Cal EXPO Page

Page Created April 19, 1999 Last Modified: April 19, 1999

Each year my brother and a varied group of his friends and acquaintances travel to the California State Fair at Cal Expo in the state capitol, Sacramento. This trip is a special treat because it is a package deal through Amtrak. The package includes round-trip train fare from San Jose (and stations up the line) to Sacramento, plus bus transport to the state fair and back, plus entry into the fair.

Part of the joy of this whole adventure is the pleasant journey by train. It is nice to see some different scenery along the familiar route north to Sacramento.

There is a nice web page that describes the train journey here.

The train leaves the San Jose station early in the morning, and travels through various communities and open lands on its way North. There are stops at various stations along the way, picking up additional passengers in Santa Clara, Fremont, Oakland and Emeryville. The train turns and travels closer to the coastline than the common inland highways, passing through the peaceful Martinez area. The train passes over the Suison Bay just to the East and just below the Highway 80 automobile bridge.

In addition to the wonderful vistas, the train also has amenities on board, with snacks and beverages available in the dining car. It is very refreshing to sit back and relax as the miles drift by the window, and the gentle clacking of the tracks.

After traveling through a wildlife refuge wetlands area, the train rolls into the Davis station, for another brief stop.

After arriving at the Train Station in Sacramento, we unload from the train .........

.... and load onto a bus to transport us to the State Fair.

Here is the motley crew gathered for the prerequisite group photo right outside of the front of the entry to the State Fair.

The first thing to do when you get into the State Fair, is to ride the monorail around the fairgrounds. This gives you a good look at the entire facility, and helps you get "the lay of the land".

This is a view of the Carnival area as seen from the Monorail.

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