As often as possible, my dear friend from long ago days in Temecula, Cindy, flies to Sacramento to escape to Lake Tahoe. This was the first time that all the stars aligned for us to actually play tourist in our state's Capital, specifically in the historic section where California began.

California’s capital city first began in the mid-1800s as a settlement along the Sacramento River. It marked the spot where gold seekers heading for the Mother Lode in the Sierra foothills would leave their sailing ships and continue east on foot. In response to the flood of gold-fevered adventurers, a settlement began to grow along the river’s southern banks—a place bustling with stores, eateries, and lodgings.

Before discussing the river, let's focus on the amazing train history here. Here is Mile 0. The Central Pacific First Transcontinental Railroad is a segment of the western half of the first transcontinental railroad, built from right here to Promontory Summit, Utah between 1863 and 1869, where it joined the Union Pacific Railroad which had built west from Omaha. Trains are BIG in Old Sac.

We began our American River history aboard the Delta King.