Sacramento: Old Sacramento Underground Walking Tours

 

Old Sacramento Underground Tours (photo: Brandon Darnell)

 

You’ve only scratched the surface if you’ve experienced Sacramento from above ground. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll discover a chunk of Sacramento’s past is buried deep beneath your feet - literally. The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation sheds light on subterranean Old Sacramento with its informative underground walking tours. Expert guides lead you through underground passageways that were once the main roads of old downtown and point out the original storefronts attached to the buildings above.

 

Tour Guide - Old Sacramento Underground Tours

 

Old Sacramento sits at the confluence of two rivers – perhaps logical for commerce, but not as sensible when Mother Nature rains down. More than 150 years ago, Old Sacramento had to raise its streets to protect its buildings from devastating floods, most notably the great deluge of 1861 when it rained non-stop for 45 days. The rivers overflowed and kept this part of the city underwater for three months. The residents decided to take action and came up with a plan to cut the buildings off at the foundation and raise them high above the water level. The task with was accomplished with several years of manual labor and an abundance of determination. The end result is California’s only successful street-raising project.

 

Old Sacramento Underground Tours depart from the Sacramento History Museum and are about an hour in duration. The tours often fill to capacity, so it’s best to reserve early to guarantee a spot. Although children of all ages are welcome, the tour content is best understood by children over the age of six.

 

More Information: Old Sacramento Underground Tours

Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street, Old Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: 916-808-7059
Tickets: Adults: $15, Youth (6-17yrs) $10, Children (5yrs and under): free

Tours depart every half hour on Saturday & Sunday from March 23 – May 26, 2013. Beginning June 1, 2013, tours operate daily throughout the summer.

Borrego Springs: Galleta Meadows – Desert Sculptures

Raptor sculpture by artist Ricardo Breceda at Galleta Meadows

There’s more to see in Borrego Springs besides its famous wildflowers. Poised against the desert landscape and scattered over an estate known as Galleta Meadows are 129 imposing metal sculptures of prehistoric beasts and modern-era animals. The freestanding structures, created by artist Ricardo Breceda, include dinosaurs, wooly mammoth, sabers, raptors, and giant birds. Human characters such as farm workers and gold miners also rise from the land.

Prospector and Mule by artist Ricardo Breceda at Galleta Meadows

Galleta Meadows Estate consists of about three square miles of undeveloped property and is owned by multi-millionaire, Dennis Avery (Avery Labels). In 2008, Avery decided to pay homage to the prehistoric creatures that used to roam the Anza Borrego desert nearly 4 million years ago. He commissioned Breceda to create a metal collection of the creatures and the assemblage of land art has continued to grow since. One of the latest additions is a 350-foot long serpent.

Sand Serpent by artist Ricardo Breceda at Galleta Meadows

Although Galleta Meadows is private property, it’s open to the public, free of charge. Most sculptures can be seen while driving along Borrego Springs Road, both north and south of downtown Borrego Springs. A map lists detailed locations of the installments.

Sheep sculpture by artist Ricardo Breceda at Galleta Meadows

Borrego Springs is located 78 miles northeast of San Diego and is completely surrounded by the 600,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Coastal California: Estero Bluffs – Escape to Nature

Estero Bluffs along the California coast

California has miles of unspoiled coastline begging for the naturalist to explore. One such place is Estero Bluffs State Park, just north of Cayucos in San Luis Obispo County. You’ll find grasslands blending with wetlands and dunes on the 355 acres of windswept bluffs overlooking the Pacific. The ever-changing scenery produces green vegetation in the winter, multi-colored wildflowers in spring and gold grasses in summer.

  

Estero Bluffs - harbor seal

Along the coastal waters of Estero Bluffs, you’ll find marine life such as harbor seals, California sea lions, Southern sea otters and brown pelicans.

 Estero Bluffs - Western snowy plover and willet

A rich ecosystem provides habitats for several sensitive plant and animal species, among them the Western snowy plover and willet shorebirds.

If you’re looking for rich scenery, abundant wildlife and a multitude of photo opportunities, explore Estero Bluffs and the surrounding area including Morro Bay with its famous Morro Rock. Both can be accessed off California's north/south Hwy 1.

(All Estero Bluffs photos by Michael L. Baird)

More Information: Estero Bluffs  

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