Be confident about your driving skills, don't let yourself get nervous in heavy traffic, keep up with the traffic, don't try to go faster or slower, and practice merging in tight spaces.

Everybody has SUVs in Sacramento, seems like the bigger, the better! If you own a small car, you will constantly have your view blocked at intersections, in parking lots, etc., Almost to the point of making you unsafe. Go to dealerships with lots of SUVs, or check Craiglist or similar site. There are lots of dealerships and small independents in Sacramento. You can find something in just about any price range, or financing terms.

Driving in Sacramento can be quite a challenge. It is a large city with many busy streets and highways and the always heavy traffic forces people to be a little more aggressive than they might be in other situations. For example, entering or exiting a freeway can start to feel like a "kill or be killed" situation very quickly! When you need to get over into the left lane to exit for example, you may only get one narrow shot and you better be prepared to take it. Within the city, traffic can be bumper to bumper, but it typically moves at a good pace between traffic lights. The traffic lights are where you spend a lot of your driving time. It is very common to set at the light and watch it change 2-3 times before you can actually cross the intersection simply because you're so far back in the line. Due to traffic being so heavy, most people are very conscious of being careful drivers, staying with the flow of traffic, using their signals, and maintaining a safe speed. The police really leave drivers alone unless they are doing something to endanger other drivers, such as speeding, reckless driving, running lights, etc. They rarely pull over someone for something like an expired plate because they have their hands full keeping the roads first and foremost safe.

Howe Ave. It's a long road that run through much of the city. Part of it takes you through very busy business sections, but other parts are more scenic and leisurely. It can be very congested in the business district, but it flows well outside of that. It's got clearly marked turns lanes, two for left, one for right, lots of stop lights in the business area, and 3 or 4 lanes in each direction, in addition to those turn lanes. You can see a really wide cross section and expanse of Sacramento by going down Howe Ave.

If you're in town to stay, you are not an official resident until you have suffered the grid. Downtown Sacramento. Shaped and designed like a giant grid with plenty of traffic during the evenings. Much like going anywhere in Los Angeles, suffering the traffic in Sacramento is a right of passage. So, if you have a free night with a full tank of gas, go for it! And then try to learn as many side streets and alternative routes as you can! That's the holy grail of efficient transportation in Sacramento. Alternative routes.

In Sacramento, you do not want a gas guzzler. You want fuel efficiency at all times! With gas being just under $2.60 A gallon for the time being, you don't want to waste those precious fumes while inching along in traffic to and from work. You want something that'll conserve gas and get you where you need to be. A vehicle that's made to last for a while wouldn't hurt too much either. Whether you decide on used or new, make sure you have gas efficiency and dependability!

Eleven months ago, my area got hit with a pretty funky weather system. The forecasts had sworn to us that we were getting inches and inches of rain with high winds, but we hardly saw the water! It came, but in the middle of the night, and was a mere inch or two. HOWEVER, we did see the winds, and boy, did we see them! The winds were worthy of a tropical storm! On an average day, minimal traffic, the drive to work is 95% highway and roughly 20-30 minutes. Never in my life had I expected to make the drive in an epic tail wind and make the run in 10 minutes! It wasn't exactly pleasant either, with the hydroplaning in such winds that caused unintentional drifting, but man, was it still awesome! That was definitely my best memory with my baby!

Sunrise Boulevard. On Sunrise Boulevard in Sacramento/ Citrus Heights, you can see the good, the bad, and the ugly. You can see a lot of the Sacramento area. There's Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, Sacramento, and Roseville, all on Sunrise Boulevard. There's plenty to see on this road alone! There's the older, the newer, the adventure, and the nostalgia! If you're going to drive through town, this is one street you don't want to miss! It's almost Sacramento's version of the Strip in Vegas!