Sacramento - Capitol #5 6/24

After having a leisurely morning flip flopping over what to do today, we decided to go to the capital and save gold country for tomorrow. We were going to do the capital Sunday in our way to San Francisco, but it will be easier to get to the Capitol without the trailer. (Last time, we were in Scott's parents' motor home and mom sat in it while we took the kids to see the Capitol because we had make our own parking spot because we were so large!)

We headed into Sacramento and played tourists in our own state.

Flashback photo link: last time we were here!

Security at the Capitol was what I would typically expect, BUT I have grown accustomed to much less security now that we've toured 4 others and were never questioned or checked as we entered.

Jo had his tool/pocket knife with him and they caught it, but thankfully were willing to hold it for us as we toured. I was glad we didn't have to take it back to the car.

We grabbed a self-guided tour brochure since he next guided tour was not for 30 minutes. We started on the top floor where we instantly met another tour and were told we could join. So we did. 

Since they had started on the bottom floor, they were nearly finished. But we heard interesting stories about past governors and a painting of George Washington in the senate chamber. 

When they were done we were back on our own. We did the old building and then enters the newer wing to find our senator and representative. Both of their office staffs received us well and were willing to chat with us about the work they do despite the fact that both of the actual representatives were down south in our town. 

We find telephone booths at every capital and the kids think they're fun. 

Every county has a display - this is ours.

 We broke for lunch at the local subway then continued our tour. We could not find the museum someone in the Capitol had told us about, so we entered the "wrong" building figuring we'd just ask them to point us in the right direction. The gal we approached did not know where the museum was but proceeded to talk to us for the next 20 minutes (!!!) about the building we were in and the matching on across the way.

Well she was super fun and cheerful and intrigued us all with tales of a large room underneath the 2 buildings and stretching across the courtyard and parking area that hold all he unclaimed property that the state is holding. She told us of a spiral staircase and a tunnel of doors that open "like on Get Smart". At the end of the tunnel, you need 2 keys to open the door: one held in the building and the other held across town by someone else.

Well after these stories, all the kids wanted to do was see the tunnel! They are all quite familiar with Get Smart thanks to Auntie Kim. (:

We did subject them to one more stop in the building across the way, the state library. 

Then we headed back to our friends 30 minutes east. 

We had much food and fellowship through the evening. We barbecued chicken and Karissa made homemade tortillas. (She made these when we visited several years ago and although I tried to replicate them at home, I failed. So tonight I took a photo of the recipe and I suppose I'll have another try at it.)