Sacramento

California's capital and gateway to the Gold Rush, with Old Sacramento's wooden boardwalks, the California State Railroad Museum, the State Capitol and the self-styled "Farm-to-Fork Capital."

Sacramento, the capital of California, lies in the northern Central Valley at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers, about 140 km northeast of San Francisco. Gold was discovered at nearby Coloma in 1848, sparking the California Gold Rush; the city became the gateway for prospectors heading into the Sierra Nevada and the western terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad, and it still preserves many 19th-century landmarks. The surrounding area is one of the most important farming regions in the US, restaurants source directly from local farms, and the city calls itself the "Farm-to-Fork Capital."

The climate is Mediterranean: March–May and September–October are the most pleasant; summer days often exceed 35°C but nights are cool, and winters are mild and rainy with occasional dense fog. Sightseeing falls into three main areas: the riverside Old Sacramento historic district (the railroad museum, wooden boardwalks, paddle-wheel boats, Tower Bridge); downtown, with the State Capitol and Capitol Park, the Crocker Art Museum and Sutter's Fort; and Midtown, with its restaurants, bars and arts district. Day trips include historic Folsom and Folsom Lake, Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma, the Apple Hill orchards in autumn, or heading south into the Delta to visit the Chinese-built town of Locke.

Getting there: Sacramento International Airport is about 20 km from downtown; from the San Francisco Bay Area it's about 1.5–2 hours by car or about 2 hours on the Capitol Corridor train, and Amtrak's California Zephyr also stops here. Downtown is walkable and served by light rail, but you'll need a car for sights in the surrounding area. Plan on 2–3 days. Tips: guard against the heat in summer; book Midtown restaurants ahead on weekends; some state historic parks close on Mondays and Tuesdays, so check their websites before you go.

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