Later that day, I met up with good old pod 22 for a reunion dinner in Midtown Sacramento. Every second Saturday of the month, the city's galleries open for a free event appropriately called the Second Saturday Art Walk. Other businesses join in on the fun with live music, outdoor vendor booths, and street performers.
This particular excursion made me fall in love with Sacramento. During my other trips to the Midtown area on Sunday afternoons, the city was always pretty and pleasant enough, but never captivating or particularly lively. This evening, however, the streets pulsated with activity, showing a vibrant, energetic side that I had not had the opportunity to see. Cafes, yogurt shops, pizza places, burger joints, bookstores, and clothing boutiques were lit with neon signs on every corner, ranging from the edgy to the quaint. But what completed the decidedly urban atmosphere was the people who flooded the sidewalks, loitering under the trees strung with Christmas lights and dancing to the music emanating from the packed nightclubs. I saw one guy doing backflips down the street for absolutely no reason at all. I loved seeing Sacramento as a living city.
Our pod left campus early to catch the light rail but had such awful luck with transportation that it took two hours to get downtown. We missed the first train, and then missed our stop, and by the time we made it to our destination, we were starving. But it was great having the opportunity to spend time with old pod members; we got updates on where everyone was going for their projects and played silly games, which is something I miss since my new team isn't very keen on such juvenile pursuits.
After wandering through town, we finally settled on an excellent diner called Hamburger Patties. It may have been our hunger, but the food was amazing. I inhaled my Buckaroo Burger (with ranch dressing and thick slabs of bacon) in a matter of minutes, and the entrees came with a side of seasoned spicy fries.
Because our detours had taken so long, we only had about an hour left to explore the galleries. Most of my pod mates dispersed to various groups of new friends to frequent the aforementioned clubs and bars. However, due to an AmeriCorps rules that prohibits alcohol consumption 24 hours before leaving on projects, I could not join them, not to mention I still had to pack. Instead my friend Casey and I decided to catch the closing hours of some of the local art exhibitors.
The first place we happened upon was the Smith Gallery, which showcases a wide variety of artists. There were some truly amazing paintings, from photorealistic to abstract, and a very impressive range of California landscapes that showcased the state's mountains and vineyards. My favorite artists there were Steve Memering and Andrew Hindman, who particularly impressed me with their work (check out Hindman's incredible painting "Breaking Boundaries").
We left with plenty of time to spare to catch the final light rail, and even had a chance to take a short detour to visit The Shiny Nickel Art Gallery. This exhibitor was not on the official list of Second Saturday participants, but we were attracted by the techno and hip-hop beats playing in the yard and the crowds of people chatting with beers and cigarettes in hand. The art here was definitely more graphic and avante garde with an edgy, indie flair.
It's a shame that my final day in Sacramento was when I finally grew to appreciate the city, but more adventures await. I was excited to finally be caught up in my posting, but I unfortunately don't have regular Internet access at my housing in Sheridan, Wyoming, making it difficult to stay updated. I've already been here for a week, not including the three-day road trip through California, Nevada, and Utah. I do love it here; it's beautiful, and there are surprisingly lots of things to do for fun. The people are wonderful, and the job is hard, tiring, and very fulfilling. Check my Facebook profile for the latest photos, and I'll try my best to get you details as soon as I can!
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