Sacramento County Features

The Sacramento Valley Conservancy makes it easy to take a nature hike close to home. Its trailheads are about 35 minutes east of downtown, and its docents have organized several wildflower, bird and archaeological outings to make it easy to get out on the trail this spring.

Making a to-do list isn't for everyone. Some of us like to wing it.

After indulging in Thanksgiving meals today, Sacramentans have three days to work off some of those delicious calories. We are lucky to have urban parks and tree-lined streets inviting us to walk and bike ride -- two good options on a weekend that promises to include heavy freeway traffic.

With all the talk these days about flood control and the levees, we may overlook the wonderful opportunity our river levees provide for a walk, run or bike ride.

Few places in Sacramento County have traffic signals designed especially for horseback riders. However, a signal being installed on an Orangevale country road will feature a push button elevated for equestrians to reach it.

River otters, muskrats, beavers, kingfishers and egrets are some of the wildlife you can expect to see while paddling a canoe through their neighborhood in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Spotting a beaver dam and lodge is among the nature experiences families can share during an early evening walk Sunday along the Humbug-Willow Creek Parkway in Folsom.

The American River Parkway is a refuge and a dream, a swath of wilderness that cuts through a major metropolitan area. It offers something slower and simpler -- and many say better -- than the hustle and chaos just beyond its meadows and forests and riverbanks.

A guided whitewater rafting trip costs $100 to $150 per person, based on duration, special requests and the outfitter chosen. Discounting usually starts with groups of 12. Gear and lunch are included.

Rookies who can't find their way among the oaks can learn a trick or two with a compass and a map Saturday at Folsom Lake during an orienteering meet sponsored by the Gold Country Orienteers of Sacramento. Beginners and experienced orienteers are welcome, said Jennifer Kerr, meet director.

You don't have to go far to observe wildlife in California's Central Valley. Here are some wildlife-centered activities and events offered in the Sacramento area this season. For information on places and events not listed here: www.cawatchablewildlife.org.

To hear Bruce Forman tell it, the annual fall arrival of 4,000 or so greater sandhill cranes in southern Sacramento and northern San Joaquin counties can be compared to a military air show.

It's not a whodunit, exactly. It's more of a whatdunit when Zoopi (the Sacramento Zoo's private investigator) strikes out on his Critter Caper Adventure, a stage show premiering this weekend.

The Crocker Art Museum, where Gonzalez works as public relations coordinator, stands at Third and O streets as a monument to another of the lawyer's causes: art.

I'll admit it. I am one of those Californians with a coastal bias. I like crashing waves and rolling fog and sleepy surfer towns along Highway 1.