UNLIKELY TO AFFECT CONSUMER TRAVEL WELL. IN THIS WEEK’S EXPLORE OUTDOORS, MIKE TESELLE IS ENJOYING AN IDYLLIC LAKE WHOSE PAST WAS FAR FROM SERENE IN FACT, SOME MIGHT SAY THE PAST CONTROVERSY THERE WAS RADIOACTIVE. THIS IS ONE RECREATIONAL LAKE MADE ALL THE MORE INTRIGUING BECAUSE OF A UNIQUE VIEW AND A CONTROVERSIAL PAST. THESE ARE SOME OF THE VIEWS OF THE RANCHO SECO RECREATIONAL AREA, A 160 ACRE LAKE SURROUNDED BY A 400 ACRE PARK OVERFLOWING WITH FISHING, CAMPING, PICNICKING, WILDLIFE AND DEDICATED SWIMMING AREA. ROUGHLY 45 MINUTES SOUTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO. AND IT’S GOT ITS OWN DISTINCT VIBE. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE VIBE? I THINK IT’S JUST LOW KEY AND FAMILY ORIENTED, BUT IT IS THIS VIEW OF THE LOOMING TWIN COOLING TOWERS ON SMUD OWNED LAND THAT DOMINATE THE SKYLINE ON THE PARK’S WESTERN EDGE. UNMISTAKABLE. AND THEY HARKEN BACK TO A MORE CONTROVERSIAL TIME. THAT’S BECAUSE IN 1978, WHEN THIS LAKE WAS THE PRIMARY EMERGENCY BACKUP WATER SUPPLY FOR AN ACTIVE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. THE PLANT SUFFERED ONE OF THE NATION’S MOST SERIOUS NUCLEAR SAFETY RELATED OCCURRENCES. WHEN AN AUTOMATIC REACTOR SHUTDOWN CREATED A NUCLEAR SCARE. BY JUNE OF 1989, A VOLUNTEER REFERENDUM LED TO THE CLEANUP AND DECOMMISSIONING OF THIS POWER PLANT. BUT WHAT REMAINS WITHIN VIEW OF THE ENDURING TWIN COOLING TOWERS IS A NOT SO HIDDEN GEM THAT SOME SAY MOST PEOPLE DON’T EVEN KNOW IS HERE. YOUR ADVICE TO ME IS DON’T TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THIS GEM. YEAH, THAT’D BE GREAT. THAT’D BE GREAT. THE RANCHO SECO RECREATIONAL AREA IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY, MIKE TESELLE FOR EXPLORE OUTDOORS. HERE’S A LOOK AT WHERE RANCHO SECO IS. IT’S SOUTHEAST OF ELK GROVE. A WORD OF CAUTION TO ANYONE WHO’S THINKING ABOUT HEADING OUT THERE THIS WEEKEND. SMUD SAYS THE RECREATIONAL AREA IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE CLOSED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 22ND BECAUSE THEY’RE DOING SOME ROAD RESURFACING ALONG THE ENTRANCE ROAD. MAN, WHAT’S A GOOD TEASE THEN? YOU HAVE T