Sacramento

Sacramento is undergoing an energetic renaissance. Young professionals looking for an urban vibe are moving into this low-key city, with microbreweries, gastropubs, and trendy boutiques popping up on every corner. Award-winning chefs are gaining attention for their focus on hyper-local ingredients, and relationships between restaurants and surrounding farms have made Sacramento the nation’s leader in farm-to-fork cuisine. The oversized role that all things culinary play here is also the spark behind many events and foodie activities, among them the annual Farm-to-Fork Festival, the Crawfish & Catfish Festival, and the Fried Chicken Trail, a free itinerary featuring more than ten of the city’s best spots to indulge in a drumstick or two. Hot summer days create some of the most idyllic evenings anywhere in the state, where locals sit on porches in elegant Victorian-era homes, and kids scamper in leafy parks until the sun goes down.

Sacramento Museums

As the state capital, there’s plenty going on, and gatherings of various colorful groups around the cupola-topped Capitol Museum are common. Museums are centered largely around the Capitol Mall area and in the historic Old Sacramento Waterfront, the renovated area along the Sacramento River that was a hub during the Gold Rush. History buffs will love the California State Railroad Museum, featuring carefully restored “iron horses,” and the Sacramento History Museum, where guides in period costumes lead you on a tour of underground spaces and streets abandoned when, as an anti-flooding measure, the city raised its streets and buildings. (Those over 21 can go on special “Underground After Hours” tours to delve into the city’s darker past.) Also, don’t miss the interactive California Museum, home of the California Hall of Fame. A few miles away from the California Museum is the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC), which is filled with more than 100 hands-on exhibits that focus on health, nature, energy, water, engineering, and space. 

For an outdoor mobile experience, try a walking, running, or cycling tour with Sac Tour Company, offering an on-the-go look at the city’s important structures and public art. If getting on the water and letting someone else do the skippering appeals, book one of the many cruises offered by City Experiences—from Sips & Sights excursions to a Historic Sacramento River Cruise to the Alive After Five cocktail cruises, there’s an adventure for everyone.

Whether on foot or on wheels, getting around the city is a cinch. Granted the gold award for bike-friendliness by the League of American Bicyclists, Sacramento is a great place to explore by bike, with wide designated lanes, and paved trails along the American and Sacramento Rivers. There’s also a convenient light-rail system linking popular sites around town. Car travel is easy as well, thanks to minimal traffic in the city center and beyond.