Air Canada Flights to Sacramento: An Underrated California Destination

If you land at Sacramento International Airport, you might hear a voice over the public address system making the following statement.

“We’re proud to offer a unique blend of big-city amenities and small-town charm that can only be found here.”

I’m not above borrowing a good quote when I hear one, and I think it’s an apt description.

Air Canada in July began direct, daily flights from Toronto to Sacramento, the capital of California and a city I think is heavily underrated. It’s an attractive city filled with towering, leafy trees, fun neighborhoods and a very good food scene. You’re also just minutes away from excellent wineries, and less than two hours from sparkling Lake Tahoe, which is home to some of the best ski resorts in the U.S.

Here are some things to see and do in Sacramento, as well as nearby California Gold Country.

TAKE A DOWNTOWN FOOD TOUR

On my most recent visit my wife and I took a food walk with Local Roots Food Tours, led by an entertaining, knowledgeable woman named Dawnie Andrak.

We began our walk on K Street at 13^th Steet. K Street was an entry point to the city for 49ers on their way to the nearby gold fields and was littered with bars and brothels back in the day, Andrak tells us. She also points out a new convention centre and a new performing arts centre.

Our first food stop was at Mayahuel, who we were told is the goddess of tequila. We sampled a nice, spicy chile poblano soup and watermelon cucumber margaritas with no alcohol. It’s a gorgeous space with lots of bright colours.

Andrak told us Sacramento is often called the City of Trees because it’s believed to have more trees per capita than any city in the U.S. Being surrounded by so much lush farmland, the city in 2012 declared itself as America’s Farm to Fork Capital.

“The tomatoes here grow into November,” Andrak said. “We actually have five growing seasons.”

Later stops included a lovely spice shop called The Allspicery and a café and book store called There & Back, where we sampled avocado toast with blueberries and also with apples and sliced cheese. The shop has tons of games and memorabilia from Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. We also stopped for perfect coffee lattes at Temple Coffee Roasters and some good, hot chicken sandwiches at Nash and Proper.

Along the way Andrak showed off some cool K Street sculptures high above our heads that show a bird who gradually transforms into a woman. She also pointed out tremendous murals, including a colourful blue and white piece from artist Tavar Zawacki that looks like Japanese origami. On a previous tour of the city I found a gorgeous mural of Lady Gaga on the 7th Street side of the Golden 1 Center.

Andrak told us the story of Bishop Alphonse Gallego and showed off a sculpture of him as we walked through Gallego Square. He was a much beloved clergyman who served the city as Auxiliary Bishop from 1981 until his death in 1991, and was known as “The Bishop of the Barrios.” The handsome Church of the Blessed Sacramento has services in 14 languages to accommodate the diverse population of Sacramento, she explained.

We didn’t have time to take a peek, but Andrak also pointed out a drinking spot called Dive Bar, which has a 780-gallon water tank and real mermaids.

We finished up with local wines on the patio at Whired Wine Window, where you order your wine at a take-out window and sip on a shady patio overlooking the State Capitol Building.

SHOP AND SIP IN MIDTOWN

There’s great shopping and tons of great food to be found in Sacramento. The R Street Corridor (in central Sacramento, streets with letters run east-west, while numbered streets go north-south) is home to old and new buildings that now feature trendy, vibrant shops and restaurants. West Elm is a lovely home décor and furnishings store, while Blue Mercury is a great spot for makeup and skin care products. Pop in to Creamy’s by Cayla Jordan for some chocolate chip frozen cheesecake or a mint brownie ice cream sandwich. Philz Coffee has an airy, bright interior and strings of Polaroid photos of customers along the bar. There’s a fine patio, as well. Device Brewing is a craft beer place in the R Street S Street Alley that focuses on west coast ales. It’s closer to the Capitol than to R Street, but don’t miss the wild exterior of the building at 1428 14th Street, which was done by artist Jose Di Gregorio.

CHECK OUT AREA WINERIES

The Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg (maybe 15 minutes from downtown) is a towering, old brick building that used to process sugar beets and now houses 14 wine-tasting spots. You’ll also find shady picnic grounds and, at times, live music. Bogle Winery is reached by a pretty road that takes you past farmhouses and Sacramento River levees. The wines come at wide variety of price points, and some can be found at liquor stores in Canada. There’s a lovely picnic area near the vines and it’s open seven days a week, holidays excepted. 

The city of Lodi has great wineries only a half-hour or so from downtown Sacramento. Michael David Winery is a busy spot with very nice Cabernet Sauvignon and tasty roses. They also serve a good, casual lunch. The Lucas Winery is a beautiful spot with warm, welcoming staff and spectacular wines. Appointments are recommended.

TOUR THE CAPITOL BUILDING

The stately California Capitol Building and Museum is one of the most attractive in the U.S., with a brilliant copper dome and pure white columns. You can get a free tour to learn about the state’s colourful building and see displays of what the governor’s office looked like back in the day. The Capitol is surrounded by beautiful parkland and gardens with roses, bamboo, cactus, cypress trees and majestic, towering redwood trees.

VISIT OLD SACRAMENTO

Old Sacramento State Historic Park is a delightful, riverfront spot for families and history fans, with vintage wooden buildings that date back as far as 1849, plus candy shops, restaurants and bars, and more. The California State Railroad Museum is one of the top rail museums in the U.S. You can wander about and examine old engines and glorious train cars, including an old Canadian National sleeper car. There’s also a small Ferris Wheel, a merry-go-round and a Sacramento city museum. Cruise boats that take you along the Sacramento River depart from Old Sacramento.

SPORTS AND CULTURE

The Golden 1 Center is home to the Sacramento Kings of the NBA and is one of the better-looking arenas in the States. There’s also great local food and California beer on tap. Upcoming concerts include P!NK, 50 Cent and the Jonas Brothers. The SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center’s upcoming schedule include Les Miserables, Shen Yun Performing Arts, and David Spade. The Crocker Art Museum has one of the state’s best collections of Californian art, dating from the Gold Rush to the present day, a collection of master drawings, European paintings, one of the largest international ceramics collections in the U.S. and collections of Asian, African, and Oceanic art. 

WHERE TO STAY

The Embassy Suites is right on the Sacramento River, across the street from Old Sacramento. We had tons of space, with a good-sized bedroom and a separate living room area with a sofa, a big desk, coffee maker, microwave oven, a large-screen TV and more. Breakfast is included and it’s very good, with everything from omelettes and pastries to fresh fruit. One friendly worker said the staff has been voted one of the best of any Embassy Suites hotel in the U.S. There’s also a small pool.

On my previous overnight visit a few years ago, I bedded down at the Kimpton Sawyer hotel, which has stylish rooms, a swimming pool and patio worthy of a Hollywood socialite and free wine in the evening. Revival is a fine, on-site restaurant and bar with trendy cocktails.

The Hyatt Regency offers beautiful rooms and a resort-style pool deck It’s directly across the street from the California State Capitol park, and many rooms have great views of the gardens.

The Citizen Hotel is a Marriott Autograph Collection property that’s housed in a regal building erected in 1926.

OTHER RESTAURANTS TO TRY

Solomon’s Vinyl Diner is said to have previously housed the first Tower Records store in the world. Others say it was second. Whatever the truth may be, it’s a wonderfully cool, retro dining spot in downtown Sacramento. The menu comes with an old album tucked inside, and there’s old bits of stereo equipment on the wall. There’s an event space upstairs with album covers attached to the walls, and a colourful archway out front that looks very 60’s/70’s in design. Try the chicken and French toast with Japanese bread (their twist on chicken and waffles). There’s a large patio out front with electric blue chairs and bright pink umbrellas (fitting, as Barbie director Greta Gerwig is from Sacramento.)

The Tower Café is a super fun restaurant that’s attached to a movie theatre, with a lush patio surrounded by thick greenery. The interior is chock-a-block full of all sorts of curiosities, including Buddha statues, Mexican dolls, and wooden seahorses, as well as dozens of hanging plants. They’re famous for brunch and they have an intriguing list of cocktails, including a Jalapeno-Raspberry Lemon Drop.

Located in Old Sacramento, The Rio City Cafe offers nice views of the Sacramento River and the yellow Tower Bridge. I had good Jambalaya when I visited in July. Mulvaney’s B & L is a small restaurant built inside a former firehouse, with an open kitchen and terrific food.

DAY TRIPS TO CALIFORNIA GOLD COUNTRY

Sacramento is a great base for exploring California Gold Country, an historic yet vibrant region of rolling hills, rushing rivers and thick pine forests. pine-scented hills, great driving trips, fantastic wineries and fun towns such as Angels Camp, Murphys and Sonora. Ironstone Vineyards is a popular winery in the Sierra foothills in Murphys, California, with gorgeous gardens. They have a small deli making good sandwiches and soup, and the wine shop/wine tasting room is a beauty. Hovey is one of the top wine producers in the Murphys area, with fantastic Rhone varietals and deep, red Zinfandels that avoid the typical “fruit bomb” approach. The Murphys Historic Hotel dates back to 1856. Gordon Ramsay did a segment of his “Hotel Hell” TV show at the property a few years back. It’s been fully renovated and has one of the state’s coolest bars. Murphys also is home to Books on Main, a cozy book shop with comfy chairs and a fireplace.

There are more than 150 wineries in Gold Country, so there’s definitely one for every type of wine lover. There are also several dozen craft breweries.  Gekkeikan Sake is based in the town of Folsom, just outside Sacramento. Visitors can taste locally produced sake and tour the brewery.

More than 100 farms span Placer County and produce everything from fruit to meat to flowers. Year-round weekly Farmers’ Markets are held in Auburn and Roseville and the foothills are dotted with Satsuma Mountain Mandarin oranges in the fall.

California Gold Country is popular with boaters and, in season, whitewater rafters. There’s also tremendous hiking and fishing in the region.

WHAT ELSE IS NEAR

Only two hours away, Lake Tahoe is home to both Heavenly Valley and Palisades Tahoe (formerly Squaw Valley) ski resorts. In summer it’s a great place for water sports and hiking on rugged mountains or deep, alpine valleys.

Sacramento is just 90 minutes or so from San Francisco, and a little less than that to the fabled Napa Valley. Napa Solano Shuttle offers car service to the Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley from Sacramento Airport. There’s also train service between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as to Reno, Nevada. If you’re heading to the northeastern suburbs of the Bay Area, Sacramento would be a good choice.

AIR CANADA FLIGHTS

Air Canada flies from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Sacramento (SMF) four times a week, with a scheduled departure time of 6:25 p.m. and arrival time of 8:49 p.m. in Sacramento. Returning flights depart Sacramento at 9:20 a.m. and arrive in Toronto at 5:08 p.m. Flights are on an Airbus A220-300 aircraft with 137 seats in a Business Class and Economy Class configuration.