The Good Life ~ Sacramento
Exploring a City with a Small-Town Feel and World of PotentialArchive for Government & Politics
Not-So-Sleepy Saturday Morning
The Commotion Begins Just a Block Away...
There are only a few small puffy clouds scattered in the sky; against the bright blue backdrop, they look rather striking. The trees are blanketed with vibrant green spring leaves and a blossom storm whirls beneath like a tornado, rising majestically out and upward.
It is a quiet and serene Saturday morning in this part of Downtown Sacramento, but I know from experience that things in one part of town do not define all others. For just a few blocks away, things become anything but sleepy.
At the Capitol, thousands of adults, teens, children and dogs gather in readiness to march for a cause. It’s the annual March of Dimes March for Babies fundraising walk, and the Capitol is truly hopping. Participants are carb-loading, taking team pictures, socializing and even dancing to music blasting through the speakers. When Go-time comes, the crowd is so thick that we move like molasses through a tiny straw.
But marching west from the Capitol, down Capitol Mall, through Old Sac and Westfield Plaza, and snaking through Downtown and then Midtown, the crowd gets a unique view of their very own town, with major street closures removing obstacles and revealing a sparkling city that is perfectly comfortable in its own skin.
Fast forward 6 winding miles and an after-celebration, we walk back toward the office to find another kind of action on the streets of Sacramento: On K Street, a convention crowd watches as a legislator is being filmed. On J Street, activists line the road with signs and cheers for ‘Newsom for Green Jobs’. And on 16th Street, a group of young tourists begins their day.
It’s just another ordinary day in Sacramento… revealing some extraordinary and unexpected things.
There is something special about Sacramento; the rich land upon which it was built, the rivers that flow through, the bounty around it and the people who make the Sacramento area their home.
Life is good in California’s Capital City for many reasons, including climate and geography, community and amenities, nature and wildlife, and so much more. It’s hard to imagine a warmer feeling than a sunshine-drenched morning here, an easier feeling than a refreshing post-rain spring day, or a more engaging experience than a night on the town with friends or family.
There’s truly something here for everyone and every mood, for Sacramento is a shifting entity itself, with four distinct but relatively mild seasons, diverse neighborhoods and people, a ripening food and restaurant scene, year-round events and outdoor fun, and daytime and night-time adventures. Its magic is a blend of history and tradition, vision and reinvention. And there’s so much pleasure to be had here – with family and friends, food and wine, adventures and experiences – that they’re likely to create the kind of fond memories that might seem so familiar… but aren’t quite like any other.
