Spring inside

Pinterest means no good idea will be left unstolen.

This idea was shared with me and it took me about 2 seconds to decide to steal it. Wish I'd seen this when I lived in snow country.

Left-over vase from the back of my cabinet, extra tulip bulbs never planted in the fall and 89 cents worth of rocks from IKEA. Add enough water to touch the bottom of the bulbs and set in a sunny window.

They sprouted almost immediately and a week later each bulb has a robust system of roots.

Due date? Maybe 10 days out?

Serenity now

I hear the sound of the city in my sleep, the steady whoosh of a distant freeway making its way through my bedroom window. It’s the price we pay for living near the urban center. Sometimes it seems too great a price to pay and I make a run for the river.

The American River Parkway is a trail system that runs hidden through numerous cities. Folsom, Fair Oaks, Rancho Cordova, Sacramento. Choose paved or unpaved, both are scenic. 

The trail glides under busy streets and parallels the winding river on its steady slow descent down, down, down. I’ve been here before, years ago, on this same path, eyes out toward the river seeking serenity. Before I know it, it's all around me.

Tree gazing

It’s one of the driest years in northern California’s history. The hills are dusty and the valley is warm. During Christmas. Strange times.

We push aside things we can’t control and take advantage of the moment. Head to the coast to walk among the giant redwoods in Muir Woods National Monument.

At a time of year when the moist air should chill us to the bone and rain should make trails undesirable, instead it is a perfect day. We walk into the forest ready to see the tallest living things on the planet, the giant coastal redwoods.

We aren’t the only ones there. The holidays and great weather have brought out many many others. Children run along the boardwalked trail and the forest echoes with chatter of the hundreds of others we are sharing the hike with. The parking lot was so full, in fact, that we boarded a crowded shuttle in Marin City that took us the last miles into the park.

It’s a beautiful place but not quite the experience we drove two hours for. You don’t seek out the forest for the crowds. There was only one thing to do. Go up.

We left the flat trail that looped through the lowland and took an offshoot that promised another destination at its endpoint. Amazingly, that’s all it took.

Quiet. Trees. Dirt trail. The rustle of wind through the treetops. I take a deep breath and look up. And up. And up.

Giant sequoias are still the massive masterpieces of the earth but coastal redwoods are slender and gracefully beautiful. The literature tells me the redwoods here average 600-800 years old. Some show darkened scars of lightning strikes or forest fires. Survivors. Alive when a couple hundred million fewer people roamed the U.S.

We climb and climb, taking our time. There is four-leafed clover to seek. Air to breathe. Vistas to enjoy. It’s an easy-enough path for people with no end-goal.

There are plenty of milemarkers that let us know we haven’t committed ourselves to something we can’t finish. We crest the hill. Disappointingly, the top doesn’t give us a view of the Pacific, just a few miles away. There is an ocean-view trail but it’s closed for some rehab work. In any case, we are getting hungry. We lazily loop back down another trail to head back. Halfway down, the chatter from below reaches our ears, getting louder and louder as we descend into the valley. We march determinedly past the picture-snappers, strollers, family clusters and hoards. I advise visiting during a non-holiday period.

Back on the road, Yelp helps us get a delicious meal at in San Rafael. Scampi. Penne pasta with smoked chicken. Cappelini with seafood. It doesn’t stay on the plate long. We are stuffed and happily tired.

A long drive is still ahead and I drive while others snooze their way home. It’s a long drive for a day trip but no regrets. Walking among giants is always worth the trek.

Breakfast, breakfast, breakfast, dessert

We’re still on our Sunday breakfast kick. Here’s the routine: Hop in the car, head down the block, open up Yelp to begin the negotiation. I like lighter fare. My husband likes bacon. Every place we’ve been has its positives, at least for one of us.

The latest rundown:

Delta King riverboat. Pricey. Great atmosphere on the Sacramento River. Our rating, about what you’d expect from a touristy spot with traditional breakfast fare.

River’s Edge Cafe in Sacramento. Stuffed hash browns – bacon and cheese inside – was the whole breakfast and so big that we split it. Delicious on first three bites and then grease overload hit. I could finish half of my portion. My husband gave it a thumbs up, but I’m a thumbs down.

Carol’s Restaurant in West Sacramento. Old school breakfast with extra large portions. The place was packed and it was loud. A bit greasy and watery coffee. We’ll pass next time but it seems to be a favorite place for many.

Fox & Goose in downtown Sac. Expect to wait, even for early risers. It was worth it. Great waffles and the Bloody Mary with the works has bacon in it! Two thumbs up. My husband wanted to return the next week.

Orphan Café in East Sacramento. Strong, strong coffee which is a big plus in my book. Get there before 9 a.m. to avoid a long wait. My kind of place with avocado scramble and delicious blueberry pancakes. Great place.

So then we arrive at the Jim-Denny’s experience. The pictures tell half the story. Outside, it's a run-down burger den so I almost didn’t walk inside but glad I did.

Very charming, 1950s style café. It’s mainly counter service but a couple of tight tables line the walls.

Honestly, the food was mediocre but fascinating. The short stack of mini pancakes I ordered were two massive pancakes that spilled over the dinner-size plate.

We watched our waitress also work the grill, serving up a large breakfast to our neighbors. They ordered a large pancake to share among three of them – the pancake was so large it took over most of the grill and took two giant spatulas to flip as everyone held their breath.

Yeah, Man Vs. Food was here. It’s that kind of place.

There’s a P.S. to this breakfast story that leads into dessert. I couldn’t finish even one of my short stack pancakes from Jim-Denny’s.

What do you do with a leftover pancake?

A quick Web search gave me the answer.

Tear it up into bite sized pieces and put in a casserole dish. Sprinkle in diced up apples.

Mix up milk, sugar, vanilla and eggs.

Add a generous dollop of rum and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Oh, it smelled so good! Pour over pancake pieces and refrigerate for an hour so it all soaks in. 

Bake for an hour. Voila, bread pudding!

A new spin on breakfast for dinner. Now it's breakfast for dessert.