The last time I made the trip to Sacramento, I was an 11-year-old elementary school girl on her first sleep-in field trip. Now, just a few years later, I’m not going to say how many, it’s the height of summer and all four of my kids were starting to get a little frazzled from the whole summer camp grind. Jeff was in the midst of birthing a new Internet company, and I thought it would be the noblest thing to take the kids and spend a few days in a zip code far, far away.
Granted, the thought of the eleven-hour drive from San Diego to the state capital in Northern California was a bit daunting. However, the lure of enjoying a little time in my new gas-powered GMC Yukon Hybrid far outweighed anything the annoying twins and their constant brother-sister bickering could throw at me. Furthermore, I suspected that the DVD entertainment system would prove to be a powerful ally in combating boredom and its evil companion, sibling rivalry.
After a relatively uneventful and thankfully uneventful ride, we arrive in beautiful Sacramento, located in California’s sprawling Central Valley. Cited as one of the five “most livable” regions in the United States, Sacramento has also been declared the most integrated city in the union.
The moon was almost setting in the night sky when I pulled the Yukon Hybrid to a stop in the driveway of the charming bed and breakfast located on the edge of Old Sac. This is an area where the original settlement of Sacramento was first established, and which functions today as a lively and bustling tourist destination. At this point, a shout out to Yukon’s OnStar navigation system is definitely appropriate. Without it, we may still be traversing the scenic highways and byways of Northern California struggling to find our destination.
I thought it would satisfy my nostalgic cravings and serve as a kid-friendly cultural outlet to visit California’s impressive state capitol building. Begun in 1860 to recall the United States Capitol in Washington, DC, the Renaissance-style California State Capitol was completed in 1874. Looking at this grand structure from an adult point of view did not lessen its impact, though I have to admit a lapse of reverence as we delight in imagining the Terminator presiding over important affairs of state in his stately halls and stately chambers.
All that history and culture was making us really hungry, so we hopped into our trusty GMC and drove across Sacramento’s famous Tower Bridge into West Sacramento to satisfy a 20-year-old craving. Destination? Johnnie’s Sidewalk Pizza, a family-owned establishment that draws hungry pizza connoisseurs from all over the Sacramento Valley. I am pleased to report that the delicious Greek pizza did not disappoint.
Being the fabulous mom that I am, I thought it was time to let the kids choose the next activity. Back in the Yukon Hybrid for a short drive to kid’s paradise: the Sacramento Zoo and adjacent Fairytale Town. Needless to say, after hours on our feet and exciting encounters with Sumatran tigers and Robin Hood’s jolly men, we were all exhausted and ready for some well-deserved rest back at the B&B.
We spent the next two days with intrepid explorations, wonderful meals, and educational wanderings the order of the day. Highlights included absorbing culture at the Crocker Art Museum, riding a miniature train at the California State Railroad Museum, and enjoying delicious cuisine aboard the Delta King, a salvaged paddle-wheel steamboat. and restored that once stood at the bottom of the San Francisco Bay.
By the end of our stay, we were satiated with all things Sacramento and ready to climb aboard our GMC Yukon Hybrid for the return trip from Northern California to our home in the South. Jeff was delighted to see us and announced that the next road trip would not take place without him as co-driver.
