One thing that always surprises me in the United States, is that state capitals often aren’t where you’d expect. Ask a European what the capital of Florida is, the majority would probably tell you Miami or Orlando. Very few would say Tallahassee.
The same is true of California. Most international visitors to the Golden State flock to historic San Francisco or Los Angeles, which if you ask me, is one of the most overrated cities in the world. So, when the chance arose on a recent visit to San Francisco, I decided to head inland for a night in Sacramento.
Getting to Sacramento
I suppose one of the reasons most people head straight to LA or San Francisco is connectivity. Sacramento Airport doesn’t have any long haul flights. On this visit, I was already in the U.S. and flew down from Eugene, Oregon, and even then, I had to transfer in San Francisco.
I say that as if that’s a bad thing. In reality, I love flying through San Francisco. The views never fail to impress and connecting on domestic United flights is so easy. My flight from Eugene had been delayed due to technical problems and I disembarked with ten minutes until the gate closed for my hop to Sacramento. Both my bags and I made the connection easily; if this had been Heathrow, it would have been a different tale indeed.
A Night on the Water
A 20-minute hop on a flying pencil later, a CRJ that is, I was standing outside Sacramento Airport waiting on a bus to Old Sac, Sacramento’s 19th century historic district. The bus finally arrived after a wait longer than the flight from San Francisco, and after battling through Friday afternoon rush hour, I was walking down K Street towards my lodging for the night.
I would like to say I knew what to expect from my floating hotel, or even that I’d come to Sacramento for that reason alone, but the reality is I booked it because it was half the price of the Holiday Inn up the road. Sometimes, being frugal pays off. This was certainly one of those occasions.
The Delta King actually started life in my home country, at Denny’s shipbuilders on the River Clyde near Glasgow. Completed, but not fully assembled, in 1924, she was shipped to California for the final touches. Here, she saw daily service steaming along the Sacramento River between San Francisco and Sacramento for the next 15 years.
After decades of neglect, the Delta King was restored and found new life as a floating hotel in Sacramento. Now, there can be no doubt that the Delta King is no Ritz Carlton yacht, but a night aboard her truly made my time in Sacramento.
My usual evenings when travelling consist of seeking out a true locals bar; they’re the places to find stories. But in Sacramento, nothing was going to tear me away from my spot on the restaurant deck and, after a divine meal, with a few cocktails of course, I retired to my cabin and dozed off to the tune of California Sea Lions barking in the distance.
Old Town Wonders
Breakfast accompanied by gentle rocking and sunrise over the Sacramento River was the perfect way to start a day exploring California’s historic capital. Old Sac grew up as a port serving a Mexican fort, but it’s growth came much later with the California Gold Rush. Like many areas of historical significance, Old Sac fell into decline, but the rejuvenation efforts over the last 50 years have very much paid off.
Bidding the Delta King farewell, I strolled along the river bank to the State Historic Park. It wasn’t far, but the amount of photo stops required made for slow progress. Soon enough, though, I reached the California State Railroad Museum.
I’ll confess to being a bit of a train enthusiast. Not the sort who knows numbers and models, I’m far too lazy for that, but I do love the idea (and reality) of train travel. With that in mind, the State Railroad Museum was my idea of heaven and made for a great way to pass the morning.
Right next to the Railroad Museum, I found another of my favourite things: a history museum. The Sacramento History Museum is small but mighty. Hundreds of artefacts from the glory days of the Gold Rush were on display, helped by a modern interactive section which was jam packed with students from a nearby school.
Just to the left of the museum, I stumbled upon another piece of railroad history. The Big Four building was the office of the founders of the Central Pacific Railroad, and like all of Old Sac, has been wonderfully restored to its former glory.
Museums seen and done, I took a leisurely walk along Front Street, pausing for one of the best ice creams I’ve ever had. If you ever find yourself in Sacramento, don’t pass by the Sacramento Sweets Co. without dropping in for their soft serve.
After a stroll across Tower Bridge, I spent the afternoon aimlessly browsing the vintage-fronted stores on 2nd Street. Sadly, my time in Old Sac was soon to come to an end, but not before an Irish Coffee from Sean Finnegan’s. They claim to serve the best in Sacramento, with a chalkboard out front keeping tally of the number sold. 21,000 plus speaks for itself.
