Showcasing the beauty of the Sacramento area. Using my Phantom quadcopter (drone) to photograph and video the beautiful Sacramento Area.
I welcome your comments and encourage you to follow my blog as I explore some of the hidden and not so hidden areas of where we live.
I finally upgraded my drone to the DJI Phantom 4. This is an amazing machine. With my old drone when I was flying in Old Sac I would begin to lose my signal about the time I would reach to other side of the river.
Today I flew from Old Sacramento over to Raley Field without a single issue. I hear online of people flying 3 miles away with the Phantom 4. We'll see if ever try that distance.
As you enter Old Sacramento’s 28-acre town of historic buildings that were constructed in the early 1800s, you’ll step back in time to the California Gold Rush era.
Pioneers first settled along the banks of the Sacramento River, a main traffic route for supplies. But the new city experienced flooding and fires. In 1850 Sacramento experienced its first devastating flood, and another one in 1852. It became apparent that drastic measures would need to be taken if the city was to be saved.
In 1853 a mammoth project was proposed to raise the city above the flood stage. The ambitious and expensive proposal was not totally accepted until another devastating flood swept through the city in 1862. Within a few years, thousands of cubic yards of earth were brought in on wagons and the daring scheme to raise the street level can be seen throughout Old Sacramento under the boardwalks and in its basements.
The center of the commercial district gradually moved east, leaving the area impoverished. In the mid-1960s, a redevelopment plan was granted to revitalize a once thriving merchant community. Today, after strong preservation efforts with 53 historic buildings, Old Sacramento has more buildings of historic value condensed into its 28-acres than any area of similar size in the West. The nostalgic appeal of early American history is reflected perfectly by the wooden sidewalks, horse-drawn carriages, old-fashioned candy shops and Mississippi-style riverboats. History comes to life through interactive experiences, such as taking a ride on a steam engine train, sitting in an authentic desk inside a one-roomed 1800s replica schoolhouse, or dressing in period costumes for an old-fashioned photo. Old Sacramento is a National Landmark and a portion is designated as a California State Historic Park.
This amazing video really highlights the beauty of Sacramento. Thank you Justin Maleczky for allowing me to share your wonderful video. Part of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership
A very nice video of Sacramento in the morning. This video was taken by some friends that are building an expandable drone. It can start as a quadcopter and you can expand it by adding additional arms and propellers. If you would like to see more of his great videos visit his YouTube Channel. Forest Rat Productions.
I think we have a beautiful city. I've lived in this area for my entire life. 46 years of watching our city grow. That got me thinking: How has this area grown over the years? So here is a little history in today's post. The population of Sacramento County over the years. 1850 9,087 1860 24,142 1870 26,830 1880 34,390 1890 40,339 1900 45,915 1910 67,806 1920 91,029 1930 141,999 1940 170,333
I bet you haven't heard "Twas the Night Before Christmas" done quite like this. Come on down to Old Sacramento and hear Clement Clarke Moore's famous story retold from the balcony's of Old Sacramento.
If you heard a few cow bells in Land Park on Sunday don't worry, it wasn't a stampede in the regular sense. It was just a few of the thousands of spectators and supporters cheering on the over 5,000 runners that participated in the 2014 Urban Cow Half Marathon and 5K run. The weather was perfect and the times were fast. So fast in fact that a young man broke the world record. The fastest time ever for a 10-year old in a half marathon. Even if you weren't fast enough to break a record it was a great event and obviously from the turn out it's a favorite in Sacramento.
The Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum is a learning center that allows students of all ages to explore California's early days of education. Located in the Capital City's historic Old Sacramento area, the
Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum is a living
replica of traditional one- room schoolhouses found throughout America in the late 1800s. The Old
Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum is open most weekdays and weekends to the general public, and weekdays by appointment for school field trips. Costumed schoolmarms and school masters are available to tell about school life in 19th century
California, and sometimes even lead visitors in a lesson. The one- room replica schoolhouse, established in 1977 by community volunteers, features a pot- bellied stove, vintage student desks and other furnishings typical of the period.
The Hawaiian Chieftain, a regular visitor in Sacramento, has arrived early in Old Sacramento. The 103-foot ship is berthed at the floating dock at Front Street and "L" Street, just above the Tower Bridge.
The ship is used to introduce elementary school kids the living history of working on a ship.
The ship is open to the public for walk-on tours on Tues - Fri. from 4-5pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10-1. A $3 donation per person is appreciated. No reservation are required.
One of my favorite places to sit and relax is along the waterfront near the Embassy Suites. It's such a great place to go and get away from all the stuff that builds up during the day. Very relaxing.
The firework show that almost didn't happen. We had been waiting for about an hour for the River Cats game to end so the firework show could start. It's now the bottom of the ninth inning and all the gathered photographers are getting their cameras ready. I've synced my drone to the GPS satellites.
About that time we see 4 or 5 police cars headed into Old Sacramento with their lights and sirens blaring. A fire truck pulls on to the Tower Bridge and stops. Then a fire truck pulls up next to all the photographers, a few firemen get out and head down to the water. Then…. the police helicopter starts flying over head. Someone asked me if I would fly my drone with the helicopter overhead? "No, I won't. But I won't need to fly because I'm sure they won't shoot off the fireworks if the helicopter is flying." It seems the a call came in that someone had fallen or jumped into the river up stream. Luckily the fire department didn't find anything and about 20 minutes later the firework show started.
The Pony Express left Old Sacramento on a beautiful Wednesday morning on its 2,000 mile journey to St. Joseph Missouri.
The Pony Express consisted of relays of men riding horses carrying saddlebags of mail across a 2000-mile trail. The service opened officially on April 3, 1860, when riders left simultaneously from St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. The first westbound trip was made in 9 days and 23 hours and the eastbound journey in 11 days and 12 hours. The pony riders covered 250 miles in a 24-hour day.
Eventually, the Pony Express had more than 100 stations, 80 riders, and between 400 and 500 horses. The express route was extremely hazardous, but only one mail delivery was ever lost. The service lasted only 19 months until October 24, 1861, when the completion of the Pacific Telegraph line ended the need for its existence. Although California relied upon news from the Pony Express during the early days of the Civil War, the horse line was never a financial success, leading its founders to bankruptcy. However, the romantic drama surrounding the Pony Express has made it a part of the legend of the American West. (from Pony Express.org)
Have 45 minutes and want an adventure in Old Sacramento? Try taking the train ride along the Sacramento River. You will enjoy the view from a 1920's Southern Pacific observation car as you make your way 3 miles down the river. Old Sac Train Rides
Days of operation: Saturdays and Sundays; April 5 through September 28, 2014 Hours of operation: Every hour on the hour, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (weather permitting) Departure location: Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot in Old Sacramento (located on Front Street between J and K Streets). Tickets: Regular Coach: $10 adults, $5 youths (ages 6-17), ages 5 and under ride free. First Class El Dorado Car: $20 adults, $15 youths (ages 6-17), ages 5 and under ride free.
The original M Street bridge was built in 1911. It was obvious that the bridge was going to be inadequate for the area so the "Tower Bridge" was constructed in 1935 at a cost of $666,000. An icon of the Sacramento skyline it wasn't always painted gold. The original silver color was too glaring for motorist so in 1976 it was painted an yellowish color to represent gold. In 2002 is was repainted its current gold color.
In 1982 the bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Took the Phantom 2 drone out for a tour of Old Sacramento today. It was a bit windy so the video may be a little shaky but it sure was fun taking it out for a spin.
