Things to Do in Roseville

Epic voyaging need not be reserved for classical heroes who speak in dactylic hexameter. Just as Odysseus slayed the hurricane from aboard his inflatable raft, you too can conquer vengeful waters with today's Groupon to Gold Rush Whitewater Rafting. For just $50, you'll go on a heart-pumping, rapid-raging tour of the South Fork of the American River (44% off a $90 value).

Donna Hunter started whitewater rafting as a hobby, but after spending 15 years as a social worker in San Diego, she was drawn back to the river as a career. With a few friends for support and a goal to start a rafting-adventure company, she went to night school and honed her business skills. Today, with some of her staff boasting more than 20 years experience leading tours, Donna orchestrates trips down various forks of the American, Merced, Kings, and Tuolumne Rivers to pit participants against rapids as high as Class V. Certified guides lead these tours in Hyside self-bailing rafts and inflatable kayaks, with some rafts holding up to eight people.

Wilderness guides also connect their guests with civilization, often combining rafting excursions with wine tastings and trips to local vineyards. On these overnight trips and other multi-day rafting excursions such as family gold-panning trips, they build relationships with their guests, garnering a clear idea of their paddling skills and the amount of time they've spent practicing in their washing machine.

The company’s camp boasts tent cabins—with names like Eagle's Nest and Falcon's Nest—which populate riverside clearings between picnic tables, swimming holes, and volleyball courts. A camp shop prepares guests with river gear, and hot-water showers let them wash off river water. When not seeking action on the river, staffers organize camp entertainment, such as live music, games, and visits from a local gold panner who demonstrates his craft.

A bounty of firearms supplies bolsters Ammo Depot’s roster of gun training and safety courses. During the Handguns 101 course, first-timers learn how to operate a firearm by reviewing ammunition and firearm fundamentals, shooting positions, and handgun-cleaning techniques before testing out their newfound skills at the range. Instructors also enlighten pupils with a trio of NRA courses, which include the Basic Pistol course, Personal Protection Inside the Home, and Personal Protection Outside the Home courses. Back in the shop, ammunition comes by the box or in bulk, and visitors can peruse a selection of targets, ear and eye protection, or basic firearm accessories.

Potter’s wheels whirr inside Lost Arts Ceramics' studio, where artists sit hunched over mounds of damp clay and mold the sticky earth into urns or bowls. The studio, gallery, and school is dedicated to the proliferation of the tactile art—during hands-on pottery classes, couples can create a permanent representation of their all-too-fleeting love, and groups can stop in and craft sculptures or functional art pieces. In the future, Lost Arts plans to expand into a nonprofit art organization, working with children and adults with special needs.

Stadium lights reflect off of the pavement. Engines roar as cars whip around curves and weave in and out, jockeying for pole position just as they cross the finish line. This racing scene is a familiar one at All American Speedway, which has witnessed many of the stock-car world's best drivers take to its paved stage. Their yearly schedule stretches from March until October as spectators young and old watch street-stock cars, modifieds, late models, vintage cars, and even vintage penny farthings circle the high-banked oval track.

The staff at American Visions Art Gallery know that shopping for artwork can be intimidating. So when customers fall in love with a piece at the Sutter Street shop, they can bring it home, hang it up, and continue to stare at it for up to 48 hours before making a final decision. It's all part of the gallery’s at-home trial system, which enables clients to make sure a piece fits in with their decor and won't come to life at night. They can test-drive pieces from a vast selection that includes originals and limited-edition work from 60 artists, and special receptions allow prospective collectors to rub elbows with one of the shop's featured artists between bites of light hors d'oeuvres. The shop also provides framing services for a range of personal pieces, and curates a curriculum of paint-and-sip workshops, where novice brushstrokes are steadied by a complimentary glass of wine.