Today we planted our first box. Hooray!

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Fair Oaks Letterbox
Fair Oaks, Sacramento County, California
Placed by Nebiru on November 2, 2002

Fair Oaks is a quaint little village twenty miles northeast of
Sacramento, on the bluffs above the American River. The box is
situated along the American River Parkway trail system, consisting
of level, woodsy paved bike and sand equestrian paths. We've chosen
a mile-long section that we think shows off some of the finest
charms of the river canyon. It makes a fine walk or ride,
particularly on a cool fall evening. Wear old shoes, as part of the
trail consists of a fine, ruddy dust.

The village is most easily reached via I-50, exiting at Sunrise
Blvd. and heading north for about three miles. After crossing the
river, you'll see an intersection with a light - turn right onto
Bridge Street, and take it the few blocks to its end (though if you
bring a backpack, you may want to detour north on Fair Oaks Blvd.
and stop at the Coffeehouse & Deli across from the village park to
grab a delicious sandwich or two for a trailside picnic). Just park
along the side of the road - watching out for the roaming resident
chickens that make the village famous!

Cross the river on the old orange rail bridge. Look far below for
salmon, ducks, and rafters, and watch the trusses above for pigeons,
gulls, and magpies! The trail curves sharply to the right and down
towards the river, where it eventually ends at the main path. Turn
left here.

Stay on this trail, passing beneath Sunrise Blvd. (pedestrians
should use the left shoulder on this high-traffic section of the
trail). Eventually you will reach a parking lot, and a wooden sign
that directs you to Goethe Park (left) or Sacramento Bar (right).
Bear right.

Cross the river again on "Jim's Bridge" (afterwards, you can read a
bit about it on the boulder-mounted plaque near the rustic restrooms
to the right of the trail). Remain on the main trail, which will
veer to the left.

You'll pass a beautiful little wooded picnic area on the right - the
perfect spot to enjoy those deli sandwiches. Continuing on, you'll
encounter a slight rise among large piles of river rock.

Watch the left shoulder of the trail - you'll see a raised manhole
that seems out of place. Turn right on the first unpaved equestrian
trail after that.

On this path, you'll see a well-groomed yard on the right with a
mammoth oak tree that's hard to miss. Two large stumps will then
also be seen to your right (the second with a large hole in the
front), immediately followed by one on the left. Stand in front of
this third stump (with your back to the trail). At approximately 30
degrees, you'll see a tree that looks like it has its legs straight
up in the air. You'll find two rocks at the base of the tree, and
the box beneath them.

The trail is fairly well-travelled, so please take care when
locating and replacing the box. Report any problems with the box to
nebiruletterbox@aol.com.

Enjoy!
Darin and Jennie