I grew up in Northern California, and the Sierra Nevada Foothills made for an unforgettable childhood. Fellow natives, here is a list of 10 signs that made our growing up years some of the best.
1. Explaining to people where you are from is a serious struggle.
"I live outside of Sacramento, on the way to Lake Tahoe, but not quite in Lake Tahoe. Like, If you were driving up from the Bay to Lake Tahoe, you would probably remember my town as your bathroom stop."
2. You associate awesome memories with great food because you grew up with such an eclectic mix of restaurant choices.
Whether it was a trip to Marco's Cafe in Coloma on a summer night, Sienna in El Dorado Hills for your prom dinner, In-n-Out after school, or a trip down to Temple Coffee in Sac for a study date (and a cool photo-op), you loved it all.
3. You love a weekend getaway to the beach if you're craving some salty air, but your absolute favorite body of water in the entire world is Lake Tahoe.
Whether you are stuck in traffic for 6 hours on Highway 50 on Fourth of July weekend, or you have to pull over on the side of the road once you hit Pollock Pines to put chains on your tires in the heavy snow, it's totally worth the drive. During the summer, you crave a freshly groomed mountain. During the winter, all you can think about is having a bond fire on King's Beach with your friends on a warm summer night. Regardless of the time of year, Lake Tahoe is your second home.
4. When you can't get up to Tahoe, the American River, Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma are your go-to's.
There isn't a week that goes by during the summer when you don't go kayaking, river rafting, or packing the car with coolers of picnic food to eat along the river bank with friends and family.
5. Concert in the Park is your guilty pleasure.
Concert in the Park is a weekly summer concert series in El Dorado Hills where middle-aged men dress up in leather jackets and tight pants and play tribute band music to a huge crowd of people. You have memories of going with your family when you were little and you thought it was extremely boring. But once you got older, it became a little more fun when you left your parents sitting in their camp chairs at the amphitheater while you and your friends took walks around the pond eating YogaBerry Frozen Yogurt (the best, by the way).
6. Donuts from Apple Hill are the cause of your pre-diabetes.
You discovered these gems when your parents let you have one after picking apples and climbing on hay bales during your childhood. On opening day, also known as Labor Day weekend, Apple Hill is mobbed with all the locals trying to find a parking spot in the apple orchard next to High Hill Ranch. All you can think about is taking a big bite of your favorite donut after walking around the white craft tents while collecting multiple dixie-cup-sized apple cider samples from the giant jug outside the apple press.
7. The occasional Snow Day was the best day of the year.
Although few and far between, depending on which high school you attended, snow days were a God-send. The best feeling in the world was waking up and having that feeling when you knew there was snow on the ground. You were too scared to look outside for the fear of having false hope, but once you did, you proceeded to jump out of bed to play in the snow in your pj's and snow boots.
8. You learned all about the California Gold Rush in school.
Not only did you learn about it, but there were numerous field trips to be had panning for gold, dressing up in 1840's attire and touring around Coloma, CA.
9. Your parents love wine.
With countless wineries and vineyards for as far as the eye can see, it is impossible to escape the wine scene in the Foothills. 9 times out of 10 as a child, the reason you had a babysitter was so that your parents could go on a dinner/wine tasting date.
10. Christmas time in the Foothills is the best thing on Earth.
You grew up participating in or going to the Placerville Holiday Parade. Running on Main Street collecting candy is one of your favorite childhood memories. After the parade was over, Mell's Diner was the hotspot for lunch on a cold winter's day. During the holiday season, Highway 50 is always packed with cars because everyone takes a drive up the hill a few miles to play in the snow, and drives back down through Main Street to look at all the Christmas lights.
