Had some friends over for dinner this weekend. It was sort of a busy day leading up to dinner that we decided to use a gift card we had for the Macaroni Grill (yeah, yeah, I know). So we call up the place with our order. Decide to use the “curbside pick-up” feature which apparently is better than driving to the restaurant and going in and picking up the food and leaving. No, no, they understand you are in a hurry and so after describing your car to them they will meet you out front with your order and you’re all set. Yep, all set.
Before I continue, would someone please explain how to navigate the Alta Arden, Ethan Way, Arden Mall layout? You know what I mean, if not, let Google help you out. Try making sense of those arrows. I came in on Arden, exited on Alta Arden and within 2 minutes was leaving town on Business 80 toward San Francisco…
It is no surprise to anyone that the place was packed. Hungry pasta eaters scurrying about trying to find a parking spot. I take advantage of the reserved parking for the mid-level lazy people (we could be using that food-to-go service you know) that are willing to drive to a restaurant but not go into it. I sit. I sit some more. I call everyone in my cell phone address book. Everyone was out to dinner apparently. Finally I break down and go in.
Are you, Ron? I see you, don’t worry, your food isn’t ready yet.
And I was supposed to know this how? She encourages me to go back to my car and wait. 15 more minutes I wait. Go back in. I make an effort never to get upset in situations like these. It’s no one person’s fault. So I wait. Finally, I received my food and a free piece of chocolate cake! Off I go. Get home, shocker, the order is not right.
Man, I should have went to Serritella’s. There was a highlight though. Watching the disappointment on the faces of folks as they pulled into the parking spot next to me only to realize it was reserved for fellow mid-level lazy jack asses like myself (MLJA!) was great.
The Sac Rag 
I understand there is a Costco and REI over there somewhere too, but I can’t ever get even close to them. As they say, “You can’t get there from here.” You shouldn’t be trying to go there near the Christmas Holidays anyway.
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the secret to Arden is the back entrance by, oddly enough, Macaroni. parking under the raised lot by Macy’s and JC Penney is always pretty lucky.
the only real snarls there are trying to enter or exit using Arden Blvd. your best bet might be to take El Camino to Ethan Way and come in the back way:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=from%3A+el+camino+%26+capital+city+fwy,+sacramento+to%3A+Arden+Way+%26+Ethan+Way,+Sacramento,+CA+95825&f=d&hl=en
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Squirty, you actually bring up another confusing part of town for me. Costco and REI are located off Exposition Blvd. Arden makes a fork at Ethan (or just before actually) and if you veer to the right (going west I think) you end up at the mall and if you veer left Arden becomes Expo and you need to stay on that over Capital City Freeway to find these stores on your left. Where I get lost is that 160 feeds into that area, too, and there are ways to avoid traffic downtown by taking this highway which I can never totally remember how to do.
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You think that’s confusing? I’ve lived here nearly all my life and I am still a little mystified on how one can take Fair Oaks Blvd to Carmichael, then turn right on FAIR OAKS! then hang a left on FAIR OAKS! then a right and another left and you’re still on FAIR OAKS! This must break some rule of relativity that I’m not aware of.
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cooldmz here with a couple more Google maps:
Getting to 160 from the mall via Arden way (recommended for non-holiday shopping days only):
http://tinyurl.com/a6rrf
Getting to 160 from Arden mall during holiday shopping times:
http://tinyurl.com/dbq3x
zoom in tightly on the endpoint at Leisure Lane and Expo, and you’ll see Leisure Lane makes a tight loop over 160 and gets you to an onramp at Royal Oaks Dr.
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when you head out to that Fair Oaks blvd tesseract, you will be near the corner of SUNRISE AND SUNSET
http://tinyurl.com/9u8t9
at that point you’re on your own.
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Highway 160 forks off Business 80 just past the Arden Way exit when traveling south/west (toward downtown from points east, such as Roseville.) To get on 160 from Business 80 from the downtown area, just get off at Exposition, turn left over the freeway and follow it until it dead-ends at 160 (which also puts you at REI/Costco and near the Radisson.)
Taking 160 dumps you onto 12th Street in downtown near Loaves and Fishes. To access 160 from downtown, just take 16th Street. If you’re ever in a pinch with mailing something late in the day, the Royal Oaks Post Office off 160 and Royal Oaks Drive stays open later and is one of the main postal hubs in the region.
160 is especially handy if you have an event at the Convention Center, Hyatt, Sheraton, or Community Center Theater. I’m also a big fan of the Arden-Garden connector, which is the continuance of Arden Way that turns into Garden Highway and gives you easy access to the Natomas area.
Also, should you find yourself on 160 on a Tuesday evening & are in need of a workout, come on by Commerce Circle & meet up with my running club for some intervals.
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