Your Tax Dollars at Work SACRAMENTO SCOOP
February 16, 2004
Barb and I entered through the north-wing doors and were greeted by a bevy of smiling security personnel (this was Sunday after church and the crowds were nonexistent - this was also the day after a free day for all of Sacramento's museums). Two metal detectors did their work and we were inside without incident.
To the right, up three or four steps is a hall that led to a temporary Sacramento Library museum display. Two rooms with samples of rare items. An Audubon huge 3 x 4 foot bird book, old city maps, photos of the waterfront, vintage sheet music about California, books behind glass, etc.
This letterbox is stationed outside the basement's restaurant and souvenir shop. Early 20th century mural paintings wind around the circular walls in the basement rotunda, depicting different scenes of early California life and scenes.
The noon tour group had about a dozen folks in it. Our guide related all the details with humor and skill, able to answer all our questions. This is the visitor's gallery above the Senate Floor where you can go freely any time and watch a session.
While the Senate color scheme is in pinks and reds, the Assembly is in gold and green. You can exercise your own opinions about them. Nothing to brag about from my perspective. The original painting of Washington, above, was used as a model for the dollar bill. The painting of Lincoln, below, is the most valuable item in the building (we didn't hear a price, though).
Original, turn of the century elevators still run every day.
Of course, the most inspiring view is from the ground floor rotunda looking up. Further examples of God gifting men to create things beautiful and stunning. What looks like the top of the dome is still inside the interior of the higher, exterior dome, which rises another (?) feet above this one.
I'm standing by a life-size marble statue of Christopher Columbus and a few other figures while taking these shots.
A dimly lit, expensively carpeted staircase took us to the basement floor where yet another dimly lit hallway led to the center of the rotunda. We found out that the low lights are an attempt to recreate the original gaslight mood. Anyway, the lights themselves were rather awesome. Note: everything has been restored to the original 19th century designs. I'm not sure about the colors.
Even the simple had an elegance, like this drinking fountain outside the restrooms.
Tile and marble-work decorated floors and walls.
Outside the gallery entrances for each chamber there is a hall for a few governor's portraits, including the two below. Shown without comment!
The many stairways are also beautifully decorated. A number of these grizzly bear heads were on the landing.
The shot below is take through two huge 15 foot high double doors that led to the balcony on the west side of the Capitol. This is where speeches have been made and where Queen Elizabeth stepped out to say hi to all of her loyal American fans a few years ago. You can see the gold Tower Bridge in the distance as it spans the Sacramento River.
And that's me, signing off after a President's Day of designing these pages for you. Hope you enjoyed them.
