Just a few minutes north of the dense concrete grid of downtown Sacramento, the scenery abruptly changes. Pull onto the Garden Highway in the city’s Natomas region, and suddenly, California’s bustling capital gives way to what feels like a small, rural town.
On one side of the two-lane road, you’ll find a wild canopy of trees and shrubs lining the banks of the moss-green Sacramento River; on the other, fields of farm land and a sprawling oak preserve. The 90-degree sun beats down relentlessly, turning the leather steering wheel of a parked car into a burn hazard.
Luckily, there are plenty of places to get a cold drink around here…