This is a dome shaped facility that is essentially divided into three sections. On the right you have an indoor jungle gym for the toddler group and a baby zone for infants up to age 18 months.  In the middle of the dome is an art room where visitors have access to washable paint, markers, crayons, and paper in many sizes and colors. On the left side of the dome is the Lucky Duck Farm area where kids can move animals around in a barn, use kid-sized tractors, wheel barrows, and even try on farm animal costumes. There is a lot of opportunity for imaginative play, and a surprisingly large amount of space in which to play around.

Another fun but not so farm-related activity includes a vertical board that has tubes and ramps which can be moved and velcroed back onto the board in different places. A ball is released at the top and either heads down the path of tubes and ramps created for it, or it veers offcourse requiring the young engineer to modify the course, and try again. There is a science room where kids can play with basic homemade objects which illustrate a scientific principal. Another area is a large indoor playhouse equipped with a kitchen and lots of knick knacks.

My personal favorite was finding a soft couch covered in blankets and pillows in a nook near a large window. There are kids books stacked nearby for anyone wanting a little bit of quiet time. Another more quiet activity is to start up a project in the art room. If you are needing some inspiration, there is a large statue made of cardboard and egg cartons on which you can add your own coat of paint.

If you are staying for several days in Truckee, it may be worthwhile to get a membership. A membership here, which is quite reasonable, will also get you into many other (more pricey) museums nationwide.

Note: We received complimentary passes to this musuem. This post is an accurate reflection of our experience.

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We are here: eight kids, four adults, two dogs, and a fabulous hike ahead of us. My youngest was slower than the group, so this was often my view. I truly enjoyed watching the energy of the pack from behind,though.    Such happy troupers.

Thanks to Mara for organizing the Mondays are for Dreaming. Check out her site at Motherof alltrips.com

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Pictured below was our cabin. This was our first year in cabin 2. The beds and mattreses seemed newer than I remember others being. Maybe it has more updated furniture than the other cabins, or maybe all of the cabins have been renovated this year. Though this was close to the playground, we have signed up next year for a cabin even closer. We look forward to setting up chairs right outside our cabin and playing cards while the kids are within eyesight doing their own thing. This year we chose one further back as we were concerned about the playground noise interfereing with Josh’s naptime. By next year he may be skipping naps altogether.

Since Josh is still in diapers, he was unable to participate in the organized kid activities. I thought he would throw a fit each time we dropped his brother off, but to our surprise he was just as happy to be entertained by me or his dad the whole time. Go figure. Jeff and I tag-teamed exploring with Josh, so that I was able to participate in one of the adult activities – the Lovers Leap hike. This hike has a high pay-off of beautiful views for a relatively easy hike. Glad I was able to go this year.

I’m happy to report that some of the Camp Sac traditions that I mentioned in my last post -  crazy campfires and bell-ringing, lived up to their anticipation. Here is a snapshot of Ryan and camp-mates at the pajamarama breakfast, eagerly awaiting to pull the cord that rings the large bell.

The campfire songs included a few we learned last year, some new ones, and the return of one from my campfire days… waddley-achi. One of the movements in this song includes putting your right hand on your nose and your left hand on your right earlobe, then immediately switching so that your left hand is holding your nose while the right hand touches your left earlobe. (Go ahead and try it, no one is looking!) I’ve got to admit, after many years of this song I’ve got the movements down to a science. Watching my husband try to master it was worth the trip in itself! Sorry Jeff, there are so many things that you can do at which I am hopeless, but I got you on waddley-achi!

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I have grown up with Camp Sacramento. It seems there’s a lot about it that remains unchanged. It is a 19-acre property with a creek through one end that is owned by the U.S. Forest Service and leased by the City of Sacramento. When my sister and I were growing up, the city subsidized the cost making it so affordable that Dad had to wait overnight in line the day before registration began in order to get a cabin. Nowadays it is more self-sufficient but still a very affordable vacation for families.  In fact, to advertise this fact there is a price comparison of the costs of different vacations on the Camp Sac. website.

The cabins are very much the same. Built in the 1930s, there isn’t much to them. There is no electricity except for the lightbulb within the cabin and one on the porch. There are cots with mattresses and you provide your own bedding. In most cabins there is one dresser that everyone in the cabin shares. Restrooms /shower facilities are communal (but obviously divided by gender). There is a large dining hall where three meals a day are served cafeteria style. Outside of the dining hall is a huge bell that kids line up to ring prior to when the kitchen is officially open for service. Our family must have several pictures of my sister and I pulling on the cord with at least ten other kids, and now our own kids get to experience this rite of passage.  Year after year, the younger kids can’t wait to ring the bell, but often end up eating a little dirt until they grow more bulk. Got to love those family traditions!

The part of this experience that divides it from the typical camping trip is that there are organized activities. Kids are divided into groups according to age. For two-hour chunks in the morning and afternoon they are led by the camp staff in some age-appropriate activity. The youngest group, ages 3-5, do nature walks, bug hunts, arts and crafts, decorate t-shirts, etc. Older kids have hiking, archery, rock climbing and other activities. Lake Tahoe is not far away so if you want to spend a day there, the kitchen will make a brown bag lunch for you to pick up in the morning.

My favorite part is the campfires. Everyone gathers around on bleachers while the staff lead us through goofy songs, skits, and stories. There is something special about sharing time around a fire at the end of a day. When we are tent-camping it is generally a time for the adults to relax while the kids drift off to sleep. Here we haven’t exerted so much energy cooking and entertaining, and I can really enjoy the silliness we all have together. 

Camp Sac. offers the 6-day week stay or the mini-week stay (3 nights and 4 days). This year and the last two we have opted for the shorter stay. I am anticipating that Josh, though not quite 3, is ready to join his brother in the minnow group this time. Finally, our camping trip will feel like a vacation. Who knows, maybe next year we’ll stay all week!

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