You’re going where? Sacramento
Thanks to success of ‘Lady Bird,’ city has been thrust into spotlight
California’s capital city has long lived in the shadows of its flashier neighbours.
Sandwiched between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, “Sac,” as the locals call it, is often underestimated and overlooked as a small and sleepy cow town — a rest stop on the way to greener and glitzier pastures. But thanks to the downtown revitalization and the rousing success of “Lady Bird” — Greta Gerwig’s Oscarnominated homage to her hometown — Sacramento has been suddenly, and rightfully, thrust into the spotlight.
Following in the footsteps of the Forty-Niners, I came to Sacramento with the aim of striking it rich. My mission: to mine the city’s treasures while home for the holidays in December. Technically, I was born in Sacramento, but I grew up about 20 minutes away in Davis. And while my teenage self would make regular pilgrimages to the city’s thrift stores and shopping centres, I didn’t fully appreciate what the City of Trees had to offer.
Yes, it housed the California State Capitol. And yes, it had far less traffic — and Botox — than our star-studded neighbours down south. But what made the landlocked capital special?
As it turns out, a lot. With bur-
geoning culinary, arts and cultural scenes, Sacramento had blossomed and matured, much like I had since leaving the West Coast for college in 2008. And while I wasn’t paying attention, the mid-size city had become bigger and better, worthy of the redcarpet treatment.
Local faves Fairytale Town
The cheese does not stand alone at Fairytale Town. The holey, bright yellow play structure joins 35 other storybook-themed attractions that populate this beloved nonprofit children’s park. Squealing tots can scramble up Jack’s Beanstalk, grab the reins of Cinderella’s Pumpkin Coach, slide down the Old Woman’s shoe and even take a power nap in Mother Goose’s lap. Built in 1959 to encourage imagination and literacy, the 3½-acre (1.4 hectare) fantasy park is a favourite among families with children 10 and younger.
Crocker Art Museum
The Crocker Art Museum is a work of art itself, combining the elegance and charm of the Crocker family’s original 1871 Italianate mansion with a sleek, modern building. Founded in 1885, the first public art museum in the Western U.S. boasts an impressive collection of international ceramics, American and European paintings, and works by new and established California artists.
Guidebook musts State Railroad Museum
Toy collectors, train enthusiasts and history buffs unite at the California State Railroad Museum. Storyboards and interactive exhibits detail more than 150 years of railroad history, including the country’s first transcontinental railroad line and today’s modern high-speed ones.
Sac Running Tours
It’s hard to miss the hundreds of public art pieces that electrify downtown’s drab exteriors. Admire more than 20 of the most notable additions by foot with Sac Running Tours, which leads a Wide Open Walls murals tour. Guides, such as founder Jenn KistlerMcCoy, provide a wealth of information about the artworks, artists and Wide Open Walls mural festival that draws recognized talent to the region every August.
Eat Gunther’s Ice Cream
Even in late December there’s a line out the door at Gunther’s Ice Cream. Haters will say “only in California,” but Sacramentans know better. A neighbourhood mainstay since 1940, the soda fountain’s premium handmade and small-batch sweets are popular year-round. The 800-square-foot shop serves 40 flavours of ice cream alongside sherbets, sorbets and freshfruit freezes. Significantly higher in butterfat than its commercial competitors (6 per cent, to be exact), the ubercreamy and oh-so-refreshing frozen treat hit the spot.
Shady Lady Saloon
I half-expected a 1920s flapper to greet me with a tray of French 75s when I walked into the Shady Lady Saloon. The dimly lit, speakeasy-style watering hole, with its dark U-shaped wooden bar, lush decor and pressed-tin ceiling, evokes the glamour and ambience of pre-Prohibition America, when quality concoctions and conversation, not plasma TVs, reigned supreme. Jazz, blues and country artists perform five nights a week. All the while, knowledgeable bartenders, often wearing suspenders, create old-timey cocktails with house-made tonics, bitters and syrup. Try one of the signature Southern-inspired dishes — the flaky duck confit “tots” and airy pork rinds are crowd favourites — paired with a light and refreshing White Linen cocktail of gin, St. Germain, lemon, sugar and muddled cucumber.
Tower Cafe
The eclectic artwork and colourful tapestries plastering the walls of Tower Cafe reflect not only the international menu but also the ethnic patchwork of residents: Mexicans, East Africans, East Asians, Caribs and Europeans among them. Housed in the birthplace of the now-defunct Tower Records, the hippie haven serves gigantic portions of comfort food, with vegan and vegetarian options, of course.
Dive Bar
No, it’s not the tequila talking. Dive Bar’s 40-foot-long aquarium, located above the main bar, holds 7,500 gallons of salt water, 60-some tropical fish and, on occasion, mermaids and mermen. The mythical sea stars, who don glittery, waterproof makeup and 35-pound silicone tails, perform several times a day, waving and blowing kisses at the smartphone-wielding barflies below.
The Kitchen
Usually, it’s dinner then a show, but not at the Kitchen. The chefs take centre stage as the evening’s emcees, preparing and explaining the inventive dishes at a table in the centre of the room. Helmed by chef-owner Randall Selland, the sophisticated eatery, which helped put Sacramento’s farmto-fork restaurant scene on the national map, was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurant award in 2012 and AAA Diamond Awards for six consecutive years. Reservations book up months in advance, so plan ahead.