Old Town Sacramento

My sister, a childhood girlfriend and I recently spent a day wandering through Old Town Sacramento. My sister and I hadn't been in years, and our friend had never been at all!

Old Town is a charming, Gold Rush themed neighborhood in Sacramento full of shops and eateries. It also features a couple of museums and a railroad stop offering train rides.

Here are a few must-dos for your next visit!
- Taste the chocolate covered crickets at Candy Heaven
- Themed photo shoot at O'Grady's Oldtime Photos
- Grab a burger and beer at Fanny Anne's Saloon
- Sit on a bench with an ice cream cone from Turtles

Summer to-do List

I'm a big fan of lists. All kinds of lists. I make lists of things I can't forget to do each day. I make lists of things I need to buy and errands I need to run. My favorite sort of list are goal lists, like the bucket list I've been keeping since high school and reoccurring to-do lists for by year or season.

Here's the list I've already been getting a jump start on for this summer!

1- Bling out my old bikinis instead of buying new ones

2- Finally work up the courage to scuba dive during my Jamaica vacation

3- Fit back into my college jeans!

4- Sail on the Bay. Already bought a Living Social deal for it, just need to book a date.

5- Hit up every bottomless bunch on 7x7's list

6- Donate my collection of bridesmaid dresses. They depress me.

7- Go camping. I haven't been in three years and that's just silly.

8- Do a wine country day tour. The tourist kind, not the locals only kind.

9- Horseback riding. I probably haven't been since grade school!

10- Go white water rafting. Can you believe this will be a first for me?

Esquire - Best Bars in America

California made quite an appearance on Esquire's Best Bars in America list and, not surprisingly, a lot of those listed are in San Francisco! 

I do feel rather obligated to drink my way through them. Join me?

The Silver Lady

A 1961 issue of National Geographic featured an ad for the California Zephyr, also known as the Silver Lady, a passenger train connecting Chicago and San Francisco. The two-day, 2,500 mile route might seem painful to modern travelers, but during its 20 years of service, the Silver Lady was touted as "the most talked-about train in the country," The train featured themed Vista-Dome cars with large windows allowing passengers better visibility along their journey. 

Today, Amtrak runs a passenger service under the same name and following the same route. I priced out a ticket from Chicago, IL to Emeryville, CA on Amtrak's website and found the $300 price rather reasonable.

 ...so gay, so colorful, and so much fun, you'll think you're already in San Francisco!

I doubt back in 1961 the slogan for this themed buffet-lounge car was highlighting San Francisco's pride scene, but it certainly proves our grand city has always been a hot destination!