Exploring Sacramento

During our first day in the beautiful city of Sacramento, my roommate (Gerardo) and I explored the capitol city and what it had to offer us. We began our week long experience by walking to Old Sacramento, where the cobble streets are a reminder of the city’s rich past. We ate a quick lunch, and made our way to the Crocker Museum, one of the city’s cultural & artistic hubs. The Crocker Museum had amazing works of art which ranged from Native American pottery to paintings of the Santa Barbara coast! I also found a painting that brought the story of Antigone and her father Oedipus—one of many stories from my Political Theory class with Doc— to life. 

After our stop to the museum, we stopped by the mansion of California industrialist, Leland Stanford, one of the “Big Four”. This group composed of some of the most powerful men in the country at the time were responsible for completing the Transcontinental Railroad. Leland Stanford would later go on to found Stanford University, as well as shape the future of the newly integrated state as the eighth governor. Gerardo and I were also able to get into the Capitol along with a few other curious tourists, but our adventure was quickly cut short when a CHP officer told the group that the building was closed, yet someone forgot to close the front door! 

Our free day truly showed me how a different perspective of a city I had visited several times. The day ended with Assemblymember and former SBCC student Das Williams and his legislative aide joining the program’s first group dinner. The Assemblymember was very kind and answered as much questions as he possibly could, and both offered insight to careers in the Capitol. Our week began with the history of our great state, and I knew with all the meetings, hearings, and sessions Doc and his “minions” had set up that week, we would all get to see what California’s future might look like.  

 The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. One of the few remaining buildings of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, which celebrated the Panama Canal in 1915. 

 A painting of the Santa Barbara coast that made me miss our beautiful sunsets!

 My favorite piece of art at the Crocker Museum. The Yosemite National Park is illustrated in this large painting that includes some of the park's iconic features, such as North Face and El Capitan. 

I can't escape Doc's Political Thinking course even in Sacramento! Here's the famous painting of Antigone aiding her blinded father Oedipus. 

Thanks for reading, 

Elmer Martinez