Kid-Friendly Sacramento Hotel

I am desperate for a couple of days of heat before fall sets in and would like to take a family vacation in Sacramento. Does anyone know of somewhere to stay there? I would prefer to stay close to Old Town. Thank you for any information! Searching for Summer

Things to do in Sacramento with kids

We're headed to Sacramento for a few days with our 1 year old and 5 year old. We know that we'll spend at least one day at the train museum but wanted to get recommendations for other fun, kid-friendly activities in the area. Has anyone been to Sacramento lately? Have any suggestions for things to do? Thanks Sharie

http://www.folsom.ca.us/depts/parks_n_recreation/zoo/default.asp

There's also Children's Fairyland which is always fun for little kids- it's near the Sacramento Zoo, ...http://www.fairyland.org/

Old Sacramento is also an interesting couple of hours--old west style with tons of shops, ice cream/candy stores etc, I think there's a train ride over there also.

When you drive over the Yolo causeway prior to entering Sacramento, there's a really cool little drive through a bird sanctuary... you don't even have to get out of the car!

http://www.yolobasin.org/wildlife.cfm lisa

For some grownup fun also, check out the River Cats AAA baseball team. (www.rivercats.com) The new-ish stadium is just across the river from Old Town. Sloping lawn tickets are under $10, and there are many promotions. Sunday day games are 'kids days' with mascots and running the bases after the game. See your future Oakland A's in a much nicer setting!

FairyTale Town in Land Park would be really fun and easy for both the 1 and 5 year old.

McKinley Park in East Sacramento (35th and F) has a big playground, an old-fashioned library, and a duck pond, and is THE place for a jog.

In downtown, Southside Park at 6th and T has two large playgrounds, but the neighborhood is a little seedy.

On Sunday mornings under the elevated freeway at about 5th and W/X, there is a farmer's market that is the largest around with lots of local produce, fish, meats and cheese.

Have fun! Sac Parent

Birthday party in sacramento/davis for 2-4yo

I'm looking for a birthday party site in the sacramento/davis area for a group of kids between the ages of 2 and 4yo. Any ideas? Or does anyone know the name of their local ''parent press'' newspaper or if they have anything similar to bpn? party planner

Some Davis favs...Central Park, the Rainbow Park, the Hobby Craft does birthday parties, UC Davis Games Area has bowling parties for young kids with bumpers.

Sacramento: Sacramento Zoo, Fairytale Town right next to the zoo, train museum in old town.

There is also a jump place in Vacaville that is fun and a place called Stars Recreation -- it has it all -- food, bowling, parties, etc.

And you can't forget the Nut Tree in Vacaville! The little train and kid rides are great. My 3.5 year old loves 'em. And let's not forget that next month FENTON'S is opening a location right next door. You can't go wrong! Good luck! The Davis-raised and Sacramento-lovin' fool!

I don't know as much about Sac, but you could check the parent's monthly (http://www.parentsmonthlyonline.com/) for ideas. The Sac Zoo and Fairytale Town are right across the street from each other, and Fairytale Town would be fun for a preschooler's party (http://www.fairytaletown.org/rental/birthday/index.html). There is also a small amusement park located across from the zoo, with pony rides and small roller coasters...I can't remember the name. Good luck, and remember it gets reeeeeeeally hot up here in the summer. already turned my A/C on

Toddler/kid fun in Davis?

Does anyone know of some fun parks, play areas, etc. in the Davis area? Or someplace off I-80 in that general area? I'm trying to figure out a good meeting point between here (Richmond) and Sacramento along I-80, so a friend and I can get together more often. Her daughter is 1 1/2, and my kids are 3 1/ 2 and 6 mos. It doesn't have to be too fancy--a good park would do--just somewhere where the kids could play and we could talk and maybe grab a nearby bite to eat. Thanks! Christine

Another option is that each of you could take the Capital Corridor train to Suisun or some such mid point. Suisun is trying to revitalize and has a quaint park area along the water (and near the train station and downtown). While I know there is grass and trees, I'm just not sure if there is playground equipment Good luck and feel free to email me for more suggestions. Kristin

A brochure about City of Davis Play Areas can be found at: http://www.city.davis.ca.us/topic/topic.cfm?story=playareas Dept.: Parks & Community Services Phone: (530) 757-5626 Wepage: www.city.davis.ca.us/pcs/ Have Fun! Aggie

Sacramento Train Museum / Train Trip

Re: Winter birthday party for outdoorsy 5-year-old
While my idea won't work with 10 kids you might consider for another year. Two of my sons have winter birthdays so I have been in your shoes. A couple of years ago for the 6th birthday of one of them, all of us (family only) took the train from Emeryville to Sacramento. Once then, we walked the block and a half to the train museum. It was a great trip for all us and the train was so fun and easy - take your own snacks though. He wants to do it again this year! If you consider it, check with Amtrak as they often have specials, kids free, etc. Have fun! Birthday mom

We are taking a train trip to Sacramento over Thanksgiving weekend to visit the Train Museum. Can anyone recommend good kid-friendly places for lunch and dinner, as well as a nice park for buring off some energy? All would need to be within walking distance of the museum. Thanks

More on train rides: Recently we took our 2 year old son to Sacramento via the Amtrak train. He rode free, we paid $17.50 each, RT. We boarded at the Berkeley stop at the end of University. My son loves trains and was delighted to be on the trains that we hear go by all the time. He ran non-stop up and down the bi-level cars. While we didn't get to rest, it was a comfortable trip. You can get train schedules (but not fares) on the web http://superior.berkeley.edu/Transit/Carriers/Amtrak/Scheds/wc_caps.html or http://www.dfw.net/felsware/trakrouter.html

With some friends who met us at the train station, we first strolled around old town Sacramento. It's similar to a beachside boardwalk - the shops contain much useless, but fun (for some) stuff. There is an old steam train which goes down the river about 3 miles. That ride takes about 40 minutes. Costs $5 for adults, little kids are free. The big draw was the train musuem, which is very close to the Amtrak station. I think it costs about $6 for adults; again, the little kids are free. There are lots of exhibits for all different ages. The kids had a great time running around.

If you like shopping, there is a relatively new mall with all the stores one could want nearby. There's a walkway under the freeway with murals and piped in music. There are also huge parking garages there.

It was definitely an exciting trip for my son. I thought he would nap on the way home, but he too charged and continued to run around the cars. Now he constantly talks about going to Sacramento.

Martha