By Denise Schoonhoven
Old Sacramento provides a window to the Gold Rush era.
Feel gold rush fever when you step into Old Sacramento, downtown in California's capital city. The Pony Express route ended here, miner-'49ers congregated here and the early rich California agricultural industry was centered here. Take a train ride through history, delve into Gold Rush mania and dance with aplomb when you explore these activities in Old Sacramento.
Railroad Museum Excursion Trains
Hit the rails on an old-fashioned train pulled by steam-powered locomotives. Hop aboard at the Central Pacific Train Depot for 40 miles of sightseeing. Capture the nostalgia from Gold Rush days through the growth of central California's booming agriculture industry. Excursion trains run on weekends from April through October each year.
Browse a Gold Rush-Era Hardware Store
Purchase replicas of the speckled-blue tin ware cooking gear found in gold miners' camps all around Sacramento. Get a primer on lanterns that lit the late-night nugget tallies. Poke around to find useful historic tools that fit modern needs.
Huntington, Hopkins & Company Hardware Store
113 "I" Street
Sacramento, California
csrmf.org
(916) 323-7234
Visit an Old-Time Wells Fargo Office
Step into an agent's office from back in stagecoach days. Check out authentic gold-weighing scales and the safe where miners and bankers kept their booty secure overnight. The Wells Fargo Historic Museum is small, open daily and admission is free.
Wells Fargo Historic Museum
1000 Second St.
Sacramento, California
wellsfargohistory.com
(916) 440-4263
Take a Tango Class
Slip in to your pumps and sashay across the hardwood floor at Tango by the River, a converted ballroom in the heart of Old Sacramento. Classes are taught in the Argentine style of dance. Occasional special events and dances spice up the dance studio schedule.
Tango by the River
128 J St.
Sacramento, California
rivertango.com
(916) 443-7008
Resources
About the Author:
A seasoned business traveler, Denise Schoonhoven specializes in food, travel, landscaping, design and personal development topics. She has lived and worked in London, San Francisco, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the Pacific Northwest. Schoonhoven hails from the corporate writing world where she authored marketing material, catalogs, presentations and training documents.
Photo Credits:
old sacramento image by Greg Pickens from
Fotolia.com
