20th Wednesday
All day spent on the train, arriving at Sacramento at around 7pm. Not the nicest way to sleep, easier if you have two seats to spread over. We spent most of the day sleeping on and off while watching the scenery. Nevada was fairly barren and as soon as we entered California the landscape became green and pretty again. At one point the train had to stop for an hour while it waited for 2 goods trains and another passenger train to come by, as a reward for our good behaviour whilst waiting we got given a bottle of water and a small pack of eaties.
In Sacramento our couchowner Nancy picked us up in her mercedes and took us our to eat at a mexican restaurant before bringing us home to her trailer park. Wow! Wish we had this option in NZ. I can't imagine this home being a trailer (although it is) It's as big as any NZ home (thats small by USA standards) and lovely inside. I could so easily live in one of these – and the cost was only $32000!
21st Thursday
Nancy dropped us off in the old part of Sacramento, in the morning. We toured the historic few blocks, the boardwalk is now at second floor level, the first floors are now basements. The original city founders made a substantial flaw – they didn't factor the river level would rise over 20 feet in full flood!
Sacramento is the state capitol of California, so we explored the capitol building in the afternoon, and learnt a little about the workings of the US government system. The building has been completely gutted and refurbished back to its early 1900's decorum, so it is quite ornate inside. We got to see where Arnie's office was, but unfortunately there was a meeting inside, so didn't get to peek in.
We spent the evening with Nancy with dinner, and watched a little of the Olympics on TV. It was the finals of the women's diving competition. Nancy took us to the Amtrak station for us to catch our 11.59pm train to Seattle, which left only half an hour late.
