When you travel to the United States for the first time, let’s all admit it, you get a culture shock with the huge differences between the US and Europe. Such are the images you see that you don’t know what to talk about and what experience to write an article about. I was in this position myself but after maturing thoughts (5 minutes later), I decided to begin with an article about the capital of California: Sacramento. Read the rest of the article to find out why seeing Sacramento like a local made me think that it is a quiet capital!
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A Quiet Capital: Seeing Sacramento Like a Local
Sacramento is the capital of the U.S. state of California and is the 6th most populous city in California with about 530,000 inhabitants. The feeling that Sacramento gives you, however, or at least that it gave me, was that it is a capital city that doesn’t have a lot of hustle and bustle, unlike San Francisco or San Jose.
Calm streets, not a lot of traffic, and everything flowing quietly. What I should note before I talk about the sights and experiences Sacramento has to offer, is that I was in the city for 4 days and the fortunate thing for me was that I got to see the city as a local because I was shown around the city by friends who live there.
The impressive Capitol and its gardens
The first thing that strikes you when you arrive downtown is the imposing Capitol building, surrounded by the California State Capitol Park. The California State Capitol is the seat of California’s state government and houses the California State Legislature, consisting of the Assembly and Senate, the Governor’s office as well and the California State Capitol Museum, which is well worth a visit if you have time.
Perhaps even more impressive than the Capitol itself are the gardens that surround it. Beautiful flowerbeds, tall trees, and memorial parks create an oasis in the city center, right next to the Capitol. At this point, we should note that Sacramento is known as the “Tree City” because of its abundant urban forests. The city has more trees per capita than anywhere else in the world!
Capitol Mall Boulevard and Tower Bridge
Capitol Mall Boulevard is a major street and landscaped parkway that connects the City of West Sacramento in Yolo County to downtown Sacramento. The Capitol Mall begins at the eastern approach of the Tower Bridge and extends east to 10th Street and the California State Capitol.
The Tower Bridge is an impressive bridge connecting West Sacramento to Sacramento Downtown, built in 1935 and located within walking distance of the Old Sacramento Waterfront.
The Old Town straight out of a Western movie
The old town of Sacramento is straight out of a Western movie. Looking at it for the first time this image automatically comes to mind. Old Sacramento is located on the banks of the Sacramento River, where the heart of the city and tourists beat. It’s the place where you’ll see the most people in the city and that’s because the old-fashioned Gold Rush-era atmosphere creates the perfect conditions for a stroll. The Old Sacramento Waterfront features dozens of restored or renovated buildings from the Gold Rush era. Wooden sidewalks, horse-drawn carriages, and living historical characters offer a glimpse into 19th-century life.
There are dozens of shops with countless souvenir shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars while the train line runs regularly, stopping at the picturesque station located a few meters away from the river port. There, anyone can board a riverboat and enjoy a cruise on the Sacramento River, admiring the city from a different perspective.
California State Railroad Museum and Sacramento History Museum
The positive thing about Sacramento is that everything it has to offer for someone to see is very close in proximity and easy to walk to without having to move by car.
In the Old Sacramento area, there is also the unique California State Railroad Museum. This is a colorful museum that showcases the history of the railroad with old locomotives, exhibits, and tours.
Next to the California State Railroad Museum is the Sacramento History Museum with interesting exhibits about the city’s history from the Gold Rush years.
The New Town with… NBA flavor
You can’t visit the US and not go to an NBA game. Even if you don’t like basketball or are bored of watching basketball games, it’s a unique experience. So, the center of the new city of Sacramento spreads out, without being particularly large, around the Sacramento Kings’ home court, the Golden 1 Center. Even if you don’t like basketball, that is, being downtown next to the arena is like… being challenged to watch their game.
A pedestrian walkway that connects Old Sacramento to the new city and various shops around the perimeter of the arena essentially from the city’s downtown.
The impressive stadium both inside and out is an experience that is 100% worth living. And if you’re lucky and the Kings win, you’ll also see the beam of light illuminate the sky in team colors, as it does after every team win!
Nightlife in Sacramento
It is true that as a tourist in a foreign city, it is always difficult to find non-tourist bars, clubs, and restaurants that are worthy and are in the choice of locals. Seeing Sacramento as a local at night is lively but not particularly vibrant. There are however plenty of options for anyone who wants anything from a beer, a glass of wine, or a drink. And all of this, of course, until 2 o’clock when all the nightclubs close!
Vineyards & Wineries
In closing this article on Sacramento, I couldn’t help but include in my report the amazing Vineyards and wineries in the area. The city is surrounded by a variety of vineyards that have gained international fame. My two suggestions for trying great tastes and varieties of red and white wines are Cooper Vineyards, a fantastic winery known primarily for red wine, a little less than an hour away from Sacramento, and Helwig Vineyards & Winery, a few minutes from the first winery with great white wines!
If you plan to visit Sacramento, California, you can find here some of the best options for accommodation!
