Sacramento in a Weekend — Cascadia Native

Sacramento is a city full of surprises. The capital city of California is an hours drive east of the more popular town San Francisco but that doesn’t mean it’s any less exciting. Mr. Mustang has family in Sacramento that he hasn’t seen in a while so we decided to make a long weekend out of the trip.

We landed on a warm Friday afternoon at the Sacramento International Airport that is semi medium sized with only two terminals. The airport is easily navigable and if you are renting a car, there is a quick shuttle that takes you to all the major car rental companies. If you like taking public transportation, Sacramento has a fantastic bus/light rail system and there are two direct bus routes (42A & 42B) that take you to downtown. Whatever method you use to get to downtown, the road and grid system in the city is a city planner’s paradise with simple named roads and flat terrain.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Sacramento with average rates going between $130 - $180/night depending on the day and season. The Hyatt offers early check in if you plan to arrive before 3pm but for us we arrived right on time and dropped off our bags, ready to explore the town. It was a little after 4pm on a Friday so that means it is time to catch happy hour! Because we don’t want to travel by car if we plan to do happy hour, we picked places that are walking distance from the hotel.

Cocktail Recommendations

Ella Dining and Bar - features a steal of a happy hour menu with feature wines at $5 a glass and a generous selection of bites like lobster tacos, chicken liver mousse or steak tartare. The restaurant is glorious with impressively high ceilings and walls decorated with vintage shutters of all different colors. You can always start your happy hour here then get seated for dinner in the main dining room later or you can go to...

TenTen Room - A taste of vintage past. The bar serves both classic and modern cocktails in a 1950s environment with rich mahogany countertops, soft leather furnishing and dark blue walls that gives the lighting in the room a warm glow. Happy hour is fantastic with $6 wines and all cocktails under $10. There is no food offered on the happy hour menu but the food is nonetheless amazing small bites like fried cheese ravioli and deviled scotch eggs to larger portions like shrimp po’boys and their signature steak frites (all food under $20 too).

Dinner Recommendations

The Grange- Features farm to table food that offers a fantastic selection of both land and sea entrees. The interiors have cathedral like ceilings with beautifully crafted lamp chandeliers hanging down that look like from taken from a castle. The seating is primarily faded orange leather couches and vibrant maple tabletops that contrast perfectly with the soft ash wood floor. The food is phenomenal too with options like duck breast, halibut and even sweet breads. If you aren’t able to visit The Grange for dinner then don’t worry, they are open for both breakfast and lunch as well.

Mayahuel - If you are a sucker for outdoor dining but don’t want the risk of getting sunburned, try Mayahuel off of K Street. Both restaurants offer a fantastic happy hour and dinner menu with some of the most gorgeous outdoor dining I have seen. Both places have dedicated outdoor dining patios that are perfect for people watching and has great natural shade from lush green trees with string lights weaved throughout its branches.

Entertainment Recommendations

Community Center Theater - After dinner you think to yourself that the night is still young - the best way to see a city is to see the nightlife of the city. If you are more into the arts, you can see a play at the Community Center Theater, the Sacramento Theatre Company or Broadway Sacramento that is a short walking distance from the Hyatt Regency. Both theaters put on shows all throughout the year ranging from stage plays to large production musicals as well as stand up comedy acts.

IMAX - If you are more of a fan of 2D theater experiences, there is the Esquire IMAX Theater literally across the narrow street from the Hyatt off of K Street that has all the recent movie releases as well as some exclusive films only shown on IMAX.

Night Cap Recommendations
After a show or movie and feel the night is still young then you can visit one of Sacramento's...unique bars for a night cap.

Dive Bar - Want to see something different? A giant fish tank lingers above the bar with live fish and even an occasional mermaid. Granted, these aren’t real mermaids but the women actors who play them gives the bar an interest flair that is fun to tell family and friends back home.

Coin-Op Game Room - For the nostalgia feels, you can also go to Coin-Op Game Room at the corner of K & 9th Street that is not only a bar but a vintage arcade with pinball machines and video games. The bar is located underground where you need to walk down a steep metal staircase but once inside you’ll love the vast array of arcade games to play and marvel at the floor that has been painted to look like the layout of Pac-Man. Depending on the day the bar might charge a cover fee or restrict the amount of people entering if it’s too crowded but on most days it’s relatively easy to get into. Coin-Op is a 21 and over bar only so despite the video games, no kiddies allowed but the place is open until 2am so you can find yourselves here for hours.

Day 2, Saturday

Breakfast

Saturday is a prime day to explore the city since everything is open and there is no rule on what time to start or end your day. You can do what we did and start it having breakfast at The Fox & Goose, a British style restaurant known for cooking up English classics. If walking from the Hyatt, it’s about 10 minutes away and a straight shot down 10th Street at the entrance of the Sacramento Historic District arch. This restaurant caters to both people who enjoy outdoor seating or a unique interior dining experience. I opted for inside because the decor was too good to pass up however this place has a struggling air conditioner that keeps the room at a constant 79 degrees - still cooler than outside but balmy enough to create a bead of sweat on your brow.

When ordering, try one of the dishes that is in a blue box that indicates it’s one of their signature specialties. Honestly everything on the menu is fantastic and the best part is the morning cocktails. I’m always a fan of restaurants who create unique mimosas and Fox & Goose is no exception with drinks ranging from the Pink Panther with lemonade and cranberry to the Washington Apple with apple pucker and champagne. My personal favorite was The Duchess with pomegranate & pineapple juice but they also make a wide selection of spiked coffee beverages as well if you are in the mood for something more bitter.

Since this was an British style pub, I knew English breakfasts are on the heavier side so I went for their quiche of the day that comes with either a side of home fries or salad - I chose home fries but later wished I got the side salad instead. I thought a quiche would be light and it certainly was however the amount of potatoes they give you is just plain ridiculous. The home fries took over the majority of the plate and there was no conceivable way I could have finished it all in one sitting. Mr. Mustang got the Benedict Arnold which was a was their unique twist on the classic with the only difference is you get a choice between corn beef hash or canadian bacon and it’s topped with a cheddar ale sauce instead of hollandaise. Personally I wasn’t a fan of the cheddar ale sauce as it was too lumpy and didn’t have much cheese flavor.

Excursions

After breakfast that heavy, you might want to take a nap but an easy alternative would be the California State Museum that is less than 3 blocks away and also off of 10th street. The museum is considerably large that covers three floors but is also heavily air conditioned so it’s a nice escape from the harsh sun. The museum covers a broad range of history about the state of California as well as notable people from the area however I felt it was a little lacking. For a state like California that is rich with history and conflict, they barely touch on any history from other regions besides southern California. Oh and it was deserted, completely deserted. Granted we got there a little after 11am so the museum had been open for an hour or so but it was creepy how empty the place was.

If history isn’t your thing (or if I were to do it over again) I would recommend exploring the historic district and go window shopping down R Street. There are a lot of great shops inside the WAL Public Market like Kicksville Vinyl & Vintage, Kechmara Designs and so much more. Once your arms grow tired from all the shopping bags you can either walk back up 12th Street or take the blue line tram back to your hotel, refresh a bit then head back out to your next stop - Old Sacramento.

Old Sacramento is extremely easy to get to where you can either take the yellow line tram (only if you didn’t head back to your hotel room after the museum/public market), take one of the many Uber scooters/bikes scattered outside the hotel or simply walk that takes about 20 minutes straight shot down K Street. I personally recommend renting the Uber STOMP scooter since it only cost $2 and it’s electric so you can easily breeze past traffic and arrive in less than 10 minutes. Make sure to continue straight through the outdoor mall and eventually you’ll come across a wide pedestrian road that goes underground that leads directly to Old Sacramento. Once on the other side, head straight to the water and look for the train tracks with an old timey railroad station. The Sacramento Railroad Museum offers train rides and Saturdays and Sundays for as little as $12/person for coach, $24 for first class. I recommend buying a coach ticket because there are no windows so you get to poke your head outside the train and that breeze is perfect on a hot day. If riding first class, you share a car with 20 other people that is air conditioned but none of the windows open and most are covered with a curtain so you don’t get to see outside much. The cool perk of first class is getting an exclusive tour of the cabin as well as free drinks but I felt the decor and furniture of the first class car was a bit tacky. You can book the train ride in advance online or purchase tickets day of in person however it’s not uncommon for tickets to sell out. The train ride is 45 minutes long and afterwards you can get admission to the Sacramento Railroad museum right next door. If a train museum isn’t for you, you can go to the Sacramento Historic Museum instead that is right next door or shop at one of the hundreds of shops in the area.

Feeling the heat of the day? There are several ice cream parlors scattered throughout with my personal favorite being Gunter’s Ice Cream near the waterfront. I’m a sucker for anything local and handcrafted so this was a real treat for me. For additional sweets, you can try Turtles who has a lovely selection of fudges, truffles and other chocolate delights but try to wait until the end of your day to buy any to prevent it from melting in your bag.

Must Visit Old Sacramento Shops

While walking through the neighborhood with your ice cream, make sure to stop by these must visit shops while here:

Evangeline's Costume Mansion - a four story high costume store that is open year round that has some of the best high quality outfits I have ever seen. You can easily spend an hour here just exploring each level with the hundreds of Halloween costumes available for purchase or rent.

Mea Vita - the true reason why I keep coming back to Sacramento. This is a women’s clothing store that features designers both local and abroad that is made with organic fabrics. I love this store primarily because almost everything fits me - the shop claims to be a one-size fits all but most of the clothing is targeted towards the medium to XL crowd (no plus size unfortunately).

G. Willikers Toy Emporium - everyone is a kid at heart when entering the toy emporium. I love seeing the newest in toys not made by Hasbro and fooling around with Mr. Mustang.

Brooks Novelty Antiques & Records - I got a turntable for Christmas last year so I am already accumulating a large collection of vinyl records and this was a fantastic place to browse. Even if you aren’t a record label fan there is a lot of vintage items and nostalgia that can be found here for every age.

The Underground Tasting Room - It’s probably getting a bit hot out by now so you might want to stop by for a drink - the one I absolutely recommend is the Underground Tasting Room. I love the space with patio garden, the string lights and brick exterior oh and the wine is good too.

After exploring the neighborhood thoroughly, it’s time to take a relaxing river cruise through the Sacramento River. Mr. Mustang and I joined the 3pm 1.5 hour voyage however there is an adults only sunset cruise at 6pm that is 2.5 hours long but it’s a little bit more money however you get free drinks, appetizers and live music. For any of the cruises I recommend lining up at least 20 - 30 minutes before departure if not earlier because there is limited seating on the top deck which is where you want to be. The boat has two levels but only the top level is open air and a full bar so it’s a mad rush to the upstairs and grab a table on the RIGHT HAND SIDE of the boat. Most of the attractions and sights the captain will point out will be on the right hand side of the ship so grab a table next to the water on the starboard side.

Once you get a table, immediately get in line for the bar. The lineup grows quickly once everyone gets a seat so the bar gets busy fast. They have an extensive selection of red and white wines as well as classic cocktails. There is also some food served onboard where we ordered a basket of nachos covered in pulled pork and cheese to share. The boat quickly departs after everyone has boarded and the cruise heads north up the river. If you ever ridden the Jungle Cruise Boat Tour at Disneyland and had to listen to the corny jokes from the captain, the Sacramento River Cruise is no different. Throughout the voyage the captain made lame pun after lame pun as if he was auditioning for the Disneyland ride - lets just say I had more than one glass of wine during this cruise. Besides the bad puns, the cruise overall was a lovely way to spend the day since you are relaxing in a chair, overlooking the river while sipping on a cocktail - it was a splendid afternoon.

After the cruise you might be feeling a bit hungry but don’t want to travel very far for dinner - the best option I believe is heading over to The Firehouse. This restaurant is drop dead gorgeous. The Firehouse has both outdoor and indoor seating and it’s a toss up on which location is better. If you prefer the atmosphere of eating at an Italian villa, go outside but if you prefer the sensation of old world charm then you should dine inside. Regardless of the table, there is no bad seat in the house and the food is even better.

I opted for seating outside because I love the garden feel complete with a large stone fountain in the center of the patio. English ivy vines cascade down the brick walls, tables and chairs plucked straight from a vintage french bistro and the sunlight slightly poking through the leaves of the trees make this the ideal romantic dining experience. We got to peek at the inside as well and there are two separate dining rooms to choose from. There is the garden room that has access to the outdoor patio space with a beautiful ornate stained glass light fixture and large floor to ceiling windows that provides tons of natural light. The second dining room is near the front entrance of the restaurant that boasts high ceilings and massive oil paintings with several crystal chandeliers spread throughout the space. The restaurant has both a chef’s menu and a tasting menu that range from $50 - $120/person (depending if you do the wine pairing as well). I recommend the chef’s menu where you enjoy a three course dinner that I believe is a steal for $50 considering the high quality of the meal. Firehouse also has a happy hour from 2:30pm to 6pm that is offered at the bar where you need to walk down a vintage metal spiral staircase. The bar is similar to a speakeasy with intimate seating and exposed brick that serves local draft beers at $4 a pint and has a rotating seasonal cocktail menu where everything is $12 and under.

After dinner you find the sun is just about to set but that does not mean the night is over. You had an exciting day but now what you need is a good laugh so why not try the local comedy club a few blocks away? Laughs Unlimited is Sacramento’s premiere (and one of the only) comedy clubs in the city but also feature live music too. On the weekends until 7pm, the club has live bands play but then the venue flips to a comedy club where both up and coming and well established comedians perform. The club has performances 6 days out of the week (closed on Mondays) with usually two performances a night.

After the comedy show, head back to the hotel, lay back on the bed and relax because tomorrow is Sunday.

Day 3 - Sunday

You can sleep in today, after all it’s Sunday and that means Sunday brunch where you can sleep until noon and still get eggs anywhere in the city. For this excursion, you might want your car but you can easily grab a tram, bike or Lyft/Uber to get around as well.

Breakfast

There are good brunch places in Sacramento but the truly great ones lie just outside the downtown area. I couldn’t recommend just one so I listed several below:

Fried Chicken Eggs Benedict from Sacrament Brewing

Paragray - for those who want a french bistro experience, Paragray has a fantastic outdoor vibe with a simple minimalist decor and three gorgeous waterfalls side by side, it’s an instragmers dream. The menu perfected all the classic french dishes and as one of the best brunch cocktails deals I have seen including all bottles of Rose being half off on the weekends and bottomless make your own mimosas.

Canon - michelin star chef Brad Cecchi opened the restaurant in 2017 and has been getting rave reviews ever since. The brunch menu features american brunch signature options like biscuits and gravy and huevos rancheros but with unique names like The Dutchess or House of the Rising Sun.

Bacon & Butter - you know just by the name what this place is all about and don’t be deterred by the unassuming plain exterior of the restaurant because inside is where the magic happens. Bacon & Butter take the American brunch classic and add a heaping cup of ‘MURICA in each dish - instead of an eggs benedict, they make a grilled cheese benedict. Instead of a classic omelette, they have what they call the ‘Kitchen Sink’ where they shove everything between the folds of half a dozen fried eggs.

Rooftop dining area of Sacrament Brewing

Excursions

William Land Park - containing the Sacramento Zoo, Funderland as well as several ponds and lakes. The zoo is fantastic and the animals are extremely well cared for with lots of activities for the guests to do like have a giraffe encounter for only $5 or visiting the newly opened dinosaur exhibit. If you have kiddies, you might be guilt tripped on visiting Funderland after the zoo that is Sacramento’s local amusement park featuring old school rides like a dragon coaster and spinning teacups.

Aerospace Museum - If a trip to the zoo doesn’t interest you, you can go the opposite direction by 20 minute drive to the Aerospace Museum of California in McClellan Park. This museum hosts a wide exhibits of planes from various periods plus spacecraft, cockpit visits & high-tech simulators. The museum is both outside and inside with a new Hubble telescope exhibit coming later in 2019.

Old Sugar Mill - For those wine lovers later in the afternoon, a must stop would be the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg that is about a 30 minute drive south of downtown. Built in 1934 as an operating beet sugar refinery, the Old Sugar Mill now hosts fifteen unique wineries offering varietals from all over Northern California. The space is huge with a large outdoor picnic area with food trucks and stalls so you don’t have to travel far for your lunch.

Leland Stanford Mansion - After driving all day, it’s time to return back to downtown, park the car and take a stroll through downtown and visit one of the many historical mansions hidden throughout the town. I recommend taking a tour of Leland Stanford Mansion that was in 1856 that serves as a museum with period furnishings & decor. The house is walking distance from the Hyatt Regency and air conditioned so it’s a good way to stay out of the heat for an hour or more.

Once you are museum’d out, the best way to beat the evening heat is a cold pint of beer and even though there is a lot of brewery competition in the area, we found Sacrament Brewery had the best atmosphere. Sacrament Brewery is less than a 10 minute walk going east from the Hyatt and they have a fantastic rooftop beer garden that lights up at night. They serve brunch as well as dinner with a great rotation of beers on tap including their own.

After dinner, the rest of the evening is up to you - for a busy weekend like the one listed above, Mr. Mustang and I preferred to call it an early night and relax in the hotel pool or hot tub.

Day 4, Monday

Your departure time may be different than ours but we were scheduled to be on a 3pm flight later that day so we had a couple more hours left in Sacramento. We did a no fuss breakfast by ordering room service and eating in our room while packing so we would be able to grab our bags and go once done with our final excursion.

Despite our hotel being steps away from the capitol building, we waited until today to visit it because we had no idea how long we might spend there. The capitol building starts tours at 9am and we got into the first one of the day. We always knew we were going to visit the building however we wanted to wait until the weekday to increase our chances of seeing the legislation in session. Sadly, there was no one on the legislation floor that day but the tour was still engaging and interesting but nothing different compared to going on a tour at your own state’s capitol building. As we exited the building there was one last thing I wanted to try - every day (besides Tuesdays), sitting outside of the capitol building is the ice cream truck, Luciano's Scoop that serves Italian gelato. The temperature reached the 100s that day so I was glad to have a cold sweet treat before leaving.

Overall, Sacramento is a low key town that gets looked over considering it’s next door neighbors to the more attractive city of San Francisco but that doesn’t mean it’s any less exciting to visit and explore.