March 27, 2017 - Tanya's Annual Trip to Park City - Day 8 - Driving Route from South Lake Tahoe to San Francisco

Elisa's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 16 DAYS
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Along the way from South Lake Tahoe to SoCal..

Monday here!!  

Yay - I love Mondays - most people think I'm crazy - but I just love the beginning of a new week!!

Of course, you couldn't ask for a more ugly weather day  lol - gray and rainy.  But, I don't mind - beginning of the week gets me happy and excited regardless!

I just spoke with Tanya via text.  Her trip is starting to wind down, but not before a few more stops on the way back to SoCal.

Here's what her route looks like as she leaves South Lake Tahoe today:

Beginning in South Lake Tahoe, Tanya and Cosette will head south to their first stop in Kirkwood, CA, then they will turn west and continue southwest past Sacramento, CA, passing through Vallejo, CA, until their final destination for the day - San Francisco (which I'll be chatting about tomorrow!) 

I thought it would be fun to focus on these cities for your reading pleasure!! Why?  Well, my outlook about ANYWHERE - there is always a history and some point of interest to see or know. 

​So, let's get going and check out these three California cities...
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​Kirkwood, CA

KIRKWOOD MOUNTAIN RESORT (credit: power hounds)

The first city on our list is Kirkwood. Located in Alpine and Amador counties in California, Kirkwood's main attraction is the Kirkwood Mountain Resort.

The town is also within the Eldorado National Forest.

A little bit of history about the Kirkwood Mountain Resort:

* The resort was founded by Zack Kirkwood, a cattle rancher who had settled in the area.

* He  opened an inn, named Kirkwood's, in 1863 with the opening of the Amador/Nevada Wagon Toll Road.  (This was the primary route through the Sierra Nevada Mountains at the time.)

* In 1864, Alpine County was created and the redrawing of the county borders placed the inn at the convergence of Alpine, El Dorado, and Amador counties.

* Overtime, the inn became a fashionable summer resort. 

* Today, the original signpost marking the intersection of the three counties is still in the building.  

* After Zack's death, the inn stayed in the family and continued to operate until 1966, when it was sold to an investment group, who then converted it into the present-day Kirkwood Mountain Resort.

Vallejo, CA

VIEW OF VALLEJO FROM MARE ISLAND (credit; wiki)

Vallejo is located in Solano County, which is situated in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Actually, it is 30 miles north of the city of San Franciso, 

A little bit of history about Vallejo:

* The city is named after General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, a native Californian, and leading proponent of California's statehood.  

* General Vallego was also one of the first members of the California State Senate.

* Interestingly, the neighboring city of Benicia is named for his wife, Francisca Benicia Carillo de Vallejo.

MARIANO VALLEGO (1880-85), FOUNDER & CITY NAMESAKE (credit: wiki)

DID YOU KNOW?
Vallejo has twice served as the capital of the state of California:
​once in 1852 and again in 1853, both periods being brief.

Vallejo also has a few interesting points of interest as well...

* Six Flags Discovery Kingdom theme park is located in Vallejo.

* The now-defunct Mare Island Naval Shipyard

* Vallejo is home to the California Maritime Academy, the Vallejo Center campus of Solano Community College, and Touro University California.

* Ferry service runs from a terminal on Mare Island Strait to San Francisco, through the BayLink division of SolTrans.

Sacramento CA

CITY OF SACRAMENTO, CA (credit: Find Cross Country Movers)

Sacramento is the capital of California with  an impressive array of landmarks, parks, amenities and other must-see points of interest.

It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. 

A little bit of history about Sacramento:

*  Sacramento became a city through the efforts of the Swiss immigrant John Sutter, Sr., his son John Augustus Sutter, Jr., and James W. Marshall. 

* During the California Gold Rush, Sacramento was a major distribution point, a commercial and agricultural center, and a terminus for wagon trains, stagecoaches, riverboats, the telegraph, the Pony Express, and the First Transcontinental Railroad.

* ​The city was named after the Sacramento River, which forms its western border. The river was named by Spanish cavalry officer Gabriel Moraga for the Santísimo Sacramento (Blessed Sacrament), referring to the Catholic Eucharist.

* Nisenan (Southern Maidu) and Plains Miwok Native Americans had lived in the area for perhaps thousands of years.

* Today, ​California State University, Sacramento, is the largest university in the city and one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. University of the Pacific is a private university with one of its three campuses in Sacramento. In addition, the University of California, Davis, located in nearby Davis, operates its UC Davis Medical Center, a world-renowned research hospital, in the city of Sacramento.

TOWER BRIDGE, SACRAMENTO, CA (credit: en.wiki.org)

A few interesting points of interest in Sacramento... (courtesy of cityofsacramento.org

* California State Capitol
The Capitol building is home to the government of the state of California, house of the legislature and the office of the governor.  

* Tower Bridge
One of the most iconic features of the city of Sacramento, Tower Bridge, built in 1935, is a pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular traffic bridge that connects Sacramento and West Sacramento.
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THE CALIFORNIA STATE CAPITOL (credit: wiki.org)

* Old Sacramento
Twenty-eight acres of Sacramento’s waterfront were home to some of the most influential history for the city.

* American and Sacramento Rivers  
The city is situated at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers, which give residents and visitors a multitude of options for entertainment and lifestyle, including waterfront dining, boating, swimming and relaxation.

* Sutter’s Fort 
A California Historic Park, Sutter’s Fort houses public tours and events that harken back to the days of the gold rush era.

* City Historic Cemetery
Adorned with beautiful statues, dramatic markers and lush gardens, Sacramento Historic City Cemetery is an outdoor museum recording California history from the Gold Rush Era through today.

FAIRYTALE TOWN, SACRAMENTO, CA (credit: KNCI-FM Sacramento)

* Guy A. West Memorial Bridge 
An 1,100 foot pedestrian and bicycle bridge that spans that American River, and connects California State University, Sacramento to the northeast bank of the river.

*  The Sacramento Zoo 
The mission of the zoo is to inspire appreciation, respect and a connection with wildlife and nature through education, recreation and conservation.
on June 2, 1927,  The William Land Park Zoo opened its gates and the “the little Zoo in the park,” was born as the City of Sacramento brought together an assortment of animals from various local parks.

​Today, as the role of zoos has changed dramatically the focus has shifted from showcasing as many animals as possible, to creating a recreational experience that also focuses on the importance of providing an educational premise.

*  Fairytale Town 
For over 50 years, Fairytale Town has offered children and families a safe place to imagine, play and learn. With 25 playsets based on nursery rhymes and fairytales, a friendly flock of farm animals, two performing arts stages and several gardens, learning has never been more fun!


Did you ever think there was so much to these cities?  So much to see, and learn and explore!!
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PUNKIN ENJOYING HER NEW NYLABONE (c) travelincousins.com

Anyhoo - I did a few errands today, one of which was to Petco to get my little Punkin some more chew toys. 

Did I mention that she "bit" my glasses yesterday?  Yup - $160 later I had to replace my frames, which of course were not covered by the warrantee since it expired 3 months ago (GRRRRR!). Thank goodness the lenses were okay.

Going to hit the gym for a bit - starting to truly crave the workouts each day!!!

See ya back here tomorrow for Travelin' Tuesday - when we'll be taking a look at San Francisco (where Tanya will be) and the latest in some updates on my upcoming trips!

-E
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop
CURRENTLY TRAVELING TO:
​SAN FRANCISCO

From Lake Tahoe to San Francisco

HAPPY MONDAY! And GREETINGS once more from South Lake Tahoe!

Today is rather a somber day for me as it will be my last ski day of the 2016-17 season. (insert teary eyes here)

We are also heading out of Lake Tahoe and heading to Kirkwood, CA for our last 2017 day on the slopes.

KIRKWOOD - with an average of 600 inches of yearly snowfall, the "WOOD" has some of the best and most snow in the area. And with the CRAZY amount of snowfall this year it is gonna be epic!! 

Why is it was the darn ski season goes by so freakin' fast?!

One of these years I'm gonna have to follow the winter and do me some summer skiing in Chile or Argentina!! 
*Doing something like that is on my travel dream list.

​In fact - I'm not sure you know this but back in 2009 I was so uber jealous that a friend of mine was heading down to South America for a ski trip that I just couldn't stay local (and be haunted with jealousy) and planned a (semi) last minute trip with my girlfriend down to Costa Rica!

And if you are wondering why didn't I just plan my own trip down to South America - find out here:

MY SORT OF LAST MINUTE TRIP TO COSTA RICA

​Okay well back to the here and the now, or at least here and yesterday in pictures at Heavenly...

I'll fill in the wordy details a bit later. For now, we've got to get on the road and get on the slopes!

Be sure to check out Elisa's side to find out what there is to see and do on the route that we are taking today from South Lake Tahoe to Kirkwood to San Francisco!

Hope you have a fine day and come back later for more...

I'm outta here,
​-T