By admin 
The Sacramento Bee staff includes several people who’ve brought their journalistic talents to California’s capital. Some made longer treks than others. Here’s a glimpse into just how far some went — and lived to tell the tale:
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Corey Schmidt, 2,100 miles from Saint Paul, Minnesota
Schmidt moved to Sacramento in late March from Saint Paul, Minnesota. He made the journey by car with his cat, Emmy, and a few minor, essential items while his dad followed in a rental car with the rest of Schmidt’s belongings.
To avoid potential snow, he took a longer route, with stops in Kearney, Nebraska; Grand Junction, Colorado; and Winnemucca, Nevada.
“It was fun making the journey with him,” Schmidt said.
The saddest part of his journey, Schmidt said, was leaving the Twin Cities. He had grown to love its restaurants, walking trails, and access to friends scattered across the Midwest.
But he was more excited to start a new journey at The Bee.
One of the highlights of his cross-country road trip were the Salt Flats just outside of Salt Lake City. Schmidt said he had never seen anything like them before. While in Utah, Schmidt tried the dirty soda shop, Swig. It was pretty good, he said, but didn’t beat his local favorites back in the Midwest.
Schmidt said he is enjoying living in the city of trees. Sacramento, he said, does a good job of making itself visually appealing with manicured landscapes — and the great restaurants here don’t hurt either.
“I have a Google Maps list of places to try and keep notes of my experiences,” Schmidt said. “I’ve already tried places like Zelda’s, Midtown’s Cantina Alley and Captain Crab. Pizzeria Classico in Folsom is next on my list.”
Kat Tran, about 3,000 miles from Daytona Beach, Florida
Tran’s cross-country road trip from Florida included passing through eight states: Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before finally reaching California.
During their road trip here, Tran and a childhood friend drove a 15-foot moving truck — a first for both of them. The two also towed Tran’s “beloved” silver Toyota, making the journey even more … engaging.
“I was on the edge of my seat the entire time,” Tran said.
If they do another cross-country road trip, Tran said they would spend more time exploring the cities they stopped in.
“Since we were rushing, we were in and out of a city by the next morning,” Tran said. “We only had time to rest when we ate at restaurants or stopped at a rest stop.”
Despite the lack of sightseeing, and rest, Tran said the most enjoyable part of their trip was taking the “iconic” Route 66 once they made it to Oklahoma.
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“I am not a stranger to watching landscapes change on long family road trips growing up, so I loved sightseeing and people-watching on this part of the trek,” Tran said. “I think also seeing how much the physical land starts to change with red-orange mountains and sand as we get closer to the West Coast was an amazing sight to see as a native Floridian, who’s used to green flatlands and plains.”
Tran said they’ve gotten pretty used to being here — they just celebrated their inaugural anniversary at The Bee. As an intern last summer, Tran said they had already gotten to sample some of the region’s nightlife, culture and food.
“I often feel like Sacramento is slept on and overshadowed by California’s biggest cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco,” Tran said. “Since moving here full-time in February, I can proudly say that Sacramento holds its own weight!”
Sean Macaday, about 3,500 miles from Durham, North Carolina
Macaday, our newest staff member, popped his tire pulling into The Sacramento Bee on his first day, which was the culmination of his cross-country road trip. Other than that, the rest of the trip was easy, he said.
It took him seven days to make it to California, and he got to stop and see some friends and family along the way. He didn’t have a part of the trip he didn’t enjoy, he said, except the high gas prices.
The best part, Macaday said, was a detour through the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Southwestern Oklahoma.
“It was so incredibly cool! A mixture of rocky mountain desert with vast tall grass prairie,” Macaday said. “A completely unique and pleasant surprise, I would highly recommend it!”
He said he is loving Sacramento so far, enjoying the fresh produce and great weather, which is fitting as a meteorologist. He’s looking forward to exploring more around midtown and Folsom, too.
And check this out: We do have our fair share of locals on staff. You can read all about them here.
Got a place in Sacramento you think these new residents should visit? A can’t miss event coming up? Let us know!
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