Sacramento

Retracing a journey I took fifteen years ago, we spent this past weekend in Sacramento to explore the bike paths I first discovered when cycling twenty miles north for a wedding. We arrived on Friday afternoon at the Hyatt Centric in the DOCO shopping mall after a slight bus delay; there was a forty-minute gap between the 11:40 AM and 12:30 PM buses, and the latter arrived ten minutes late.

The Hotel Room Saga

Upon arrival, the logistics of the stay became a bit complex. I had originally booked a two-queen room but requested a king, which was available for early check-in at 1:00 PM. However, that room was incredibly dark and faced a wall with only a small gap for light. The hotel’s overall aesthetic is quite dim, featuring very dark light bulbs and not enough of them, often in uncomfortable locations.

After some back-and-forth, we decided to wait for a better room and eventually settled into a tenth-floor two-queen room with a Capitol view. Despite the staff’s claim that it was the same size as the king, this room felt much larger, though the television was unfortunately smaller.

One notable quirk of the hotel is the “air oscillator” on the ceiling that brings in outside air; I measured the noise level at 50 decibels right next to the machine and 40 decibels from the bed, which created a steady hum similar to being in a cruising airplane cabin. They were also out of slippers, so they had to send someone to the Hyatt Regency to get some for us.

After dinner at Frank Fat’s, we took a walk around the State Capitol.

The Administrative Mystery

The stay was marked by a bizarre administrative mystery regarding my Hyatt points and certificates. I had used an expiring Free Night Award for Friday and points for Saturday, but because the hotel canceled and rebooked our stay to accommodate the room changes, the certificate and points were refunded to my account and never seemed to be properly withdrawn.

Despite checking with the hotel desk the charges remained irregular. Even after they finally managed to charge the account, the points were refunded again on Saturday morning. We made sure to get a printout of the reservation system to prove the points were meant to be used in case we have to defend ourselves against extra charges later.

A Lunchtime “Breakfast” Strategy

Culinary Tours and Old-School Banks

The culinary journey continued throughout the city, starting with a sampler at Frank Fat’s on Friday. We also visited Estelle Bakery & Pâtisserie multiple times; while the cake on Saturday was amazing, the Sunday selection felt a bit too heavy on the cream.

On our way to the bakery, we caught a glimpse of Columbia Bank, which featured an incredibly old-school layout reminiscent of the bank scenes in the movie Catch Me If You Can. For dinner on Saturday, we visited Tandoori Kitchen for a butter chicken pizza, which was so filling that I ended up finishing my half slowly after some initial nibbling. Other meals included Panda Express, which we ate in a nice courtyard in DOCO near the cornhole games, and an early 3:00 PM dinner at Chipotle on Sunday.

Biking Troubles in Folsom

Saturday was our primary activity day, though finding bike rentals proved difficult. Trek Biking in Midtown didn’t offer rentals, and many other shops were closed for the weekend. While walking in Midtown, I noticed that a lot of houses had a raised, staircased entrance to the house, which apparently is due to frequent flooding back in the day.

We eventually took the tram an hour out to Folsom to visit Practical Cycle. We initially rented hybrid bikes for $10 an hour to see if they would be a good purchase for Christine, but within ten minutes, the downhill slopes convinced us that the return trip would be too strenuous. We returned to the shop—where the owner laughed like a kid at our quick turnaround—and upgraded to e-bikes for $25 an hour.

The ride had a brief scare when Christine’s e-bike wouldn’t start after we stopped for dumplings. We almost sought help at a nearby Trek store before the owner of Practical Cycle explained over the phone that there is a reset switch under the motor, which acts as a safety feature if the kickstand is down. Once resolved, we biked to the Beals Point Recreation Area peninsula, where we saw hundreds of people swimming, paddleboarding, and picnicking. While I considered biking the full two hours back to downtown Sacramento, we were both too tired and decided to return the bikes in Folsom.

The Church Search and Old Town

On Sunday, feeling a bit sore from the exercise, we searched for a progressive and multicultural church and ended up at Westminster Presbyterian. While it was affirming and progressive, it wasn’t particularly multicultural – a lot of white seniors and middle-aged members. The atmosphere gave off a welcoming “AA meeting” vibe due to the seating in an annex room and the coffee station in the back. Still, progressive and affirming.

Afterward, we explored the highly touristy Old Sacramento area, walking through the “gold rush age” streets with wooden walkways and cobblestones. We watched the 1800s steam train excursion and horse-drawn carriages before stopping at Sacramento Sweets. That shop was a fascinator, selling elaborate ice cream swirls and an unexpected combination of chocolates and popcorn.

We ended our Sunday relaxing in the DOCO wind corridor to escape the hot sun. Tomorrow morning, we plan to head to the airport, debating between a taxi or the bus depending on the price and the impending rain. It was a successful trip, even if the River Parkway entrance looked nothing like the simple opening I remembered from fifteen years ago.

Costs

The trip cost us about $550 and 65k points.

• $330 and 26k Southwest points – BUR-SMF flight
• $300 in Amex BizPlat and Aspire flight credits
• 39k Hyatt points 3 nights at Hyatt Centric Downtown Sacramento
• $230 Food
• $150 Bike Rental (2 E-Bikes for 3 hours)
• $90 Bubarnk Airport Parking
• $50 Public Transit and Airport Taxi