Sacramento
Knowing we had a long-ish drive to Sacramento ahead of us, we took a bit of a leisurely morning, not hitting the road until close to 11. We weren’t in any rush, so when I was that the GPS was going to lead us through Sonoma and Napa, instead of taking further south but staying on all highways as Google Maps advised us, I decided to go wiht the GPS and take the scenic route. It really was a gorgeous drive. We went through winding hills and lush countryside. For quite a bit of the drive we were flanked by farmlands, generally populated by cows or sheep, rather than the ever-present vineyards of the day before. We did drive past a number of vineyards as well, especially as the elevation rose and we found ourselves in the mountains. Instad of drving below the visable cloudbelt, as we did the day before, we found ourselves smack in the middle of it!
Then it was back on the freeway, and up to Sacramento. It was a fairly uneventful ride the rest of the way. It was less congested and the freeway took less dramatic rises, falls, twists and turns than when we went through San Francisco. It was also Sunday mid-day rather than Friday night, so that could have helped the ride be less harrowing. People whizzing by you on the Golden Gate Bridge can make you feel a bit… closterphobic.
After dropping off the car, we grabbed a cab to head to the hotel. We enter from the marshy brown fields into the city. As we made our way to our hotel, the bustling downtown gives way to residential streets, which confused both us and the driver considerably. We both checked the address twice when we arrived to make sure there hadn’t been a mistake. But there we were. The hotel most definitely catered to the weddings and receptions that seem to be their bread an butter. It’s a good thing we’re fairly abled bodied individuals because we had to lug our stuff up 2 flights of stairs just to get to the door to ring a bell to be let in. Once inside the old victorian, us and our bags went up another bendy flight to our room. Even though we seemed to be the only guests, we were stuck in a room with one bed. Because that’s all they have! It was an interesting place to say the least. Very old fashioned, with lace curtains and plumbing that had to at least been from the 50s. But there was free wi-fi, so I have to give them points for that.
We hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and it was now 2, so we asked if they could recommend a place to eat. They said there was a place just 2 blocks away, but when we got there they had closed & wouldn’t reopen until 5. They said there was a bar further down the street, but it looked like a real dive, so we headed back to the hotel to munch on a few snacks and wait until the restaurant re-opened. Although much as the afternoon put a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, the evening’s meal certainly was a welcome change. I had a scruptuous pizza, and my mother had hand-made pasta in a light sauce. I still don’t think Sacramento’s really my city, but at least dinner made it more berable.
