Last summer our family was invited to go out on Folsom Lake in our friends’ boat. We hesitated to accept the invitation because we do not own life jackets and were not prepared to invest in three! I spent a little time checking the internet to see if it was possible to rent life jackets. It was then that I happened upon information about the Life Jacket Loan Program. Cal Boating has partnered with local fire stations and the CSUS Aquatic Center to make life jackets available to the public on a loan basis. Local fire stations are supplied with life jackets for children and adults. An individual or family can check out life jackets for a day or a weekend simply by completing a loan form.
I went to the nearest fire station on the list and was hesitant to even go in since it looked like nobody was there. When I knocked on the door, a friendly fireman came out from the back and was more than happy to help me find life jackets in the right sizes for all three of my kids. I signed a form, agreed to bring them back after the weekend was over, and was on my way! So if you are planning on spending Memorial Day weekend or any time this summer out on the lake or at the river, this may come in handy. Click here for a list of Life Jacket Loaner Stations. We had one of the most fun times we’ve ever had as a family and were so grateful to be able to do it for free!
Written by Keilah Woodard
My love for exploring and creating experiences with my three kids led to the founding of SacramentoSidetracks.com in 2009. I realized that Sacramento has so much to offer and I was excited to share my findings with other parents. Besides simply having fun, these are the other positive side effects of taking my kids on outings that I’ve discovered: we have quality time together away from the distractions at home, we cultivate our curiosity, learn new things, conversations are triggered by what we see and do, we connect and bond as a family, and we create new memories. Ready to get sidetracked, too? Let me be your guide!
