Things to do in Sacramento

5-2 hours from San Francisco by car or on a direct Amtrak Capitol Corridor train.

Most visitors centre a trip on the Old Sacramento waterfront district, a cobblestoned strip of 19th-century storefronts along the Sacramento River with railroad museums, riverboat rides and Gold Rush-era buildings, rather than driving further into the smaller foothill towns of Gold Country such as Placerville or Coloma, which sit another 45-60 minutes east.

Summer days here regularly top 35°C (95°F), noticeably hotter and drier than fog-cooled San Francisco, so a midday visit calls for water and shade breaks rather than a jacket.