Adj: Impressive, Informational, Innovative, and Incredibly Interesting!…read more Another visit to the RUEC, which is the Roseville Utility Exploration Center. It is located next to Martha Riley Library, one of 3 City of Roseville libraries and the newest one. The RUEC is pretty cool and admission is free. We like to come by every once in awhile because they have changing exhibits, but their permanent displays are informative and interesting too. As an environmentally minded person, I try to conserve, but how do you know what to do and what is worth your effort and what doesn't make much of a difference? The RUEC has quite a few exhibits on how to conserve energy, water, and how to minimize our impact on the planet including garbage disposal (that often end up in landfill more than anywhere else), recycling, being conscientious in our resource usage by setting our thermostats properly, cycling our ACs, replace or clean air filters regularly, install a programmable thermostat, and properly insulating and weatherizing your house down to HVAC ducts! There's even information on where our stormwater and runoffs go (which affect our fish and other wildlife), how much energy different specific kitchen appliances use, not putting grease/oil down the drain, vacuum the coils on our fridge 2x's a year to keep our fridges efficient, thinking about the temp and weather when considering what to cook (don't run your oven on hot days), installing energy efficient fixtures/bulbs, and only doing laundry and dishes with full loads so as to maximize efficient when washers and dishwashers. These are things many people don't know or haven't thought about. Overall, the RUEC does a great job at educating the community and especially kids on environmental and resource conservation and also provides info about how we can practically make a difference just by being more aware of how we use energy and other natural resources.

Located next to the Martha Riley Library, the Roseville Utility Exploration Center is a community…read moreeducation center that's free to visit anytime it's open. I think that's pretty cool. We took our kids here since we like fun educational activities and free is always the right price. We went on a Saturday and it was not too busy. The staff is friendly who greeted us, then we just wandered around a bit. They have interactive utility exhibits about how the City of Roseville provides utility services to their residents. They have their own power plants and substations, etc. to generate their own energy, so their residents pay less than even SMUD customers, I was kind of jealous about that. At least I'm not paying PG&E electricity, but maybe I should've looked into living in Roseville. Anyhow, they also have their own sewage and water facilities of course, and their services are focused on saving water and sustainability and being resource conscious and eco-friendly, which all make sense. My kids enjoyed the interactive activities about using less electricity and water, but what they really liked was the Utility Truck Experience where they got to go on a Recycling truck and pretend play. It was pretty cool. There are also tons of education displays on shopping smart to get things that last and not disposable items that end up in the landfill. In addition to permanent exhibits, they also offer kids educational classes. My kids took a few over the years, one of them was on urban planning and it was quite interesting for them to learn how to design and layout infrastructure for a pretend city that makes sense for where to put the power plant, the landfill, the sewage system, etc. relative to locations of homes, roads, nature places like rivers and lakes, and public places like parks, schools, and fire stations, etc. All in all, RUEC (as they call it) is a really nice little museum that kids and adults alike where we can learn a lot about utilities and resource conservation, it's great that it's open 6 days a week and it's free and everyone's welcome, not just Roseville residents, and they even offer free educational classes (w/advance RSVP) for kids. Worth checking out if you've not been.

The railroad history portion of the museum is nice and has a logical order. The remainder of the…read moremuseum seems choppy and has a few items like a captured Nazi flag that only belong in museums though it may be an unpleasant surprise to some. The staff are helpful.

This had been our third attempt to go in the museum. We are always getting confused with the open…read morehours noted in the signage and from the telephone line I called. Public parking on the other way of the block after passing a bridge is available. Be careful if you have kids. Inside is a small Roseville history. Nice to know especially if you are new to the community. They have great deals of artifacts that are sectioned and organized. The staff, Leroy is friendly and appears enthusiastic in explaining to me stuff. He was patient with my kids and head them to the train, the kids corner and the scavenger hunt and puzzle as he thinks, they get bored as I roam around every inch of the museum. There are informational brochures and leaflets of the city's happenings and other museums too. There is no admission fee but a donation box can be located in the center of the museum. I would say, the museum is busy from time to time, there were three more group guests when my family were in.

This is a museum that encourages participation through tours and has a clear mission. Some of the…read moreequipment is used to demonstrate operation. They are open the first Saturday of the month 10-2.

One ringy dingy, two ringy dingy. If you can remember when a house had one phone physically…read moreattached to the wall, then the Roseville Telephone Museum will be a great trip down memory lane. If you have only ever used your "phone" to text and order cannabis, the Roseville Telephone will be a great reminder of why your parents invented the iPhone. This museum is in downtown Roseville (yes, there is a downtown Roseville) with limited parking. Technical stuff. Admission is free. Hours are 10-2 only the first Saturday of the month, so you need to plan ahead for this place. The museum only covers phones to about 1990 with few cordless and mobile technologies. That said, there is a large collection of old phones and switchboard technology which is worth the visit. They have a few displays of manual switchboards used up to the 1980's and some interesting switches from the exchanges. Some other highlights are the novelty phones released quickly after you were allowed to buy a phone. The value of the museum are the volunteers who can explain a lot of the history and provide demonstrations of the technology. These people worked for the phone company and are great! It is hard to explain how much it changed society when you could call someone on a telephone. I personally have seen rotary dials, long distance carriers, modems, and wireless develop in my lifetime. The Roseville Telephone Museum is a great place for friends and family to reach out and touch someone. You might even hear a pin drop!

The Maidu Museum is quite wonderful, my wife and I enjoyed a nice walk while learning more about…read morethe native American culture. If you're in the Roseville or Folsom Lake areas, we recommend stopping by and bring the kitties. We see school bus is stopping by every now and again to do some exploring.

Did you know you can go look at petroglyphs in Roseville, California? I certainly did not until…read morevisiting the Maidu museum. You cannot get up close and personal with them like you can in Sweden, but we know why this is and why we cannot have nice things. The museum has kindly set up visual maps that help visitors make out the glyphs along the nicely maintained nature trail. If you are visiting in summer please stay hydrated as the trail is only partially shaded. It's about a 1.5 mile loop, but there's a longer bike trail that it is connected to. All is well-marked. $7 admission will get you access to the walking trail (there's probably a way for local cyclists to access the trail without paying but idk man, I'm from out of town.) and the museum, which does have restrooms and a water fountain inside. My friend and I enjoyed the museum and art exhibits indoors, then our nice nature walk outside to view the petroglyphs, mortars, and grinding rocks. We saw raptors, turkeys, lizards, turtles, deer, rabbits, and probably other creatures I am forgetting by now. Definitely stay on the trail as there are these lovely things called ground hornets (stingers up) we were warned about by the friendly staff. The weather was blessedly fair for July (Pocki brought Swedish summer over here and then left with it when she went back home) so we only had to suffer high 80s on the trail. I highly recommend visiting with walking shoes and water bottles. We spent a good two hours here. One could bring a picnic as there are benches outside, but we didn't bring more than a few snacks. Parking is available wherever you can find it along the suburban street. There is not a dedicated lot, but there are a few disabled parking spaces in the front. Hours: Monday: Closed Tuesday - Sunday: 9AM-4PM

The Loomis Train Depot is adorably decorated for Christmas. The Loomis Family Christmas Tree and…read morefestive Xmas themed photo cutouts of Santa Claus, elves, reindeer, and gingerbread people make for merry and bright holiday pictures. Tip: If you are at the counter of Taylors diner when a train whistles, you can get a free Kids Cone of soft serve ice cream.

Railroad history is a vibrant part of Placer County and the surrounding gold country towns. I grew…read moreup in Auburn, which has train tracks running all throughout it. I spent a lot of my childhood at my Grandma's house in Loomis, scurrying to the top of the playset to watch as trains flew past. I loved falling asleep to the gentle sounds of steel wheels hitting train tracks as a kid, and now that I live in midtown Sacramento, I still get to hear it, and it makes me happy. I'll stop being a Sheldon Cooper, and get on with it. Although trains have not stopped here for many years, the Loomis Train Depot has recently been restored to its former glory as a historical point of interest train station in the heart of the town of Loomis. You can't miss it. Just follow Horseshoe Bar Road from the Loomis exit off of I-80, past Taylor Road, until it dead ends at Blue Anchor Park, behind Taylor's, where you should also stop for a Golden Eagle Shake. GO DOHS! It is currently the site of town hall meetings, and inside you'll find a gavel and courtroom style chair set up along with a small train museum for enthusiasts. It's also an awesome venue for a small party or in this month's case, a bridal shower. There are plenty of chairs, tables, and a kitchen complete with sink, trash cans, microwave and fridge. I liked this location as a venue so much that I have my eye on it for the future. Folks wanting to reserve this space should contact that business number listed, or check out the facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Loomis-Train-Depot-130172910379866/.

Vampires, Steampunkers & Pirates, OH MY!…read more SITREP What a BLOODY good time at the 2013 Vampire-Pirate-Steampunker-(name your favorite costume category) BALL! Hosted at the Placer County Fairgrounds in Roseville, CA, it was an eclectic & eccentric event of magnificent proportions! Even though it IS a "Vampire Ball" ("per se", as kids in SouthPark chirp it), there was plenty of action for many different themes, and it all started on the Red Carpet experience complete with paparazzi photographers (including me!) THE SETUP Indeed - theme was "Dark Shadows" parody, starring Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfieffer, et al, as well as an homage to the 60's TV show inspiring it. And this production featured promoter-hostess Shannon McCabe's uber-creative "Visionary Living Theme Sets", where guests at the event could interact with live actors playing the characters from the movie Dark Shadows who were in full costume. In some of the sets, you experienced the Collinswood Manor, the docks of Collinsport and the family's fish cannery. We even had PIRATE SHIPS cause there is that tie in with the Dark Shadows movie with one of the female vampire characters. VAMPIRE BALL TRADITION IN ROSEVILLE-SACRAMENTO AREA This has now become a great tradition in the Sacramento Valley, bringing both participants and guests from the Bay Area, L.A., Seattle and the East Coast. * Last year's 2012 Vampire Ball's theme was "Interview With A Vampire", complete with the Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt cast of characters, and which was also held at the Placer County Fairgrounds. * And the year before's 2011 Vampire Ball's theme was "Bram Stoker's DRACULA", complete with the Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves cast of characters, though this event was actually held at THE NECROPOLIS (the dungeon space that was below Cafe Americain) in Old Sacramento. [The Vampire Ball was moved to Roseville because too many people was causing the venue space to burst at the seams.] * I can't wait to see what next year's theme will be! [*crosses his fingers* Please let it be Buffy. Please NOT Twilight. Please let it be Buffy. Please NOT Twilight.] ;) COLLABORATION OF VILLAINS PROMOTING VILLAINY *& WENCHING) As alluded to above, the Vampire Ball joined forces with the dynamic teams of creative groups of people: * STEAMPUNKS! Such as: (1) the League of Proper Villains; and, (2) The Sacramento Steampunks Society. To that end, the Steampunks had a "WARNING: Point of No Return Area" - the danger being that you were welcomed into a visual vortex of all things Steampunk, but many festival goers found it addictive and were transformed into their new reality. * PIRATES! Did I mention there were PIRATES? Hell Yeah! The harbor of "Collinsport" played host to Pirates, the esteemed groups "The Rogues of the Golden Coast" and the "Pirates of Sacramento". Complete with live mini-cannons! [Look at those cute little buggers in my pictures!] It was a *BLAST!* MUSIC & DANCING Inside the large building playing host to our Vampire shenanigans, the MUSIC NEVER STOPPED! My DJ buddies DJs Bryan Hawk, David Vandyke and Duc get the beats pounding and the dance area filled with lights, lasers, and wall screens of color that melted reality into a fantasy of dance, sight and sound. THOR'S HORSE...ER UNICORN! Vlad the Giant Rocking Unicorn was again a special guest at the Vampire Ball, and boy did he get his back broken in by all sorts of Vampire & Pirate patrons wanting to ride that bucking equine! ME! A JUDGE! OH MY! This year, the ball put the "VAMP" back into "Vampire Pin Up". For some reason, the promoters thought I was qualified to be a JUDGE for the VAMP Pageant. I was all too happy to accept that responsibility (AND it meant a FRONT ROW SEAT which I made good use of to take LOTS of pictures. And I mean, LOTS - dam well uploaded 360!) In addition, it was awesome to see the return of the 2013 VAMP Pin Up Queen, JEZEBEL (aka Jennifer Mathews)! She was there to crown the new 2014 VAMP Pin Up Queen winner and it was an awesome time. LADY LUCK CAR CLUB Celebrity pin up model and founder of the Lady Luck Car Club, BETTY ANN, also returned as one of the pageant judges, along with her posse of beautiful women and their cars! SUCH FUN! OUTSIDE BAND STAND It was a treat to see friends Adam Jones & Ashley of the band Savi0r play the bandstand along with the featured headlining band Sacramento's own, New Pioneers with lead singer Bruce Kubel. FOOD & VENDORS There was a plethora of vendors sharing their wares. I must give a shout-out to my stalwart friend & compadre Nick Roberts for sharing his artistic talents and art pieces for people to enjoy. KUDOS Props to Shannon McCabe, Wendy Williams and staff & volunteers for their energetic hard work in putting on such an AMAZEBALLS event! THE LOWDOWN The 2013 Vampire Ball "Dark Shadows" by Shannon McCabe was indeed a Festival of Fun for Vampires, Pirates, Steampunkers & Devils like me!

The Vampire Ball is now at the California Automobile Museum and here is a clip of the event…read more Gregory James of James Media Presents Shannon McCabe's Vampire Ball 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2DrZGNyJNk&feature=youtu.be Loved the 2017 Vampire Ball!

This was my 2nd time coming to this gallery and my first art opening. I've been here once before to…read morecheck it out and they had a good show at that time. My girlfriend lives in Roseville and was thinking of joining there collaborative as she is an artist and is interested in fining a community to be a part of. From what I saw they show art work of local artists as part of the collaborative and in turn those artists volunteer their time to man the front desk and to assist at their events. It sounds like a nice set up to become involved without paying a lot of money to show your artwork in a gallery. I'm not part of it so don't quote me. Saturday, January 17th Event was: By Hand - An International Craft Nouveau Competition. We saw Crafts from all over the United States. We attended their opening reception. The show was juried by Harriete Estel Berman who picked 1-4th place and announced them while we were there. We got to mingle with the artists, enjoy some bites by Randy Peters, and listen to some wonderful live music. The art work was fabulous. My favorite was the handcrafted necklaces out of extremely light metal. I loved those pieces of art most because you can also wear them. I found the textile wall hangings fascinating. I quilt and it was amazing to see all the different patterns they stitched into their pieces of art. I loved the ceramics. I used to dabble in ceramics so it's wonderful to see people who have taken it to the next level and have show worthy pieces. My niece made us ramen bowls for Christmas. She made them on the wheel. If she keeps it up maybe one day she can show her work in a gallery. The bites. What a wonderful spread. I used to show in galleries and all we served was wine. Here they had a full spread, enough to call dinner. The main course was the beef sliders, the appetizers included stuffed mushrooms, puff pastries, and a pear and pumpkin or butternut squash purée. All was Devine. They even had some cookies and bars for dessert. I would definitely come back for another opening reception. And so will many others. I was surprised at how crowed it was at 5pm when it begin and it was crowed all the way up till the end at 7pm. I'm glad we go there early so we could partaken in all the goodness. If you are looking for something to do on a Saturday night check out one of their art openings. Or go anytime they are open to enjoy some beautiful artwork.

Our kid was here for a summer drawing camp and had a great time! The art gallery itself is located…read moreon Vernon street, right next to the parking garage. Check in and drop off were easy. The camps did provide snacks for during their break. Our kid loved the class and brought home some fun work she did. Staff and teachers were friendly and great with the kids. The gallery itself is small but beautiful. There were fun art pieces to browse while waiting. They offer membership and monthly family activities. We'll definitely stop by the family day and hopefully sign up for another camp next year.

This library has to be one of the worst I've been to in over 30 years. Not only are their sketchy…read morepeople hanging out outside and in the parking lot, the inside is SO much worse! The stench from the unwashed homeless people was unbearable! Filth on the tables and floors. Truly the absolute worst! Loud voices going back and forth with zero respect to people trying to study. I will never, ever be back at this library. Absolutely disgusting. Security guard there does nothing to stop the homeless from acting up. He just sits there offers no help what so ever. It should just be given to the homeless since it's basically a homeless shelter.

I used to go to this library often with my dad, at least once a week. I have lots of great…read morememories from those days. My library card had expired long ago, so I decided to stop in and get another one. Everyone was so nice and helpful, just as I remember from years ago. The library hasn't changed much. The big card catalog cases are gone, replaced by computers. Other than that, it looks the same as I remember it. I missed the Roseville Library and I'm glad I returned. I could spend all day here!

That was incredible! Astolfo our instructor guided us for my special milestone birthday and he made…read moresure each of the guests had the most fulfilling time. I appreciated the professionalism and positivity throughout. Several of the guests also had events they were talking about doing tan instructed paint party for. Thank you Astolfo for seeing the best in all of us through the evening! Paint the town was incredible at communicating and also responded and helped me to book quickly which was very helpful for my schedule as well.

Paint The Town did our office after-hours event last night (December 9th) and it was absolutely…read morefabulous! Communication with coordinator was excellent, and our instructor Nicki was so so great. Will definitely recommend Paint The Town to everyone.

"Alexander Bell Mc Rae"was a very prominent businessman and community leader in the early 1900's…read more The Mc Rae Building was built in 1908 and is considered to be one of the first multi-story building built in Roseville. It is also one of the most important historical building still to exist in "Roseville Historic Downtown District." During the early 1900's the Mc Rae Building was also known as the "Opera House". The upper floor the building was used for many social events such as ( Cultural Center / Meeting Hall / Live Theater / Plays / Roller Rink / Lyric Movie House / Boxing Matches / but never for an opera. The ground floor was at one time occupied by Mc Rae real estate/insurance office / "Piggley Wiggley Grocery Store / Roseville first new paper/ and Post Office. The building is currently home to "The Opera House Saloon". ( Live Music / Dancing Lessons ) ( Food & Drinks). Restoration on the building was completed in 1989 by Richard and Donald Ryan. Remember the past/ Imbrace the Future ! Thanks for reading ! Live/Love / Travel