This is more on a continuation from my day that started way too early and ending way too late. My flights were uneventful. I do thank American Airlines for being so quick to manage the disruption of the flight had before it even left the gate in Dallas. There was a major part broken with the plane. They had us on a plane and flying while only delaying us about 25 mins overall. Kudos, American Airlines, Kudos.
I landed just fine in Sacramento, CA to 80-degree weather that was on the rise. But it felt good to be in dry heat again. I ended up visiting the local REI because I needed a few things that I had forgotten to pack for the camera excursion later on in this trip. After that, I caught a lovely Uber to Downtown Sacramento where I checked in to my hotel. A quick nap and a cup of coffee to keep me going, I managed to walk around Old Town Sacramento. It reminded me of most old Western towns. I was half expecting to see two guys in the middle of the road prepping for a showdown but I'm glad that didn't happen.
I did end up visiting the Sacramento Railroad Museum. I had to fight with myself to go but I enjoyed going and reading all about the history of the railroads in California and seeing (a bit of home-state pride here) that the majority of the Locomotives that were in the Museum were from Philadelphia, including the one seen in the picture of the Golden Spike. The Museum also addressed the untold thousands of Chinese immigrant workers that built the railroad. They paid homage to the workers that gave up their lives in search of a better life in America. The museum also displays the history of model trains which is exciting for us that grew up with them. I never knew how competitive it was in the early 1900s before World War I broke out.
After that, I did take a stroll down to the Capital building to snap a few pictures. I also managed to grab a few of the many palm trees with my phone. I know. I know. But my camera gear hasn't arrived yet. At least I blended in more with the tourist scene. Not that the long pants in 100-degree weather would have given me away.
I stop by Mash and Malt to recover for a bit. It was fantastic to sit out of the heat and drink some refreshing beverages before scouting out dinner which was supposed to be pizza. Due to a navigational error on the human part, I ended up eating a Cafe De Brew. It's an American style diner that I was happy enough eating at after walking several more city blocks in the cooling heat of the evening.
I'll be up tomorrow on Amtrak going from Sacramento to San Luis Obispo to pick up the Westfalia. It's exciting that this is happening and it is for real and my journey is just starting.
With full disclosure, I was a little nervous on the plane while we were on approach to Sacramento. There are so many things that can still go wrong on this trip, but it wouldn't be an adventure if there wasn't any risk.