The Perfect Place for a Dozen Candy Stores

Last week we went to visit Scott's family in Sacramento. When we were making plans to drive down to visit everyone, we told them not to plan anything to entertain us. We mostly wanted to spend time with family and have a week to relax, and for the most part, they listened and we spent the week playing card games and Jackbox.

Halfway through our week of visiting, though, my sister-in-law called to say that one of our nephews would be coming up from Toulare for his school's field trip to the capital. She asked if we might be interested in joining the day of tours. Since I have never been to Old Sac' before, I decided it would be fun to tag along.

The day started for us at the California State Railroad Museum, and it was clear that many school trips begin exactly the same way. There were clear routes for buses to park, and all the shops in Old Sacramento were prepared for children with extra spending money. The morning was planned out that the school children would learn about the transcontinental railroad and then walk around the boardwalk lining saloon looking shops until noon. My nephew had $20 that I'm sure his mother gave him to cover food expenses, but that lucky boy had his grandmother there to pay for anything he might fancy. There were at least six shops with candy in western style barrels, and it felt like we bought those boys sweets at every one. We passed by shops with chocolate confections, mini donuts, California souvenirs, toys, and novelty socks. By the time we escorted the boys back to the bus, they were riding their sugar high, and that Jackson was burning a hole in my nephew's pocket. The time was running short for him to spend his play money on something, anything, and he felt each sand of the hourglass!

A view inside the capitol dome

Grandma and I followed the bus to the capitol building, only a few blocks away. While the kids ate their brown bag lunches, we learned that the school hadn't scheduled a guided tour at the Capitol. So each group of children and chaperones needed to wonder the building and seek out educational opportunities on their own. Perhaps if we had known in advance, we would have come prepared to teach the boys some facts. Instead, we learned that the lower level of the capitol building has a closet-sized souvenir shop where I would wager that 75% of the school class purchased a tchotchke, including my nephew who bought playing cards that were printed to look like a million dollar bill, along with a souvenir penny from one of those crank molds. Before we left, we also discovered that the lower level has a gourmet cafe, that offers delicious pizza (among other menu items) for politicians and staff who work in the building... or for the school children and their chaperones on self-guided tours.