Investigating ice skating

Posted in A to Z, Sacramento Sights

Ice? In Sacramento? In April?!

Yes, it can be found!

While Sacramento boasts a few outdoor ice skating rinks during the winter months, you can skate indoors all year round at Skatetown. (Except for Easter Sunday, when they’ll be closed.)

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Photo via Skatetown

In addition to open skating hours for adults and kids, you can also try:

  • Hockey and skating lessons,
  • Join a hockey league,
  • Synchronized skating,
  • Broomball, and
  • Curling

General admission is $10 for adults, $9 for kids 10 and under and seniors (55+) and children 3 and under are free. Discounts are available for active duty and retired military.

You can find Skatetown at 1009 Orlando Avenue in Roseville.

Happening hot springs

Posted in A to Z, Sacramento Sights1 Comment

Another natural resource that folks love to explore in northern California are hot springs. Like soaking in nature’s own Jacuzzi, you can find hot springs in a variety of locations throughout the state. One of the closest to Sacramento is Harbin Hot Springs.

Located approximately 93 miles northwest of Sacramento in Middletown, California, Harbin Hot Springs is one of the oldest hot springs in the state and is owned by the Heart Consciousness Church, operating as a nonprofit retreat center. The site is clothing-optional, and offers massages, yoga, trail hiking, healthy meals and overnight camping in addition to soaking in 8 different pools.

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Photo via Harbin Hot Springs

6-hour day visits cost $20 per person from Monday through Thursday, or $30 per person on weekends and holidays. (Be sure to make reservations online to avoid an additional $5 fee for arriving unannounced.)

For more hot springs locations near Sacramento check out this article from the Sacramento Bee.

Go for the gold

Posted in A to Z, Sacramento Sights

California’s history is tied to the Gold Rush, and people still love to pan for gold in the Sacramento area. One place where you can indulge your gold rush fever is Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park (310 Back Street in Coloma).

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Sutter’s Mill

Located in Coloma, which is 36 miles northeast of Sacramento, you can get a 15-minute gold panning lesson for just $7, and then spend half an hour in search of pay dirt (garnets, fool’s gold and gold flakes). You can also pan recreationally during park hours (10 AM to 4 PM) on the east side of the river across Mount Murphy Bridge.

For more gold panning sites in the Sacramento area, check out this article from Sactown Magazine.