Add-On Some Fun!

Add on some vacation time before or after the Annual conference and explore all that Sacramento and the surrounding areas have to offer. The LSA hotel room rate is applicable to bookings of up to three nights before or two nights after the conference. So bring the family or a friend for beautiful late April weather, exceptional sightseeing, winery tours, shopping, and more!

Some suggestions include:

Wine Tour
Eskaton Tour
Motorcycle Tour
Growing List of Things to do in Sacramento
Area Distance Driving Map

Amador Tours
Monday, April 26
1 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Cost: $69 (Cost includes round trip transportation, a tasting tour of four wineries, and lunch.)
Please note: The tour requires a minimum of 10 registrants. Your credit card will not be charged unless the tour occurs.

Attendees interested in taking part in the Amador wine tour, conducted by Sacramento Wine & Nightlife Tours will have a unique opportunity to visit four wineries. To sign-up for the tour, please visit www.sacramentodaytours.com/lsa/.

First stop will be at Nine Gables Vineyard and Winery, who are committed to making wines in small batch fermentations with a hands-on, handcrafted approach. Better flavors come from fermenting the grapes in small batches and hand-punching them many times a day for maximum extraction of flavors, colors and aromas. The wine is then stored for 18 months in Oak barrels. Stainless steel tanks at Nine Gables are used mostly for blending and storing wines.

Our next stop will be at Montevina. Established in 1970, Amador County's first post-prohibition winery is the largest and most modern of the area. Montevina has a new, state-of-the-art production facility in which it produces its big, rough-hewn Zins, stylish Syrahs and the largest Italian portfolio in the US. We'll enjoy lunch at Montevina.

After lunch, we will head to Deavers. A drive over Deaver's 300 acres will take you past 120-year-old Zinfindel vines and eight acres of Mission vines, so called because they were brought from Mexico by the Jesuits and Franciscans. The Deaver mission vines were planted around 1853 by Ken Deaver's great grandfather John A. Davis. His son, Ken's grandfather, planted the Zinfandel four decades later. For years, the Deaver's "old vine" grapes were sold exclusively to home winemakers.

The first vintage of Deaver Vineyards Zinfandel was bottled under the "Lakeshore" label in 1985. Since then, Deaver Vineyards has become recognized the world over for its velvety Zinfandels. The Tuscan-style climate of Amador county is also perfect for producing classic Sangiovese, Barbera, and rich Ports.

We'll end our day in Amador at Dobra Zemlja (doh-bra zem-ya), which means "good earth" in Croatian. This small winery, set down a long, winding road, produces only the BIGGEST estate Zinfandel, Syrah, Sangiovese, Barbera and Viognier. We'll taste in the wine cave tasting room, and you won't want to leave the rustic ambiance of this winery for the return to Sacramento.

It's always a beautiful day for a wine tour!

Eskaton Tour
The Eskaton National Demonstration Home and Campus Tour
Monday, April 26, 2010
1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Pick up location: Hyatt Regency Sacramento, Lobby

Eskaton provides community living and home-based support to enhance the independence and quality of living for more than 14,000 older adults annually throughout Northern California. The nonprofit organization's full spectrum of aging services includes residential living with services, assisted living, memory care, hospice, rehabilitation and skilled nursing, home care, adult day healthcare and multiple other special programs.

The tour will demonstrate Eskaton's standards in affordability, innovation, collaboration, education and compassion as it endeavors to transform the aging experience.

The tour will take place in Roseville, CA, and will begin with the Eskaton National Demonstration Home, an educational center showcasing the best in Livable Design, wellness technologies, enhanced lighting and green building. The Demonstration Home is an example of how to create beautiful, flexible living environments for all generations.  Since it's opening in October 2008, the Demonstration Home has received NAHB's 50+ Housing Award for best Detached Home in an Active Adult Community and AARP's 2009 Livable Communities Award.

To complete the tour, attendees will have an opportunity to view other campus features such as the assisted living lodge, clubhouse and model homes. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

For more information, or to RSVP for the free tour, please contact Erin Clay, Director, Research & Planning, ESKATON at 916-334-0810 x1150 or Erin.Clay@eskaton.org.

Motorcycle Tour
Lutheran Services in America - Bikers Tour
First Annual Ride
April 29 and 30 - Following the LSA Annual Conference

Motorcycle riders are invited to participate in the first annual ride. Scheduled for April 29 and 30, riders will travel by car from the Conference site in Sacramento to Golden Gate Harley-Davidson in Corte Madero where seven Harley-Davidson motorcycles have been reserved. The cost for two days' rental is $270 per motorcycle. Riders of any brand motorcycle from the area who are able to ride their own bikes are invited to meet at Golden Gate Harley-Davidson at 9:00 a.m. on the 29th.  

The ride will travel North on Highway 1, following the coastline for about 150 miles to Mendocino, where we will spend the night. An inexpensive hotel will be arranged. On the 30th, we will return via Highway 101 through the Sonoma Valley, stopping for lunch on the Plaza in picturesque Healdsburg. A stop or two at area wineries will be planned. Riders will return to Golden Gate Harley-Davidson by late afternoon and then return by car to Sacramento by early evening.

John Bauer (Bethesda Lutheran Communities) and Bill Nolan (KenCrest) are the hosts for this ride. Because there are only a limited number of motorcycles available for rent, those interested should contact John via email or by phone at 920-206-4401 as soon as possible.