Sacramento

Sacramento, California's state capital, is positioned at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers in the Central Valley — a city whose Gold Rush history (the California Gold Rush began at Sutter's Mill, 50km east, in 1848) left it with an excellent historic district and a growing reputation for farm-to-table cuisine drawing on the extraordinary agricultural abundance of the surrounding valley. Old Sacramento, the waterfront district preserved from the Gold Rush era, has genuine character — wooden boardwalks, the excellent California State Railroad Museum (one of the finest in America), Wells Fargo History Museum and the Sacramento History Museum tell the city's foundational stories. The California State Capitol, a magnificent domed Beaux-Arts building, offers free tours. The Crocker Art Museum (the oldest art museum in the American West) has a strong California painting collection. Sacramento's farm-to-table food scene has become nationally recognized — the city is surrounded by some of the most fertile farmland in the world (stone fruits, asparagus, tomatoes, almonds, rice) and its proximity to the Sacramento Delta creates superb local fish and produce. Tower District has the best independent restaurant and café culture. The American River Parkway, a 32-mile riverside bike and walking trail from the city to Folsom, is excellent. Lake Tahoe and Napa Valley are both 2 hours away, making Sacramento an excellent base.