This Strange Abandoned Riverboat In Sacramento Has John Wayne Ties And A Fitting Name

As you drive down Garden Highway, just about 16 miles north of Sacramento, you'll discover an old riverboat down near the Sacramento River. If you don't know it's there, the sight may surprise you: a portly vessel, with three levels, rows of white handrails, and a massive red paddlewheel on its stern. When the adjacent river floods, the boat appears to float atop the water. Most of the year, though, it stands in a grassy meadow, empty and abandoned, a relic of a bygone day.

This particular tub is the Spirit of Sacramento, a nod to the city nearby. It's a roadside curiosity that has caused more than one motorist to pull over and snap pictures. The boat technically stands on private property; a perimeter fence and a homemade sign reading "Stay Out" are designed to ward off trespassers. Yet travelers may wonder where this craft came from and why its graffiti-marked hull should be randomly stranded on the edge of the Sacramento River. Little do they know that this boat was once quite famous — and has a direct connection to iconic movie star John Wayne. If you're already visiting California's artsy "City of Trees," which bursts with green areas and a thriving cultural scene, viewing this unusual landmark from the highway is absolutely worth a side-trip.

There's no plaque or sign to explain the Spirit of Sacramento's origins, but this quiet monument has quite the backstory. A boatbuilder will tell you that the Spirit of Sacramento was a "snagboat," a special vessel designed to ram into obstructions in the river and knock them loose. The Army Corps of Engineers commissioned the boat in 1942, when it was known as the Putah. In the 1950s, Hollywood action hero John Wayne bought the boat and used it in his 1955 film "Blood Alley."

The Spirit doesn't just appear in "Blood Alley"; it co-stars. The film concerns an American captain in then-modern China. Local villagers free him from a Communist prison and implore him to smuggle a group of refugees to Hong Kong on a stolen paddleboat. In the movie, the Spirit of Sacramento goes by the name Chiku Shan, and many of the scenes take place aboard her decks. Lauren Bacall also headlines the film.

The boat's later years were less glamorous. In 1996, the Spirit of Sacramento suffered a fire. Most of the structure remained intact, but the decks and decor were largely gutted. Two decades later, the boat capsized near a piece of land called Bethel Island in nearby Contra Costa County. The boat had been abandoned by then, and unused fuel threatened to leak into local waters. It was finally relocated to the banks of the Sacramento River, a shell of its former self. You may have to use binoculars or a telephoto lens to get a good look, but the grounded boat is one of many exotic movie destinations you can visit around the world.

Viewing the boat, even from afar, is bound to be a treat for movie buffs. Watching the film beforehand will give you a sense of what it used to look like in its heyday. Fittingly, "Blood Alley" wasn't filmed in the People's Republic of China, but in Northern California, including segments of the Sacramento River, so even its current backdrop is nostalgic. For many years after its film debut, the Spirit of Sacramento carried tourists up and down the river, and it's fun to imagine what one of those cruises was like.

The boat's historical roots are a nice complement to the city of Sacramento, as well. California's capital was vital to the development of the Transcontinental Railroad, and the city has preserved many of its older buildings. Today, Sacramento's riverfront district dazzles with vibrant dining, shops, and architecture, and the California State Railroad Museum is a fascinating place to visit (and hosts its own 45-minute vintage train ride). And while the old snagboat can't take you up and down the river anymore, you can still get out on the water by signing up for a tour with Sacramento River Cruise. The Spirit of Sacramento pays homage to the region's storied past, as well as its importance to California's movie industry.