The River Otter and the Ziggurat
Wednesday, August 20th, 2003
Monday was our 13th Wedding Anniversary. Woo hoo! I feel more in love than ever!
So, to celebrate, we took a voyage on the River Otter. This little ferry leaves Old Sacramento several times a day and travels up the Sacramento River to several ports, including a local Chevy’s Restaurant right on the river. They have fajitas and the ice cream potato, which we call the Spud. I need say nothing more about that.
The trip was so much fun! The River Otter is a small boat, so the river is right there practically within reach. And, the things you can see from the the river are so much different than what you can see from the shore. There are boats! Lots and lots of boats! Even the giant Delta King, which is a hotel now but used to carry people from San Francisco to Sacramento. Apparently there are some real characters on the river, too. On the way to the restaurant, some guy mooned the boat from one of the bridges. We didn’t care, though — it added to the character of the night.
Speaking of character, the captain of the boat was a genuine article! He gave color commentary that made the trip very special. He cracked jokes and told the history of the river while commenting on the different boats we passed. Dinner at Chevy’s was lovely, and the trip back was really very special. There was a full moon and bright stars, the water was like liquid night, and the Ziggurat lit up the west shore. It was magic.
When it was over — and far too soon! — we returned to the dock in Old Sacramento. As we watched the River Otter sail away to its home port upriver, the captain said “this toot’s for you two!” and gave us a quick double blast of the ship’s whistle.