Traveling north along Sacramento’s Garden Highway

It was on one of my many trips to Sacramento – this one in April – that I found myself with quite a bit of extra time on my hands, so I grabbed my camera and headed north out of town along the Garden Highway.

Sacramento River Garden Highway Apr 2013 #15

The Garden Highway follows the Sacramento River north into the Sacramento Valley. The road travels on top of a levee road, with the river on the right …

Sacramento River Garden Highway Apr 2013 #22

And on the left, nice looking farms – definitely owner occupied …

Sacramento River Garden Highway Apr 2013 #18

with nice, tidy fields.

Sacramento River Garden Highway Apr 2013 #20

There are homes on the east side of the river …

Sacramento River Garden Highway Apr 2013 #12

But the west side is really undeveloped, with a lot of access for fishermen along the banks.

Sacramento River Garden Highway Apr 2013 #6

It is quite peaceful here, traveling along the river, on this pleasant spring day.

Sacramento River Garden Highway Apr 2013 #7After awhile, the road leaves the levee and travels through farms in the Sacramento Valley.

Sacramento Valley agriculture Apr 2013 #4Many of the fields were being prepped for planting.  A lot of rice is grown in the Sacramento Valley, although I think this crop is actually winter wheat.

Sacramento Valley agriculture Apr 2013 #3.5Sacramento Valley agriculture Apr 2013 #2

This is a field of tomatoes …Sacramento Valley agriculture Apr 2013 #19

Really nice looking farms, well taken care of, and definitely owner-occupied.  (This is a definite contrast to other agricultural areas I have traveled through, such as the Imperial Valley and portions of the southern Central Valley, where significant parts of the land appear to be leased by others.  I say this because there are no homes around for miles, and when you do come across a home, it is oftentimes rundown or even unoccupied.  But not here.)

Sacramento Valley agriculture Apr 2013 #12

Sacramento Valley agriculture Apr 2013 #14

Agriculture in the Sacramento Valley is irrigated, of course, as is most agriculture in California.

Sacramento Valley agriculture Apr 2013 #7

Sacramento Valley agriculture Apr 2013 #8

I was intrigued by this lone tree amid the plowed field …

Sacramento Valley agriculture Apr 2013 #5

And these rusty mailboxes. I love rural mailboxes. I could do a photo essay just on rural mailboxes …

Sacramento Valley - Rusty Mailboxes Apr 2013 #3

After awhile, I came across a train trestle that crosses what looked to be a floodplain. This might very well have been in the northern Yolo Bypass, but I’m not entirely sure of that.

Train trestle - Sacramento Valley Apr 2013 #1

Train trestle - Sacramento Valley Apr 2013 #5

Train trestle - Sacramento Valley Apr 2013 #3

Eventually, the road took me to a small town called Knight’s Landing.

Sacramento River at Knight's Landing Apr 2013 #1

Sacramento River at Knight's Landing Apr 2013 #4

It is here that the road rejoins Interstate 5, and so I headed south, back to the city. So long from the Sacramento Valley!