Capital communities

Posted in A to Z, Sacramento Sights3 Comments

Sacramento is an interesting city, and the letter C highlights a couple of its most prominent communities.

As the capital of the state of California, Sacramento is home to the California State Capitol building. Like many capitols, you’ll find the usual domed building with Greek revival columns on the outside. On the inside you’ll find both government workers doing their jobs at the state legislature and a museum showcasing California history.

Sacramento,-California---State-Capitol
By Andre m – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31832691

You can tour the Capitol for free. You can also make yourself a sweet Capitol penny there, if you’re looking for an inexpensive (and extremely portable) souvenir.

IMG_1908
I can’t resist smashing pennies into souvenirs.

Sacramento is also home to a large Catholic population, and their largest (and oldest) house of worship is the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Modeled after L’Eglise de la Sainte-Trinité in Paris, the cathedral is celebrating 130 years of existence in 2019, and claims to be “home to a diverse and welcoming parish community.”

CathBSlow
By SCUMATT at English Wikipedia. – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Off2riorob using CommonsHelper., CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7065905

As someone who was raised in the Catholic faith, I have to admit I’m curious to explore the cathedral. These ostentatious buildings always seem to have quite a treasure trove of valuable and/or unusual items in their possession, which piques the interest of my inner (wannabe) crime novelist. I wonder if they have any interesting artifacts, comparable to the reliquary at Montreal’s St. Joseph’s Oratory, which contains fragments of Brother André’s heart?

Bugging out at the Bohart Museum of Entomology

Posted in A to Z, Sacramento Sights2 Comments

Okay, technically this museum is located in Davis, not Sacramento, but let’s not nitpick. (Pun intended.)

The Bohart Museum of Entomology was founded in 1946, and holds the 7th largest insect collection in North America. It’s also home to the California Insect Survey, which explores insect biodiversity throughout the state.

The museum is free to visit, and is also an active work site, which means you may see researchers actually handling insects. YIKES!

Or, as the museum’s website instructs, “Keep an open mind. Say things like ‘How interesting!’ instead of ‘Yuck!’ or ‘Gross!'”

If you’re not close enough to explore the museum in person, be sure to check out their online databases instead.

UCDavis-Bohart

You can find the Bohart Museum at 455 Crocker Lane at the University of California in
Davis (95616).

All about the American River Parkway

Posted in A to Z, Sacramento Sights3 Comments

Known as “the jewel of Sacramento,” the American River Parkway is a 23-mile-long wildlife and recreation area that runs alongside the American River. More than 5 million visitors will access the Parkway each year, making it a fitting start for our A to Z journey!

Just a few of the activities you can engage in while visiting this regional park:

  • Boating
  • Fishing
  • Golfing
  • Guided Tours (natural and historic)
  • Picnicking
  • Rafting
  • Trail Hiking or Running

The 32-mile Jedediah​​ Smith Memorial Multi-use Trail is one of the park’s biggest draws. As a multi-use trail, visitors are allowed to walk, run, jog, bike, skate or even ride horses along the path. Here’s a link to the “rules of the road” for the trail, so be sure to brush up on your trail etiquette before heading out. No motorized traffic is allowed on the trail, so leave your scooters, 4-wheelers, hoverboards, and motorized bikes and skateboards at home.

In addition to the Jedediah Smith trail, you can also find the following paved trails within the regional park:

Every year in November the Sacramento Running Association and American River Parkway Foundation team up to host the Run the Parkway event, to help raise money to maintain and preserve the Parkway. Runners can choose from a 20-mile or marathon course, or simply enjoy an untimed 4.4-mile nature walk starting at the William B. Pond Recreation Area.

Here’s a map from the 2018 event, to give you an idea of the vast size of the Parkway:

RTPmap13_1A2018

There’s also a Ride the Parkway event coming up in May for those who prefer cycling to jogging. This event includes BBQ and beer, post-race. Yum! (FYI: April 5th is the last day to sign up at the discounted fee of $65 per person for this race.)

Growing up in Elmhurst, Illinois, I was privileged to live near the Illinois Prairie Path, a 61-mile network of bike trails that I walked or biked almost daily. The American River Parkway is a similar path where residents can relax, unwind and exercise in Sacramento, so I’m happy to finally live in a city where this kind of trail is accessible to all.

More “A” Sights to See: