Wonders Of The Golden West Part 12.......

Today we travel from lakes and mountains to metropolitan San Francisco.  Our route took us via California's capital city of Sacramento

 Sacramento State Capital Building

to our first stop the Old Town of Sacramento.

The city of Sacramento grew up in the mid-nineteenth century as a developmenet from Sutter's Fort.  However, the Fort was some way from the Sacramento River,  which was the main means of transport to the coast of California, and what was to become the modern city developed along the waterfront.

 There is a railroad through the town

 Before Sacramento's extensive levee system was in place, the area flooded quite regularly. Because of this, the city's streets were raised a level. Most of the sidewalks and storefronts have been filled in, however many tunnels still remain throughout Old Sacramento and the downtown area.

 By the 1960s, the area had fallen into disrepair and disrepute. A large effort was made to secure the area's future as an outdoor living history center. Several historically significant buildings were moved or reconstructed. Those that were beyond repair were demolished.

There's a Wells Fargo history museum,

 a statue dedicated to the Pony Express

 and some interesting stores and restuarants. 

After an interesting hour exploring the town we were back on the road again driving through the Napa and Sonoma valleys

 to

 Sonoma where we stopped for lunch.  We walked round admiring the place for a while

before deciding on The Girl & The Fig as the venue for lunch.  

We read the menu displayed outside the restaurant and decided the Cheese & Fruit, consisting of three selections of cheese, seasonal fruit, house made fig cake, spiced nuts and baguette, would be perfect with a nice glass of wine to wash it down.    We should have realised when we were asked if we had a reservation and found the place full of  well heeled 'ladies wot lunch' that it wouldn't be what we were expecting.  However, I have to say we were 'surprised' when our lunch arrived to find 3 miniscule pieces of cheese, a slice of apple expertly fanned, an inch square piece of fig cake and a few spiced nuts lovingly displayed on a huge plate, a six inch basket containing half a (small) baguette sliced, and a medium sized glass of California Red each. It was very nice but at $60 I can honestlly say it was the smallest and most expensive ploughman's lunch we've ever had!   LOL  

At $10 a glass we were very shocked to find that California wine is far more expensive in California than it is in the UK!  What's that all about???

Anyway lunch over it was time to board the coach again for the final leg to San Francisco.

 Highway 101 with San Quentin maximum security prison in the distance

Our first glimpses of 'Frisco

Alcatraz

 and the Golden Gate Bridge!

If you want to see more of San Francisco join me next time for Wonders Of The Golden West Part 13.