Old Sacramento - (530) 546-2191

First, I've got to say that contrary to what another reviewer said Old Sacramento DOES NOT have all the 'hot spots'. In fact, it almost has none. Most out-of-town visitors don't make it into trendy Midtown, Sacramento's hippest neighborhood, so I'm not surprised they would think that. Old Sacramento has enough to keep you interested/entertained for only few hours and not much longer. Most Sacramentians rarely visit Old Sacramento on regular basis so it doesn't feel like a real part of the city and you'll just be hanging out with other tourists. It's also pretty much geared to a certain socio-economic 'type' which makes people watching rather unappealing. Visit the Railroad Museum and wander around, have a ice cream/snack/what-not but save your appetite for better restaurants in Midtown. People who complain about the parking are probably your typical suburbanite who can't be bothered to walk a couple of blocks. There's more than enough parking within walking distance. If your really worried about parking fees you can always park your car at an outlying light rail station lot for free and take the train into town.

Old Sac is a great attraction for visitors to California's capitol. It's a great place to just stroll and visit different stores, try a restaurant or two. You can often find something in the stores here that you couldn't find in a regular "mall". One of my favorite "kitschy" stores is here, Evangeline. When I lived in Davis, I'd spend an afternoon in Old Sac and stroll over to the K Street Mall to find the standard stores. Also, if you ever get a chance to "do" a festival in Old Sac, I recommend it. They're usually crowded, but always fun.

What a dissapointment. All new business, everything has been remodeled. There are some interesting museums. I would have preffered more static displays of how daily life was in the 1850's.