One Year Ago: Exploring the Wild West in Sacramento

What's happening: One year ago I had the incredible opportunity to spend a week with my aunt, uncle, and cousins out in northern California playing tourist. I started writing this blog soon after the trip ended, and as I enjoyed myself so much, I have decided to write about my trip experiences in blog form.

In this last post, I'd like to share about my last full day in California. After the three intense day trips to San Francisco, it was nice to stay a bit more local. My uncle and I walked around the grounds of the California State Capital, then finished up at the incomparable California State Railroad Museum.

On my last visit to California several years ago, my uncle took me to tour the inside of the Capital, but we did not have much time at all to explore the grounds. This time we skipped the inside but spent a fun hour exploring the grounds. (Oh yes, and right before this, my uncle treated me out to a DELICIOUS breakfast place!!!!). It was very nice; beautifully kept up and some great memorials to veterans of different wars. There was also a fantastic memorial to California firefighters. I thoroughly enjoyed completing the virtual cache there!

 This tree as a seedling went to the moon!!

 I really, really liked the firefighters memorial!!

We wrapped up our adventures with visiting the California State Railroad Museum. I haven't been to any other railroad museum, but this one has got to be one of the best. Just an utterly amazing collection of railroad engines and rolling stock related to the American West, particularly the Transcontinental Railroad (fun fact: the Museum is located like only one block away from where the Transcontinental Railroad had its' western terminus!!). First engine of the CP, first and last engine of the SP, SO MUCH AMAZING STUFF when it comes to California's relationship with the railroads. On this trip my uncle took me to many places that I had never been to before; the RR Museum was one of the few places I had visited before, actually quite often when I was a kid. It was really fun to go back again and see that everything still holds up. Great introductory film and fantastic guided tour, we got a "private" tour since we arrived when the museum first opened up that day!!

 Wahoo! I'm a kid again!! :D

After we finished at the Railroad Museum, it was time for lunch and we headed back home. Enjoyed some last treasured moments with family and extended family, then 3am the next morning I awoke to fly back to grad school in Michigan.

I had the chance to see a really cool cross section of Northern California courtesy of my aunt and uncle, but most of all, it was just plain fun hanging out with them in real life again. It was a really awesome trip!!