by Elizabeth M Young

Created on: January 15, 2010

Sacramento is actually the third hottest place in the nation during the Summer. During the winter, rain, sometimes fabulous storms that pass through fairly quickly, the potential for flooding and tule fog are our worst enemies. As a result, during the dead of Winter, there are cool weather activities that are similar to those that can be done in the Spring in colder places.

For the fitness buff, there are numerous indoor fitness centers that appeal to every budget and every fitness style. There are the mega centers, which have indoor and outdoor pools, huge indoor facilities that cover every type of activity, and even snack bars. Then, there are the medium sized facilities, such as several "24 Hour Fitness" centers, some of which have heated indoor pools, and basketball courts. Finally, there are the bare bones workout places that dot the area so that a ten minute drive will get a person to some indoor facility for a workout.

The joggers, bikers and runners have plenty of clear and crisp or mildly foggy but temperate Winter days for working a variety of absolutely beautiful routes: along the rivers, in the hilly parts of Sacramento, at the river front parkways, and through downtown, old town and midtown.

For culture fiends, there are major entertainment venues at UC Davis's Mondavi Center, the Sacramento Theatre Company, the California Musical Theatre, Arco Arena, and a host of smaller community theater sites.  There are many museums, including several in Old Sacramento, and the famous Crocker Museum. In February, Sacramento hosts "Museum Day", where many museums are open for free!

History buffs and those who are interested in alternative learning can use the museums to learn about the rich history of the gateway to the Gold Country and to the Mother lode. Our libraries are well stocked and linked with a stellar interlibrary loan system. There are excellent extension courses at the Sacramento satellite campus to UC Davis, where individual classes or full certificates can be completed.

Sports buffs can enjoy the Kings basketball season and other events, such as the Bull Riders and Monster Jams at Arco Arena, not to mention the plethora of sports bars that offer great regional food and fun!

Foodies and home chefs can find wonderful year 'round farmers markets in Sacramento, as well as a variety of gourmet, ethnic, and health foods markets. Sacramento boasts "Whole Foods", a couple of very popular Asian supermarkets, a traditional Italian supermarket, Russian, and other ethnic foods purveyors. Our restaurants cover the world, from the Caribbean to Russia, to many parts of Asia, India, and the Americas.  It is not unusual for a Sacrementan to have Tandoori on Monday, Vietnamese clay pot on Wednesday, and Dim Sum on Saturday!

In summary, thanks to the comparatively mild winters, Sacramento offers plenty of outdoor activities. On the worst of Winter days, there is a great array of things to do indoors.

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