# Sacramento, CA



## JoanieBlon (Aug 10, 2011)

My husband has put together a nice little slide show from photos we took while visiting the California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento California.

To view the slide show, go to our website *MAISON-T-BAYOU.COM* and select *CALIFORNIA* from the menu there ~ then select *CALIFORNIA STATE RAILROAD MUSEUM.* Hope you enjoy it! :hi: The museum is EXCELLENT! Be sure to plan a visit there if you're ever in the area!


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## Rail Freak (Aug 10, 2011)

Very Nice. I know what I'm gonna be watching this rainy afternoon!!!

Thanx Neighbor


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## June the Coach Rider (Jun 19, 2013)

I will have a layover in Sacramento from the southbound CS to the eastbound CZ in the morning, I know there is a long walk from the train to the station, so I will be using red cap or whatever it is they have there, but I was wondering where there is a good place for breakfast as I have about 4 hours as long as the CS is on time.


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## Rail Freak (Jun 19, 2013)

June the Coach Rider said:


> I will have a layover in Sacramento from the southbound CS to the eastbound CZ in the morning, I know there is a long walk from the train to the station, so I will be using red cap or whatever it is they have there, but I was wondering where there is a good place for breakfast as I have about 4 hours as long as the CS is on time.


June what I do is continue the CS portion on to Martinez (MTZ). That way, I can eat breakfast on the train. The train drops you off right next to the station! Very little walking & gives you much more train time with a lot less layover!!!!


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## the_traveler (Jun 19, 2013)

If you do want to connect in SAC, go out the front door and turn left. In the same lot as the station in the far end of the next building (less than 1 block) - unless they closed or moved - is a Starbucks!


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## chakk (Jun 19, 2013)

Or, at Sacramento, you can walk two blocks south from the front door of the station to the K Street Pedestrian Mall, which has lots of restaurants and an indoor food court.


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## the_traveler (Jun 19, 2013)

But I doubt they're open at 6 am (when the CS arrives). The OP is departing on the CZ about 10 am.


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## Trainmans daughter (Jun 19, 2013)

There is a Perko's across the street in front of the Vagabond Inn. It used to be Denny's.


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## Trainmans daughter (Jun 19, 2013)

I just looked on the Delta King site, and they start serving breakfast at 7am in the Pilothouse. Just a short taxi ride and you'd be enjoying a great breakfast while watching the early morning activities along the river. We've eaten breakfast there, and they have a good menu.


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## tp49 (Jun 19, 2013)

What day of the week would you be coming through? The problem with downtown Sacramento is that the restaurants generally speaking cater to the state worker breakfast/lunch crowd thus there are fewer options on the weekend. Considering the timeframes involved the only places open would be Perko's and a little later The Delta King and of those options I would go with the Delta King. The only concern I would have is if you have mobility issues and need to take a taxi over to Old Sac would be getting a cab back to the station, though in all honesty the walk to the Delta King is not terribly far. Best solution for that would just be to get the phone number for the company that takes you there and call them when you wish to return to the station.


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## June the Coach Rider (Jun 20, 2013)

I will be there on a Saturday, so would the place across the street be open? I really don't want to have to worry about a taxi being late picking me up to get back to the station. Maybe next time when I head the other way and have more time.


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## chakk (Jun 20, 2013)

Another option would be to take the CS to Davis, Calif (next stop after Sacramento, arriving 6:50 AM) and eat at the Village Bakery directly across the street from the Amtrak station (they open at 5:30 AM on Saturdays).. They have 3 indoor tables and 4 outdoor tables, and an espresso machine for those who want a big caffeine fix.

The CZ arrives Davis around 10:30 AM, and the Village Bakery front door is a 3 minute walk from the entry doors of the CZ and CZ passenger cars. I have never eaten here myself, but it gets nice reviews on the Davis restaurant wiki.


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## June the Coach Rider (Jun 20, 2013)

Oh Chakk, thanks, that is another option I did not even think about. I know that the sacramento station is where Arrow shows, but as I am using my rail pass, I could go further. I will check their reviews.


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## tp49 (Jun 20, 2013)

June, on a Saturday the places open reasonably close to the Sacramento station would be the Starbucks which what the_traveler mentioned and the Perko's (which used to be a Denny's) which is across the street from the station and on the side of the Vagabond Inn on the corner of 3d and J Streets. As was mentioned above (and I wish I had thought of it) you could also get off in Davis which is a lovely college town and would have more going on during your wait than downtown Sacramento would especially on a Saturday.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 21, 2013)

chakk said:


> Another option would be to take the CS to Davis, Calif (next stop after Sacramento, arriving 6:50 AM) and eat at the Village Bakery directly across the street from the Amtrak station (they open at 5:30 AM on Saturdays).. They have 3 indoor tables and 4 outdoor tables, and an espresso machine for those who want a big caffeine fix.
> The CZ arrives Davis around 10:30 AM, and the Village Bakery front door is a 3 minute walk from the entry doors of the CZ and CZ passenger cars. I have never eaten here myself, but it gets nice reviews on the Davis restaurant wiki.


June: My gf and I did this last Summer and the Bakery and the Town itself (including the old SP Station) are Great! Highly recommended over Sacramento even if the California Rail Museum is a Must see if you haven't been there!


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## chakk (Jun 22, 2013)

the california rr museum is about a 10 minute walk from the Sacramento amtrak station. They open daily at 10 AM, so you would have less than an hour to visit before the CZ easbound out of Sacramento. I think a minimum of 2 hours is needed to really appreciate this rr museum.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 23, 2013)

chakk said:


> the california rr museum is about a 10 minute walk from the Sacramento amtrak station. They open daily at 10 AM, so you would have less than an hour to visit before the CZ easbound out of Sacramento. I think a minimum of 2 hours is needed to really appreciate this rr museum.


:hi: Good Point, even 2 Hours May Not be Enough for Some Rail Buffs!  Ive always thought they should Open maybe @ 9AM and Stay Open a Little Later, when the WB Zephyr Calls in SAC (often Late) its a Rush to get over there to have Enough Time to see the Musuem Properly before they Close! :help:


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## June the Coach Rider (Mar 2, 2014)

OK, so to not have to start a new thread for Sacramento, I am taking the CZ to CS on points, so have to transfer in Sacramento which means I have a long layover. Where is a good place to eat dinner within walking or short taxi ride to the station?


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## tp49 (Mar 2, 2014)

The question again turns to what day of the week you're coming through and what type of food you like.


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## June the Coach Rider (Mar 2, 2014)

tp49 said:


> The question again turns to what day of the week you're coming through and what type of food you like.


Again it is on a Saturday and I am game for anything as long as it is close and decent food.


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## tp49 (Mar 2, 2014)

For walking distance just off the top of my head in Old Sac would be the Delta King which was mentioned above. I probably should have asked about price range but I can recommend some places just off the top of my head. There isn't very much walking distance wise outside of Old Sac or the food court at the Downtown Plaza mall.

As for short cab ride or even bus or light rail ride (the 30 J Street bus leaves from the Amtrak station) I can think of a few places:

Higher End: Grange (Citizen Hotel 10th and J; American cuisine); Ella (12th and K, American) both easily accessible by the 30 bus (10th St or 11th St stops); Mikuni (16th between J and K Streets; Sushi/Japanese; 30 bus 16th Street stop.)

Chain: PF Changs (16th and J); The Old Spaghetti Factory (19th and J); Claim Jumper (11th and J)

A place I really like is Pizza Rock (11th and K St.) 30 bus to 11th and J. The pizza here is in my top three in town and I'm a pizza snob to the highest degree. Their margherita is an award winner but you can't miss with any pizza they make. The other thing is that they serve only by the pie (no slices) so there would be a good chance you'd have something left over for later.

Hot Italian (16th and Q Streets take light rail from Amtrak to 16th Street station) another of my top three pizza places in town. They have other things as well as some really good gelato for dessert.

If you like Thai there is Thai Basil (25th and J)

For Vietnamese there is a place called Pho Bac on 19th and Broadway. You can take light rail to the Broadway station and walk a block; however, this requires a transfer between light rail lines as the line from Amtrak to Sunrise/Folsom doesn't stop there. The change could be made at several stops but the safest would be 7th and O; Archives Plaza or 13th Street.

If you take the #30 bus to any of these locations be advised that the bus to return to Amtrak would be found on L Street as J is one way eastbound on "the grid."

All of these are also on what is known here as "The Grid" or the downtown/midtown area and the cab ride would be fairly short.


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## KmH (Dec 14, 2014)

On another forum someone mentioned a restaurant called the Capitol Garage at 1500 15th Street just 1 block south of J street.

For those off the CZ with the approx 10 hr afternoon and evening layover waiting to catch the northbound CS (14) the Capitol Garage restaurant could be a nice place for dinner.

They have an interesting looking dinner menu, so when I am there in the fall the Capitol Garage is #1 on my list of dinner options.

Anyone with local knowledge please feel free to chime in since I have not yet been in that part of Sacramento, nor have I ever used the local bus system.

I strive to travel on a frugal budget and took note they also mentioned one could catch the local bus at the Amtrak station (4th and I street).

It looks like the 30 bus goes west (right) on I street a short distance, turns left (south) on 3rd, then another short distance (past Perko's restaurant on the southeast corner) to turn left (east) on L Street.

Get off at 15th & L street, south on 15th a block, an easily walk to the restaurant which looks to be on the southeast corner looking at Google Maps Street View.

To return to the Amtrak station go south to L street to catch the bus back to the Amtrak station.

Bus fare is $2.50 if you're 19-61 yrs old, $1.25 for 62 or over.

From the bus schedule it looks like you would want to catch the return to the Amtrak station bus on L Street no later than 9 pm or so.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Capitol+Garage/@38.5777248,-121.4851739,18z/data=!4m6!1m3!3m2!1s0x809ad6d2c2e9612d:0x290ce5de6d501c2e!2sSacramento+Amtrak!3m1!1s0x0000000000000000:0x943c3e6dd3fa62d9


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## tomfuller (Dec 14, 2014)

Welcome KmH, For breakfast between the southbound CS and the eastbound CZ, I have walked with my wife to Jim Denny's (12th between H & I).http://www.jim-dennys.com/

We walked east on H Street past our favorite HI Hostel which is across the street from City Hall.

Last February, My friend picked me up at the station and we checked Jim Denny's but it was closed so we went to the Denny's north of town.

There was a 24hr Denny's within walking distance of the SAC station. I have heard some bad things about the replacement restaurant.

Coming west on the CZ waiting for the northbound CS, you have the choice of many restaurants (some expensive) in Old Sacramento. I agree you should be back to the station by 9:30PM.

There are several golf cart people movers to take people with their luggage from the station to the platform if you didn't want to take the walk.

If you get into SAC early enough, you can check the luggage and then walk down to Old Sacramento and visit the California Railroad Museum. (closes at 5PM).


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## KmH (Dec 15, 2014)

The Perko's that replaced the Denny's has mixed reviews online, but looks to have similar fare and prices to a Denny's.

I wonder what that part of downtown Sacramento is like on a Saturday afternoon/night. Just east of the Amtrak station is the US District court, and just east of the court the Sacramento County Main Jail.

For those that decide to take the 30 bus from the Amtrak station there is also a P.F. Chang's at 1530 J Street, and an Old Spaghetti Factory at 1910 J St.

Along with Perko's and Starbucks - close to the station in EZ walking distance are:

Cilantros Mexican Restaurant - 1035 5th St about 50 steps south of J street and the Subway.

Lotus Restaurant (Thai) - 425 J St.

Subway - 428 J St.

Billy's Market & Deli - 600 I Street

And on Google maps we can see all the places (including another Starbucks - open until 9 pm) in the Downtown Plaza between 4/5th streets and on the south side of J, but it looks like most of those places close in the early evening.


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## tp49 (Dec 15, 2014)

KmH said:


> On another forum someone mentioned a restaurant called the Capitol Garage at 1500 15th Street just 1 block south of J street.
> 
> For those off the CZ with the approx 10 hr afternoon and evening layover waiting to catch the northbound CS (14) the Capitol Garage restaurant could be a nice place for dinner.
> 
> ...


Nothing wrong with Capitol Garage it's a good place. I go there for happy hour and almost always forget they're a restaurant too. It's a little small inside but the food is good and the beer is cold.

Just as an FYI, the #30 bus goes east on "J" Street and returns downtown on "L" Street. The restaurant is actually at 15th and "K" Street. There is no bus stop at 15th Street so anyone going there would have to get off either at 14th or 16th Streets. Return stop on "L" Street would be closer to 17th Street in front of the Goodwill Store.

If you're feeling semi-adventurous you could stay on the 30 and take it to Rodeo Way walk to El Dorado Way (1 block east of 53d Street) and H Streets and go to Selland's Market Cafe (5340 H Street.) Really good food and very reasonable prices as the folks who own this place also own one of the three best restaurants in town. You can catch the 30 back to downtown at 53d and J.

As an aside the best value for RT fares would be to purchase a day pass for $6.00 as RT does not believe in transfers and will save money if taking RT to any other attractions in town.



tomfuller said:


> Welcome KmH, For breakfast between the southbound CS and the eastbound CZ, I have walked with my wife to Jim Denny's (12th between H & I).http://www.jim-dennys.com/
> 
> We walked east on H Street past our favorite HI Hostel which is across the street from City Hall.
> 
> ...


Jim Denny's hours and days of operation really make me scratch my head. They're a breakfast/lunch place in the heart of state worker country yet they're closed on Monday and Tuesday and the neighborhood it's in is pretty much dead on Saturdays and Sundays. As for restaurants in Old Sac, honestly I'd skip the lot of them and look for something better in Midtown.


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## tp49 (Dec 15, 2014)

KmH said:


> The Perko's that replaced the Denny's has mixed reviews online, but looks to have similar fare and prices to a Denny's.
> 
> I wonder what that part of downtown Sacramento is like on a Saturday afternoon/night. Just east of the Amtrak station is the US District court, and just east of the court the Sacramento County Main Jail.


The area's for the most part dead on a Saturday afternoon/night.



> For those that decide to take the 30 bus from the Amtrak station there is also a P.F. Chang's at 1530 J Street, and an Old Spaghetti Factory at 1910 J St.


I mentioned these places in my post above yours. 



> Along with Perko's and Starbucks - close to the station in EZ walking distance are:
> 
> Cilantros Mexican Restaurant - 1035 5th St about 50 steps south of J street and the Subway.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't bother with Billy's at all. Google maps hasn't updated the fact that the portion of Downtown Plaza east of 5th Street was demolished. River City Brewing Company (also good, a number of folks who came for the gathering went there for lunch.) There are three places left in the food court all of which can be avoided and a Johnny Rocket's next to the movie theater.

Lotus is difficult to find because of the way that particular block is laid out and I honestly don't know if it's open on the weekend. I'll check Tuesday when I go back to work. I'll also check Cilantro's and Subway's hours.


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## KmH (Apr 8, 2015)

I'm going to be making the CZ to CS connection in SAC on May 2 (afternoon/evening layover) and again on May 12 (morning/lunch) for the CS to CZ connection heading home.

It may be worth my while to jump on a Capitol Corridor train both days, go to Davis to eat/look around some, and rack up some extra Double Days AGR points in the process (800 points).

I'm particularly fond of good Mexican food and I see Tres Hermanas is quite close to the Davis Amtrak station.

Some Carnitas or Chili Verde with corn tortillas for an early dinner May 2, and 10 days later some Machaca with salsa verde for breakfast sure sounds good.

tp49,

Did you ever get a chance to find out Cilantro's hours?

I emailed them and got no reply, and they haven't come close to finishing their web site.


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## Bob Dylan (Apr 8, 2015)

KmH: remember you only get Double Points on two trips a day on the Double Days Promo, so if you do a RT to Davis for 400 Points (200 TQP) your LD Trains, if Paid, might not get the Double Points which would be more than 400 on the CZ/CS. Davis is a great little place for s layover!

If your LD Trains are AGR Awards it won't matter of course!


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## tp49 (Apr 9, 2015)

KmH said:


> tp49,
> 
> Did you ever get a chance to find out Cilantro's hours?
> 
> I emailed them and got no reply, and they haven't come close to finishing their web site.


7AM - 7PM Monday to Friday and 10AM-7PM Saturday. Closed Sunday.


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## KmH (Apr 9, 2015)

jimhudson said:


> KmH: remember you only get Double Points on two trips a day on the Double Days Promo.


Yep, I forgot about that.


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## KmH (Apr 9, 2015)

tp49 said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > tp49,
> ...


That works.


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## KmH (May 10, 2015)

Cilantro's went out of business or moved before I got to Sacramento.

The Subway at 5th & J is not open on Saturday or Sunday.

Perko's gives senior citizens a 20% discount and they open at 6 am.


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## Guest (May 10, 2015)

KmH said:


> Perko's gives senior citizens a 20% discount and they open at 6 am.


Reasons I go there:

Close to station.

Earn air miles via MilesPlus Dining along with Amtrak points with their card -

a twofer!


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## tp49 (May 10, 2015)

I noticed that about Cilantro's the other day. They had an eviction notice from the Sheriff in the window guess they were having financial issues.


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## Bob Dylan (May 10, 2015)

Perkos is next door to the Vagabond Inn, across the Street and around the corner from the Amtrak Station!

It used to be a Denny's and the food is on a par with Dennys, not as good as breakfast in the Diner on a Train, or any meal in Davis, but it's OK for fueling up and killing time on weekends in what is basically a ghostly downtown Sacramento!


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## willem (May 11, 2015)

KmH said:


> Perko's gives senior citizens a 20% discount and they open at 6 am.


Different chains define "senior citizen" differently. Do you know how Perko's defines it?


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## tomfuller (May 11, 2015)

On March 16 I arrived early on the CS ( 0525). I dropped off my large bag at baggage and left the smaller one in the sleeper lounge. I left the station about 6:05 and headed east and then south on 10th past the Capitol building to the Fox and Goose. I had a very good breakfast at a reasonable price.

I went there because Jim Denny's is closed Mondays.


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## KmH (May 11, 2015)

willem said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > Perko's gives senior citizens a 20% discount and they open at 6 am.
> ...


No. I was not asked for ID to verify my age, but was given the discount after being presented with a full charge bill and asking about the discount.

I am 62.

Perko's web site says 60.

Note the 20% discount does not apply to items on the Seniors menu.


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## willem (May 11, 2015)

Thanks.


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## v v (Apr 11, 2020)

Making travel plans... thinking of diverting and spending 2 nights 1 full day in Sacramento.

So far what I know of the city is the Capitol is there and the California Railroad museum. We need a little more than that to encourage us to divert, any suggestions?

Thanks


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## AmtrakBlue (Apr 11, 2020)

I've not done this, but it looks interesting. 
Underground Tours – Sacramento History Museum


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## v v (Apr 11, 2020)

Thank you ma'am, that looks unusual. 

I am trying to get opinions as to whether to the whole city is a good place to stop over for a while, have you been there?


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## jiml (Apr 11, 2020)

v v said:


> Making travel plans... thinking of diverting and spending 2 nights 1 full day in Sacramento.
> 
> So far what I know of the city is the Capitol is there and the California Railroad museum. We need a little more than that to encourage us to divert, any suggestions?
> 
> Thanks


You're a reasonable drive from wine country. If that isn't enough, there's the Jelly Belly factory not much further with free tours (not now obviously), and if you have enough time Lake Tahoe is well worth the drive in the other direction. Add in a ride on the Napa Wine Train if you head to wine country. We killed a week in the area and would go back in a heartbeat.


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## AmtrakBlue (Apr 11, 2020)

v v said:


> Thank you ma'am, that looks unusual.
> 
> I am trying to get opinions as to whether to the whole city is a good place to stop over for a while, have you been there?


Only for a few hours during the bay area gathering. After lunch we all split off and I went to Old Sacramento and walked around there then did the RR museum. But I had seen the underground thing when doing my pre-gathering research, which is why I remembered it.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Apr 11, 2020)

I loved Sacramento!

My California cousin met me there after the Portland gathering. I loved the railroad museum. Also, we had lunch on the Delta Queen, which was nice.

We stayed at the Embassy Suites on the river (it was her 60th birthday treat, so I wanted a nice hotel, but there are decent cheaper options, and one of my nicest memories was sitting on the patio in the morning and watching the sun glowing on the gorgeous Tower Bridge.

You can walk from the bridge to the statehouse (early, because it gets darn hot after about 11:00 a.m., even in October). It is a long stretch of green that was supposed to copy the Washington idea of the mall—capitol to Wash. Monument.

I gather that if you go out of these tourist areas, it gets a bit iffy. We went just one block over, and it did feel more gritty.

Because it is the state capital, it feels a bit more formal than the California casual vibe—there were lots of businesspeople in the hotel dressed in nice outfits and working.

After the extreme casualness of Portland, I found that extremely refreshing, but I know not everyone would.

After writing all this, I remember that you and Rosie are much more adventurous than I am, so I have probably made Sacramento sound awfully stodgy and turned you off of the place completely!


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## tp49 (Apr 12, 2020)

What do you like to do? It'd be easier to mention what's going on/what there is to do here with your interests in mind.


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## Bob Dylan (Apr 12, 2020)

tp49 said:


> What do you like to do? It'd be easier to mention what's going on/what there is to do here with your interests in mind.


There's Nothing going on right now Right??


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## v v (Apr 13, 2020)

tp49 said:


> *What do you like to do?* It'd be easier to mention what's going on/what there is to do here with your interests in mind.



Meet people in everyday situations, not very drawn to tourist attractions.

For an example. Not being from the US we are interested in your country as a different culture. 

We have visited different US state capitols as they have ancient, modern and current history tied to them, and all have been magnificent buildings too. 
Bob Dylan showed us an authentic honky-tonk, fantastic. Jeb introduced us to the juicy lucy, great evening and surprising. We were given a masterclass on the operation of a space shuttle by our now good friend Milton, who we met on the Southwest Chief. 

We are interested in museums, sometimes. I have the barbed wire museum on my wish list as it's so improbable.

Train _travel_ anywhere fits the bill as you never know who you will meet while the real world goes past the window. What 'local' people do and see, where they are is often interesting to us if ordinary to them.

Sorry for a non answer and I do thank you very much for asking, but there isn't a simple reply other than often the unexpected and the normal.

I do ask a lot of questions about the US on this forum, and every time a subject is discussed we take something away from it. Not always the intended but something we could never know without local knowledge.

Much appreciated


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## Bob Dylan (Apr 13, 2020)

v v said:


> Meet people in everyday situations, not very drawn to tourist attractions.
> 
> For an example. Not being from the US we are interested in your country as a different culture.
> 
> ...


The " Chick Magnet " Guy" ( he's 83!!!)@ Donns Depot is still going strong Jamie, even if the Bars and Clubs are Closed!

Lots of Bands are doing On-Line Shows from various Homes and Studios ( with Social Distancing)and hes been on a couple by the Bands from Donns Depot dancing 10 feet away from his Partners!


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## v v (Apr 13, 2020)

Bob Dylan said:


> The " Chick Magnet " Guy" ( he's 83!!!)@ Donns Depot is still going strong Jamie, even if the Bars and Clubs are Closed!
> 
> Lots of Bands are doing On-Line Shows from various Homes and Studios ( with Social Distancing)and hes been on a couple by the Bands from Donns Depot dancing 10 feet away from his Partners!



Absolutely brilliant! 

Pleased you are keeping an eye on him, or are you taking lessons?


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## Bob Dylan (Apr 13, 2020)

v v said:


> Absolutely brilliant!
> 
> Pleased you are keeping an eye on him, or are you taking lessons?


Couldn't keep up with him Jamie, hes got ALL the Ladies!!lol


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## tp49 (Apr 14, 2020)

Bob Dylan said:


> There's Nothing going on right now Right??


Not unless you count physical distancing as nothing.


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## tp49 (Apr 14, 2020)

v v said:


> Meet people in everyday situations, not very drawn to tourist attractions.
> 
> For an example. Not being from the US we are interested in your country as a different culture.
> 
> ...


With a "non-answer" as you put it, you'd fit right in over in "The Building aka the Capitol" Maybe this helps, maybe it doesn't, but I tried 

I'll leave Old Sac out of this. Outside of the railroad museum which is well worth it, I'm not the biggest fan of it, I'd even go so far as to say you could skip it (Old Sac, not the railroad museum see that for sure), though the local tourist board will be after my hide for saying that. As the capital city of the state, the capitol building itself is a great thing to see. If you're here at the right time you could even sit in on an Assembly or Senate session or a hearing of one of the many sub-committees. Since a lot of people in town are in some way involved in government seeing the process at work is fairly interesting. The bear statue in front of the governor's office is also a popular photo spot. You might also recognize the portraits of a couple of our former governors.

A block south of the Capitol is The California Museum where they have some exhibits on the history of California and the state's Hall of Fame. East of the Capitol about a mile or so is Sutter's Fort which was part of the original settlement of the city. They do reenactments at times during the month which are fun to see when it's not closed down due to the public health crisis.

The Midtown neighborhood between the Capitol and Sutter's Fort is where a good number of the locals go as it's where the bar and restaurant scene is. If you're looking to mix with the locals and have a day to do it, that's the part of town to be in. It'd been doing pretty well until recent events and it's hopeful that it can rebound once things go more towards normal. One particular bar that's pretty popular, and near the Capitol, is a British pub called The Fox and Goose which also is a popular breakfast spot. 

Otherwise, the city is really known for its outdoor spaces, trees, parks, and bike trails. While the downtown area doesn't roll up the sidewalks at 5PM anymore, it's still not the most vibrant area. However, if you want to get a feel for Sacramento, a weekday when the legislature is in session is best.


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## v v (Apr 14, 2020)

Mystic River Dragon said:


> I loved Sacramento!
> 
> My California cousin met me there after the Portland gathering. I loved the railroad museum. Also, we had lunch on the Delta Queen, which was nice.
> 
> ...



Thank you, enjoyed your description. It's obviously not quite like most other places and can read that from what you have written.




Mystic River Dragon said:


> After writing all this, I remember that you and Rosie are much more adventurous than I am, so I have probably made Sacramento sound awfully stodgy and turned you off of the place completely!



Maybe not, and no you haven't




tp49 said:


> I'll leave Old Sac out of this. Outside of the railroad museum which is well worth it, I'm not the biggest fan of it, I'd even go so far as to say you could skip it (Old Sac, not the railroad museum see that for sure), though the local tourist board will be after my hide for saying that. As the capital city of the state, the capitol building itself is a great thing to see. If you're here at the right time you could even sit in on an Assembly or Senate session or a hearing of one of the many sub-committees. Since a lot of people in town are in some way involved in government seeing the process at work is fairly interesting. The bear statue in front of the governor's office is also a popular photo spot. You might also recognize the portraits of a couple of our former governors.
> 
> A block south of the Capitol is The California Museum where they have some exhibits on the history of California and the state's Hall of Fame. East of the Capitol about a mile or so is Sutter's Fort which was part of the original settlement of the city. They do reenactments at times during the month which are fun to see when it's not closed down due to the public health crisis.
> 
> The Midtown neighborhood between the Capitol and Sutter's Fort is where a good number of the locals go as it's where the bar and restaurant scene is. If you're looking to mix with the locals and have a day to do it, that's the part of town to be in. It'd been doing pretty well until recent events and it's hopeful that it can rebound once things go more towards normal. One particular bar that's pretty popular, and near the Capitol, is a British pub called The Fox and Goose which also is a popular breakfast spot.



You've dotted the i's and crossed the t's of MRD's description above, we really do have a flavour of the place now, this is a great description, thank's. And thank you both for taking the time.




tp49 said:


> With a "non-answer" as you put it, you'd fit right in over in "The Building aka the Capitol" Maybe this helps, maybe it doesn't, but I tried



It's helped a lot, you both have. 

Have learned the art of non-answers by following Brexit closely for 4 years, but I didn't mean to deviate from your question, just didn't know how to answer it.




tp49 said:


> Otherwise, the city is really known for its outdoor spaces, trees, parks, and bike trails. While the downtown area doesn't roll up the sidewalks at 5PM anymore, it's still not the most vibrant area. However, if you want to get a feel for Sacramento, a weekday when the legislature is in session is best.



Can't ask for more help than this, thanks to everybody who chipped in.


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## caravanman (May 1, 2020)

I like the idea of the barbed wire museum... I wonder if you need wire cutters or have to climb over a wall to get in... 

SAC is usually on my radar when I visit the states, the HI hostel is great, the city is a good stop over on the way to Las Vegas, and the tram system can take you out to Folsom, an interesting place to spend an hour or two.


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## v v (May 1, 2020)

caravanman said:


> and the tram system can take you out to Folsom, an interesting place to spend an hour or two.



Can you say why?

Thanks for the info Ed, like many others we are watching and waiting before we make our next move. Would like to get to the Gathering only if it represented the usual type of meetings held before, and from here it looks like that is probably not possible this year if only the fact that not everyone is comfortable travelling at the moment.

We may leave travelling outside Europe until next year, but who can predict anything at the moment.

We still have 3 sets of airline tickets that have unresolved refund requests in. TAP Portugal are the most amenable and easiest to modify so if at all possible we would both like to meet up with a few US friends and be in the US at election time, so a week in the US in November is at the moment a slightly better bet for us getting to the US this year.

Do you have any plans for the US at all?


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## caravanman (May 1, 2020)

Hi,
I can't quite remember exactly when I visited Folsom, maybe not long after the last recession. The main street had a lot of smaller shops, such as antique and bookshops. It felt "real" rather than some tourist trap. I guess a lot of the shops were struggling at that time with the economic down turn, and a few places were closing down. I certainly would not say it was any incentive to visit Sacramento, but an interesting place to visit if you wanted to kill an hour or two. 

I was thinking strongly about a trip to America a couple of months back, glad I didn't get caught up with the Corona virus travel meltdowns in the end. No plans at all at the moment, the novelty of seeing the same 4 walls every day is starting to wear a bit thin now... I guess we can only wait and see, fingers crossed we don't have to stay indoors for ever!


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## Asher (May 2, 2020)

caravanman said:


> Hi,
> I can't quite remember exactly when I visited Folsom, maybe not long after the last recession. The main street had a lot of smaller shops, such as antique and bookshops. It felt "real" rather than some tourist trap. I guess a lot of the shops were struggling at that time with the economic down turn, and a few places were closing down. I certainly would not say it was any incentive to visit Sacramento, but an interesting place to visit if you wanted to kill an hour or two.
> 
> I was thinking strongly about a trip to America a couple of months back, glad I didn't get caught up with the Corona virus travel meltdowns in the end. No plans at all at the moment, the novelty of seeing the same 4 walls every day is starting to wear a bit thin now... I guess we can only wait and see, fingers crossed we don't have to stay indoors for ever!


The huge granite walls at Folsom prison were a scary sight for me as we drove past it when I was a kid. My brother and I used to listen to a radio program, Gang Busters. It started every episode with Tommy Guns rattling and Police sirens blaring, and then seeing Folsom Prison brought the whole scene together. 
Sutters Fort was interesting to me growing up, probably not much of a destination, but it has some exhibits that show what it was all about during the gold rush. They used to have a lot of Native American artifacts. I think they had to return most of them to the tribes they stole them from. Or however they obtained them. Another point of interest back in the day was driving past the train station to see all the hobos sitting in front of the place. Sacrament was sort of a sleepy town back then. Still is!
I've been trying to get to your side of the drink the last couple of years and have ran into stumbling blocks both times after being booked. Maybe the third time will be the charm, so they say.


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