Day 17: California Here We Come

Friday was the final leg of the journey, if not the final day of the trip. We woke up in Reno, perhaps a little later than we had been waking up, and indulged in the complimentary buffet breakfast that segued into a complimentary buffet lunch.

Before we left, we took a spin around the hotels in the complex, which included the Silver Legacy, El Dorado, and Circus Circus. Each seemed to have its own set of attractions. At the Silver Legacy, besides the mining rig, was a collection of treasures from a silver baron.



The El Dorado had an elaborate fountain sculpted of marble, bronze, and gold leaf.



Circus Circus had some carnival games, and a mechanic's ass.



On our way out we took a spin through the town. It doesn't have quite the same razzmatazz during the day as it does at night.



But we did look at some of the other big casinos.





As well as some more mom-and-pop operations.



And some institutions of higher learning.



We left Reno and went up the mountains. At the top of the range, we reached the 15th and final state in our journey.



We took a quick stop off in the first town over the border. It's called Truckee.



Truckee, it turns out, has an interesting historic downtown.



It has some gift-type shops.



And museums.



Truckee is famous for being in the Donner Pass. They even advertise an annual "Donner Party Hike." We just stopped at Joe's Coffee for some iced teas and internet access. We left before we got too hungry.

On our way our of Truckee we began to experience "downgrades." We went from over 6,000 feet to under 1,000 in a fraction of an hour, so it was a bit like landing in a plane. Not too bad for us, but presumably a little dangerous for truckers.



Finally we got out of the mountains and it began to look more like California.



Replete with mini golf.



And casinos that may or may not be computer-themed.



And recreational roads.



We decided to take a cruise through Sacramento, not entirely certain what we'd see. At first, it seemed like a fairly ordinary city, with its houses, its commerce, and its light rail.



Then we went under the freeway and entered a somewhat different world.



Essentially, the old town of Sacramento, as it had developed during the early days of the railroad, was there with all the buildings either preserved or rebuilt.



The level of preservation, even the parts that were preserved in a somewhat fake way, was remarkable. The only giveaways that this was an active, modern neighborhood were the paved roads and parking, handicap accessibility ramps at the ends of the wooden sidewalks, and the stores themselves, which were probably a little different than they were in the 19th century.



It's very close to the actual downtown, and connected by an underground pedestrian passage. Bounded by the freeway on one side and the river on the other, it's like a historical oasis.



It has shops and even a little housing, but some other attractions as well like the Wells Fargo museum:



And a statue in tribute to the Pony Express, which I think might have been made to look a little more flattering than it was.



So we left Sacramento feeling good about having stumbled upon something rather interesting that we didn't know was there. I'm sure Sacramento is full of other mysteries, such as this building, presumably a museum housed within a hangar with a truck on top. Not sure what it's a museum of, but perhaps I'll learn that some day.



The rest of the trip, we got a little more serious about doing the essential California things.





And we finally made it to our last stop of Salinas:



There we have settled at my associate's ancestral home, where I'll be until Sunday. So while the journey is over, the viewing of America continues for two more days. Don't turn that dial quite yet.