Day 16: Rest Day 2, Sacramento, CA
Nau mai
Yesterday we had a second rest day in Sacramento, California.
I began my morning with a gentle breakfast aboard the bus, a meal crafted in Lavonda’s capable galley and consumed at her very small dining table/workstation. The best parts of a mango were harvested and combined with strawberries, banana, Greek yoghurt, granola, and a sprinkling of deluxe roasted nuts.
The Beths tour run club had a good outing not long after I had finished licking my spoon, heading out with a complement of members that represented both the bands Phoebe Rings and The Beths, and both people with the name Ben, and people with different names. We ran along a cycle trail that was high up on the bank of the American River, and we explored the secret paths to Paradise Beach, finding a lush wilderness area. Maybe the sight of the day though was The Fair Oaks Boulevard Bridge, now known as the H Street Bridge (or the J Street Bridge depending on you you talk to), this humble structure trying its hardest to downplay its elegance and beauty when in fact this attempt only served to broadcast its magnificence. The simple, white-painted steel trusses contrast with the concrete bridge piers to create an architectural statement that is worthy of capturing in the tranquil reflection on the river waters.
Ben Locke, Tristan Deck, and Alex Freer with the the 294-metre length of the Fair Oaks Boulevard Bridge in the background.
In the afternoon Lavonda was given a well-deserved clean by our driver Scott. The tools were hose and swab, and a menacing-looking bottle of red cleaning fluid that I wouldn’t want to get on my skin.
The carpets in the ground floor western corridor were spotless yesterday when I walked by for an inspection, a result that was certainly helped by the geometric pattern and complex mealy colour scheme that is employed in this textile to raise your chances of stain hiding.
Our evening activity was a trip into town to watch the basketball. We left the hotel, walking across the carpark and arrived at the conveniently placed light rail station, which was also being given a well-deserved clean by two men wielding powerful waterblasters. Right on schedule a handsomely painted LRV rolled up to the platform, and we boarded the spacious and clean car for a smooth ride into the city centre. We were disembarked only a couple of blocks from our destination, and we couldn’t help but marvel at the incredible convenience of this public transit technology.
The game was held in the Golden 1 Centre, a building whose name I am unable to explain at this point as I am unwilling to capitulate my attention to the primary sponsor of this sporting venue. It was a good arena though, wide thoroughfares and plenty of places to buy a large can of beer. I was impressed with the way they subtly purpled everything to match the home team colours, something I didn’t notice until I examined my photographs after the event, so subtle was this application of light.
This was my first experience of a professional basketball game, and I found it a highly engaging experience. In fact, there was not a point in my time inside the Golden 1 Centre that I was unengaged such were the relentless onslaught of activities that happened in every break or timeout. There were the jumbotron events where you could be publicly celebrated or humiliated on the giant screen at the top of the arena. There were physical challenges like a huge game of ski ball using basketballs. And then there were the projectile events like shooting tiny foam balls or parachuting small cows into the crowd. Not a dull moment was to be had.
It was a bad day to be a small amount of moisture on this basketball court.
Sadly, this plethora of entertainment options would not be enough to help the home team across the line. The Kings would lose 108 – 122 to the Denver Nuggets. The Beam would not be lit, but thankfully the Sacramento Light Rail was still running, and we enjoyed the ride back to our hotel.
Tristan has just finished another video! Please enjoy this excellent recapitulation of the first couple of weeks of our tour.