LOOKING BACK ON 2025
Mildly Scenic’s first full year in the world—river days, friendly faces, and a community that made it feel right at home.
It’s going to be hard to summarize just how deeply I’ve felt the appreciation from my Sacramento community this year — the shout-outs and collaborations, the invitations into rooms and onto stages, the interviews and articles, and most of all the friendships with a vast, generous network of local artists, educators, river lovers, and activists.
Somewhere along the way, Mildly Scenic stopped being just a book and became an extension of me — and also its own little roaming entity. It found its way onto bookshelves in every corner of Sacramento, and then (the best part) many of those readers reached out. Coffee dates, river walks, and many new friendships.
Some of these new friends were drawn in by the colorful and funky cover art (forever grateful to the one-and-only Greg Traverso). Others connected with the parenting conundrum of wrangling small kids with endless energy, or the successfully launched DIY project, or just the delight in exploring nature in our own backyard. Either way, I feel more proud of this little book than ever — and endlessly grateful for the million tiny doors and genuine connections it opened in 2025.
November sunset from Hagan Park
BY THE (MILDLY ACCURATE) NUMBERS
There are a few ways to measure the impact of Mildly Scenic, so here’s my mostly-accurate, mildly-tracked tally:
2.4K books sold
53 eBooks sold
28 author events
3.4K Instagram friends
248.4 miles run
104 visits to the river*
897 Mildly Scenic stickers gifted*
84.5 new local artsy / outdoorsy friends*
4 times recognized by strangers at the river*
5 conversations with folks who learned about my book from the copy in my dentists office.
282 conversations where I shamelessly promoted my own book to people minding their own river business*
3.7 job offers*
1 feature on the California Now podcast (March 2025)
2 times in conversation with strangers where I casually got to say, “Oh — I wrote that book!”
*Okay, maybe some of these stats are only… mildly estimated. But you get the gist.
ACTUAL, FACT-CHECKED HIGHLIGHTS
SPEAKER SERIES…
To my complete delight, I was invited to tell the story of Mildly Scenic on iconic and influential stages like the ones at Sacramento Valley Conservancy, Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Cal Natural Resource Agency, the Fair Oaks Performing Arts Center, and Sac State’s Wilderness Recreational Outdoor Leadership Conference.
AUTHOR TALKS…
Since independent bookstores are the soul of this city, I’m endlessly grateful to have shared space with readers at The Avid Reader, Beers Books, Wild Sisters and A Seat At the Table — where I was honored to be in conversation with fellow local nature writers Aaron Haiman and Marni Fylling.
Beyond bookstores, I loved connecting with readers through talks at the Davis Public Library, Rotary Clubs, Girl Scout troops, local PEO chapters, and even second-grade classrooms — which may be the most honest and enthusiastic audiences of all.
FESTIVALS…
Tabling at events hosted by organizations like the American River Parkway Foundation, the Save the American River Association, and the California State Indian Museum meant meeting fellow river advocates, swapping trail tips, and feeling part of a much bigger collective effort to protect and celebrate this watershed.
COLLABS…
This year, I was able to bring my trail guide into the trendy wine bars and vintage shops about town (very on-brand) to collaborate with local businesses like Weekender Magazine, Alma Wine Bar, Paz Pilates, Superbum, and Fit4Moms… and, may I point out that most of these spaces are women-owned and community-driven. The best!
RIVER FIRSTS…
Ever in search for a new way to experience the river, I paddled SUP a lot more, including the red chapters (Paradise to Disco) for the first time and found it surprisingly scenic. Also, I watched my first river moonrise over the Jim Jones Bridge, and saw my first family of baby bobcats by Jacob Lane!
THAT’S A WRAP…
If 2025 taught me anything, it’s that Mildly Scenic exists because of community. Because bookstores opened their doors. Because readers reached out. Because someone told a friend. Because the river keeps inviting us back.
Thank you for cheering, collaborating, wandering, reading, advocating, and caring — about this book, about each other, and about the Lower American River trails that connect us all.
Here’s to many more mildly scenic adventures ahead — see you out there!
