What have the River Cats accomplished lately?  Well, in 2003 they were the champions of the Pacific Coast League (PCL)!  They repeated as champions again in 2004!  Last year, 2007, they were once again PCL champions and then went on to beat the Richmond Braves to become the champions of all AAA baseball.  Way to go guys! 

This is Raley Field in West Sacramento CA.  It’s just across the river from Downtown Sacramento and people can easily walk to the ballpark.  Often people dine in Old Sacramento first and then walk across the bridge to the game.  Others go first to the game and then walk to Old Sacramento after the game for a few “adult” beverages.

Once inside we can see the grounds crew watering down the infield dirt.

The scoreboard in centerfield.  They show replays of the action on the video screen.

The cheap seats.  Bring your own lawn chair and sit on the grassy hill out past centerfield.  It’s a bargain.

There’s a restaurant up there.  There’s food everywhere.  The usual hot dogs, but also nachos and other great food, including great Tri-Tip sandwiches.  Of course there’s ice cream and cotton candy too.  And what would a baseball game be without Crackerjack! 

Looking toward the left field stands.

There’s Dinger, the River Cats mascot, walking around in the stands.  The kids love Dinger.  So does Goyo. 

These children were there to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

After the playing of the national anthem the color guard walks off the field.

The two managers and the umpires go over the ground rules.

Yay!!!  The River Cats take the field and start to warm up.   C’mon guys bring us home a win.

The pitcher makes his last warm up throws.

The stadium is filling up.

The left field stands are full too!

And the right field stands as well.  Actually we set a record this night.  15,808!   Wow!!!!!

By the third inning the home team was ahead 6-3.  Yay Cats!!!

Up there in those boxes is where people with more money than Goyo can sit.  Hahaha 

The Ziggaurat Building can be seen just past left centerfield.

Joe Gaetti, on at first, tries to get a lead.

Travis Buck at the plate.  C’mon Travis, hit the ball! 

Warning people!  You don’t necessarily want to sit next to Goyo at a ballgame.  He’s loud! 

The catcher Justin Knoedler at the plate now.  And guess what?  He nailed the pitch over the left field wall for a home run!  Goyo was screaming very loud.   

Justin, into his home run trot, prepares to round third base on his way home.

His teammates congratulate him on his hitting prowess.

The scoreboard shows the Cats ahead 7-6 after five innings.  It was a wild game.  The final score was 10-9.  Unfortunately the enemy, the Portland Beavers, won. 

The Ziggaurat is lit up.

After the game there were fireworks since this was the night before the 4th of July.

Ooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

What a great night.  Is there anything better than to be at a ball game on a nice summer night?  Have a beer, a couple of dogs and root root root for the home team.  Great fun.  And fireworks too!  Gotta do this some more.

This is 2nd Street.  When entering from the north side this is the first view you will have of Old Sacramento.  You can see all the old style buildings lining the street.

This is a view of Front Street.   As you can see the streets have been restored to cobblestones to give it that authentic feel.  Actually when you drive your car over them the “feel” is too bouncy. 

Front Street looking in the other direction.

Horse drawn carriages for hire.  You can ride around old town here, go outside around Crocker Park or go all away around the Capitol Building.  That fellow is so happy to have his foto taken that he is waving!  That’s right guy, you’re on the internet now.  You’re famous! 

The California State Railroad Museum.  Quite an extensive collection inside of restored engines, cabooses and pullman cars.  For now we’ll save that for a later visit.

Entrance to the California State Railroad Musuem.

More buildings.  These buildings are not really two stories tall.  They’re actually three stories tall!  Back in the day, before the levees were raised, this area used to flood quite a bit.  To counteract that the city brought in tons of dirt and raised all the street levels one story.  As a result, all these buildings have basements that are really the old first story.  When you enter one of them you’re entering in what was originally the second floor.

Dogs must be on a leash.  This is Property of the State of California.

Nice green lawn for  the children to run around and play on.  There’s also a couple of picnic tables.

Another shady area with a couple more picnic tables.

The old railroad station.

Across the river a modern office building is taking shape.

The railroad tracks.  Where’s the train?

Nice little area to view the river.  This is the Sacramento River and it runs right along Old Sacramento.

The river walk path.

Mrs. Goyo waiting for Mr. Goyo to take her foto.  Posing, posing. 

On the other side of the river is West Sacramento.  They have a very nice green river walk.

The I Street Bridge.  An old railroad bridge that is still in operation.  Unlike a typical drawbridge this is a swing type.

People enjoying the water on the other side.

Many small watercraft can be seen here on the weekends.

More water lovers.

A red boat.

Now this is my style! 

Covered area with benches.  You can sit here and watch the boaters.

A bigger boat.

This one is called the “Spirit of Sacramento”.  There is at least one other large boat called the “Matthew McKinley”.  These two boats offer dinner and dancing cruises along the river.  They actually can and do sail from Sacramento all the way down to San Francisco.  You can purchase tickets at an office here in Old Sacramento.

As the Spirit of Sacrameno approaches, the old railroad bridge starts to swing open.

The bridge, now fully open, allowing the boat to pass by safely.

There’s the train.  It’s just arriving, full with passengers.  The train runs a roundtrip route along the river from here.

A closer look.

Once the passengers detrain, the cars fill up with new passengers and now they’re off on another trip.

Bye bye train.  See you when you get back. 

The Tower Bridge.  The traditional gateway to the City of Sacramento.

The Delta King.  It is now permanently moored here and no longer sets sail.

As you can see it has been turned into a Hotel, Restaurant, Theatre and more.  It’s quite a romantic place to stay overnight with that special someone.  The restaurant is well known around town also as one of the better ones.  We’ve eaten there several times.  Last time I had an excellent seared tuna salad.  It was great!  Everybody that knows Goyo knows that he likes to eat. 

The entrance to the Delta King.

Old sign reminds of the day when this area was alive with business.  Back during the gold rush, the miners in the nearby foothills always needed provisions and tools.  Most were shipped up the Sacramento River from San Francisco and offloaded right here for sale and delivery to the miners.

Right passed this sign is where you will find Laszlo’s Smoked Fish.  Beautifully smoked fish that tastes wonderful.  It’s not a restaurant, just a counter inside where you purchase what you like.  The owner is very nice and hospitable.  If you like fish you’ve gotta try this place. 

http://laszlossmokedfish.com/

The Rio City Cafe, my personal favorite.  The Executive Chef is John Bays, the best chef I’ve run across.  John always has an excellent menu that is prepared to perfection.  If you are in the area, I heartily recommend you stopping by and enjoying John’s cuisine.  Plus they even have an outside deck so you can relax with your meal right along the river.  For more info, click here;

http://www.riocitycafe.com/index.html

One of the shops along K Street.

Mrs. Goyo is heading into another shop.  Mrs. Goyo says, “I love to shop!”  She is smiling.

More shops.  Stop, stop while we still have a little money left! 

The overhead signs advertise the shops.

Aha!  Now it’s my turn.  Muchie’s Salt Water Taffy Shop!!!  Goyo loves real salt water taffy. 

Wow!  Look at all that taffy.  I think I’ll buy a couple of barrels full.  LOL  I always buy some though.

Statue of the Pony Express rider.  The following is from Wikipedia;

The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the North American continent from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California from April 1860 to October 1861. Messages were carried by horseback riders relay across the prairies, plains, deserts, and mountains of the Western United States. It briefly reduced the time for mail to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to around ten days.^[1] By traveling an easier shorter route and using mounted riders rather than stagecoaches, the founders of the Pony Express hoped to establish their service as a faster and more reliable conduit for the mail and win away the exclusive government mail contract.

The Pony Express demonstrated that a unified transcontinental system could be built and operated continuously the year around — something not seen since the times of the Romans in Europe. Since its replacement by the First Transcontinental Telegraph, the Pony Express became part of the romance of the American West. Its reliance on the ability and endurance of the individual riders and horses over technological innovation is part of “American rugged individualism”.

Another view of the statue.  The riders were ususally young and very brave.  Riding alone across the country in those days was perilous as they were subject to robbers and attacks by the Native Americans (often called Indians).

The dedication marker.

As we walk out of Old Sacramento we find the shuttle bus waiting to make it’s next run.

The signs on top lists all the stops it makes.  From Old Sacramento all the way down to the Convention Center.

They are built to resemble the classic “Cable Cars” in  San Francisco.  So, while not authentic, the price to ride them is certainly reasonable.  It’s free! 

We bid “Adios” to Old Sacramento for today.  If you’re in the area it’s a great place to spend a day or two.  Visit the railroad museum, take a ride on a train, take a riverboat cruise, or just hang around and watch all the fun.  And don’t forget to dine in one (or more) of the many fine restaurants here.

Here is a close-up of the commerative T-Shirts they were selling at the arena last night.

As we exited the freeway this was our first glimpse of Arco Arena. During the winter this is the home of the Kings but in the summer the Monarchs rule.

The entrance to the parking area. The purple banners say “Go Monarchs”. That’s what we said too.

We arrived early and were able to park real close. Here’s a view of the arena as we walked up.

Those are the doors we must enter through. More purple banners saying “Go Monarchs”.

One of the concession stands for buying all types of food.

This one serves made to order Asian food.

Beer not enough for you? Here’s what you need. Have them prepare your favorite cocktail.

These food vendors have almost everything. Pizza, nachos, hot dogs, popcorn and on and on.

At another food station they offer hand carved sandwiches. Here the chef is slicing the meat.

The customer eagerly awaits his sandwich as the chef puts it all together.

Get your wallet out, here’s the souvenir stand.  Gotta’ have a remembrance.

Another stand selling different souvenirs.

We walk down to the court area.  Just missed the Monarchs practicing.   Anyway, I’m looking up at where our seats are.  We’re in the upper level, the seventh row.  Hey, that’s pretty good for only $10 each! 

Why there’s Mrs. Goyo.  How did she get in here?  Oh yeah, that’s right, she came with me. 

Goyo himself.

This is the view from our seats.  Like I said, pretty good for $10! 

If you like to keep track of the statistics here’s one place to find them.  This board shows total field goal %, free throw %, assists and turnovers for each team.

This one has total blocked shots, rebounds and steals for each team.

Hey, what’s the blimp doing inside the arena?  Best Buy is advertising their store in a unique way as this remote controlled blimp flies around the arena before the game.

The Monarchs doing their warm-up drills right before the game.  Go Monarchs!  Yay!!!

Tonight’s opponent, the San Antonion Silverstars, also warming up at the other end of the court.

Only 1 minute and 41 seconds until game time and the score is 0-0.  This board also shows the starting line-up.  For the Monarchs it is;

#23 La’Tangela Atkinson, a 6 foot 1 guard/forward, University of North Carolina 2006

#32 Rebekah Brunson, a 6 foot 3 forward, Georgetown University 2004

#34 Adrian Wiliams-Strong, a 6 foot 5 forward/center, University of Southern California 1999

#20 Kara Lawson, a 5 foot 9 guard, University of Tennesee 2003

#21 Ticha Penicheiro, a 5 foot 11 guard, Old Dominion University 1998

The San Antonio Silver Stars;

#55 Vickie Johnson, a 5 foor 9 guard, Louisiana Tech 1996

#33 Sophia Young,  a 6 foot 1 forward, Baylor University 2006

#00 Ruth Riley, a 6 foot 5 center, Notre Dame University 2001

#25 Becky Hammon, a 5 foot 6 guard, Colorado State University 1999

#30 Helen Darling, a 5 foot 6 guard, Penn State University 2000

In the WNBA the quarters are only 10 minutes.  After tipoff the Monarchs controlled the ball but failed to score.  But so did the San Antonio Silverstars.  The Monarchs then brought the ball down again.  Ticha Penicheiro hit two free throws after a foul was called and made the first points of the game.  With 9 minutes and 16 seconds remaining in the first quarter the Monarchs lead 2-0.

The Monarchs playing some tough “D”.   Good defense is a key.

Now on offense, the Monarchs, with the ball, attack the goal looking to score.

At the end of the first quarter the Monarchs lead 23-20.  Yay!!!!  Go Monarchs!!!!

Between quarters there is always entertainment.  Here these children came out to dance.  Between the 3rd and 4th quarter one fan was allowed onto the court to try and make some 3 pointers for money.  The also threw T-Shirts into the crowd, gave away an I-Pod and a 37″ LCD TV.  Goyo didn’t win any of those. 

The Monarchs must have made a good play because the fans are waving their thundersticks and yelling woohoo!!!  Mrs. Goyo was also yelling woohoo all night.  And so was Goyo.  The attendance was a whopping 16,225!  A lot of people.  Thundersticks are similar to a balloon.  They were given away before the game.  Their an oblong shape, you blow them up, seal the ends and then bang them together to make noise.  Or just wave them while yelling woohoo!!!! 

Halftme and the Monarchs have doubled their lead to six and lead 41-35.  There’s only 13 minutes and 43 seconds remaining before the 3rd quarter starts.  It ought to be exciting.

At half time we were entertained by these two acrobats.  Here the woman is climbing onto the man’s shoulders.

Using only one hand each she balances herself while upside down.  Whoa.  Hey kids, don’t try this at home.  Ok?

End of the 3rd quarter and the Monarchs lead is now ten at 61-51.  Only ten minutes left to play.

The players get ready for a jump ball after a previous play where two players each held onto the ball.

Final score.  Monarchs 73, Silverstars 64.  Monarchs win!!!  Yay!!!! Woohoo!!!!  Yay!!!!  

The Monarchs had a good overall game.  They outrebounded the opponent 42-30, 16-13 in assists and 8-7 in blocked shots.  The Silverstars had 11 steals while the Monarchs only had 7.

We had won two tickets to an autograph session with two of the players after the game.  After showering, cleaning up and donning street clothes they emerged.  Here Kara Lawson is eager to sign your autograph.  Kara had a good night, playing 22 minutes, making 3 of 6 from the field (including one 3 point goal), 2 for 2 from the free throw line, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 9 points. 

The other Monarch signing autographs was Adrian Williams-Strong.  She had a very good night.  She also played 22 minutes, was 6 out of 10 from the field, 1 for 1 from the free throw line, 7 rebounds and 13 points.

Here’s what we brought home with us.  Our 4 free thundersticks (2 per person) and a couple of Opening Night commerative T-Shirts.  We also had autographs!!!!  Plus we had a really great time.  The Monarchs are a very exciting team this year with their uptempo style of play.  I can’t wait to go back.

Here is an old photograph, a medal, a powder horn and an old pistol.

A bust of John Sutter.

An old California Bear Flag representing the Republic of California.

In the foreground are butter churners. After milking the cow they would let the cream rise to the top of the milk. Skim off the cream and pour into the round part of the churn. Grabbing the long handle they would then vigorously pump that handle up and down to “churn” the cream which would eventually turn into butter. It was hard work.

This foto shows the barrel type churn. A little easier to work.

Storeroom.

Cannon in a watchtower. This was their homeland security. LOL.

Big tree.

Ah, this tree came from Kandern, Baden, Germany the birthplace of John Sutter. It was planted here in 1939, almost 70 years ago. It was dedicated on September 9, 1948 during the 100th birthday celebration of the City of Sacramento.

Hmmm. What’s cooking?

One of the cooks checks it out. They actually had bread dough in that pot and they were letting it rise before baking.

Goyo says, “Sounds good to me. Let’s eat”. Goyo is always ready to eat. Hahaha.

Small jars to hold their herbs and spices.

A teapot.

This is the oven where they would bake the bread.

The fire is buring quite well. I’d like to build one of these in my yard when we retire to the Philippines. Make bread, pizza, whatever.

The cooks eating.

More cooking inside the kitchen.

The fireplace where the food was cooked.  The pots were hung over the fire from the rod going across.  Everything was cooked in the orignal way.  No microwaves allowed!

Outside the kitchen was another barbecue area.  My goodness, these people must have cooked all the time.  Goyo would be happy.  

A spinning wheel to spin threads of material into fabric for clothes and other items.

A demonstration on how to use it.

Mrs. Goyo is watching.  She is thinking, “This is way too much work.  C’mon girlfriend, give it up.  Just go down to Macy’s and buy something already made.  Sheesh.”  

Here are some of the fabrics that had been spun previously.

Blankets.

Another cannon.  Wait a minute!  This one is aimed inside the fort.  What’s up with that?   Maybe for the dissenters?  “Ok, all those who disagree with me just line up over there in front of this cannon.  I want to demonstrate something for you”.  LOL 

Storage barrels.   For wheat, flour, etc.

The grinding stone.  Place your wheat, or whatever, here and grind it into flour.  Here these children are trying it out.  Often a horse would be employed to do the turning.

More volunteers putting on a demonstration.  A young maiden with a rather coquettish look.  

Saddles for the horses.

Another storeroom.

The armory with a lot of old rifles.

Rifles, powder horns, etc.

A forge where they did their toolmaking.  Use the pump to blow air into the fire to make it really hot, take tongs and hold a piece of iron over the fire until red hot, then place the red hot iron on the anvil in the center and beat it into whatever shape you want.

Dipping the wick into wax to make candles.  No electricity then.    :-(    

Oh well, at least with no electricity they would have no brownouts. 

Hanging the candles to dry.

Nice looking old bed.  Not too comfortable looking though.  Chamber pot under the bed was used for, umm, those nightime “emergencies”.   LOL

Well, that’s all folks.  I hope you’ve enjoyed out little tour of Sutter’s Fort.  What’s up next you ask?  Don’t know.  Who knows where Goyo will go next? 

John Sutter, a swiss immigrant (real name Johan Augustus Sutter), first came to the Sacrameneto Valley in 1839. In 1840 he, along with a work force and the local indians, started work on this adobe fort. The walls were 2 1/2 feet thick and 15-18 feet high while being 320 feet long. He named his new settlement “New Helvetia” or “New Switzerland”. A few years later it was renamed Sacramento after the Sacramento River.

The main entrance to the fort. The US Flag and the Bear Flag of the California Republic (representing California’s brief time as an independent country and which flew over Sutter’s fort in 1846). The fort became a refuge for traveling pioneers and later as a waystation for the gold mines.

The sign showing the years it was opened. By 1850 the fort had eroded enough so that only the main central building remained. The fort was reconstructed in 1891.

You can sleep in and have a large, leisurely breakfast because the fort doesn’t open until 10 am. It closes at five, just in time to freshen up for dinner. I believe it is closed on Mondays.

Sutter’s Fort is a Registered National Historic Landmark.

Marker about the Coloma Road. Sutter also owned a sawmill in the foothill town of Coloma about 47 miles east of here. It was at this sawmill in 1848 that Sutter’s employee, James Marshall, discovered gold. No internet or CNN then so it took a year for word of this to reach the east coast of the US. By 1849 the stampede to California was on. Everybody was going to get rich in the gold fields of California and the great Gold Rush was on. The miners were called 49′ers because of the year the rush started.

Statue of John Sutter.  It’s actually located across the street from the fort in front of the aptly named Sutter General Hospital.

The plaque beneath the statue.

Wait a minute.  What’s the Flag of Mexico flying here for?  Well, when Sutter came here and built the fort California was Mexico!  In fact, the land he owned (47,287 acres), including that under the fort, was a land grant that he received from Mexican Governor Alvarado.

Just inside the fort was this covered wagon.  These wagons carried not only the pioneers who travelled here but also their provisions and sometimes everything they owned.

Closer look at some of the materials they used.

The yoke in front of the wagon.  The heads of oxen or horses would fit into the holes and they would pull the wagon. 

Mrs. Goyo saying “Sige!  C’mon bring the horses I wanna ride!”  Hmmm, I wonder if she would have been a good cowgirl?

This is the main central building.  Inside were Sutter’s office and a doctor’s office, as well as other rooms.

Looking down from the central building.  Is that a real well or a wishing well?  Hey, I’ve got a wish.  I want to win the lottery!      :-)

Behind the fort are some of the beautiful trees that surround this State Historical Park.

What’s that over there?

It’s a nice little pond.  That’s a cool walking bridge.

The other side of the pond.

Mga itik.  That means “a lot of ducks” in the Bisayan dialect of the central Philippines.

More ducks.  Many years ago when I was single I had an apartment just a few blocks from here.  Many evenings I would ride my bicycle up here and feed some bread to the ducks.  They got to know me after a while and soon as they’d see me drive up they’d start greeting me.  Quack, quack, quack.  It was a lot of fun.  I now own a house near the edge of the city limits but I still like to come and feed the ducks every once in a while.

Coming soon, inside the fort.

The Sacramento skyline as viewed from the city of West Sacramento.

Looking westward from the Capitol at the Tower Bridge. Back in the day, before all the new interstates and freeways were built the entrance into Sacramento from the West was over this bridge.

A side view. This bridge spans the Sacramento River that divides the two cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento. It is also marks the county line. On this side we’re in Sacramento County. West Sacramento, on the other side, is in Yolo County.

City Hall.

Across the street from City Hall is this little park.

US Bank Building.

Looking at the 801 K Street Building.

Some of our buildings have been given unique nicknames by the locals. Another angle shows why the 801 K Street building is called the “Darth Vader Building”". LOL

MIxing the old with the new, this is the 926 J Building.

926 J from the rear.  This old office building is being renovated.  Before the end of 2008 it will be a boutique hotel.

Cal-EPA.  California Environmental Protection Agency building.  Seeing as how we are the State Capitol there are many state government buildings scattered around the downtown.

The old post office, still open for business.  Back in the day this was the main post office for Sacramento.  Now there is a shiny, new, huge building in West Sacramento.

No, this sleek looking, modern style building is not a four star hotel.  This is the jail.  Honest.  It is.  LOL

At the least the jail is close to the Federal Courthouse.

The gate of our little Chinatown.

Some of the Chinese style buildings facing J Street.

This one faces onto I Street.

The Wong Tower.  This building houses apartments for senior citizens.

Looking eastward down J Street.   926 J Street Building is on the right.  That’s the old Elks Building down there on the left.

Downtown shopping mall.  It cannot compare to Ayala Center Cebu.  There are larger malls outside of the city here.

Mall facing L Street.  The mall is 2 blocks wide by 3 blocks long or 6 square blocks in total.

Macy’s.

Wells Fargo Building.  Presently the tallest at 34 stories.

300 Capitol Mall Building.

1201 K Street Building.  Remember I said some had nicknames?  This is the “Ban Roll-On Building”.  LOL

The newest addition to our skyline.

Won’t be much longer until this will be the newest.  It’ll be 25 stories when completed.

Across the river in West Sacramento is the Ziggurat Building.  Ziggurats were first built by the Sumerians and the Babylonians about 6,000 years ago.

Next to the “Zig” another new office building is rising.

The Sacramento Convention Center. 

The Memorial Auditorium.  Before the Convention Center was opened this was the  place to hold a function. 

The Hyatt at Captiol Park.  Best hotel in town. 

Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.

Closer look at the detail.  It was recently restored.

Looking up, up at the spire.

The message is clear.  Go to church or go to jail!  Hahaha.  LOL

The cathedral is located right off the K Street Mall.  This street is for pedestrians only.  No personal vehicles allowed. 

Only the light rail trains and emergency vehicles can drive down the pedestrian mall.

Looking south from the K Street Mall at the Capitol Building.

So here I am wandering around taking fotos for this blog and I run into my good friend Gary Cooper.  No, not that Gary Cooper, the movie star.  This is our Gary Cooper, the star of the Capitol.  Gary is a legislative advocate and a darn good one at that.  If you need someone to be a voice for you and represent you in Sacramento then Gary is your man.  Enlist his services and he might even buy you one of those coffees. 

Dedicated to our fearless firefighters.  Those brave individuals who work as a team to save our lives while risking their own.  There have been four firefighters in our family.  My late uncle Woody  Dimel, his son my cousin Nick Dimel, and my uncle Bert Jenkins all worked for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.  In Cebu my late brother-in-law Arsenio Lanojan was a firefighter.

Here a brave firefighter is rescuing someone from a fire.

Here they are working as a team to put out a fire.

Our slain peace officers.  Putting their life on the line everytime they don their uniform.  Never knowing what they may encounter.  Who’s behind that door they’re knocking on?  Do they have a gun?  What about that driver they stopped?  Is he armed?  And so on, day after day.  Why do they do this?  To make the world a safer place for you and me.  I salute them.

In front of the peace officers memorial is this poignant statue of mother and child.  A mother consoling her child over the loss of their husband and father.  Not only do the peace officers sacrifice for us but their families do too.

The dedication marker.  Policemen.  Sheriff’s.  Highway Patrolmen.  Marshals.  They’re all included.

This statue is dedicated to all the Latino’s who have served in our armed forces.

This one is dedicated to all those who fought in the Spanish American War starting in 1898. 

A closer look reveals that this war included the Philippines.

Mrs. Goyo under a ship’s bell.

Goyo standing alongside it.

This signage explains that this bell was on the USS California, a battleship that served during World War II.  It shows that among other places the ship was involved in fighting in the Leyte Gulf, Surigao and the Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines.  Someday I shall visit the MacArthur memorial in Leyte.  I also want to visit Corregidor, Bataan and Cabanatuan.

A replica of the famous Liberty Bell that is in Philadelphia, PA.

A tree grove planted with saplings that grew on the battlefields of the American Civil War in the 1860′s.  They were transplanted in 1897.

The grove of trees.

More on this side too.

Another memorial.  Unfortunately the plaque had been vandalized leaving us to wonder exactly who it is dedicated to.  I’m guessing either the Korean War vets or, perhaps, just a general memorial to honor those from all wars.

A close up reveals images of soldiers.

Now here is where I get more teary eyed.  Sad to say, this was my war.  I served in the US Navy as a Quartermaster on board the USS Cree ATF-84.  In the army a quartmaster deals with supplies but in the navy a quartermaster is a navigator.  I was the one on the bridge who would study the charts (maps) and tell the Captain, “Sir, turn left at the next wave.” 

Before you enter there is this map of South Vietnam where the US military saw action.

This part of the map shows Phanh Thiet.  My ship and I were there.

This shows Da Nang.  We could come into port here to load up with supplies.  When people ask me where I received my education I sometimes reply “I got my masters from the University of Da Nang.”  No, there was no university there, at least I didn’t know of one then, but I sure received an education there.

The Gulf of Tonkin.  Yankee Station it was called then.  We put in a lot of time there just off the coast from Haiphong in North Vietnam. 

A weary soldier takes a break, rifle at his side shows his readiness to return to the fight.

A plaque.  It’s kind of hard to read here, I just liked the sun and shadows playing on it.  It reminded me of the concept of Yin and Yang.  War-Peace.

Two buddies share a walk together.  Lifelong friends are made in these situations.

Depiction of a prisoner of war.  They suffered such hardships.  I don’t like to dwell on it.

A nurse.  How many lives were saved by these brave nurses?  Countless.  It’s not always those who carry the rifles who are brave.  Under awful conditions they stayed by our sides and brought many of us back to health.  I thank each and every one of them.

In combat.

This is a really difficult one.  The wall of names.  They went to war by plane or by ship.  They came home in a box.  One of my high school classmates has his name here.   I always look at it every time I am here.  In high school we weren’t best friends or anything that close but we knew each other and shared a few laughs from time to time.  I’m so sorry for what happened to him.

The plaque honoring not only those who died but also those missing in action.  Some missing until now. 

“All Gave Some, Some Gave All”

Some of the greenery on the south side of the Capitol.

Hmm, I wonder what kind of tree this is?  Why of course, it’s an Erythrina Crysta-Galli.  Commonly known as the Cockspur Coral Tree.  Aren’t I smart?

Oops.  My secret is exposed.  The trees all have name tags on them so you can easily tell what they are.  Guess I don’t look so smart now, huh? 

This is an Incense Cedar tree.

Okay, here’s an easy one.  These are palm trees.  These trees are planted on the sides of the streets that surround the Capitol.  These trees are on the south side, along N Street.

Looks like a forest.

An orange tree?

Yes, oranges.  Hey, grab yourself a little vitamin C while you stroll the grounds.

Palm trees next to the building.  Reminds me of the Philippines.

Getting tired?  Kapoy?  No problem, just sit down on a bench, relax and soak up the greenery that surrounds you.

Palm trees along the north side, L Street.  Also some of the buildings across from the Capitol. 

Pretty flower bed.

Up close and personal.  Beautiful flower. 

This is a Weeping Lawson Cyprus.

The rear of the Capitol is where the majority of the parklike grounds are. 

European Olive.

What’s this?  Bamboo?  Yes it is.

Banana!  Hey, maybe I am back in Cebu.  Where’s Governor Gwen? 

This has got to be the skinniest palm tree in the world.  Poor thing.

At the extreme rear of the park, facing 15th Street, is the rose garden.  The canopy is covering some refreshments and a trio of musicians that are there for a wedding ceremony.  Many people stage weddings here in the rose garden.  It’s a very popular place for loving couples. 

Unfortunately, the roses are not yet in bloom.  However, I shall return.  Me and Doug MacArthur. 

Some state buildings across 15th Street from the Capitol.

From the rear of the park near 15th Street and looking back at the eastern side of the Capitol Building.

Benches are scattered around the park for the weary.  Often there will be someone playing music here.  Perhaps someone playing a lonely saxophone.  Sometimes someone will strum a guitar here.  But no one sings Matud Nila here. 

Hey, I could be the first to do that.  Who knows, maybe I’ll start a new tradition.  

Squirrel at the base of a tree.  There are many squirrels here running around the grounds and up into the trees.

This young lady was trying to train her poodle the day I was there.  The poodle was more interested in the squirrels though. 

Presbyterian church across the street.  I hope they’re praying that our legislators will do something good for a change.  Amen.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little tour around the grounds of the State Capitol of California.  In the next post I will show you some of the memorials here in the park.

Welcome to the new Goyo blog about Sacramento CA.  I recently traveled to the Philippines and kept a foto blog of my journey.  Some of the viewers of that blog asked to see my hometown so here it is.  Although not a native Sacramentan I have lived here since I was eleven years old.  I won’t tell you how many years that has been but it’s long enough to call it my “hometown”.  So now I share my hometown with you. 

Why is the above title in Spanish?  Well, when Sacramento was first founded in 1839 this area was a part of Mexico.  There is a rich history here and I will touch on some of that as we progress.  If you’re looking for us on a map, we are to be found approximately 400 miles north of LA and 90 miles northeast of San Francisco.  Sacramento is most notable for being the Capital of the State of California so that’s where we should start. 

Here then is a foto of the Capitol Building.

This is the West Entrance to the Capitol.  When the Governor or any other dignitary is to make a speech to the public these are the steps they will stand on to address the crowd.

Another look at the West Entrance.

A plaque explaining the construction of the Capitol Building.

A closer look shows some of the detail the builders carved into the building.

Closer yet to see the detail.

The Gold Seal of the State of California.

A golden ball sits atop the Capitol Dome as befitting the “Golden State”.

The South Entrace to the Capitol.  This was a Saturday so not too many people around. 

The North Entrance.  This has become the main entrance for the public to use.  Every weekday you will see various groups here protesting one thing or another.  Mostly they’re wanting more money for whatever their cause is.  Hey, my cause is Goyo!  Do ya’ think I could get some money from the state by launching my own protest? 

Across the street, to the west, from the Capitol is the Office of the State Treasurer.  Hey, maybe they’ll give Goyo some money!

The Library and Courts Building.  Oops.  Maybe I’ll drop my plans to protest.  Wouldn’t want to end up in the State Court.

And that concludes our first glimpse of California’s State Capitol.  Thanks for visiting and stay tuned, there’s more to come.