Getting There is Half the Fun!
Davis is located on one of the most heavily traveled section of freeway in the entire United States (I-80). And that means the traffic can be terrible driving in from the San Francisco/Bay Area or Sacramento. However, that doesn't mean you have to spend your day slugging it out with the big trucks and SUVs. Davis first came into existence as a town because it was at the crossroads of two major rail lines, one east-west and one north-south. One of the better kept secrets of Davis is that that the trains run right into downtown. You can literally step off the train and be less than a block from bars, nightclubs, restaurants, shops, and more. And taking the train is so easy. The Capitol Corridor trains are modern and comfortable, with tables to work at and power for portable electronics.
Taking the train is usually somewhat more expensive than driving, but the cost is more than made up by what it saves in sanity. Compare spending two hours in stop and go traffic with getting to see a different part of California as you leisurely sip your coffee and play solitaire. The BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) connections in Richmond are seamless, and the trains run frequently enough to make a day trip worthwhile. The only drawback to Amtrak's Capitol Corridor trains is that their schedules can be as unreliable as any air traffic. Trains can be periodically held up and delayed, but you can call in advance and find out if the trains are running on time.
For more information on taking Amtrak go to: http://www.amtrak.com/
Photo courtesy of Davis Wiki: http://www.daviswiki.org
