Sisters in Sacramento

Two weeks ago, I (Marilyn) attended a medical conference in Sacramento with a co-worker. My sister Rebekah met us there and we enjoyed the conference together. The first sight that met Cindy and I as we entered the baggage claim area of our terminal were these stacks of unclaimed luggage! What a creative way of displaying people's misfortunes (or neglect?).

Our first evening of the conference, we ate at a small Asian restaurant. We had to walk quite a distance before we found the place, but the food was delicious and well worth the hike!

Our conference ended at noon on Saturday, so Rebekah and I took a taxi downtown and explored the sights of Sacramento. Our first stop was a park area that had many different monuments to various events and groups of people. This was a memorial to the Vietnam vets.

We visited a couple of historic churches. This beautiful little garden was located behind and to the side of a majestic old Presbyterian church.

We spent a considerable amount of time at the state capital. Not only is the inside beautiful, but the outside is also stunning. We took many pictures of this building, from almost every angle, always looking for the perfect photo...We also discovered that it is a very popular backdrop for wedding shoots! We counted at least 5 different wedding parties that were taking their wedding pictures here that afternoon.

Below: inside the capital, in the rotunda.

Each county was represented by a special display.

Rebekah knocked at Arnie's door, but he was not in the office that day...

Quite an impressive room...

We had fun taking pics at this elevator.

This majestic, historic Catholic church was hosting a wedding when we stopped by. We decided to have a look at the inside of the church anyway, and were treated to some beautiful music by a Mexican ensemble. The acoustics in the church were incredible, and the sound was simply heavenly! (It was a strange feeling being a "wedding crasher" but it was well worth the treat!)

Next stop on our self-guided tour, was the historic Stanford House. We were the last ones to sneak in on a tour of the home, and enjoyed seeing this restored mansion and hearing the history behind it. It is rather amazing to see this magnificent old house right there in the midst of the tall, modern office buildings!

 

We also visited the famous Wells Fargo Bank headquarters.

Next, we crossed the historic Sacramento bridge into Old Sacramento.

After hiking all over downtown (we walked many miles!) we finally found the perfect restaurant where we enjoyed some delicious Mexican food. It was a wonderful place to eat and relax on that hot, 100 degree day!

After we left the restaurant, we stopped for dessert...at the chocolate shop next door.

Then, our return adventure began...walking, riding the metro and buses at night, we finally made it back to our hotel. There were moments when we didn't really know where we were, but then I encountered this sign that told me! It was an exhaustingly, delightful afternoon and evening that ended with a good soak in the hot tub at our hotel. Thanks, Rebekah, for a fun time together!