shops, wine and hard cider tastings, you pick farms
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