Emeryville vs. Sacramento?

[dwebarts]

I'm looking at booking a circle-type trip (CL-CZ-CS-SWC, TBD back to WAS) around late February / early March since the buckets look decent.

I figure given the time of year, I should plan on spending the night between my CZ and CS legs. If I'm not planning on going to San Francisco at all, which transfer point is most interesting?

 

[TinCan782]

I've stayed in Emeryville but don't know how sightseeing is around there.
I didn't look at times or accomodations for Sacramento but, I'll offer this (in case you are a railfan!)....
https://www.californiarailroad.museum/

 

[joelkfla]

I'm looking at booking a circle-type trip (CL-CZ-CS-SWC, TBD back to WAS) around late February / early March since the buckets look decent.

I figure given the time of year, I should plan on spending the night between my CZ and CS legs. If I'm not planning on going to San Francisco at all, which transfer point is most interesting?

There's nothing in Emeryville. In Sacramento, you have the state railroad museum, and you can ride the light rail if you're into that.

Really, unless you're dead set against going into SF, I would spend the night in the Emeryville area and ride BART into SF for a few hours. There's a free circulator bus that connects with BART.

SF has a pretty good transit system to get around the city, including historic streetcars on Market St, and of course the ridiculously expensive cable cars.

 

[Bob Dylan]

If Sacramento or Emeryville don't appeal to you, take a look @ Davis, which a really nice College town and not as Expensive as the 2 Metro Areas.

The old Mission Style ex SP Station is a gem, with a really friendly Agent and lots of students use the Capitol Corridor to commute or take trips to the City.

Lots of good eating places and a few places to stay close to the Station, Google is your friend here.

If you do decide to do Sacramento, the Vagabond Inn is across from Union Station, The Rail Museum also( note its run by the State and closes early so you might want to spend 2 nights there)as is Old Sacramento and the Sacramento River also.

The Light Rail stops @ Union Station, so it's convenient for sightseeing ( aka a Joy Ride, not lots to see in Sacramento from the Train)

 

[dwebarts]

Really, unless you're dead set against going into SF, I would spend the night in the Emeryville area and ride BART into SF for a few hours. There's a free circulator bus that connects with BART.

The problem is more that I love SF , so the risk is missing the 8:20 AM scheduled departure from EMY to LAX on the CS due to oversleeping.

I'll fiddle with it for a bit and maybe schedule some buffer time for the Bay area to explore (and empty my wallet more than the rail sleepers will).

Davis might work. The environmentalist in me has always respected their ideas.

 

[Sidney]

If Sacramento or Emeryville don't appeal to you, take a look @ Davis, which a really nice College town and not as Expensive as the 2 Metro Areas.

The old Mission Style ex SP Station is a gem, with a really friendly Agent and lots of students use the Capitol Corridor to commute or take trips to the City.

Lots of good eating places and a few places to stay close to the Station, Google is your friend here.

If you do decide to do Sacramento, the Vagabond Inn is across from Union Station, The Rail Museum also( note its run by the State and closes early so you might want to spend 2 nights there)as is Old Sacramento and the Sacramento River also.

The Light Rail stops @ Union Station, so it's convenient for sightseeing ( aka a Joy Ride, not lots to see in Sacramento from the Train)

I'm doing a circle trip in January and staying in Davis coming off the CZ and getting on the next day's CS. Got a LaQuinta about a half mile from the station.

 

[joelkfla]

If you do decide to do Sacramento, the Vagabond Inn is across from Union Station, The Rail Museum also( note its run by the State and closes early so you might want to spend 2 nights there)as is Old Sacramento and the Sacramento River also.

Yeah, I should've looked at the arrival times. Depending on CZ's arrival, there might be only an hour or 2 to explore the museum, walking over directly from the station.

 

[mwmnp]

If you do decide to do Sacramento, the Vagabond Inn is across from Union Station, The Rail Museum also( note its run by the State and closes early so you might want to spend 2 nights there)as is Old Sacramento and the Sacramento River also.

That Vegabond Inn has been closed for a while due to, I think, the property being used for homeless housing as part of "Project Roomkey" since March 2020. Their website shows that they will start accepting reservations as a hotel again after March 1, 2022, but I don't know if that's true or that they just haven't blocked off those dates yet as part of their "temporary" closure.

The Holiday Inn one block to the south is still open, and the other building on that block has been renovated and turned into a Curio Collection Hilton Hotel.

 

[Bob Dylan]

That Vegabond Inn has been closed for a while due to, I think, the property being used for homeless housing as part of "Project Roomkey" since March 2020. Their website shows that they will start accepting reservations as a hotel again after March 1, 2022, but I don't know if that's true or that they just haven't blocked off those dates yet as part of their "temporary" closure.

The Holiday Inn one block to the south is still open, and the other building on that block has been renovated and turned into a Curio Collection Hilton Hotel.

Thanks for the update, it's been too long since I visited Sacramento!

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I’ve stayed in both places and the hotels are cheaper, and there is more to do in Sacramento.

If you are definitely not going into San Francisco I would highly reccomend Sacramento.