A Chill Stay in Sacramento: Greasy Burgers and Dole Whip Dreams

After a whirlwind of sightseeing, we were ready for a low-key stop in Sacramento. This was just what the doctor ordered to catch our breath before hitting the road again.

Our first night, we met up with Shelly’s co-worker, Sherilyn, for dinner at Broderick Roadhouse. It’s a dive bar close to downtown and checked all the right boxes—greasy burgers, loaded fries, and cold drinks that were perfect after a long day on the road. It’s the kind of place where calories don’t count (or at least we pretend they don’t).

We parked Beauty at the Sacramento Shade RV Park, conveniently located right off the highway. It’s a well-maintained place with large trees, a bit of grass at each site, and mostly full-time residents. They have a handful of overnight spots, but here’s the catch—they’re gravel, and the space can be a tight squeeze, especially for big rigs. Add in cars parked right in front of the RVs, and getting into your spot feels like you’re threading a needle.

We had a bit of an issue with the electricity; at times, the voltage would spike, which led to some unexpected power outages. The management was quick to respond, but the setup wasn’t ideal. Pro tip: don’t show up before 2 pm—the office is closed, and the entrance is tight. We ended up unhooking the Jeep early because we were blocking the road.

The downtime was exactly what we needed. We spent some time lounging by the pool, catching up on laundry, and even made a trip to the movies to see *Wolverine*. It was a nice break from the usual hustle of travel.

On our last night, we made a quick detour to see the California State Capitol. With Utah and Nevada's capitols already checked off our list, we figured we might as well keep the streak going. There was a lot of construction around the building, but we still managed to grab a photo of the capitol from "the Beast" after some creative maneuvering.

From there, we explored Old Sacramento—a charming area with cobblestone streets lined with shops, restaurants, and candy stores. Naturally, we made a beeline for Boxcar Eats, where my sister got her ice cream fix with some Tillamook ice cream and soft-serve Dole Whip. The pineapple Dole Whip brought back all kinds of memories of the Tiki Room at Disneyland, and I couldn’t help but grin while devouring it.

We strolled through the streets, treats in hand, taking in the river views, the Ferris wheel, and the beautiful architecture. We even stood at Mile Marker 0, the starting point of the Central Pacific Railroad, which connected the United States for the first time. It’s a pretty cool spot when you think about the history.

As we headed out of the area, we passed by the California State Railroad Museum and DOCO—Downtown Commons—wrapping up a relaxing stay in Sacramento.