6 August 2018

We chose Sacramento for our long awaited return to the mainland. We picked it because it is a relatively small international airport that is much easier to get in and out of compared to San Fran or LAX. We only spent a day in town before heading east but was pleasantly surprised. Sacramento might be considered sleepy and boring compared to its more glamorous neighbors. We found it to be a charming small city, a worthy under the radar stop for families travelling in the area.

Sacramento is the capitol of the ‘Golden State’, California so it is well kept and has several state museums and attractions. The Capitol Building itself is impressive with a neoclassical design similar to that of the United States Capitol Building in D.C. Like most capitol buildings, the walls are adorned with portraits of past governors. California being California, we got a chuckle seeing the Hollywood versions of President Ronald Reagan and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Hollyweird version of Governor Jerry Brown.

The highlight for us was Old Sac, aka Old Sacramento State Historic Park. What a cool place! In the heart of the city and along the river are several city blocks of old western buildings converted to shops and restaurants. Western themed museums, steam locomotives, river boats, and a Pony Express Memorial all made us forget the cars zipping past on the nearby expressway.