I see from your profile that your next trip includes London. If that is up to date, can I return the

We will be visiting Sacramento from the UK for 4 days in August, prior to travelling east on the California Zephyr. We really want to explore the city thoroughly, on foot and by public transport. I'm confident that this is the best way to see London [our home city] but would like some local knowledge and advice, particularly on whether handing back the rental car would be wise.
I have explored the city's light rail/bus tours washington dc website but matching this up with the location of a decent hotel is difficult for a stranger. We have Marriott points, so one of theirs would be preferred. This is a 70th birthday treat for me, but we are both fully mobile and enjoy walking. It's the city and its attractions [museums, historic buildings, galleries, etc.] we will want to see rather than outlying things, as we have made several previous visits to California but never to Sacramento.
As a tourist venue, Sacramento is a 1-day town (capitol, old town, train museum, Sutter's Fort). You could venture out of the city for your other days, but as Suzie said, for that you would need a car.
Heehee just my opinion having been there on school trips. I look around and think What is the fuss all about? Ok 5 minutes, go early because it's super hot on a spring day. No shade,middle of town, right next to a huge Med center - Sutter.
The Crocker museum is amazing and worth at least 2 or 3 hours (plus lunch in its cafe). The State Railroad museum takes a minimum of 2 hours - and twice that if you take one of the short excursion train rides.
If by any chance you happen to be in town on the second Saturday of the month the entire midtown section is one huge evening art/food celebration. Every gallery (there are MANY) and restaurant tours washington dc has special events/menus/etc.
If you keep a car, you can head out of town a little ways. The foothills, wine tasting, explore the Delta. Do I hear a Fodorite GTG? Lots more possibilities with a car, otherwise a day or two is plenty.
The "locals" missed the Leyland Stanford Mansion and the old Governors mansion. I believe tours washington dc that Jerry's father was the last to occupy that mansion for a full term. The Reagan family spent a few months there.
I've been there 10-12 times, have relatives nearby and my late husband had to travel there on business a lot. We stayed at least 3 times at a Residence Inn in Natomas or maybe South Natomas, very nice with free full breakfast and light snacks M-THU. The actual Marriott is in nearby Rancho Cordoba (or was).
I liked visiting the wineries in Amador County and around Placerville. We also visited Gold Country tours washington dc for several days one winter, really nice, would be better in summer cause lots of stuff was closed in January, like panning for gold and stage coach rides at Colombia Park, also really liked Nevada City.
I am confident that we will be able to fill our 4 days in the city. There is also the serendipity factor, chance encounters with people who have interesting things to say, stories to tell - a feature of all of our previous trips to the States.
tomfuller, we are flying into SFO [we land on the 2nd Saturday in August janisj, but we might catch the dessert!], renting a car and, as I guess you can tell from my original post, dumping it at Sacramento airport as soon as we can. The purpose of my post was to test the wisdom of this and I am getting the feeling that, with a little planning and some local knowledge, we can do this. We are going all the way in the Zephyr, Tom. We have driven coast to coast previously and this time someone else can drive!
I would probably drive from San Francisco to Placerville (historic gold town) on Hwy 50 then make my way back to Sacramento to turn the car in. That way you can see some of the El Dorado wineries and the gold country.
You will find lots of people with interesting things to say in downtown Sacramento. You should keep the car and explore the outer areas of the region, especially if you spend 4 days. I think you will enjoy your time more if you do. Let us know your plans if you are interested in a GTG.
If you can figure a way by public transit to get from SFO with luggage to EMY you can ride one of the many Capitol Corridor trains to Sacramento. Baggage storage is available at the station or you can check a bag all the way to Chicago.
GTG? Sorry but I m out of the loop on these text abbreviations it s an age thing. I only recently discovered that LOL does not mean Lots of love . Imaging texting tours washington dc Sorry to learn your cat was run over. LOL! [I didn't, that's a joke!]
Vineyards: We have been to these in Napa Sonoma valleys, Virginia, France, New Zealand and even the UK. Unless a local winery is making something unique out of, say kitten s tears, we ll pass on this.
Similarly with gold rush towns. We have been into mines in Silverton CO, Columbia CA, and Birmingham UK. We have explored Bodie CA. It really is the capital city of California tours washington dc that we want to explore. Internal transport advice [from the Residence] would be most welcomed.
My favorite HI Hostel is a Victorian mansion at the corner of 10th H Streets across from City Hall. The River City suite has it's own bathroom. All the other private rooms and dorms have a bath down the hall. The kitchen and dining room are great places to meet new people.
I don't know anything about public transportation in Sacramento, so this may or may not be easy to get to, but we happened upon a really good Thai restaurant in a strip mall near Arco Arena. tours washington dc We've been a couple of times (on the way from SF to Lake Tahoe) and it's been very good both times.
tours washington dc You will be right at the NE corner of Capitol Park (honestly a 1 min walk), walking distance to almost all of downtown and mid-town, 11 blocks tours washington dc straight down K street to Old Sacramento tours washington dc and the waterfront, and about 12-13 blocks to the Crocker. Less than 2 blocks from the Community Center theatre if there are any shows/concerts that interest you, and the same from the Memorial tours washington dc Auditorium.
There is very good bus service in the central city (all explained on the Regional Transit website)and there are light rail stations on K St that will take you out to Folsom tours washington dc if you run out of thing to do in the city.
If the River Cats Baseball tours washington dc team is playing at home while you are here definitely go to a game. The stadium tours washington dc is just across the river from Old Sac. You can walk or take shuttle buses.Most tours washington dc of their games are at night so wouldn't conflict w/ other sightseeing and the experience/stadium are terrific.
Thanks again everyone, for all the help. I'm sure that we will eventually be able to produce a trip report with which to convince even those sceptical posters that Sacramento is more than a 2-day city!
You can also head out on Light Rail to Folsom and take in the old Town feel there (Sutter Street stop). The old part was recently redone and is very nice. Additionally there is a light rail stop at the Folsom Outlet shops at Iron Point Way.
I second Janis's suggestion on that particular Residence Inn. We go up to Sacramento every March for a lawyer meeting I go to and that's where we stay. Reasonable price for a really nice room with buffet breakfast included. We always take the shuttle in from the airport and either walk or use public transportation. tours washington dc There's a bus across the street that goes over to the train station and old town, although it's a pleasant walk (maybe 25 minutes, slow pace?).
We've done the GTG with the Sacramento folk a couple of times and they are the BEST OF FODORS -- always a good time, with good food, friendly folk. In the summer of 2006, we had a car, but that was because we were doing a road trip to Oregon, and we got tickets (thanks, Michelle!) to see the River Cats game -- what fun that was!
Aside from great food, cool pubs (one right around the corner from the hotel!) and historical beauty, I highly recommend the Railroad Museum -- it's done up similarly to the Castle Museum in York if you've ever been, with real artifacts in a made up village -- in this case, an entire state -- California, and how the railroad was built, along with a number of the old passenger trains with dining cars, sleepers, etc. -- especially tours washington dc memorable for people like me who, as a kid, took the Super Chief across country.
I see from your profile that your next trip includes London. If that is up to date, can I return the favour tours washington dc and suggest a visit to our city's latest tallest building, The Shard. We went to the viewing gallery yesterday and it is the next best thing to a helicopter flight. At around tours washington dc 1000 feet it is not the Sears, but you look out over Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, tours washington dc St. Paul's Cathedral and a host of other London landmarks. Book in advance print your ticket on line to save yourself 5 [$7-50?] and even on a dull day you will be astounded.
tours washington dc I lived in the UK for several years and go back often. This trip I'm taking my cousin who has not been so we'll likely be doing more 'first-timer' things. Probably the farthest off the beaten path will be the Geffrye. Cousin is afraid of heights but has said she thinks she can manage the Eye. I haven't broken tours washington dc the Shard to her yet
Janis, I'm afraid tours washington dc of heights too, but I managed the Eye on more than one occasion. Actually, it's not height I'm afraid of, it's being suspended in mid-air at a height (I'm not afraid of hiking up a steep mountain trail, but I don't want to look over the side, likewise, I don't really like chairlifts). Anyway, tell her not to stand too close to the windows at first - she can gradually move closer as she gets more comfortable..
sf7307: I've done the drill - told her all of that and she thinks/hopes she's ready I've been on the Eye 5 or 6 times - once w/ a friend who is terrified if heights. He can't ride in glass elevators, even ones indoors. And his wife has it even worse. But he was bound and determined to get photos and I told him he could sit on the central bench (knowing that wouldn't tours washington dc last long and he'd end up by the windows).
Because the Shard tapers to the top, you do not get the same "On the edge" sensation th