Sacramento California Lodging, Attractions, and Area Travel Guide

The real gold in California's capital is its wealth of world-class hotels, attractions, and restaurants. Many tourists are lured to the expansive Sacramento lodging located downtown, but there is also a fantastic selection of relatively inexpensive motels right near Old Sacramento - the city's historical tribute to the Gold Rush of 1849. Sacramento bed and breakfasts boast competitive rates, and accommodations with a personal touch. Guests are guaranteed to finding suitable lodging with such an array of choices - whether they seek the luxury of accommodations, the comfort of budget motels, or the quaint refinement of area bed and breakfasts. Guests should make advance reservations during major city events such as the Jazz Jubilee.

Visiting Sacramento and Gold Country

Sacramento and the Gold Country is an area that encompasses 10 counties, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Sacramento and American Rivers. This vast region remained relatively unknown until Johann Augustus Sutter began to explore the area in 1839. Sutter settled in Coloma, a few miles inland from the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers. Worker James Wilson Marshall was building Sutter's Mill in 1848 when he spotted glittering flakes and nuggets in the shallow water. Nitric acid tests revealed that the substances were pure gold, and the ensuing Gold Rush of 1849 brought more than 400,000 fortune seekers to the area. Sacramento became a Gold Rush boomtown, and later became the state capital of California. The city celebrates its roots with historic sites such as Old Sacramento - eight blocks of restored buildings, history museums, and Old West ambiance - but it also contains an abundance of contemporary amusements and attractions. Surrounding cities in the region proudly display preserved mills, mines, and other historic sites from the Gold Rush era.

* Some photos courtesy of: California State Railroad Museum, Chico Museum, Discovery Museum, Fairytale Town, IMAX Corporate Theatres, Ironstone Vineyards, Miners Foundry Cultural Center, Nevada Theatre, Recreaton.gov, Sacramento Zoo, Suttercreek.org, and WebSpice 2003.