We are headed out to California in a few weeks to get our ds relocated back up to Stanford for b-school. Since he did his undergrad there as well, we have been out there a few times and already done other area environs such as SF, Monterey, and Napa. Dh found a flight he liked out of Sacramento.
We will likely spend two nights there, arriving later in the afternoon on a Thursday and having a full day and evening on Friday.
Any and all suggestions for hotels, restaurants, breweries, sight-seeing ideas, etc are appreciated. Especially areas to stay in that might be vibrant (with restaurants and shops) as well as safe for walking.
My daughter did her internship at the Davis hospital in Sacramento, but before that, all of my children traveled to Sacramento in their 4th/5th grade field trips. The schools in our district went at various times throughout the year.
The fundraising began the year before the trip because no child was ever to be excluded for lack of funds. The school followed the curriculum of the state’s history, so we were provided with guided tours of Sutter’s Fort, the State Capitol, the California State Railroad museum and other places I don’t recall over 4 days.
We camped at the American river in Tents provided by the tour company. (Yeah, that was fun-try getting sleep while trying to be a “chaperone” to sick children, children who have never flown on a plane, spent a night away from their families in 40 degree temperatures, and gabby adult chaperones who didn’t know when to shut it and were not there to help. I continuously thanked the Southwest Airlines staff for putting up with a planeload nightmare. )
When we visited our daughter, we wanted a clean hotel and in direct line with the Sacramento airport, which is quite a distance from town. We stayed at the Hampton Inn- Natamos. Navigating all of the freeways within town takes some practice. Just make sure you understand the I-80.
We liked the “Sauced” restaurant in Downtown Sacramento. Their barbecue is good.
They are trying to revive their downtown area and encourage walkable evenings there, especially on the weekends.
I would suggest you drive into Davis to visit the town (20 minutes from Sac via I 80). It is quaint and has great restaurants and a good feel.
That sounds good. I was always stuck in traffic, and, their surface streets, with one way directions, can throw you off. Because it is I-5, you will notice a lot of semi trucks and farm vehicles/equipment. Timing is important. When you go to pick up your rental car, they will provide your car with a navigation system. Make sure you request a paper map so that you understand the highway system. (They don’t like to give them out, but you should request one anyway.)
Long drive from Palo Alto! (My hubby is a Cardinal) I-80 has been stop and go. If you need a quick break from the traffic, go to the Jelly Belly factory just off the I-80 in Fairfield. (1 Jelly Belly Lane) They give free tours. It smells great and you will get your free bag of Jelly Bellys. You can also stuff any souvenirs in your suitcase.
For a full tank of gas, when you drop off the car, you can fill up in Woodland, just west of the airport (off of the 5 on CR 102-15 minutes). It has cheaper gas than the station at the airport exit.
There is also a Costco at “County Road #102”, on the I-5 in Woodland, that has a gas station there and several Arco, Shell, and Chevrons off of that exit. It is in the middle of farmland, but that is one of the newer shopping areas that you can immediately enter and exit.
Check and see if there is a Sacramento Rivercats game while there. If so, I recommend staying at the Sawyer hotel in DoCo and walking to the game…only a 20 min walk. Lots of places to eat in DoCo….Sauced, Polanco, Ruhstaller Brewery. If the Sawyer is too $$ we have also stayed at the Hyatt Centric a few blocks away and it was new and nice. If you want to walk around midtown, there are lots of restaurants and Ricks Dessert Diner and Ginger Elizabeth desserts.