The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round … and apparently so do the drinks! Fully equipped with cup holders, dice and cards, the Sactown Hopper is one ride you can’t afford to miss!
Last weekend a group of friends and I decided to try out the Sactown Hopper as a safe and alternative way of going out for a night on the town. For those of you who are not yet familiar with it, the Sactown Hopper is a bus that provides transportation to and from bars in downtown and midtown from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. It also has a second route, known as the Lil’ Hopper. At first glance one might assume that this service is only for Sac State students; however, any person willing and able to pay the $10 fee can ride all night long.
Aside from the obvious convenience of not having to be a reliable sober driver for the evening, one of the coolest perks of being on the Sactown Hopper is that you are allowed to bring your own alcoholic drinks aboard the bus! (Party on, Garth.) Who doesn’t want to bring a couple of brews on board when the whole cost of your six pack is equivalent to one drink at the club?
Our adventure began at the La Riviera and Salmon Falls stop (the one behind Jack in the Box). We received wristbands and a flier with the map and schedule for both the Sactown Hopper and Lil’ Hopper. Once we were in motion, we began checking out the map to see where we wanted to start the night. We learned that the Lil’ Hopper does small rounds, whereas the Sactown Hopper does the bigger route. The wristband enabled us to hop on and off either as we pleased. We decided to get off at the R and 15th streets stop first so we could check out the Shady Lady, as well as get in a game of pool at R15. Mission successfully accomplished.
Our next stop would be at 15th and J streets, from which we walked three blocks down to Streets of London, where we did not stay very long. After walking back to 15th and J streets, our last stop of the night would take us to 28th and J streets. There we had the option of going to Harlow’s, Momo Lounge, Red Rabbit, Bar West or Blue Cue. We settled on Bar West.
Around 1 a.m., we figured it was probably a good time to start heading home. The bus ride home was quite possibly just as fun as being at any of the bars that night. A group of people who had boarded the bus at our same stop had some excellent advice for us, “Always board at 28th and J street … The ampm at 29th and J will sell you some beer for the ride home!” We then thanked them for the suggestion, as they handed each of us a Bud Light.
Overall, my experience was nothing but enjoyable, and I would recommend that anyone looking for a great night out to definitely hop on board! This is exactly what Sacramento needs to keep people safe, as well as save them money from the ever-increasing parking ticket and DUI costs—not to mention the priceless lives being saved by keeping drinking and driving in separate spheres.
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