Style Magazine - April 2021
Before becoming a parent, I never truly valued or took full advantage of our region’s public parks. Sure, I visited them for the occasional picnic, jog, or game of tennis, and knew they brought natural beauty into neighborhoods, but never realized just how crucial they are to a community. Now, as the mom to a tantrum-prone toddler, parks—playgrounds, in particular—are a daily destination for us. Give my daughter a sandbox, swing set, and an open field to frolic in, and her attitude instantly improves. In addition to providing hours of free, fresh-air amusement, they’ve also proven to be a primo place to meet fellow mom friends. (If you’ve never watched “Dear Cool-Looking Mom in the Park” on YouTube and feel like laughing, check it out. It pretty much sums up my attempt at having a social life these days.) Lucky for us, our region is overflowing with parks (hundreds, in fact, with even more in the works) waiting to be explored. Turn to “Walk in the Park” on page 22 for 10 of our favorites—picked for their abundance of amenities, environmental components, stunning scenery, or all the above. Next time you find yourself in a funk, the solution might be as simple as going for a stroll in one of these gorgeous green spaces. Readers looking for other outdoor diversions are in luck. There’s plenty more ideas in the pages that follow—from our feature, “Choose Your Own Adventure” (page 59) that’s jam-packed with alfresco activities like chasing waterfalls, nerding out on birds, and discovering local downtown districts; to “Nurture Nature” (page 26), where we talk about the importance of Earth Day and easy ways to lessen your environmental impact today, and every day; and “Home Grown” (page 44) featuring nine secrets to garden success this spring. If you’ve never considered yourself “green” or “outdoorsy,” I hope this issue inspires you to think differently, act accordingly, and play outside whenever, however you can. Because, if you’re anything like me, even 10 minutes of fresh air will make a monumental difference in your day. Cheers! —Megan megan@stylemg.com @meggoeggowaffle
Before becoming a parent, I never truly valued or took full advantage of our region’s public parks. Sure, I visited them for the occasional picnic, jog, or game of tennis, and knew they brought natural beauty into neighborhoods, but never realized just how crucial they are to a community.
Now, as the mom to a tantrum-prone toddler, parks—playgrounds, in particular—are a daily destination for us. Give my daughter a sandbox, swing set, and an open field to frolic in, and her attitude instantly improves. In addition to providing hours of free, fresh-air amusement, they’ve also proven to be a primo place to meet fellow mom friends. (If you’ve never watched “Dear Cool-Looking Mom in the Park” on YouTube and feel like laughing, check it out. It pretty much sums up my attempt at having a social life these days.)
Lucky for us, our region is overflowing with parks (hundreds, in fact, with even more in the works) waiting to be explored. Turn to “Walk in the Park” on page 22 for 10 of our favorites—picked for their abundance of amenities, environmental components, stunning scenery, or all the above. Next time you find yourself in a funk, the solution might be as simple as going for a stroll in one of these gorgeous green spaces.
Readers looking for other outdoor diversions are in luck. There’s plenty more ideas in the pages that follow—from our feature, “Choose Your Own Adventure” (page 59) that’s jam-packed with alfresco activities like chasing waterfalls, nerding out on birds, and discovering local downtown districts; to “Nurture Nature” (page 26), where we talk about the importance of Earth Day and easy ways to lessen your environmental impact today, and every day; and “Home Grown” (page 44) featuring nine secrets to garden success this spring.
If you’ve never considered yourself “green” or “outdoorsy,” I hope this issue inspires you to think differently, act accordingly, and play outside whenever, however you can. Because, if you’re anything like me, even 10 minutes of fresh air will make a monumental difference in your day. Cheers!
—Megan
megan@stylemg.com
@meggoeggowaffle
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treat to explore. Take it up a notch and plan a<br />
panning vacation at Bear River Campground<br />
(placer.ca.gov/5951/bear-river-campground) in<br />
Colfax where there’s more gold to be found.<br />
SHOOT FOR THE STARS<br />
Warmer weather and clearer skies make for<br />
perfect conditions to spot constellations<br />
and crescents. Join the Sacramento Valley<br />
Astronomical Society (svas.org) in Roseville<br />
for monthly star parties (once they resume) or<br />
check out their calendar for nightly sightings.<br />
Then, head to Salmon Falls Bridge in El Dorado<br />
Hills or Foresthill Bridge in Auburn for some<br />
stellar views. The Community Observatory<br />
in Placerville (communityobservatory.com) is<br />
also a great place to study the night sky on<br />
weekends. Catch a glimpse of major stars,<br />
planets, galaxies, nebulae, and the moon<br />
with heavy-duty telescopes during their<br />
“star tours.” You can also join them for “Solar<br />
Saturday” to sneak a close and safe peak at<br />
our closest star.<br />
OH SNAP!<br />
While you’re out and about how about trying<br />
your hand at some outdoor photography?<br />
Whether you’re capturing the sunset or<br />
having an impromptu shoot for your kids or<br />
canine, pick up some equipment at Action<br />
Camera (actioncamera.com) in Roseville and<br />
head to any of the numerous jaunts local<br />
photographers love: Miners Ravine Trail in<br />
Roseville (well-maintained path that passes<br />
by several parks and features a stream,<br />
woodlands, large boulders), Johnny Cash<br />
Trail in Folsom (especially the bridge), Willow<br />
Creek Recreation Area in Folsom (many paths<br />
and trees, a little bridge, island of rocks, tree<br />
logs, boat dock), Beal’s Point at Folsom Lake<br />
(fantastic sunset lighting, sandy hills, views of<br />
the lake), Salmon Falls Bridge in El Dorado Hills<br />
(flower fields, bridges, streams, hills, rocks),<br />
or Negro Bar in Folsom (boat dock, views<br />
of the iconic Rainbow Bridge, cliffs in the<br />
background).<br />
GO WILD...AT THE ZOO!<br />
What is the great outdoors without some<br />
animal action? Meet and greet with local<br />
animal celebrities at the Folsom Zoo between<br />
10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Friday through Sunday.<br />
Admission requires advance online ticket<br />
purchase (none sold at the gate) and can<br />
be purchased at webtrac.folsom.ca.us. Find<br />
an assortment of reptiles, felines, canines,<br />
birds, primates, and more. If you’d like the zoo<br />
to come to you, Hawks Ranch Petting Zoo<br />
(hawksranchpettingzoo.com) in Loomis has a<br />
mobile petting zoo, filled with goats, miniature<br />
horses, alpacas, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and<br />
even a miniature pig and donkey!<br />
Rainbow Bridge<br />
When I have a<br />
Camera In My Hand,<br />
I know No Fear<br />
”<br />
“<br />
—Alfred Eisenstaedt<br />
Folsom Zoo<br />
Community Observatory<br />
Rainbow Bridge photo by Jason Keinigs, @holoholoyolo. Folsom Zoo photo courtesy of the Folsom<br />
Zoo. Telescope photo courtesy of Community Observatory.<br />
60 stylemg.com | APRIL <strong>2021</strong> | /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemags
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