California Museum, Sacramento
This downtown museum, housed in the Secretary of State building, provides visitors with an array of colorful, imaginative and of course descriptive exhibits that trace some of the Golden State’s sprawling history and impact.
Manzanar National Historic Site
Our country’s past, regrettably, contains quite a few government-initiated injustices. One of them was the forced internment of some 70,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. This remote site tells the tale.
Trona Pinnacles
Rising awkwardly, weirdly and your-turn-adverb above the Mojave Desert floor near Death Valley National Park, these tufa spires have inspired filmmakers and might give you some otherworldly ideas yourself.
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park
It’s almost certainly out of your way, and definitely not a place that promises to dazzle. Even so, this site of the state’s first town founded and governed exclusively by African Americans offers plenty in terms of dignity and a chance for contemplation.
The Sundial Bridge in Redding, Calif.
Next time you are careening up or down Interstate 5 in Northern California, consider detouring a mile or so westward in Redding to see one of the world’s largest working sundials. It’s a free attraction, and the visual pay-off is worthwhile.
London: A spring-break sampling
There is so much to do in Great Britain’s largest city that short visits there require a careful weighing of options and priorities, and no small amount of planning. Enjoy your (next?) visit there; here’s our latest.
Stonehenge and Bath: A day trip
Two of Great Britain’s most popular destinations were on the itinerary when Creaky Old Guy and his family embarked on a 12-hour bus tour that ventured a couple of hours west of London.
Harry Potter studio tour
Perhaps you have heard of a bespectacled young British chap who saved the world from evil? His exploits spanned seven bestselling novels and eight blockbuster films, the latter batch of which is celebrated at this Warner Bros. facility just outside London.
Fort Ross State Historic Park
Rising unexpectedly along California’s iconic State Route 1 north of San Francisco, like a Russian mirage, this striking remnant from the 19th century still has something to say about global relations.
Cactus League baseball
A dozen years later, after ending a streak of 24 consecutive springs, Creaky Old Guy returns to attend five practice Major League Baseball games in Arizona. And it didn’t come cheap!
Arizona Capitol Museum
A bit of history sits quietly on the flat Phoenix metro floor bed, about a 10-minute drive west of the airport. It’s a free stop, and mighty informative of the 48th state’s past.
John Muir National Historic Site
Tucked amid gentle hills south of downtown Martinez, this free attraction pays tribute to the “patron saint of American wilderness,” who lived here 1890-1914.
Asilomar Conference Grounds
Julia Morgan, tranquility and inspiration share equal billing at this state-owned site along California’s Central Coast.
Riding the Capitol Corridor
The scenery is nonstop on this smooth ride from Sacramento Valley Station to downtown San Francisco, via train and bus.
Capitol Park in Sacramento
Thought-provoking monuments from various eras, as well as a varied and vast collection of trees, make this park a standout.
California State Railroad Museum
If there’s a better train museum out there, I haven’t seen it. This is a must-see for Sacramento visitors and a repeatable joy for locals.