Sacramento's Hometown Tourists Blog

Janet, Cindy and Carol:  Who we are.

We met in a Toastmasters Class in 1994.  When the chapter disbanded, we decided we would still meet occasionally for lunch.  Since we all worked in different departments for Sacramento County, our paths frequently crossed at work.  We had the common employer denominator to give us plenty of topics to discuss at lunch.  By making sure we set our next luncheon date and place before we left the table, we were able to keep our monthly meetings going for 18 years.  None of us has blogged before, but we look forward to exploring Sacramento as "local tourists" and sharing our travels with everyone.

Carol Dabrowiak

Sacramento is my adopted home town.  I moved here 40 years ago with my husband when he accepted a job transfer.  It was supposed to be a temporary assignment, but we loved California and chose to settle here.  This is where I raised my two sons.  This is where I finished my college degree and this is where I worked as an Accountant for Sacramento County - making great friends along the way.   I'm originally from a large family in Chicago.  Now they all live in different parts of the country, so it is fun to travel around and visit my siblings and their families.   I like to read and discuss books.  I also enjoy taking classes to learn new things.  A few years ago I retired from Sacramento County.   Finally there is time to explore the area and visit the museums and sites that make Sacramento such an interesting city.   I look forward to sharing my observations with others.

Cynthia Gibbs

I am an accomplished tourist and have traveled and lived many places.  I have traveled to Australia, New Zealand, China and Hong Kong, India, Japan and Thailand. I have traveled through Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, Scandinavia and the British Isles.  Before the wall came down in Berlin, I traveled the eastern block, Russia, Poland, etc.  I have traveled throughout the United States, from Mexico to Canada, along the West Coast, East Coast, South and Southwest.

As long as I can remember, I wanted to go places.  I have lived and worked in Sacramento County since 1984.  I am a hometown tourist, traveling where I live and enjoying the great companionship in Carol and Janet on these adventures in and around Sacramento.

Janet Lewis

I am a lifelong Sacramentan but have traveled enough to know that we’ve got a good thing going here!  What I especially love about Sacramento that gives me a real sense of place (besides the iconic Tower Bridge) are the delta breeze and the scent of willows along the American River.  I’m happy and sometimes amazed that Sacramento provides such a diversity of arts: ballet, opera, poetry center, theater, art galleries, etc.  You may be surprised to learn that I’ve had a passport for 5 years but have never used it.  I guess it’s just that I know there are still a lot of wonderful places and experiences close by and in my own hometown.  Cindy and Carol are such good pals to share and discover all of these nearby destinations with.  Our list is already long and interesting; we will never run out of Hometown Tourist adventures!  HT: it’s a state of mind!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Our Hometown Tourists visited the Aerospace Museum of California on their most recent excursion.  The following blog includes accounts by Janet Lewis and Carol Dabrowiak with photos by Cynthia Gibbs detailing their visit to this Sacramento attraction.  When you stay at a participating Sacramento Gold Card hotel, remember to ask for your FREE Sacramento Gold Card.  The Aerospace Museum of California offers one free admission with one paid admission of equal or greater value with your Sacramento Gold Card. The Aerospace Museum of California is located at 3200 Freedom Park Drive in McClellan, Calif., less than 20 minutes from Downtown Sacramento.

-Photo courtesy Aerospace Museum of California.

By Janet Lewis and Carol Dabrowiac, Photos by Cynthia Gibbs

When we walked through the doors of the Aerospace Museum of California, we were immediately given an overview of the whole building. Of course, we noticed the planes because they are huge. But we soon realized that there was so much more to experience.

We saw videos playing on monitors, cockpits we could climb into, game tables with colorful experiments, and even a simulation machine to take us into space.

Our docent, Ted, invited us to take a ride in the simulator. We climbed into the capsule.  As Ted started to close the hatch he said, “Oh, if the ride is too rough you can hit the red emergency button." Yikes! Where were we going on this virtual ride? But it was really fun and educational.  We landed safely with no need for bailout.

Around the museum’s inside perimeter walls, we viewed display areas featuring videos and information about space, ejection seats, the Tuskegee Airmen and the Coast Guard.

It was fun climbing inside a T-28 training cockpit and pretty amazing to realize how many pedals, levers and gauges airplane pilots have to look at and work with.  Later, outside, we saw an entire T-28 training aircraft. 

Our docent for the outside area aircraft was John.  We can’t recall all of the aircraft numbers or official names, but we can tell you that we got to walk into a “Jolly Green Giant” helicopter, a “Skytrooper” plane with a very unusual history, and a “Flying Boxcar.”  The collection even contains two Russian MIGs on loan from the U.S. Air Force Museum (one obtained by “classified” means, according to the sign in front). 

One of the most interesting looking planes is the “Warthog.”  The “prettiest” is probably the dark blue Blue Angels jet, where John explained to us how air pressure through the pitot tube shows up as readings on the pilot’s instruments.  After that, John showed us differently designed pitot tubes located on other aircraft.  

-Photo courtesy Aerospace Museum of California.

There really is something for everyone here at the Aerospace Museum.  Upstairs, we found a display on Women in Aerospace.  This exhibit provides a concise yet comprehensive overview, along with a 10-question quiz that we, of course, took the time to complete.  The gift shop offers a selection of books, one of which is related to women in aviation.  Girls, check it out!  Women are part of aviation and aerospace history, too!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Our Hometown Tourists visited the California Automobile Museum on their most recent excursion.  The following blog includes accounts by Janet Lewis and Carol Dabrowiak with photos by Cynthia Gibbs detailing their visit to this Sacramento attraction.  When you stay at a participating Sacramento Gold Card hotel, remember to ask for your FREE Sacramento Gold Card.  The California Automobile Museum offers two-for-one adult admission and a 10 percent discount in gift shop with your Sacramento Gold Card. THe California Automobile Museum is located at 2200 Front St. near Old Sacramento.

Janet Lewis

Did you know that there were electric cars as early as 1899?  One version was steered with a rudder!  Did you know that Dodge vehicles are the inventions of the Dodge brothers?  That the earliest automobiles got about 40 horsepower from a 400-cubic-inch engine - a ratio of 10:1?  And that now we have more like 1:1?  It can all be found at this Sacramento attraction located a short distance from downtown Sacramento hotels, restaurants and other museums.

From the quadricycle to horseless carriages (literally), from touring cars to the modern age, it's all pretty fascinating when you can hear the stories from people who know what they are talking about. 

Cindy, Carol, and I really lucked out to receive a docent-led tour on our recent visit to the California Auto Museum.  Don W's obvious passion and enjoyment of autos and auto history definitely ignited my interest and made me want to pause and actually try to figure out how the energy gets from the engine to the wheels, as well as the mechanical principles used to stop the early autos. 

It was fun to climb in the historic old truck on display and try out the foot pedals inside and the hand crank on the front (watch out for your thumbs).  Of course brightly colored, stylish vehicles caught my eye, especially the 1920s yellow-and-green roadster all trimmed out in fancy brass.  I could easily imagine Carol, Cindy and myself gliding up to the Grand Island mansion on a summer night in our fancy flapper getup for a swanky party!  Then there is the sparkly golden car and the dark turquoise vintage T-Bird, each vehicle cooler than the last, until I fell in love -- with the Edsel! 

The California Automobile Museum had several choice Edsel examples on display the day we visited.  The red-and-black sedan turned my head, but my favorite is the light turquoise woody Edsel station wagon (surf city here I come).  We even saw a Mercedes that strongly resembled Cindy's first car.  And Carol was intrigued with the Delorean and its wing-like doors.   

There is so much to see if you can find a way to know what you are looking at.  A docent-led tour is definitely the way to go!  The California Auto Museum is a big place - 70,000 square feet.  Plans and fundraising are under way for a new museum building at the same location.  You can help:  Go see the amazing exhibits at the California Automobile Museum. 

Carol Dabrowiak

If you need to hold an event or arrange a group tour, why not have it at the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento?  This would be a really fun and interesting place to have a business meeting, reception or a group of tourists for a visit.  The museum is located near Downtown Sacramento, close to many hotels and other Sacramento attractions. It has a stage and sound system where a band can perform or you can conduct a training session. Staff can set up tables for banquets, parties, wine tasting and more. The best part would be the chance to tour the museum and learn the history of the American automobile. But you don't need to be invited to an event to visit the exhibits.

The museum is housed in a large warehouse along the Sacramento River near Downtown Sacramento. It doesn't look very fancy on the outside, but it is ideal for the display of automobiles. It has vintage cars from every decade since the first car was built in the late 1800s. The early vehicles were horseless carriages. They used buckboard seats and wheels with wooden spokes. There were no tops or headlights, and you had to crank them to start the motor.

Our docent, Don, told us facts about the cars on display. He quickly realized that Janet, Cindy and I were not so interested in the evolution of carburetors or transmissions, so he told us stories about Henry Ford and how he built his empire.  Ford didn't invent the automobile, he invented the automobile industry. He wanted everyone to be able to afford a car, so he constantly looked for ways to bring down costs. He used assembly line mass production and set up dealer franchises around the country.  By 1916, Model T sales reached 472,000 vehicles at a cost of $360 each.  Originally the cars had steering wheels on the left, but Mrs. Ford wanted to exit the vehicle on the right side so she could step onto the sidewalk. So the steering wheel was moved to the left side of the car.

We learned that a lot of the cars are on loan to the museum. The owners can come by and borrow them back if they want to go to rallies or auto shows. Most of the cars, even the really old ones, are still drivable. The cars are sometimes used for parades, weddings and processions.

The California Automobile Museum encourages school field trips. It has hands-on activities geared to every age group. One of the activities recreates an assembly line where students put together a Model T cardboard car. There were students working on a project when we were there.  This would be a great venue for Sacramento student tours.

The day we visited the museum, we saw vintage cars, racecars, alternative fuel cars and the blue Plymouth that Gov. Jerry Brown famously drove in his first term of office. There were also special exhibits highlighting off-road vehicles and automobiles from 1968. You realize that Americans have a serious love affair with their cars. And I mean that in a good way. Stop by for a visit.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Our Hometown Tourists visited the California State Indian Museum on their most recent excursion.  The following blog includes two accounts by Janet Lewis and Carol Dabrowiak, and photos by Cynthia Gibbs, detailing their visit to this Sacramento attraction.  When you stay at a participating Sacramento Gold Card hotel, remember to ask for your FREE Sacramento Gold Card.  The California State Indian Museum offers one free adult or child admission with the purchase of a regular-priced adult or child admission with your Sacramento Gold Card. 

Interior photography is prohibited in the museum out of respect to the Native Americans and their objects. Above interior photo courtesy California State Indian Museum.

Carol Dabrowiak

For all the years I lived in Sacramento, I never knew there was an Indian Museum. I guess that's because it sits in the shadow of Sutter's Fort. Literally in the shadow behind the fort.  It's a little-known Sacramento attraction filled with information about our history that honors the culture of the native people of California.

The first thing we saw when Janet, Cindy and I started our tour of the museum was an array of woven baskets from different tribes. When you see the baskets next to each other, you notice the differences in the weaves, fibers and colors used by each tribe. They are all unique. The function determines the shape - open and shallow for cooking or tall and urn-like for water.

You then notice the different implements that were used for hunting and farming. The museum uses a clever game to encourage visitors to learn the names and purposes of the implements. A paper with pictures of the tools asks you to name the tool by finding it in the museum exhibits and learning its use. Is it a fish trap or water vessel? A spear or clapper? Then you write the name next to the picture. You win a prize if you get them all correct!

There are pictures and exhibits depicting how Indians celebrate different events. They have special costumes with elaborate beading and feathers. They use animal hides. The headgear is ornamental and colorful. They have musical instruments to keep a rhythm and encourage dancing. They celebrate weddings, harvests and hunting.  And of course they respect and revere their elders and celebrate them.

The food supply was dependent on hunting and fishing, but they also used acorns to supplement their diet. They ground the acorns with stones to make flour, which was then used in soup or bread or sometimes a simple mush. Berries, edible plants and roots were also used when they were in season. Almost nothing was wasted. Before they cooked rabbits, they removed and tanned the hides and used them as soft diapers for the infants.

I read that this Sacramento museum opened in 1940. It is located near several downtown Sacramento hotels and other tourist attractions.  It does not look or feel dated. It honors a past generation with modern exhibits that appeal to the current generation. It is a Sacramento tourist attraction that is part of California's history, and I'm glad I finally found it and got to explore it.

Janet Lewis

Cindy, Carol and I visited the California State Indian Museum on a Thursday morning and had the place practically to ourselves, so we were able to take our time.

The core of the experience for me encompassed the language and trading maps and the basket displays by tribal groups.  It was very interesting to note the similarities and differences in basketry form and design between regions.  Baskets and other items were traded from hand to hand, ending up sometimes far away from where they were made.  For example, shells from the ocean or lowland rivers moved from west to east; obsidian from the mountains might find its way to tribes in regions far from where it originated.  This began long before paved highways or even horse-drawn wagons.

Baskets were (and for some still are) used by California’s native people in everyday life for ceremonies and celebrations, for gift giving, and for sale in the tourist trade.  Woven basketry is to California’s native tribes what clay pots are to the New Mexico tribes.  Baskets were traditionally traded or imported, depending on the tribe or region.  Native women and men made plant fiber baskets in different styles, of different materials, for different purposes.  According to the museum cards, the art and skill of basketmaking has not disappeared.  You can even get a small basketmaking kit in the gift shop.

My very favorite is the No. 9 basket jug, Paiute, for holding liquid; a twined ovoid shape with a closed end and a handle.  This basket was covered in pine pitch to keep it watertight.  I’d heard of this type of basket but had never seen one in real life before.  If there were one item from the museum that I could choose to hold in my hands, that would be the one!

Perhaps our collective favorite feature of the Museum was the “scavenger hunt” game, a bookmark-sized paper that illustrated 10 items to find and identify.  The museum staff told us that kids get a prize for filling it out completely.  Just like three big kids, Carol, Cindy and I had a lot of fun with this activity as we found out and discussed what the items were, how they were made, and how the native people used them.  This added a very nice focus and depth to our museum visit. 

Tools that the native people made and used were very intriguing to try and figure out.  We saw a wooden drill for making holes in shell beads and a photo of how the beads are finished (once strung, they are rolled on stone to smooth the outsides).   There is a different type of drill for making fire -- the “portable hearth” that features a softwood shaft spun on a hardwood base.  We also saw a deerhide drum that looks like a suitcase and marveled at elk antler purses made to hold dentalium shell money.

Another intriguing item of particular note is the rabbit skin blanket in a case on the back wall.  Strips of tanned rabbit skin with the fur still on were woven and twisted through a plant fiber net.  The result was a big square blanket that is soft on both sides.  Carol remarked, “It was your cloak during the day and your bed at night.” 

The Museum isn’t just about artifacts, though.  It’s about the native people who made and used these items.  There is an exhibit about Ishi and honored elders.  There are also photos of native people and native families through different eras.

The native people made great use of plants such as the amazing and indispensable soaproot, which provides, among varying uses, food, fiber, soap and fish poison.  A soaproot brush is on display, with the handle made from the plant’s resin and the brush from its fibers.

Speaking of plants, the native people's food wasn’t just all acorn mush!  Pounded deer meat broth, parched seedcakes, manzanita berry cider, steamed sweet clover, roasted quail ... I could tell it was getting close to lunchtime ...  Good thing we were so close to some great downtown Sacramento dining.

By Janet Lewis and Carol Dabrowiak, photos by Cindy Gibbs

Janet's Story

EDITOR'S NOTE:  Sacramento was recently named the "Farm to Fork Capital of America."  Below, our Hometown Tourists write about one of the many "Farm to Fork" style activities available in Sacramento.

In the dead of winter, I daydream about the Wednesday Farmer’s Market in downtown Sacramento.  Every year I look forward with anticipation to when the Market will open in May.  Then I look for good reasons to go downtown on a Wednesday morning.  Somehow it seems all of my downtown meetings happen on Thursdays instead!  But, at least once a year, Cindy, Carol and I make a point of meeting for some downtown Sacramento dining on a Wednesday during the Market season.  The past two years, we’ve added the Grange Restaurant’s “Follow The Chef” tour and lunch to our Wednesday Market adventures.  Grange is located inside of The Citizen Hotel, a downtown Sacramento hotel located across the street from Caesar Chavez Park.

In June of 2011,  Cindy and I did Grange Restaurant’s “Follow The Chef” tour and lunch.  I still have the souvenir reusable shopping bag.  It gives me good memories of the fresh and seasonal three-course lunch we enjoyed at the Grange that day in June along with 12 other (unintentional) "Hometown Tourists."  It was there we met Sarah A. of the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau and hatched the idea for the HTT blog!

Celebrating summer, the meal that June day featured locally produced squash blossoms, kernel corn, cherries, two kinds of wine (chardonnay & zinfandel); supporting cast included goat cheese, cabbage salad & biting mustard greens - all  totally delicious and refreshing!  The chef made mine dairy free and still deliciously prepared.  Carol was not able to join us, but that gave us the perfect excuse (if one were needed!) to do “Follow the Chef” again in a slightly different season in 2012. 

Just over 1 year later, Cindy, Carol, and I are still enjoying and finding ever more adventures as HTTs!  Travel and tourism in Sacramento is alive and well and giving us lots of opportunities to see some really great things.

In September 2012, Cindy, Carol and I took the opportunity to celebrate and have a reunion of sorts with our SCVB mentor, Matthew, at the “Follow the Chef” tour presented by the Grange restaurant.  Even though the Grange does this every Wednesday during Market season, it is a new experience each time!  As we found on that September day, the cast of visitors and victuals changes constantly with the seasons. 

We each arrived via a different travel mode:  Cindy walked over, Carol drove in, and I rode light rail.  Carol took advantage of the Grange’s valet parking -  very convenient, and only $5.  A good deal!

Our group of six Follow The Chef guests was smaller this time than last year.  But, all the better to enjoy congenial conversation, and, more serendipity!  One of our lunch companions turned out to be a contact with the parks department of a nearby city.  A great lead for a future HTT adventure!

A bonus from following Chef Oliver around the Market are the samples we received from the vendors:  green figs, honey,  3 kinds of grapes --including Muscat.  Both the honey and the Muscat later featured as sauce on our dessert!  Oliver pointed out that as we approach the autumn equinox, the offerings at mid-September Market are season-spanning;  tomatoes to pumpkins;  corn, cucumbers, and stone fruits, just to name a few.  Such variety and opportunity for creative eating!

Our group ambled about, making purchases from various stalls and tucking our items into our souvenir reusable shopping bags.  Now I have a collection!  When we got to our table and set the bags onto spare chairs, Carol warned, “Watch out for your bags, don’t mix them up!”  Wouldn’t that be a surprise when we got home?

As last year, the wine pours offered a a Chardonnay and a Petit Syrah from Bogle Vineyards, one of our local Sacramento wineries.

First course, a salad.   The ingredients were from Feeding Crane Farms:  spicy stemmed greens and watercress, heirloom tomatoes and Armenian cucumbers, with pine nuts on top and a muscatel vinaigrette.

Oliver came out to see us at each course.  By the 2nd course he had a blue apron over his white chef’s outfit!

Main course was salmon, baby pastas, tomato, arugula, watercress, brocolini, and a delightful tomato chip.  Carol’s vegetarian version featured a generous portion of “lobster” mushroom .  We all found our entrees delicious and filling. 

Dessert consisted of beautiful individual pear tarts described by the pastry chef as “tarte porteleau with frangiapani” made of red Bartlett pears, almonds, bourbon caramel and with an amoretto cookie under a pouf of whipped cream.

My non-dairy dessert was 3 seasonal sorbets.  They were delicious with the last swallows of the wine!  I must have looked longingly at the tarts, though, because the pastry chef brought me out a small dishlet of the poached pears in Bariani honey --  they were fantastic, with a bite-sized popcorn ball on a clear hard candy wafer.  Talk about tiny but with a huge wow factor!

All too soon, I found myself heading home (er, back to the office) on light rail with a full shopping bag, a full stomach, and a full heart!  Plus a shared vow with my HTT buddies to “Follow The Chef” at the Grange again next year!  A true Sacramento attraction!  

Carol's Story

We knew it was going to be a special lunch. Because when Janet, Cindy and I arrived at the Grange Restaurant and Bar the hostess said, "Wait here for Chef Oliver.  He'll join you in a minute."

That was the start of a delicious afternoon. Grange is located across the street from Cesar Chavez Park where they were having the Wednesday Farmer's Market, one of Sacramento's many culinary events. Part of our lunch experience called "Follow the Chef" included a tour of the market with Chef Oliver. Grange is committed to using fresh local ingredients in all its dishes. Chef Oliver shops the market every Wednesday and is on a first name basis with most of the vendors.

At every booth we visited, the chef gave examples of how he would use the seasonal ingredients in his recipes. When we were there we saw an abundance of squash and stone fruit. Chef Oliver explained that the tomato season was winding down and when local tomatoes were gone he would no longer have them for his restaurant. In fact, in the middle of winter if a diner orders a burger and requests a tomato slice for the burger, they are told "No." Did I mention they were committed to fresh and local?

After we strolled thru the market, we were guided back to the restaurant for a three-course gourmet lunch. There were six people in the "Follow the Chef" group that day, and there was a special table set up in the back of the restaurant for our meal. The servers hovered around us, filling our wine glasses. They also noted our dietary restrictions: Janet is lactose intolerant and I'm a vegetarian. No problem.  

The courses started to arrive. With each course, Chef Oliver came out to explain the ingredients and the processes used to prepare the dishes. That made everything taste special.  We all loved the fusion of flavors and ingredients. We plan to return soon when the market has a different blend of seasonal crops. We all felt inspired to go home and experiment with new recipes. It was a delicious afternoon in downtown Sacramento.

By Janet Lewis, assisted by Carol Dabrowiak, and photos by Cindy Gibbs

If you say Folsom to local folks, we think Folsom Lake and the end of the American River Parkway.  But if you say Folsom to someone from anywhere else in the country, they think Folsom Prison and Johnny Cash.  Probably no other prison is as widely known, and we barely think about it.  So when Carol, Cindy and I realized that Folsom Prison has a museum, we had to visit it.

A 20 minute drive from downtown Sacramento hotels, Folsom State Prison (FSP) is located a ways out of old town Folsom, in a hilly area studded with oak trees.  Rounding the bend of Prison Road, it’s an eerie feeling catch that first glimpse of the Prison’s distinctive granite walls, which enclose over 40 acres.  One side is bounded by the American River.  We later learned the river boundary is now hemmed in by a double wire fence.  But in FSP’s early days, it was enforced by guards in towers with guns and on the ground with wooden clubs.

The Folsom Prison Museum is located in a small stone and wood two story building near the imposing FSP East Gate and Tower #1.  The Museum is run by RCPO  [Retired Correctional Peace Officers].

Outside the Museum, several interesting exhibits on the lawn include:

• The odd-looking “doodle bug” a small but powerful tractor made and used for heavy hauling in the FSP Lower Yard.
   
• An iron railroad gate made in the prison blacksmith shop circa 1893.
   
• Inside the Museum, we found many displays of photos and artifacts, including numerous prison-made knives and other contraband confiscated from inmates over the years.  The display cabinets are totally packed with objects, so you need to take your time to look closely.  Some things are not exactly what they appear to be.  One gun looks real at a glance, but up close, you can see it was carved from wood and stained black.
   
• Most ingenious item on display: a toaster made from a cardboard box, gum wrappers, thin wires, and electrical cord.  The sign said, “It works!”  But unfortunately there was no demonstration.
   
• Most intriguing item: a small metal “dice maker.”  This device could fit in the palm of your hand.  It pressed the requisite dots into bread or sugar.  The inmates gambled on a blanket, and if guards came by they ate the dice.
   
• Two other items of special note are the giant slide rule used to teach mathematical calculations.  These were used before the invention of electronic calculators and computer spreadsheets. The other item was an intricate toothpick Ferris wheel.

Folsom Prison is famous for its Hollywood and Nashville connections.  Johnny Cash made renowned appearances there for concerts, and his iconic songs are well known.  We also saw posters displayed for a half-dozen relatively obscure movies, including Convicts 4, Inside Folsom Prison, and Walk The Line.  We wondered if any of these would be on Netflix. 

We were intrigued to find a connection to one of our previous HTT excursions.  Did you know that the 1860 State Capitol foundation in downtown Sacramento is made from Folsom Prison Granite out of the FSP Rock Quarry in the Lower Yard?

Way at the back of the Museum, we found the Demo Cell occupied by “Sam the Prisoner” who describes living conditions in the original prison - sounds pretty grim!  Sam told us of early escapes from FSP.  One fellow was audacious enough to go into a bar in Old Sacramento and challenge the patrons to a fist fight.  No wonder he was back to FSP in a jiffy!

We wrapped up our Museum visit by asking the docent to show an informative 8 minute video on programs and activities inside the walls.  It’s not a myth that California’s license plates are made there.

But have no doubt that this is a maximum security prison with granite walls and razor wire fences.  It currently houses about 2,900 inmates. 

After we left the museum, we walked towards the main gate to take some photos.  A voice from within the tower called out to us to "step away from the gate - step back please!"   Someone is always watching you when you are on the grounds.

Still and all, the Folsom Prison Museum is definitely worth visiting.  Take a cue from Johnny Cash -- don’t wait for your out-of-town guests to suggest a visit to the Folsom Prison Museum!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Our Hometown Tourists visited the Sacramento History Museum on their most recent excursion.  The following blog includes two accounts by Janet Lewis and Carol Dabrowiak, and photos by Cynthia Gibbs, detailing their visit to this Sacramento attraction. 

Janet:
It’s a rare treat to visit Old Sacramento before 10 a.m. on a Monday.  The streets are much quieter than at other times.  People are arriving to their jobs and most sight-seers are still en route.  I had a chance to enjoy walking up the cobbled streets and wooden walkways, noticing the trees and the views along the river’s edge. I met up with Carol in front of the Museum before its opening time, and we amused ourselves at the (salted) gold panning trough, in the cutout face frames, and other artifacts on display outside.  Once inside, visitors will immediately notice that the space is well used.  It is compact without feeling crowded.  There are many interesting and interactive exhibits, as you’ll see in Cindy’s photos.  Of note on the first floor:  the printing exhibit, the big windmill, the mural, the beautiful full length paisley shawl. 

Upstairs, we found more in-depth exhibits, including one on gold.  A 100-stringed Ukrainian musical instrument caught Carol’s eye.  She wondered if her musician sons could figure out how to play it!  The story and contents of May Woolsey’s trunk held Cindy’s attention, while Janet’s imagination was sparked by the story of Francis Ray, a former slave from Texas who found his father and family in Sacramento.  

We ended up our visit in the souvenir shop.  Cindy selected a “Votes for Women” pin.  Carol opted for a Sacramento 1850’s pictorial mug.  And Janet purchased a selection of post cards and, of course, a woven straw finger trap toy. 

For lunch, we decided to eat at Ten 22, a popular Old Sacramento and downtown dining destination!  Cindy had been there once before and recommended it.  We chose a table on the patio as the weather was pleasant and mild.  The portions at Ten-22 are generous and the food was good.  The “wow factor” item at this lunch consisted of the fried green tomatoes.  Carol ordered the FGT pizza, while Cindy and Janet split a plate of FGT and an order of salmon cakes with sweet potato fries.  It was all delicious and unusual!  This is one of the reasons the three of us have been meeting for our monthly lunches for so long.  This is the kind of thing we look for!

Carol:
Sometimes our town gets lost among the glitzier cities of California.  But we actually have a lot to brag about.  We had canning factories that provided the nation with delicious fruits.  Workers - mostly women - at McClellan Air Force Base repaired planes during WWII.  And of course, gold was discovered here.  We were the terminus of the Pony Express and the hub of the railroads.

The Sacramento History Museum showcases our past accomplishments.  There are a lot of interesting exhibits housed in a small place.  Visitors walk in a circular pattern.  Your attention is drawn both up and down so you can easily read the placards and see items hanging from the ceiling.

It's also a fun place for families and children.  There are games and puzzles on low tables.  There are interactive touchy feely displays.  They also have period costumes that can be donned for picture poses.

My favorite display was the "wall-o-crates" where produce boxes are stacked against the wall.  Beautiful artwork is depicted in each unique label on the crates.  “So colorful.”  “So delicious looking.”  This is a fine museum for young and old.  Citizens of Sacramento should be proud to have their history on display for all to see.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Our Hometown Tourists visited The Crocker Art Museum on their most recent excursion. The following blog includes two accounts by Janet Lewis and Carol Dabrowiak, detailing their visit to this Sacramento attraction.

Carol:

The Crocker Art Museum reminds me of the “Little Engine That Could.”  Remember the children's story where the little engine doesn't know that it can't do the same things that the big engines do?  It keeps saying "I think I can, I think I can."   This Sacramento museum is like the little engine.  I know this because in the last six months, I've had the opportunity to visit New York's Museum of Modern Art, The Art Institute of Chicago and the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco.  These are all wonderful, world renowned art museums.  But Crocker "thinks it can" be like the bigger museums.  And it is.  After they completed a major building expansion in 2010, the Crocker Museum also expanded its education and entertainment activities.  They offer films, lectures, art history classes, children's activities, concerts and tours.  Of course they have an impressive permanent collection of art and an exciting variety of traveling exhibits.

My favorite activity is the Tuesday Lunch and Learn Seminar.  Patrons are taken to a specific piece of art and a docent gives an in-depth explanation of the piece.  Patrons are invited to ask questions and give opinions.  After the seminar, everyone is encouraged to have lunch in the lobby cafe.  It is a fun and easy way to expand your appreciation of a work of art and enjoy some great Sacramento dining.

“The Little Engine That Could” makes it over the steep hill and earns the respect of the other engines.  The Crocker Art Museum also made it over a steep hill.  They earned the respect of the art community.

Janet: 

The Crocker Art Museum is a good place to go on a hot day, a rainy day, any day. You can have lunch or a snack at the cafe.  You can wander on your own or you can have a tour.  It is located close to several downtown Sacramento hotels.  Cindy, Carol and I had a tour by docent Barbara Campbell who led us around on an overview, and it was a good one!  For nearly two hours, we heard and saw selections of art history, Sacramento history, Crocker family gossip, insight to the various collections, and more. 

We lingered to discuss and “get into” the Flemish peasant wedding. Viewed and discussed the metaphorical/allegorical aspects of “Sunday Morning at the Mines” and “Fandango,” the two huge paintings in the stairwell which I’d previously considered only as quaint illustrations of some long-ago Mark Twain or Bret Harte story.  On our trek, we made a pilgrimage and paid homage to the “Valley of the Yosemite” by Thomas Hill in the new California room - my new favorite room!  We visited the giant, wild red-eyed fiberglass bull that used to grace the exterior entry of an office building on 16th street but now is the dramatic and larger than life centerpiece of the modern art collection.  The new clay Navaho and Hopi bowls in that glassed-in room upstairs are unsung gems.  The recently added ceramics collection spread among three rooms in the historic wing is a treasure trove waiting to be further discovered, perhaps via a handheld internet gadget to “Google” up the various Northern California glaze artists. 

We enthusiastically recommend you to spend an afternoon, a morning, a day, or whatever time you have, at the Crocker! Maybe we'll see you there.  Cindy’s message with the photos is "Had a great time.  We should do the Crocker again."  Believe me, we will!
 

On a beautiful Friday morning, we decided to go horseback riding along the American River.

The Shadow Glen Family Stables are nestled off of Sunset Avenue in Fair Oaks, just a short drive from downtown Sacramento.  It is easy to drive past the entrance and not even notice their sign.  But it is a huge complex that houses 60 horses: 20 riding horses and 40 horses are boarded there.  They also have some goats and chickens and cats and dogs.  It is practically a petting zoo.

We signed up for the experience package.  Our guide, Emily, showed us how to groom and care for a horse before riding.  The horse we groomed was Beau, and it was nice to see that he enjoyed the experience.  We brushed his coat, combed his mane and cleaned out his hoofs.  Emily asked if I wanted to put the saddle on the horse.  I was supposed to lift it up over my head and fling it on Beau.  Well, it weighed about 40 pounds.  Emily had to step up and help me.  Note to self - spend more time at gym lifting weights.

I made sure that everyone who worked at the stables knew I was a “city girl” from Chicago.  “Don't assume I know anything.  Watch out for me so I don't hurt myself, please.”  I've been riding once or twice before, but it's been several years.  Both Janet and Cindy had more experience with horse riding and were very comfortable around the horses.

We finally climbed on our horses (using the platform of course).  And we were on our way.  The trail begins in a meadow where there are remnants of the gold rush mining.  Emily let us try out trotting for a short distance.  Back down to a walk, we crossed the bike path and rode along the river.  You can see the Hazel Avenue Bridge and Lake Natoma.  Then the trail goes up through oak covered hills and returns to the stables.  It is very scenic.  The horses are well behaved and responsive to any direction we gave them with the reins.   They followed Emily's lead.  It was a beautiful peaceful ride.

This was a wonderful Sacramento outdoor activity.  Everyone at Shadow Glen was very friendly and helpful.  We definitely plan to ride again.

For more information about Sacramento recreation, outdoor activities and other attractions, click here.

Editor's Note: When staying at a participating Sacramento hotel, ask for a FREE Sacramento Gold Card.  The Sacramento Gold Card offers one free admission with one paid admission of equal or greater value at The California Museum.  The card also offers several discounts and perks at many Sacramento museums, attractions and shopping outlets.

I've seen some young girls wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan:  GIRLS RULE!  If there was a need to prove the point that “girls rule,” you can visit an important Sacramento museum, The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts in downtown Sacramento. The halls and displays are filled with examples of how California girls really do rule.

When Cindy, Janet and I visited the museum we started on the second floor and worked our way around the exhibits.  The first thing we saw were large displays honoring women of achievement starting with Dr. Sally Ride, the famous astronaut.  Her flight suit is on display (what a tiny waist she has!) and a brief list of her accomplishments.  There are also similar displays for Billie Jean King, Julia Child, Alice Waters, Barbie (the doll) and many others.  All of them were California natives.

There is an exhibit honoring the Yee Chinese Herbal Pharmacy from Fiddletown.  Another exhibit honors the Native Americans who first populated our state.  There were dozens of different tribes.  The crafts we saw highlighted their amazing basket weaving talent with intricate patterns and colors.

As we further explored the museum, we saw how Japanese Americans were interred in camps during World War II.  Obviously this is not America's proudest moment.  Yet the display explains how the Japanese struggled to maintain a 'normal' life:  the children attended school, participated in sports and even went to prom.  After three years of interment, they were allowed to return to their former homes, but in many instances their lives were never the same.  They lost their property, their businesses and their livelihood.  It took years to recover.

On the first floor, there are two displays that are unique to Sacramento history.  The marquee from the old Alhambra Theater reminded us of the controversy surrounding the demolition of the classic building to make way for a supermarket on Alhambra Blvd.  There is also a mock-up of Posey's Restaurant, which was considered the main watering hole for legislators "back in the day."

On the day we visited, there was a large temporary exhibit honoring the lives of the Catholic Sisters.  Their contribution to early California is easily overlooked.  But they ran schools and orphanages.  They also took care of many social needs.  They were nurses, social workers and advocates for the most impoverished citizens.  They were strong supporters of equal rights during the 60s and participated in demonstrations along with hippies - an interesting combination.   They also held important positions of leadership in their field at a time when women were expected to be homemakers.  It's a fascinating story.

We enjoyed our time exploring the museum.  Overall, this museum is a tribute to California, our history and especially our "Girls."  There's even a tribute to the Beach Boys who wrote the song California Girls.  Be sure to visit it soon.

The California Governor's Mansion.  It was “the house of the future” in 1877, with an electric doorbell and indoor plumbing.  Some might mistake it for the Munster’s residence, but it was actually home to a hardware magnate (the builder) and numerous California First Families.  Many famous people, including the Queen of England and John F. Kennedy, stayed here at this famous Sacramento tourist attraction.  The Queen even played the piano in the front parlor, according to our tour guide, Kent.  There is a lot of history in this Sacramento museum.

The mansion contains two front parlors decorated in furnishings from the 1890’s and early 1900s.  But when we moved into the central room there was a definite 1960s and ‘70s style of furniture and decor that felt more comfortable.  Our guide liked talking about the Governor’s children that grew up in the home.  The first room air conditioner was for the Governor’s office, but one hot day he was out of town.  So, the family took over that room for the informal dining room, as it remains today. 

Most intriguing (from both inside and outside the house) is the weird walkway that was added to get from the kitchen to an office-turned-dining room.  The exterior view also shows a 2nd floor box-like protrusion that was added on the outside of the home to make room for the refrigerator.  One of the most amusing aspects of the tour is discovering painted toenails on the upstairs claw-foot bathtub.  You could tell this was a home, not a stuffy official house.   People lived here, and now we get to share some of their memories.

Compared to many other museum gift shops, the Gov. Mansion’s toys and games section is the most compact and comprehensive.  It offers a variety of fun, interesting and reasonably priced “low tech” activities for kids of all ages, including hopscotch games, 9 pins, children’s card games, quoits, jacks, paper dolls, magnetic “paper” dolls, wooden peg travelling games, tops, whirly blades, paddle-ball games, crayons in a pocket-sized metal tin, and more!  This shop is truly a gem when it comes to Sacramento shopping!

Cindy, Carol, and I especially wanted to visit the mansion when we heard it was in danger of being closed due to funding cuts.  We finally got there, and learned from our guide that at one time the mansion was actually in danger of being torn down.  We’re glad it was not.  Also that right now, Raley’s stores and their reusable bag shoppers are helping to keep the Mansion open, one nickel at a time.

A Sacramento icon, the mansion remains a must-see thing to do in Sacramento for hometown tourists and out-of-town visitors alike.  The mansion is a well-kept, intriguing, comfortable blend of historic artifacts, popular culture of its various times, engineering quirks, and even occasional whimsy.  A visit to the historic Governor’s Mansion is highly recommended!  The mansion is located steps from many downtown Sacramento hotels and downtown dining.  Your attendance and support will help keep the mansion alive and open to visitors from near and far.