"Jeannette's SACRAMENTO Page" Sacramento by Jeannette1

Sacramento Travel Guide: 400 reviews and 936 photos

Old Town Sacramento - Sacramento
Old Town Sacramento

I am posting a link to a short travel article posted in the Washington Post. I thought it would give you a good overview of the city of Sacramento and outlines what to see in 2 days.

check it out:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A17911-2004Oct8?language=printer




Sacramento: The Two-Day Tour
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Sacramento is a graceful, pleasant, easygoing place. Sandwiched between the American and Sacramento rivers, it's a great town for history, politics, biking, walking and floating, either on a river boat, in a water taxi or in a tube.

Although it's small, the city's neighborhoods are varied. Around the Capitol building, Sacramento looks a bit like Washington, except prettier, due to the giant sequoias and palm trees that line the grassy mall.

In central downtown, the outdoor cafes and coffee shops and bookstores lend the feel of an upscale college town.

Old Sacramento brings to mind the Gold Rush, the great transcontinental Atlantic-Pacific Railway and the Pony Express -- all of which once began and ended here..

Most of my first day was spent in Old Sacramento, which boomed for a time in the 1800s, when gold was found in the nearby foothills. In fact, the Gold Rush is said to have spurred one of the largest recorded mass migrations in history.
It could easily have become one of those dead, re-created-village places where people in period customs run around, not fooling you for a minute. Instead, the city allowed merchants to open real restaurants and shops in some of the 53 historic buildings, making it feel not only historic but alive.

The 28-acre site with National Landmark status also holds several small museums, such as the Wells Fargo History Museum and the extensive, 100,000-square-foot Museum of Railroad History, part of the California State Railroad Museum complex.

The museum has on permanent exhibit 21 restored locomotives and cars from the 1860s through the 1960s. By September, average temperatures fall to 87 degrees, and in October, they average a balmy 78. Really, the only time to avoid Sacramento heat is July and August: The winters are mild, with sunny days in the 50s and 60s. April averages jump to 71, and May and June remain in the low 80s, on average.

Even in the hottest two months, temperatures dip into the 60s in the evening and early morning. In fact, on my second day in Sacramento, I began by enjoying the cool of the morning at a cafe in the modern downtown. I strolled to the State Capitol, a building similar to but somewhat more luxurious than the U.S. Capitol and found no lines.

Guided tours are available, but don't you often find that guides tell you way more than you feel a need to know? I chose a self-guided tour. Once you pass through a metal detector, security officers allow you free rein to just wander around.

From the Capitol, I headed to Sutter's Fort, where the first settlers set up camp in 1839. When I reached the grounds, however, I noticed the California State Indian Museum next door and decided to stop there first.

It's a modest, somewhat dusty little place, but the exhibits are worth a look. You come away knowing that there were an estimated 150,000 Indians in the area on Jan. 24, 1848, when James Marshall stuck his hand in the American River and pulled out a shiny nugget of gold. Ten years later, only 20,000 natives survived.

The displays killed my appetite for seeing the fort, so I headed instead to a downtown Imax theater that shows about a half-dozen different movies each day. I chose one about the Lewis and Clark expedition and the amazing Indian woman, Sacajawea,who not only helped lead the men and translate for them, but just happened to have a baby along on the journey, as well. She was no girlie-girl.

INFORMATION: For details on 15 museums and other activities: Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau, 800-292-2334, www.discovergold.org. -- Cindy Loose

© 2004 The Washington Post Company

  • Intro Updated Oct 26, 2006
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Reviews (26)

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Comments (133)

  • Reply
    Beausoleil's Profile Photo
    Mar 15, 2012 at 1:22 PM

    Hi. Where is your review on La Provence Restaurant in Roseville? I'm dying to read it.

  • Reply
    riorich55's Profile Photo
    Dec 4, 2010 at 5:49 AM

    Thanks for visiting my Paris pages. I've been to Sacramento once on business back in the 90's. Didn't get a chance to visit on our visit to CA in Oct/Nov.

  • Reply
    jumpingnorman's Profile Photo
    Jul 3, 2009 at 10:06 AM

    Should bring my son and daughter to milk the cows at the State fair someday - that would be fun! Great Sacramento pages! Norman :)

  • Reply
    kiwi's Profile Photo
    Apr 13, 2008 at 8:15 PM

    Trying a location page now ...

  • Reply
    Hopkid's Profile Photo
    Feb 16, 2008 at 9:27 AM

    Some nice tips, Jeanette! I recall sitting in the courtyard of the Firehouse restaurant during the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee. Great atmosphere!

  • Reply
    domenicococozza's Profile Photo
    Aug 21, 2007 at 10:40 AM

    The restaurant sounds great - hoping to visit friends near Sacramento next year - I'll keep this tip - excellent menu

  • Reply
    tahoesasha's Profile Photo
    Jul 12, 2007 at 11:00 AM

    Am staying in the River City Suite at the hostel for 1 night and will let you know how it was! Thanks for the hot tip!!

  • Reply
    lou31's Profile Photo
    Jun 18, 2007 at 8:54 PM

    Interesting page on Sacramento, a place, until now I knew nothing about. Thanks for sharing...

  • Reply
    HotSpotJ's Profile Photo
    Apr 8, 2007 at 11:14 AM

    Great tips on Sacramento, very insightful... I'll bet there in a few weeks and can't wait to get a taste of Northern California!

  • Reply
    Vulindlela's Profile Photo
    Dec 27, 2006 at 4:26 PM

    Great page! We lived here from 1999 to 2003 and loved it!

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