I just wrapped up a weeklong trip to California. It’s been a few years since I’ve been in the state and this was the first trip I’ve made to its capital, Sacramento. Here are a few quick hits from my visit.
Sacramento is flat. Like Florida flat.
City streets go in one direction for miles and miles.
The oak trees are beautiful and something I don’t remember seeing in Southern California.
A walk through the woods is a treat for all the senses. Sheltering trees tower over you, birds chirp, and sweet-smelling plants are everywhere.
People here are polite but people passing on the street avoid eye contact. This is not how we do it back East.
The seafood restaurant I went to last night was on a floating dock on the American River. The pylons securing the dock are over thirty feet high. To think of the river flooding to that stage boggles my mind.
Traffic lights are longer than they should be. I spent a lot of time waiting for left turn arrows to turn green. Also, traffic lights aren’t synchronized.
Sacramento has a number of impressive parks. Curiously I didn’t see many out using them.
Cars are still king here, though I did see a handful of serious cyclists around. It seems like a good place to ride.
Chain stores everywhere, in identically-looking beige-colored shopping centers.
A red Ford Mustang rental car seems perfect for California.
Hot. It was 20 degrees hotter in Sacramento than Raleigh this week.
The only sign of drought was a sign at a Mexican restaurant saying the limes it normally carries are not available due to the weather.
Sacramento has great greenways but almost no signage on them.