Under $100: Sacramento, California

Sacramento is a unique city that gets overlooked by visitors. Usually people flock to Los Angeles or Malibu when they think of making a trip to California. However, Sacramento is the state’s capital and has many interesting sites and places to visit.

Begin the day by grabbing a coffee and enjoying a walk around the California State Capitol Museum. Entry is free, but there is security to enter the building. Visitors can walk around the rooms inside and admire the architecture. Besides the building, there is a surrounding park with 450 varieties of trees and plants from around the world. They’re all marked with name and origin.

Next, visit the California Railroad Museum. If you’re thinking an entire museum dedicated to railroads is boring, then think again. There are 21 restored trains available for viewing. In addition, there is a simulator train that visitors can use to see what it’s like to conduct a train. They also have trains for special events, for example, a Polar Express train in wintertime. It’s cheap at only $12 for adults and $6 for children 6–17 years of age.

Take a stroll through the City Cemetery. This spooky setting opened in 1849. For history enthusiasts, this is a great place to lose an afternoon. Travelers can walk and observe the different plots. There are a number of politicians and businessmen buried here.

For dinner, get some quality Italian food at Hot Italian. They have a simple menu and everything on it is delicious. The restaurant is owned by an Italian. Save room for desert and buy a gelato for the road. This will cost $25–35.