From 1903 to 1967, this lovely Victorian mansion was home to thirteen California governors. These days, guided tours lead visitors through beautifully decorated rooms that feature fourteen-foot ceilings. Participants are routinely regaled with "inside" stories about the mansion's occupants and families, taking away little-known facts and snippets of trivia. Tours are offered every hour on the hour.

OLD SACRAMENTO. Take a walking tour or a horse-drawn buggy ride to best experience this 28-acre State Historic Park ­ an important commercial center during the 1840s and early 1850s. Shops, restaurants, museums, and shows keep visitors thoroughly busy and entertained as they browse and learn about Sacramento's Gold Rush era. Be sure to stop by the visitor center at 1101 Second Street to be apprised of current special events.

In 1839, Swiss immigrant John Sutter established a fort that became Sacramento's first settlement. It was also a favorite stop-over for travelers in the community's early days. That fort has now been restored to its 1850s appearance and presents a variety of exhibits whose significance is related via self-guided tours and hand-held radio narratives. Experience living quarters, a jail, bakery, and blacksmith shop as residents many years ago would have known them.