The views of mountains and hills are what captivates my heart every time we travel to Northern California. We just got home from a quick mini vacation to San Jose, El Dorado Hills, Fremont, Orangevale, and Folsom California. Believe it or not, we managed to visit all those places in just three days. That is the difference between California and Texas. It takes you an hour here just to get to the other side of one town.
We arrived at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport around 10:30 am and it was a nice short walk to the rental car center. Picked out our car and were quickly on our way. First things first, Rubios Coastal Grill. This was a must have for me. I have been craving it since the last time we were in NoCal. This time (yes we had it more than once in three days) I got the chicken burrito with no beans, so good. Everything there tastes so fresh and clean. After we had our lunch we hoped in the car and headed about two hours north to El Dorado Hills, which is past Sacramento and on your way to Lake Tahoe. My mother in law and her side of the family live there so it was great to surprise my husbands grandmother and cousins who had no idea we were coming. We got to spend the day and evening with them and then Sunday morning we drove to Orangevale, California to see two of our best friends before our hiking adventure.
Hiking: Folsom Lake
Josh and I have hiked here many times but we went a different longer route this time and it was beautiful and proved to be a challenge by the end. It was an even amount of incline and slopes but the path is a bit narrow for all the bikes going through, so I do not recommend this hike if you enjoy wearing headphones. The bikers were wailing past us. I would stick to the gravel paths and roads if you are traveling by foot or with dogs. There are many areas to take beautiful photos by the water, the guys had to stop to play baseball in several spots so that was our time to take pictures. The hike in total can be ten miles, we only did five but we were pretty sore and tired the last mile.
Food & Drink: Out of Bounds Brewing Co.
One of our best friends is a frequent visitor to this must try establishment. We walked in and there were multiple bars, leather couches and chairs for those who do not like to sit at the bar or tables. The staff was lively and welcoming, and they have a vast variety of beers to choose from. We started with a round of beers, I had the blonde (of course, I am bias). It was very light and crisp, had great flavor. The food was phenomenal. We started with the Pretzilla and House Dips as well as the Smoked Mac N’ Cheese because, carbs. The Pretzel was amazing, my husband barley let anyone try any it was gone so quick. It came with a bacon jalapeno cheese dip and a smoked cheddar OBBC beer mustard which I preferred. The Mac N’ Cheese was the perfect combination of cheesy and smoky. They use a smoked cheddar blend with breadcrumbs over cavatappi pasta. It was my favorite dish of the night. For our entrees I got the Out of Bounds Craft Burger. I always like to try a dish that is unique to the restaurant. I normally comes with brisket short rib beef, smoked cheddar, house potato chips, field greens, tomato, red onion, and garlic aioli. I chose to get it sans potato chips but I was not missing out. This burger was so good. After our meals we made our way to their beautiful biergarten to sit by the fires and play boccie ball. They also have corn hole and many areas to sit in groups or more secluded with a date. If you are ever in Folsom or Rocklin, California…go check out this brewery.
Next Stop: Fremont
Last but not least, we made our way to Fremont to see my father in law and family before we took off back to Texas the following day. What I love about Fremont is the San Francisco feel to it. It is very close to the bay, and is considered to be in the bay area. It feels much more coastal yet mountainous there. While we were driving, we had the views of the large bright green hills surrounding us and the pink sunset setting in the distance.
Until next time Cali!
xoxo-Alyssa
The Silver Lifestyle 
Thank you for sharing, it sounds wonderful, and OMG the mac and cheese!
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