Читать книгу Urban Trails: Sacramento - John Soares - Страница 29
Оглавление| 2 | Capitol Park and Old Sacramento |
| DISTANCE: | 3.5 miles of paths |
| ELEVATION GAIN: | Negligible |
| HIGH POINT: | 20 feet |
| DIFFICULTY: | Easy |
| FITNESS: | Walkers |
| FAMILY-FRIENDLY: | Yes |
| DOG-FRIENDLY: | On-leash |
| BIKE-FRIENDLY: | No |
| AMENITIES: | Bathrooms and water in capitol building, in Capitol Park, and in numerous businesses |
| CONTACT/MAP: | California State Capitol Museum; download map from website |
| GPS: | N 38˚34.640', W 121˚29.769' |
| MORE KEY INFO: | Always open; much of the suggested route is wheelchair accessible |
GETTING THERE
Driving: Take the J Street exit off I-5 (exit 519B). Head east for several blocks through downtown Sacramento. Both street parking and multiple parking garages are available in the area (fee). The walk begins at Ninth Street at the east end of Capitol Mall, which is between L Street and N Street. L Street is two blocks to the right of J Street as you go east (and move up the numbered streets).
Transit: All three light rail lines and numerous buses serve downtown Sacramento, including Capitol Park and Old Sacramento.
This walk hits the historical highlights of downtown Sacramento. The route begins with the California State Capitol and its beautifully landscaped park and then travels Capitol Mall to Old Sacramento, home to the Sacramento River, Old Sacramento State Historic Park, and a wide variety of restaurants and other businesses. If you prefer, instead of the suggested route, you can park or get off public transportation wherever you like in the vicinity and design your own route.
The Rose Garden adds beautiful color to Capitol Park.
GET MOVING
Start on Ninth Street, where Capitol Mall stretches to the west and you’ll see the California State Capitol directly ahead to the east. Walk east near the circular driveway between two imposing neoclassical buildings, the California State Library and Court on the right and the Jesse M. Unruh State Office Building on the left. (On your return to head west on Capitol Mall you’ll again pass between these buildings.)
At Tenth Street the California State Capitol stretches in full glory before you. Built between 1860 and 1874, the massive neoclassical structure houses the state assembly, the state senate, the governor’s office, and the California State Capitol Museum. The latter is well worth a visit as is the capitol building itself. Both are open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day; check the California State Capitol Museum website for specific hours for both (see Resources).
Walk past a row of large deodar cedars on the north side of the capitol building to begin exploring the grounds of Capitol Park. A network of paved paths interweaves the entire area between the capitol and Fifteenth Street, allowing access to mature trees, both native and nonnative, plus other botanical features and various monuments.
Travel east past coast redwoods, giant sequoias, and numerous other tree species. You can visit the Camellia Grove and the Civil War Memorial Grove on the way to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the World Peace Rose Garden, which anchor the eastern end of the park.
Continue along the southern half of the park and meander west. Along the way you’ll encounter the cactus garden and memorials to firefighters and veterans. Pass near the south steps of the capitol building and angle right (north) to the front of the capitol building, then cross Tenth Street, and return to the start of your capitol grounds walk, heading west between the California State Library and Court, now on your left, and the Jesse M. Unruh State Office Building on your right. You’re now at the eastern end of Capitol Mall.
One of the iconic streets of downtown Sacramento, Capitol Mall passes government buildings, banks, and restaurants as it heads west. Occupying what would be M Street, Capitol Mall is divided by a green median, which is hugged by oneway vehicle traffic on each side. Walk west seven blocks from Ninth Street to Second Street, passing above I-5 between Second and Third Streets as the impressive visage of golden Tower Bridge juts above you.
Turn right on Second Street and follow it one block. You’ve now reached Old Sacramento, popular with both visitors and locals, where wooden boardwalks and restored buildings recreate the heart of the nineteenth-century city. Wander where you will among the restaurants and shops, but be sure to walk the paved path beside the Sacramento River, where you can’t miss the Delta King, the 285-foot-long luxury steamboat that plied the waters between Sacramento and San Francisco from 1927 to 1940; it’s now a hotel and restaurant.
Wend your way north to the museums and buildings of Old Sacramento State Historic Park. The park contains numerous buildings from the nineteenth century, including the California State Railroad Museum (open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day). Learn more at www.californiarailroad.museum.
GO FARTHER
Cross the Tower Bridge from Old Sacramento to West Sacramento and immediately turn right into River Walk Park. This pleasant path travels through greenery and lets you drop right down to the banks of the Sacramento River, where you can watch birds flying about in front of Sacramento’s downtown skyline. The path runs 0.3 mile past the multistepped Ziggurat office building to the I Street Bridge. Return the way you came, or cross the I Street Bridge and then turn right to drop back into Old Sacramento near the California State Railroad Museum.
