Labor day getaway

Hey.  It was record-breaking heat everywhere in California, and even at the coast, it was still the high 90's.  We decided to go to Sacramento and spend two nights in a hotel.  Last time we stayed in a hotel was Monterey and it was a good experience.  This time, we lost Mister's blanket (baba) and he did not do well without it.  Plus, the infant was up throughout the night.  The hotel experience was not so rosy.

Heidi and I enjoyed ourselves throughout the day with the activities we'd chosen but the kids, it seemed, could not stop complaining.  Moaning.  Whining.  I had to wear my ear plugs all day and all night.  Once we got started on our activities, the kids enjoyed them.

Initial bike ride along the Sacramento river was essentially a fail due to unpleasant attitudes from the kids.  The bikes worked well, though.

Gold Rush days was going on in Old Sacramento and that was cool.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a pavilion at Gold Rush days but they weren't labeled as such.  They were "Historical Experts" and taught skills like rope making, calligraphy, fire building, and gold digging.  It was the coolest part of the exhibit.

Can't go wrong with a visit to the train museum even though we spent most of our time chasing after Mister.

 The fish hatchery was cool too but Scott and Tyler were throwing a fit about having to see it in their church clothes.  I should have taken a picture of the chapel we attended because it was so cool:  a two story brick building on 51st street.  But no picture.

This is the Nimbus hatchery in Rancho Cordova, 6 minutes from the temple.  There's a salmon run from the river and they also grow several varieties of trout.

 At the Sacramento Temple.

 I really like my new lens.  This 1/1250 at f4.  Bokeh not bad for such a wide lens.

Timer on a tripod.  That's pretty much how we do all of our family photos.  Usually I take a few and then select the best one, then edit it.  This was the only one we got.  It was about 111 degrees and someone was always melting down.

The arboretum at UC Davis was probably the coolest thing we did.  It was a trail along a river and the kids enjoyed riding their bikes despite the excessive complaining beforehand.  

Tour of the Jelly Belly factory for Tyler's 10th birthday.