Recently in Sacramento Category

Yesterday, we took you through the first half of a road trip coast to coast through the Heartland of America. Today, we return for the second leg of the journey.

After five days of driving cross-country, an evening swim becomes the ultimate luxury. After a very long haul from St. Louis to Denver, you'll want to soak up some of that rejuvenating desert sun at The Westin Tabor Center's rooftop pool (pictured). The next day, get ready to witness some stunning scenery. The seven hour drive to Salt Lake City traverses sensational mountain terrain, and the newly renovated Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel is an oasis in the heart of downtown. On your way out, swim in the Great Salt Lake, then roll down the windows and let that warm air dry you off. Soon, you'll be rolling into California. Stop for a good night's rest at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel. San Francisco's just an hour and a half away, and you'll want to stroll into the W San Francisco looking your absolute best.

The best way to see America is to hit the open road. No country on Earth has as many distinctive cities and towns scattered across such a spectacular landscape. And to cap it off, there's a Starwood Hotel waiting to welcome you every step of the way. Here's a ten-day itinerary that'll take you from coast to coast, through the Heartland of America. Today, we'll take you through the first half of the trip and return tomorrow with more tips on driving cross-country in the US.

Start off in style at the Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Soho Village in New York City. It's just around the corner from the Holland Tunnel, the gateway to I-78. Next morning you'll be in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in three short hours. Check in at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel, then go learn about history at the National Civil War Museum. Primed for a visit to historic Gettysburg, detour there on your way to Indianapolis. Just be sure to arrive at The Westin Indianapolis in time for dinner, because Shula's Steakhouse is one of the nation's best. Fueled with a prime cut, and a fine sleep, you'll be ready for your next stop, St. Louis. Stroll along the Mississippi River, see that iconic Gateway Arch, and enjoy cocktail hour at your home for the night, The Westin St. Louis. Next morning set out for Kansas City. Just south of the city center, Aloft Leawood is surrounded by great golf. After a few hours on the links, head into town for barbecue and jazz. But don't stay out too late, tomorrow's drive to Denver is the longest haul yet.

The yo-yo can trace its origins back thousands of years to China, but it's truly an American icon, having first taken the country by storm in the 1930's, and again in the sixties and seventies. And while the yo-yo's popularity rises and falls with the times (sorry), there's one place it's always in fashion: the National Yo-Yo Museum. This quirky museum in downtown Chico, California boasts the world's largest public display of yo-yos, which is saying a lot. Come and see displays relating to the history of the yo-yo, an amazing range of yo-yos throughout the ages, and even the world's largest working yo-yo, the Big-Yo (pictured), which weighs in at a whopping 256 pounds. I'd like to see the yo-yo master who can "walk the dog" with that one. Museum admission is free, and tours are given every day that talk about the pioneers and superstars of this fascinating pastime. The museum is also the site of the National Yo-Yo Contest every October, when participants from around the world gather to show off their skills in five different divisions. If you're thinking about entering, you'd better start training now, because these guys and gals can do some amazing things with yo-yos. Guests at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel with a fondness for these tiny toys might enjoy a visit to this truly unique destination.

Photographer Ramak Fazel made an art project out of a cross-country road trip. Starting in his hometown, Fort Wayne Indiana, he drove a big white van to 49 of the nation's capitol cities. The journey lasted 78 days, and covered 17,345 miles. Along the way he photographed each state's capitol building, and the people he encountered, capturing a snapshot of American life. The project was inspired by his stamp collection as Fazel's mom had been nagging him about the numerous sheets collecting dust in her basement. Anyway, the images on the stamps got Fazel thinking about different US cities, so what he did was, he mailed himself a postcard from one capitol city, to the next capitol city's post office, using the stamps he had stockpiled since childhood. If you're in New York, you can check out the fruits of Fazel's expedition in an exhibition at the Storefront for Art and Architecture, which runs through March 8.

While Fazel spent his slumbering hours in the confines of his cozy van, if you or I went on a similar expedition, we know where we'd be catching our z's now don't we? I'd start in my home state of Rhode Island, and kick off my journey in style at The Westin Providence. From there I'd hightail it south to the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, then head west, stopping in at the Sheraton Austin Hotel before making my way to the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel. From there I'd catch a flight to Honolulu where I'd finish up in style at the W Honolulu - Diamond Head, never forgetting to send postcards along the way.