Synopsis

When my dad died, I didn’t know my mom was going to leave me, too. It hurt like hell to lose him, but didn’t she know we could get through this together? I survived by dancing and reading. That is, until the Underground Poet left me a riddle straight from the pages of my favorite book. Suddenly, I was awake and excited. What was he trying to say and how would I reply? I know it seems crazy to fall for someone that I’ve never actually met, but he feels more real to me than the people I spend all my time with. For the first time in my life, it feels like I’m not so alone. Like he has offered me his hand and I’m accepting the next steps of the dance. Would you have done the same?

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Listen to the Dance With Me Playlist as you read:

Dance With Me Map and Further Learning

This work of fiction is set in Sacramento, California, focused in and around the neighborhoods of Land Park and Oak Park. I invite you to explore the city through Charlie’s eyes, then join me in Sacramento and engage in the community and its surrounding spaces.

Check out the interactive Dance With Me Google Maps List here.

People and Places

Pam Haynes

The U.S. history of renaming cities, institutions, and landmarks with western names is the story of colonialism, erasure, violence, and racism. When naming Charlie’s high school, I wanted to flip the narrative and honor someone local to Sacramento who championed education. Haynes Charter High School is named after Pam Haynes who has dedicated her life to serving students in higher education through her work in the California Labor Federation, California State Assembly, Los Rios Community College District Board, and California Community Colleges Board of Governors. She believes passionately in getting students the resources they need to succeed and in the ability for students to be successful in the community college system.

Wilton Rancheria

Sacramento is the dispossessed land and the unceded territory of the Miwok and Nisenan people. This acknowledgement seeks to recognize the peoples who were here long before Sacramento was colonized and developed by westerners, and to address the violence brought against natives and the erasure of their culture. This acknowledgment seeks to recognize that the Miwok and Nisenan communities still exist today, that we must not relegate them to a relic, that this land we live on requires our participation in bringing back their voices, their right to life, and their right to land. To learn more about the sovereignty of these tribes, please visit https://wiltonrancheria-nsn.gov/ and https://www.nisenan.org/. Nevada City Rancheria is a group that is working to help the Nisenan people regain federal recognition as the Miwok were able to do. To learn more about this initiative, please visit https://nevadacityrancheria.org/. To learn how to take action beyond the land acknowledgement, please visit https://nativegov.org/

Bookstores

Underground Books

Part literary hub, part library, part non-profit, part independent bookstore, part cultural center, Underground Books is a space to “find your freedom.” Enter the double doors and be greeted like family. Come in and investigate black art, black culture, black legacy, and black future. Find a comfy seat and settle in with the book you just have to have. Attend speaking events by local and national authors and workshops, and engage in your community. For more info, visit https://www.sthope.org/underground-books-home @undergroundbooks

Capital Books

After a decade of running a successful online book review business, Ross and Heidi expanded their love of books into the Sacramento Community by opening Capital Books. For more info, visit https://capitalbooksonk.com/ @capitalbooksonk

Add these other great bookstores to your list:
- Beers Books https://www.beersbooks.com/ @beersbooks
- J Crawford’s Books https://crawfordbooks.net/ @crawfordsbooks

Coffee Shops

Old Soul Co.

From the beginning, Tim and Jason were interested in producing locally sourced, quality coffee and baked goods for their community. What started out as a wholesale enterprise quickly turned into four retail stores that serve as food hubs in the Sacramento neighborhoods of Downtown, Midtown, and Oak Park. The goal is simple: be a platform to uplift and celebrate farmer and artisan voices. To learn more, visit https://oldsoulco.com/ @oldsoulco

Broadway Coffee

A community-first coffee shop that offers friendly service, free Wi-Fi, and sustainably sourced coffee. For more info, visit https://www.broadwaycoffeecompany.com/ @broadway_coffeeco

Add these other great coffee shops to your list:
- Camellia Coffee https://camelliacoffeeroasters.com @camelliacoffeeroasters
- Insight Coffee Roasters https://www.insightcoffee.com/ @insightcoffee
- Pachamama Coffee https://pachamamacoffee.com/ @pachamama_coffee
- Steamer’s Bakery and Café https://www.oldsacramento.com/shop/steamers-bakery-cafe

Entertainment

AMF Land Park Lanes

A black light, retro bowling alley complete with an arcade, billiards, and full bar. For more info, visit https://www.amf.com/location/amf-land-park-lanes

Grocery Stores

Nugget Markets

A family-owned and -operated grocery store chain local to the Sacramento Valley since 1926. For more info, visit https://www.nuggetmarket.com/ @nuggetmarkets

Parks and Zoos

McClatchy Park

Founded in 1927, McClatchy Park was transformed from an amusement park into a city park that offers jungle gyms, fitness areas, a skate park, and a host of sports areas including baseball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, a disk golf course, and a jogging path. It is also the site of a weekly farmer’s market. For more info, visit https://www.cityofsacramento.org/ParksandRec/Parks/Park-Directory/Fruitridge-Broadway/McClatchy-Park

William Land Regional Park

Founded in 1911, William Land Regional Park was one of the first parks in the country with open public access. The park is a gorgeous, sprawling 207 acres and home to two theme parks, a lake, ample picnic spots, and a host of recreational sports areas including a golf course, basketball courts, jogging trails, softball and soccer fields. The neighborhood where the park resides in Sacramento is called “Land Park” to this day. For more info, visit https://www.cityofsacramento.org/ParksandRec/Parks/Park-Directory/Land-Park/William-Land

Sacramento Zoo

Founded in 1927, this Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited non-profit houses roughly 500 animals and 125 different species. The Sacramento Zoo partners with UC Davis to provide residency for their zoological veterinarians. For more info, visit https://www.saczoo.org/ @sacramentozoo

Restaurants and Bakeries

Faria Bakery

A local Oak Park bakery since 2019, Faria Bakery and founders Chris and Grace have been serving their community for more than ten years from their cottage bakery at home! They see bread and pastry as vehicles to build a healthy, sustainable community. Sacramento is a great place for a bread revolution thanks to the abundance of farmers and millers in this farm-to-fork capital. For more info, visit https://www.fariabakery.com @fariabakery

Fixins Soul Kitchen

A local Oak Park restaurant since 2019, Fixins Soul Kitchen aims to highlight black excellence through its delicious soul food sourced from local family recipes, by providing jobs for disadvantaged youth and those formerly incarcerated, by ensuring their unsold food gets to community members in need, and with its zero-waste facility. For more info, visit, https://fixinssoulkitchen.com/ @fixinssoulkitchen

Florez Bar & Grill

A local Land Park restaurant since 1981 that serves fresh, delicious, homemade Mexican cooking using locally sourced produce. For more info, visit https://www.florezbarandgrill.com/ @florezbarandgrill

Gunther’s Ice Cream

A Sacramento Historical Landmark and treasured ice cream shop since 1940. Visit for the generous portions, the creamy taste, and to see Jugglin’ Joe in action. For more info, visit https://gunthersicecream.com/ @gunthersicecream

The Original Mel’s

Originally founded in San Francisco in 1947 as a drive-in, this 24/7 restaurant brings you a dash of the 1950s and all the late-night comfort food you could want. For more info, visit https://originalmels.com/ @melsdinergroup

Tower Café

The neon lights of the iconic Tower Theater stand high above US 50 and are impossible to miss, but it’s the café tucked away in its own secret garden beneath the neon lights that you won’t want to overlook. The restaurant feels like a journey around the world with art from a myriad of countries and a menu that is just as eclectic. For more info, visit https://towercafe.com/ @towercafesac

Additional Landmarks

Arden Fair Mall

Sacramento’s local mall since 1957 with more than 150 shops and restaurants. For more info, visit https://www.ardenfair.com/

Crocker Art Museum

Though the original house was built for residential use in 1908, Crocker Art Museum has been a Sacramento staple in the art community since 1978. Its mission is to enrich the lives of the Sacramento community by using art in unexpected ways to connect people to the world around them. For more info, visit https://www.crockerart.org/ @crockerart

The Old Sacramento Waterfront

The original birthplace of the City of Sacramento, the Old Sacramento Waterfront was launched as a part of a Mexican Land Grant, and expanded during the 1848 Gold Rush as miners came to outfit themselves before heading off to find their riches. Four floods in the early 1800s prompted the city to take dramatic action and raise the city above flood level. Visiting the Old Sacramento Waterfront is like stepping into the past, as the city has kept the raised sidewalks for stepping off your horse-and-buggy, the old cobblestone streets, and with fifty-three Historical Buildings to visit. Access it via the Tower Bridge that crosses the Sacramento River from West Sacramento into Downtown Sacramento. Today, the Old Sacramento Waterfront offers six museums, unique shopping for candy and socks, the famous Evangeline’s costume store, restaurants and bars, and even a Ferris wheel and carousel. For more info, visit https://www.oldsacramento.com/ @oldsac

Sutter Health Park

Created in 2000 to be used as the home ballpark for the Sacramento River Cats Minor League Baseball team, Sutter Health Park changed its name from Raley’s Field after the twenty-year term ended for the naming rights of the facility. To find more info on attending a game, visit https://www.sutterhealthpark.com/ @rivercats