If you plan to reach Sacramento, the quiet and little-known capital of California, you have to fly into San Francisco Airport (SFO) because Sacramento doesn’t have a true tourist hub, only a small regional airport. But choosing San Francisco isn’t at all inconvenient, as the distance between the two cities is just 160 km, meaning you can get there in less than two hours by car, via highway. Yet tourists almost never get to experience this region of California, preferring the much more famous Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco itself with its spectacular bay. But Sacramento is the “gateway” to Northern California… wonderful places for a different kind of vacation. Come and experience it!
Sacramento, City of the West
Sacramento is a city far from the sea. This already makes it less interesting for the average tourist who chooses California for their travels. But if you have a passion for the American “Wild West,” Sacramento is the place to come. The city was founded in 1806 by a Spanish explorer who built a Catholic mission here, dedicating it, as its name suggests, to the Blessed Sacrament (that is the Holy Eucharist)… precisely. It wasn’t difficult to establish a city there because the few native tribes were nomadic and didn’t claim ownership of the land. Soon, many gold seekers arrived in Sacramento, attracted both by the local veins and the mines in Northern California. Once the veins were exhausted, Sacramento had already developed a trade network that connected the large cities of the South—Los Angeles and San Francisco—with the mines of the North.
Reminding of this capital’s “Western” past, today, is the historic neighbourhood of Old Sacramento: colonial buildings with typical wooden porches and colorful wrought-iron windows, old saloons, the Wells Fargo Pony Express Museum (celebrating the horse-drawn postmen who played a crucial role in the conquest of the West!), the Historical Museum, and the Old Railroad Museum. Strolling through the streets of this district will make you feel like you’re in the middle of a movie, feeling as if John Wayne or Clint Eastwood could pop out from any corner at any moment!
Sacramento Itineraries
Beyond its historic heart, Sacramento offers diverse itineraries that also explore the natural surroundings and its halls of the political power. The State Capitol is the magnificent capitol building, the seat of government for all of California, and includes a museum and a public park. It closely resembles the palaces of power in Washington DC, and reflects the importance of the location. Parks also exist along the banks of the city’s rivers, the Sacramento and the American Rivers. The bridges spanning these rivers are impressive industrial monuments, particularly the Tower Bridge, which lifts as ships pass.
Also worth seeing: the modern Crocker Art Museum, the Automobile Museum, the Catholic Cathedral, the Sacramento Zoo, the Ziggurat Pyramid. Not far from the city center, you’ll also find Discovery Park and the delightful lake Folsom.
From Sacramento to Northern California
Sacramento can be the ideal base for a series of excursions and guided trips to Northern California. A less touristy and lesser-known region than the South, but where wilderness still dominates the human environment, Northern California and its breathtaking views can leave incredible memories in the heart of those who visit.
At least eight national parks and protected regional reserves open up in the great north, not far from the capital (the furthest park is a four-hour drive). You can choose to visit Lake Tahoe (200 km from Sacramento), the largest alpine lake in the United States surrounded by a lush, protected forest; or explore the great Mendocino Forest, where there are no roads and people still rely on trails and “tracks” like the ancient natives did; let yourself be captivated by the extinct volcano Mount Shasta (356 km from Sacramento), protected by a national park rich in splendid alpine landscapes, or by the many bodies of water that crisscross the Six Rivers Forest.
If nature isn’t your only interest, we suggest crossing the border into Nevada, to Reno (about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Sacramento), a mini-Las Vegas where you can have fun at shows and casinos. About the same distance, but on the opposite side—to the west—is Santa Rosa, a town founded by Mexican noble families; it still retains the Hispanic aura that blends so beautifully with the Californian colonial style.
