Lake Tahoe for Valentine’s Day, or, anytime; take the sunglasses and binoculars!

Emerald Bay on Lake Tahoe's western shore is perhaps the most photographed point around the stunning lake!

The Tower of Nations at entrance to Squaw Valley is testimony to the countries that took part in the 1960 Winter Olympics.

Several friends, and my wife, upon reading my recent Record feature and blog about romantic Valentine’s Day destinations in northern California, all noted “you omitted Lake Tahoe?”.  OK, perhaps a big oversight.  Revisiting my list of destinations within a few hours of the Central Valley, let’s include that lovely destination.

Six weeks into winter, and the "big storm" dumping mainly rain at the lake…Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierra have little snow.  The ski areas are surviving primarily on man-made snow on selected runs, and motels, hotels and restaurants are running at reduced capacity.  With little snow in the forecast, and days reaching into spring-time 65 degree temps, it’s a great place for a one-day or weekend Valentine’s Day road trip!   Take your hiking shoes, sunglasses and bikes!

For the most scenic drive (admitting in advance we like Tahoe’s  north shore), from Sacramento, go east on US Highway 50 into South Lake Tahoe, then go  north on Highway 89, trekking up the magnificent lake’s west shore.  A fun and romantic place for libation on the way include Camp Richardson’s Beacon Restaurant for lunch, always a fine lake-front restaurant with views of the almost snowless Sierra across the lake. 

And, make time to stop above Emerald Bay and take in the view that has been the subject of a billion photos over the years!  You will find gorgeous views all along the lake's western and northern shore; stop and enjoy the scenery with your sweetheart!

A bit further north, consider a detour off Hwy. 89 into Granlibakken Resort, Tahoe’s oldest ski and tubing area since 1922.  With only a small ski and tubing hill, it offers historic lodging and another good place for lunch.

Our favorite destination is the Tahoe City area and the stretch further northeast to King’s Beach.  In and around Tahoe City, and at Squaw Valley, you can discover ghosts  of the 1960 Winter Olympics, which took place on the lake's western shores (for cross-country and biathlon events) and at Squaw Valley for the balance.  That stretch of lake shore also offers multiple lodging choices, from vintage motels, bed and breakfasts to upscale hotels.

Favorite places to dine, particularly for Valentine’s Day: Plump Jack at Squaw Valley, River Ranch Lodge and Restaurant on the Truckee River at entrance into Alpine Meadows Road and Gar Woods on the lake at Carnelian Bay.  For perhaps the finest breakfast on the north shore in a rustic setting, try Rosie’s at Tahoe City; get a table near the fireplace and order a Bloody Mary!

Hence, if you're seeking a weekend, romantic getaway, consider North Tahoe (or the Russian River/N. CA coast, Gold Country like Murphys or Sutter Creek, or Old Sacramento, all profiled in my previous post) – but,  book soon, lest all the good lodging and restaurant options are sold-out!

How to get there: From Stockton: go north on I-5 to Sacramento, then east on Highway 50 to South Lake Tahoe, take Hwy. 89 north to Tahoe City; it’s about a three hour drive.

What to take: Binoculars, camera, good walking shoes and snacks for the trip. Bikes if you are a cyclist; for all these old towns are bike-friendly!

For more information:  Tahoe City Visitor Information Center, 100 North Lake Blvd, next to the Fanny Bridge at the Wye in Tahoe City, CA 96145; (530) 581-6900; www.GoTahoeNorth.com

For additional travel destination inspiration, see my blog: http://LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com; to contact me, tviall@msn.com.

Happy travels in the West!

The view from the Squaw Valley tram, looking down on the base area and the main site for the 1960 Winter Olympics!

Valentine's Day destinations for you and your sweetheart in Northern California

The Delta King, built in Sacramento in 1927, is now a floating hotel and restaurant,
 moored on the Sacramento River at Old Sacramento.

Docents and members of the Sacramento Historical Society stroll the Old Sacramento boardwalks during Easter weekend in 2014.

Sutter Creek has one of the Gold Rush country's best preserved main streets.

The historic Murphys Hotel anchors a main drag with quaint shops, wine-tasting establishments and fine restaurants.

The Point Arena Lighthouse is one of the more photographed portions of the
California coast above Jenner and the Russian River

Another wind-swept view of the rugged California coast just north of Jenner and the Russian River.

Valentine's Day is fast approaching – if you're looking for special destinations in Northern California, several pop quickly into my wife's and my mind!  In 45 years of marriage, my wife has taught me that a special Valentine’s destination has these attributes: scenic, somewhat secluded, fine and somewhat-dressy restaurant(s) nearby, nice lodging if we are spending the night and a sense of history (the latter, my inclusion).  Include flowers and candle-lit dinner, and she is happy!

These destinations are, respectively, to our northeast, just north and east of Stockton and the Valley; each are 2.5 hours or less to reach and a scenic drive gets you there!

The Russian River and Northern California coast are less than three hours to our northwest.  The Russian River and its valley offers an epic romantic getaway, lined with vineyards, deep forests and spritely old towns, and the California coast north and south of the river provides a stunning bonus. The river offers several lovely towns like Guerneville and Jenner, complete with nice restaurants, motels and bed and breakfast accommodations.

The north coast above Jenner offers more of the same with ongoing quaint towns like Gualala, Albion, Mendocino and Fort Bragg, in addition to a stunning, rocky and windswept coast. Just above Jenner, you'll find the old Fort Ross Salt Point State Park and the Point Arena Lighthouse all worthy of exploration.  Or, head south of Jenner to find the towns of Bodega Bay and Bodega (those swooping gulls and blackbirds will remind you of Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’, filmed in both towns!).

Favorite restaurants for that special Valentines meal include Rivers End in Jenner, looking down on the mouth of the Russian River and a resident sea lion colony, and further north, Sea Ranch, with first rate accommodations and a fine restaurant looking out over the ocean.  Bodega Bay offers The Tides Wharf Restaurant, right on the bay where sea lions often frolic outside your window! The Jenner Inn and Sea Ranch are upscale places to stay, and, for winter campers, beautiful state park campgrounds can be found both north and south of the Russian River.

Gold Rush country and its quaint, historic towns lie just an hour east of Stockton.  With an ongoing non-winter, it's virtually like late spring in the Highway 49/Gold Rush corridor. Of several score of historic towns, two wonderfully preserved and walkable cities, Murphy's and Sutter Creek, top our list.

Both are centers of wine-growing regions and offer a number of winetasting locations right on main streets, lots of interesting shops, fine restaurants and both are rich in history and evidence of the Gold Rush in the 1850s and 60s. Each are eminently walkable with boardwalks and lightly traveled main drags, and offer nearby lodging, from bed-and-breakfasts to cozy motels.  Each town celebrates and preserves its history, when many 49ers made fortunes by placer and hard-rock mining over 150 years ago.

Favorite restaurants include both The Murphy's Hotel and Alchemy in Murphy's and the Hotel Sutter and Susan’s Place in Sutter Creek (all very Valentine’s Day worthy!).  Pizza Plus in Sutter Creek is not only the cleanest pizza place in the Sierra foothills, but also offers great pizza and wonderful service!

Old Sacramento, an historic and gourmet destination, is closest to Stockton and due north just 45 miles. Old Sac is a long-time favorite, with 20 some square blocks of Sacramento's founding history preserved, plenty of great restaurants and cafés, the California Railroad Museum on the north end, the western terminus of the Pony Express in the middle, California Auto Museum to the south, and the Crocker Art Museum just a few blocks walk to the southeast.  Several miles of old boardwalk and plenty of cute shops make it a stroller’s delight!

For a spectacular and romantic place to stay, the old Delta King riverboat moored on the waterfront is a favorite, including a scenic and quality restaurant. A number of other fine restaurants are located in Old Sac, including several we treasure, as will other sweethearts; The Firehouse, Fat City and River City Cafe.  Include Steamers along the waterfront for a cozy café that includes great baked goods to start your morning!

Old Sacramento shops offer bike rentals, hospitality guides share maps and insights on want to see and what to do and the mighty Sacramento River rolls steadily by on the west.   Hornblower Cruises offers river tours, or hop a horse-drawn carriage for a romantic ride through the old city!

Lastly, if you are staying close to Stockton, I can recommend the Stockton Kiwanis Crab Feed, Saturday, Valentine’s Day at St. Basil’s Church, March Lane in Stockton, 6 PM (email me for info)!  My wife isn’t so keen on that idea, so I will take her out to a sweetheart dinner on the 13th, perhaps CoCoRo on Stockton's resurgent Miracle Mile!

Hence, if you're seeking a weekend, romantic getaway, consider these destinations and book soon, lest all the good lodging and restaurant options are sold-out!

How to get there: From Stockton: for the Russian River, take Hwy. 12 west out of Lodi all the way to Sebastapol, then Hwy. 101 north to Santa Rose, then Hwy. 116 to Guerneville and Jenner.  For Murphys, take Hwy. 4 east to Murphys, for Sutter Creek, take Hwy. 88 northeast, go north a mile on Hwy. 49; for Old Sacramento, go north on I-5.

What to take: Binoculars, camera, good walking shoes and snacks for the trip. Bikes if you are a cyclist; for all these old towns are bike-friendly!

For more information:  Russian River, russianriver.com, 877.644.9001; Murphys, visitmurphys.com, or email info@visitmurphys.com; Sutter Creek, suttercreek.org, 209.267.1344; Old Sacramento, oldsacramento.com, 916.442.8575.

For additional travel destination inspiration, see my blog: http://LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com; to contact me, tviall@msn.com.

Happy travels in the West!

Spring training; Arizona's Cactus League brings Giants, A's, Indians and 12 other major league teams in early February!

Cleveland Indians warm up across the field from the San Francisco Giants in this March, 2014 Cactus League game.

Member of the Indians signs autographs and chats with fans before game against the Giants.



Chicago Cubs new field in Mesa opened in 2014, allowing the Cubs to set a Cactus League attendance record.

Scoreboard in Sloan Field, with happy fans, in new ballpark in Mesa, AZ.



Author's spouse, Susan, posed next to Welcome to Old Town Scottsdale sign. Scottsdale has a stylish old town, a throwback to the 1960s.  For a great lunch, try the nearby Pink Pony Restaurant!

Red rocks and stark bluffs surround the quaint, artistic town of Sedona, just 130 miles north of Phoenix.

The Grand Canyon is also north of Phoenix, and makes for a good detour on way from California.

The Super Bowl is now history, we’ve thankfully finished those interminable college football bowl games, and the NBA and NHL are in full swing.

But, for diehard baseball fans, spring training in Arizona and Florida will soon be underway! For fans of the San Francisco Giants, Oakland A's, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians and 10 other teams – the Phoenix area is Spring Training Central, in mid-February through end of March.

Said owner Bill Veeck in 1976, “That's the true harbinger of spring, not crocuses or swallows returning to Capistrano, but the sound of a bat on a ball.”

The Cactus League, as spring training in Phoenix is called, is home to half of major-league teams; the other half train in Florida’s Grapefruit League. In Phoenix, the teams spend their workouts and competitive Cactus League games at 11 ballparks, with several teams sharing the same park.

Ball fans can frequently take in two games in one day by visiting the same park for a day game, followed by an evening game, or take in games at two different parks, just miles apart.

During spring training, fans can see players up-close and personal. Our experience last spring was that members of the San Francisco Giants and the Cleveland Indians chat alongside the fence, joke and have a good time with fans. We watched as the Giants took a 10-2 lead over the Cleveland Indians (yes, I am an Indian’s fan), then the Indians came back to take the game, 11 to 10. Players on both teams chatted with fans between innings, and acted as if they delighted in the game.

All the Phoenix-area ballparks are much smaller than MLB stadiums, and more intimate, seating about 10,000 fans – not a bad seat in the house. Ticket prices are lower, and a cold beer seems to taste better amid such intimate and pleasant surroundings.  And, no alligators as in Florida!  In Spring Training, 1921, in St. Petersburg, FL, Yankees Manager Miller Huggins ordered a young Babe Ruth, resting on the bench, “What are you doing here on the bench?  You’re supposed to be running in the outfield to get your legs in shape,” Huggins said.  The Babe replied: “I ain’t going out there anymore…There are alligators out there!” 

For the Giants, pitchers and catchers are scheduled for the first workout on February 18; the first full squad workout is set for February 23. Their first competitive Cactus League game is set for March 3 with a two game series against the Athletics. They conclude their spring training season with an April 1 game against my favorite, the Cleveland Indians.

The Giants return much of their world championship team, but will work to fill the third-base void left by Pablo Sandoval (departed to Boston) with Casey McGehee signed to fill that spot. Fans are looking forward to the continuing development of second baseman Joe Panic and dominant pitching of Madison Bumgarner and veteran presence of Tim Lincecum, Tim Hudson and Jake Peavy.  Relief pitching should remain strong, and manager Bruce Bochy will be busy rotating new faces into the lineup and filling Sandoval’s vacated clean-up spot.

The Oakland Athletics have pitchers and catchers reporting February 18 and the first full squad work out on February 24. Their Cactus League opener is against the Giants on March 3 and their final Arizona exhibition game is April 1 against the Los Angeles Angels.

The A’s, shaking up the roster for a stronger playoff run, made 10 trades involving almost 30 players.  Gone are their best player, Josh Donaldson, and several stellar pitchers including Jeff Samardzija and Jon Lester. But the A’s brought in new and younger blood, with a new infield including Brett Lawrie and Ben Zobrist. With returning star pitchers Sonny Gray, Drew Pomeranz and Scott Kazmir, several vets back from surgery and new, young arms, pitching won’t be the club’s challenge.

The Giants and the As square off in a three game “Bay Bridge” exhibition series, at AT&T Park and O.co Coliseum, April 2-4, with the regular season then getting underway for both teams immediately following.

The Phoenix area has plenty to offer, in addition to the Cactus League. It's a golf Mecca, and Scottsdale's quaint Old Town shops and unique restaurants are always a pleasure. Dine at the Pink Pony in Scottsdale for a real treat, and be transported back to the city in the 1960s. Greater Phoenix offers the Desert Botanical Garden to explore desert plants, the Heard Museum offering world-class insights into Native American culture and art and the Phoenix Art Museum. 

For kids and family activities, the Phoenix Zoo, Arizona Science Center and Children’s Museum are featured attractions. This region is centered in the lush and colorful Sonoran Desert surrounded by tall mountains; plenty of hiking and biking trails will take you to new and alien places!

Another idea, for California travelers, is to couple the spring training visit with a stopover in a national park such as Grand Canyon, several hours to the north. We did just that, camping several nights along the south rim of the canyon, then touring south through the artistic town of Sedona, then into the Phoenix area. It made for a spectacular week-long trip.

Both Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks are also along the route to Phoenix. The spring is the perfect time to visit these natural wonders, when wildflowers typically blanket the otherwise arid landscape!

How to get there: From Stockton, Phoenix is about 710 miles and a bit over 10.5 hours.  A natural detour can include a stop at the Grand Canyon, then traveling south to Sedona, before reaching Phoenix.  The Giants play in Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251; nearby, the As play at renovated Hohokam Stadium, 1235 N Center St, Mesa, AZ 85201.

What to take: Binoculars, camera and snacks for the trip. And, your favorite team’s hat and jersey!
For more information:  For Cactus League teams, stadiums, schedules: http://www.cactusleague.com. For Phoenix vacation planning: www.visitphoenix.com.
For additional travel destination inspiration, see my blog: http://blogs.eSanJoaquin.com/Valley travel; to contact me, tviall@msn.com.
Happy travels in the West!