ALONG COMES MARY

Do you know where California’s state capital is? If you’re not from this state, you might not. Los Angeles? Nope. San Francisco? Nada. Not even San Diego. It just so happens to be the Central Valley town of Sacramento, & along with being an eclectic, diverse city, they also boast a gorgeous capital building, & prior to this last weekend, I had not visited! (A trip while my Mom was pregnant with me, doesn’t count).

Smack in the middle of the streets of Downtown Sacramento, the building is surrounded by a gorgeous walking trail & park, adorned with trees, flowers, joggers & dog walkers, it brought to mind Central Park to me, on a smaller scale. On our state’s seal out front, Mike noticed that along with a miner & our mascot bear, that Medusa is also clearly on the seal?! This made me curious to turn to Google & this web-site….

“Most prominent is the figure of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. According to mythology Minerva was born fully grown, leaping from the head of Jupiter, her father. Similarly, California achieved statehood without first becoming a territory. Minerva’s shield displays the hideous head of Medusa.”

Another article worth checking out is Goddesses of Liberty 😉

With a formal entrance of going through a brief security check, you’re then free to roam the halls & check out countless pieces of art & unique, one of a kind pieces. If you head down to the basement, this is where the capital will be happy to welcome you & set you up with a complimentary tour or more information. Also on the lowest level, is their quaint  theatre (perfect for a break with little ones or yourself) continually showing short films about California, a cafeteria & a gift shop with cute Smokey the Bear souvenirs & more sophisticated trinkets like tote bags & coffee mugs. Clothes, too!

What I was most pleased to come across in the basement were their art galleries & exhibits. A special exhibit currently on display is California Invites the World: 1915 Panama Pacific International Expo; The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were the golden age for the great world’s fair expositions. The 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) was no exception. Before there was Disneyland, there was an earlier “magic kingdom.” The San Francisco exposition was known by many names: “The Dream City,” “The City of Domes,” and “The Jewel City.” It celebrated not only the completion of the Panama Canal in 1914, but the rebirth of San Francisco after the devastating 1906 earthquake.

Between February 20 and December 4, 1915, over 19 million people flocked from all over the world to the marvels it contained. The 650-acre world’s fair was constructed to stand for less than a year, and today, all that remains is the Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District. 3 exhibit rooms are currently devoted to many never before seen materials & art on loan from The Hearst Castle.

With access to the 4th, top floor, we weren’t sure if there was much to be seen, so why not take a peek? Being the only ones up there, it was pretty clear quickly that it was mostly offices for our state’s working politicians. Might be kinda cool to a kid!

As you make your way up from the first floor, there are one of a kind paintings of all our governors….& if you’re like me, the one you were in search of was “The Governator”, aka Arnold Schwarzenegger! Rest assured as you will find him at the top of the winding stairs on the 3rd floor…I thought for sure his portrait would instead be a robot or a body builder.

Another attractive reason to visit California’s state capital building? The museums & tours are FREE of charge! Making it an even better reason to send some time here if you find yourself in Sacramento . Open everyday: Weekdays 8 am – 5 pm, Weekends 9 am – 5 pm (On weekends enter through the L Street entrance.) Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Get more info & plan your trip HERE.

xo