A cool January day found us on the road to Sacramento - destination, Sutter's Fort. We've been to Sacramento before, to Old Sacramento and the Railway Museum, but Sutter's Fort was closed during that visit and I've had a weakness for forts. This one was interesting, and not entirely what I expected. To start with, it is in the middle of Sacramento! And it was started by one person - John Sutter, who originally came from Switzerland. The fort became a place of hospitality and safety to travelers. Sutter originally called it New Helevetia - New Switzerland. However, the fort didn't survive the gold rush, and Sutter eventually sold it off. It fell into disrepair in the 1850s, and was restored based on old maps in 1893 - the restoration itself is now 125 years old!


The fort seems to be well planned, and had quite a lot of facilities - walk alongside the walls, and you will see

the bakery:


the weaving room:




the kitchen:


the carpentry:



the armory:


the blacksmith:



the trading room:


and of course, the cannons:



For families:
There is ample parking around the fort, and parking is free on Sundays. On weekdays it may be difficult to find street parking, but there are plenty of garages within walking distance of the fort. There is an entrance fee: $5 for adults and $3 for kids. There are clean restrooms inside the fort, as well as just outside the fort. For more information, please see: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=485