Politicians roll in to Sacramento, California’s capital, in top-down Bimmers from L.A., and yuppies move here when they’re finally ready to escape San Francisco—but the air is one of people completely uninterested in putting on airs. “Old Sacramento,” along the edge of the Sacramento River, is a nod to days of yore when there was a sense of urgency here. Gold was the name of the game, and thus sprouted this city along the river where supplies were easily transported. Now-a-days, riverboats cruise by wooden boardwalks where locals frequent old-fashioned candy stores and homemade ice-cream parlors. And further in, there is plenty to stay cool-headed about—Sacramento has nearly the most trees per capita, second only to Paris. And there is a thriving and quite quirky culture, from local theatre and experimental cuisine to comedy clubs and a year-round Second Saturday Art Walk.