Things to Do in Rancho Cordova

After witnessing 3-year-old Kathy Pead’s connection to the ponies at a roadside amusement park, the park's owner recommended that Kathy's father enroll her in riding lessons even before the minimum age of 7. Since owning her first horse at the age of 15, Kathy has worked tirelessly to share her enthusiasm for the animals, teaching hands-on lessons and slowly building up her business. After stints in England and Australia, she's settled in the Sacramento area, where her stables sprawl across 2.5 acres that include two well-maintained arenas. She and her staff—which includes her daughter, Jenny—prioritize safety and fun as they teach students how to read a horse's body language and hear the sentences it mumbles in German between whinnies.

Glowing streams of red and green lasers skewer clouds of smoke, scattering as players charge through with Laserforce Gen6 weapons. The 6,000-square-foot arena swells with high-energy music, which sets a steady pace for up to seven teams as they swarm two levels, seeking enemies to blast against the black-lit backdrops. Digital babble drifts from more than 25 games in the arcade, from the sounds of explosive combat in shooting games to the screams of traffic cones in racing simulators such as Super Bikes 2 and Dirty Driving. All-night laser-tag sessions immerse combatants during monthly lock-ins, which let them form teams to practice different defensive strategies, such as guarding the best shooter with a human pyramid.

For almost a century, Haggin Oaks Golf Complex has been racking up awards as a premier golfing destination for skills development, the latest in golf gear, and on-course play. Visitors walk in the footsteps of some of the game's greatest players, including Sam Snead, Walter Hagen, and the legendary Ben Hogan, who won his first professional paycheck here in 1938, when paychecks were still oversized and had to travel by mule. The complex's array of amenities lives up to it historical pedigree, helping players develop through lessons with nationally recognized pros, encouraging them to practice their swing on the 100-stall lighted driving range, and setting them loose on one of two 18-hole courses. Beginners can ease into the game at the developmental Arcade Creek course, and those looking for a more traditional and difficult layout can try their hand at the Alister MacKenzie Golf Course.

Designed by the great architect Alister MacKenzie, whose projects include some of the most storied courses in the history of the game, such as Augusta National, Cypress Point, and Royal Melbourne, MacKenzie Golf Course envelops players in a pristine, 350-acre alleyway that offers almost no distractions from the outside world or to-do lists written in sand traps. After looping either course, players can stop in at MacKenzie's Sports Bar and Grille to replenish calories burnt on the links through traditional pub fare and 15 beers on tap while they watch sports on 10 flat-screen televisions.

Winner of Golf World's Top Public Golf Shop award, the Golf Super Shop showcases an inventory of gear from hundreds of top brands across 15,000 square feet of retail space. A 1929 Ford Model T truck hoists hundreds of Callaway golf balls, a 1,000-square-foot indoor putting green invites players to test out putters, and large spaces dedicated to Nike and Adidas apparel offer plenty of clothing options for your next outing. Additionally, the shop's club fitters use a variety of club-fitting technologies to ensure a set of irons doesn't end up colluding against its new owner.

Hoofbeats Equestrian's veteran trainer draws from 25 years of experience working with top equestrians and breeds such as appaloosas, percherons, warmbloods, and mini stallions to teach dressage, hunter, and jumper techniques amid verdant pastures and stables. In addition to helming shows and competitions, the full-service facility's crew proffers equine wisdom during lessons that forge trust between rider and steed to ensure safety and a guaranteed euchre partner. Hoofbeats Equestrian extends its passion for horsemanship with Hoofbeats Second Chance, a rescue program that rehabilitates and finds homes for neglected horses.

The 17-strong staff at Sattva Yoga, Pilates & Ayurveda brings an abundance of experience and certifications to each class, whether yoga, Pilates, or Barre. KCRA awarded the wellness emporium the title of Best Pilates Studio in 2010 and nominated it as a finalist for Best Yoga Studio in 2011. The team gears its yoga classes toward helping participants achieve tranquility, while directing their Pilates focus toward strengthening core muscles both in clients and in apples. They also teach two variations of Booty Barre, one meant to augment a Pilates regimen with its cardio component, and one that builds on both yoga and Pilates with long, fluid dance movements.

According to Aerie Yoga's feature in the Roseville Press Tribune, instructors Angie and Kendra wanted a "more playful and fun" approach to yoga and fitness. After some careful thought and planning, the duo decided to outfit a studio with hammock-like apparatuses, which they now use to help trainees master all manner of poses and inversions. The apparatuses—which can turn physiques fully upside-down—allow students to stretch deeply, and also offer support to those who can't perform yoga due to ailments such as arthritis.

Angie and Kendra welcome students of all ages and experience levels to test-drive this unconventional approach to fitness. And in that spirit, they aim to create a laidback atmosphere where light chatting and falconry calls are just as welcomed as silent meditation.