Sacramento

Sacramento was established as Sutter's Fort in 1839 and became the primary supply point for the gold fields after the 1848 discovery at Sutter's Mill 45 miles east at Coloma. The city grew to become California's capital in 1854 and the western terminus of the first transcontinental railroad completed in 1869. Old Sacramento State Historic Park preserves the wooden-plank waterfront commercial district of the 1850s along the Sacramento River levee 28 acres of Gold Rush–era architecture including boardwalks, wooden storefronts, and the Eagle Theatre, the first building constructed in California for theatrical performances. The California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento is one of the most comprehensive railroad history museums in the world, with 19 beautifully restored locomotives dating from 1862. Downtown Sacramento's Grid District has emerged as one of California's leading farm-to-fork dining scenes; the city's direct access to Central Valley farms, orchards, and ranches gives chefs ingredient advantages that coastal cities can't match. The American River Parkway runs 32 miles along the river through the city, creating a continuous natural corridor for cycling and wildlife.