Rob: Coming up on Rob, on the road, a decade of destinations, the best of 10 seasons of Rob on the road.

This time it's amazing architecture and Northern California has some of the most marvelous and stunning structures in the golden state.

Let's discover the dazzling details inside the restored and modernized.

Sacramento Valley train station, plus a private tour inside Gladding McBean and Lincoln, where famous facades are created and shipped around the globe.

We'll open the doors to days gone by the origins of Gladding McBean dating back to the 18 hundreds.

And later, the reconstruction of one of the oldest structures in North America is in Vina, California.

A trip to the Abbey of new Clairvaux and to the top of this architectural gem the California state Capitol will climb to the very top.

♪♪ Annc: And now Rob, on the Road, exploring Northern California.

Hi there.

I'm Rob Stewart.

We are celebrating the best of 10 seasons on Rob on the road.

A decade of destinations.

We began with the Sacramento Valley train station.

Get ready to go below, above, and throughout this architectural beauty, one of the most iconic buildings in Sacramento.

♪♪ Rob: Welcome to Sacramento Valley Station, built in the Roaring Twenties and thriving today after a 36-million-dollar renovation, opening up the rails to the future in Sacramento.

Right now, Greg Taylor, the head architect for this project, is joining us.

Good to see you, Greg.

Greg: Nice to meet you, Rob.

Rob: Nice to see you, too.

This is beautiful.

You pulled it off!

Greg: Can'’t wait to show you.

Rob: All right, let'’s go inside.

Busy here today!

Greg: Yes, as usual!

Rob: The roots of the Sacramento'’s Valley Station stretch back to February 1926.

That'’s when Southern Pacific Railroad first opened these doors to northern California and the nation.

At the time, this building was state of the art, and an architectural gem.

Its brick façade, terra cotta adornments, and soaring lobby all celebrated Sacramento'’s historical importance as the terminus of the first transcontinental railroad, and its prominence as the gateway to America'’s richest agricultural region.

For decades, the station and the railroad thrived.

The nearby rail yards employed thousands.

But the advent of the automobile and the airplane began the slow decline of the passenger rail system.

Now, 90 years later, rail travel is coming back.

As part of a new statewide Rail Plan, the City of Sacramento took over this 32-acre site in 2007, and with a mix of federal and local dollars, began a decades-long process of re-investment and rehabilitation of this entire area.

Plans call for hundreds of new homes and businesses in the old rail yards, and a major new transportation hub for high speed trains, Amtrak, light rail, and streetcars.

But the centerpiece: is this modernized 68-thousand square foot station.

Rob: Greg, this is gorgeous.

Greg: Isn'’t it magnificent?

Rob: Welcome to Sacramento.

Greg: Welcome to Sacramento, that our message for all travelers coming in from all over the state.

Rob: And the country and who knows where.

Rob: This main lobby is so historic.

Greg: It is.

It tells a story from Sacramento'’s past, from its beginning to the future like you said.

We'’ve made it mechanically 21st century and moving forward and very sustainable for a place that normally would be drenched in heat and sweating in here quite frankly.

Rob: There was no air conditioning before the renovation.

Now, warm air in the lobby flows upward through open rosettes in the ceiling, where it'’s cooled and returned to a temperature controlled floor.

Here in the attic and even in the basement, you can also see the extensive seismic retrofitting done to bring the station up to the most modern earthquake standards.

Concrete beams and dozens of steel anchors drilled into the brick walls.

From the attic, we travel down to the rarely-seen third floor to discover a nearly completed new event space,.and an incredible rooftop balcony!

Rob: We see the city growing around us, the new arena.

Greg: Yeah, it's fabulous.

It's a piece that we knew that was going to have relevance for the city.

This site actually becomes the center of the whole inner region looking from West Sacramento to the downtown, midtown around, that we really are re-centered from what was the edge of town prior when it was just the rail yards.

Rob: That was part of your goal from the beginning of the renovation, was from your perspective to reestablish the center of the city, the heart of the city.

Greg: Right, right.

We have the capacity out here right now to bring high speed rail in and to move hundreds and thousands of people a day to what, when this station opened there was 4,500 people that came through the station a day in 1926.

Rob: And still today it is in the top ten busiest Amtrak stations in the country.

Greg: Seventh busiest in the Amtrak network, yes.

Rob: Is the roof from Gladding McBean?

Greg: Originally yes.

All the terra-cotta is Gladding McBean.

In fact, we had to replace some of the balusters here during the seismic project and we had the original castings, were still at Gladding McBean.

And the restoration from the soot that was kind of baked in and the work we had to do to restore these from over 70 years of, when we had steam engines out here and we were kind of coating all the terra-cotta.

We had a real hard time getting it off, but we did succeed in bringing it back to its original luster.

We'’ve saved the best for last, the magnificent lobby.

The original Southern Pacific wooden benches are still here.

but years of more recent remodeling has been stripped away to reveal the original soaring ceilings and chandeliers.

Everything painstakingly cleaned and returned to its original luster and beauty.

The walls here are just beautiful.

In my opinion they're pristine.

I think you did a fantastic job on the remodel.

Greg: Oh, well thank you.

I think we had an incredible team.

We had artisans from the east coast, we had local folks here that were hired to clean the ceiling and work with those specialists.

We had contractors, masons.

Rob: Did you think it would turn out this beautiful?

Greg: I still get chills when I walk in.

Rob: You do?

Greg: Yes, yes.

The whole team celebrates, this was a project of a lifetime for everybody in the city that was involved in this, the workers.

It is truly a magical project and one to celebrate.

Rob: The mural, restored to its original beauty and it is stunning.

Tell me about it.

Greg: So this is a mural that beautifully depicts an event that didn't actually happen.

Rob: Right!

Greg: There was a groundbreaking for the railroad at 2nd and K Street but it was not to the level of pomp and circumstance that this mural shows.

I was much more practical, throw a few shovels and get going.

The muralist was John MacQuarrie and he did a lot of murals for the Southern Pacific.

This mural is actually two full lengths of canvas that were painted in his studio and brought here and seamed, there's a horizontal seam across the whole piece that was put in place.

There was minor touch up to the paint, very, very little.

It was mostly a cleaning process and again, just taking those layers of soot and nicotine away to restore what I billed at the time is our Sistine Chapel.

The mural portrays Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, Collis Huntington, and Charles Crocker- the men who started the Central Pacific Railroad out of Sacramento.

Here, too, homage to the Chinese and Irish workers whose hands actually built the unbroken ribbon of steel that changed America forever.

It all leads us back to today, and for northern California, an exciting tomorrow.

Rob: As I sit here talking to you, I'm counting up in my head.

You've been involved with this for almost three decades.

Greg: Thanks, Rob.

Rob: That's a lot of time, but a lot of love, labors of love.

Greg: It's been a great experience.

Rob: Thank you, Greg Taylor, lead architect here.

♪♪ Did you know, Gladding McBean and Lincoln is one of the only two terra-cotta clay architect factories in America.

We've got a private pass inside the long closed museum.

Today we're opening the fireproof doors for you to see some of the first pieces ever made by this famous factory.

♪♪ Rob: This portion is off the beaten path, but we have to show it, because look... Jamie: Right, they're impressive.

Obviously these kilns are not operational...

Rob: You think?

[laughing] But look at them, they're just stunning.

I mean you really see history alive here, and as I love to do on this show, I mean, this is a place where you can literally put your hands... Jamie: Right.

Rob: ...On history.

Jamie: On history.

Rob: And look at this kiln.

These are covered in grass and moss?

Jamie: Right.

Rob: Tell me more about what would have happened here in the day.

Jamie: Well, like we see up front only instead of people, you had mules with carts behind them to pull the pipe in to get them loaded, so yes, mules were used here.

Rob: Fascinating!

What do you think when you are in such a historic space?

Jamie: Oh well, I love coming to work every day, that does excite me, I love coming to this place, we actually work in a museum, you're moved by the history of it all and you're actually contributing to keeping that history alive ♪♪ Rob: So where are we now?

And you've had us to take off our hats [laughing]... Jamie: Yeah, we were able to take off our safety equipment because we're in a non-manufacturing part of the facility and we're getting ready to go into museum.

Rob: And this is all closed to the public... Jamie: It is all closed to the public, which is why it's such a great treat to be able to see it today.

♪♪ Jamie: This is our fire door, if you could open it, it's very heavy and the way it worked back in the day was there was a piece of burlap rope that held it closed and if there was a fire, the burlap rope would burn and release this cable that would close the door and prevent the fire from going any further.

Rob: And it worked.

Jamie: And it worked because this building has survived two fires.

Rob: Jamie, look at all of these terra-cotta pieces... Jamie: A lot of history here.

Mr. Fred Anderson, who purchased the company in 1976, wanted this area preserved and we intend on doing that.

Rob: And not only preserved, but as we're going to see, portions are untouched.

Jamie: That's right.

Rob: They remain the same.

Jamie: They remain the same as they were.

♪♪ Jamie: One of our most famous sculptors, and it's Ernie Kadel.

Rob: Really?

Jamie: He started in the early 1900s, this picture was taken I believe in 1955, and he's standing in front of the Procter & Gamble symbol.

Rob: Oh yeah.

Jamie: Which he sculpted.

Rob: Very famous prototypes, I guess if you will, came out of here.

This is Brooks Brothers, I recognize the logo.

Jamie: Right, Brooks Brothers Clothing.

We didn't design this piece, but this piece was made per the architect's design.

Rob: Love their logo.

These are so beautiful, Native Sons of the Golden West, San Francisco.

Jamie: And these are pretty special.

These are actually the original plaster models for terra-cotta pieces that were made for the Native Sons of the Golden West Building in San Francisco.

Rob: And look at these stunning plaster models on this side.

This one, Bank of America.

Jamie: Right, and the terra -cotta piece that was made from this model is in Southern California.

Rob: This is fascinating.

Jamie: And this is the seal of the City of New York.

It's a plaster model for a job, a restoration job that we did on a city-owned building in New York.

Rob: This is absolutely beautiful, Jamie.

Jamie: It's very detailed, I mean you see the Indian and the pilgrim on the side, the eagle, the lettering and even the braid on the design, it's very detailed.

This is the old modeling room, through this door, and it's where the modelers worked, where the sculptors honed their craft.

Rob: Jamie, look at this.

♪♪ Jamie: This is where the sculpting was done and if the pieces need to be laid up to fit together; these giant easels were used for that purpose.

Rob: This is so old and authentic.

Jamie: And these easels are still operational; we still utilize them when we're producing big, ornamental facades, to fit them together.

Rob: Fascinating.

This is unmistakable, look at this.

This is from the RCA Victrola, His Master's Voice, this is old.

Jamie: This is old and story has it that this is the first prototype for the ad campaign for the RCA Victrola.

Rob: My goodness... Jamie: And it's a plaster model and we think that this plaster model was used to photograph and present to the architect or the designer for their final approval.

When these sculptors and artists had down time, they would practice their skill by creating some of these, and you can see what great detail goes into them.

Rob: And this piece right here shows where they practiced, because look at the thumb prints, and the tool prints all around the top, and that's beautiful in and of itself.

Jamie: Yes it is.

Rob: Surrounded by works of art that you could see in anywhere around the world.

Jamie: Around the world.

I'm very excited to be a part of history and helping to preserve these wonderful buildings across the United States.

We don't see the terra-cotta from the street, but I know it's up there.

Without it, the cities wouldn't be the same because they do create an ambiance within the cities.

Rob: Oh, I love that; the cities would not be the same.

Jamie: They wouldn't.

Rob: And it all came from the City of Lincoln.

Jamie: Yes, the restoration of these beautiful buildings from the City of Lincoln.

Rob: We are celebrating the best of 10 seasons.

Go with me, atop the California, state Capitol dome, close to the public for more than 50 years.

But first did you know, Vina, California is home to a sacred destination, which is one of the oldest structures in North America.

We're now on a journey back in time to see the sacred stones and medieval majesty.

Of the Abbey of new Clairvaux.

♪ (Bell tolls) ♪ Rob: here are the medieval stones.

Paul Mark: Yes, this is it.

Rob: Oh my Gosh!

They're up!

Paul Mark: They are up.

Rob: And it all worked!

Paul Mark: It all worked, believe me, it, it was, it was no small feat, no small engineering feat to make this possible.

Rob: Well we watched part of it going up, you know, on the, on the mock structures years ago, but look!

Paul Mark: Yes, yes, I mean it's just incredible.

As simple as this little space is, just the proportions of it, the lighting of it, the coloring of the stone, plus the story it contains, you know it's almost too much.

And that's why you get these lovely vaulted arches, re vaulting, that kind of soar into eternity.

And they take me and my spirit there was well, and I think any visitor will feel that and be engaged with that, you know, and then move into something.

♪(Chanting)♪ Rob: I think that, that California is filled with places where you can get away and silence your heart, this being one of them.

Rob: I wonder if people realize when they walk in here, what they're standing inside of.

Paul Mark: You know, I've often wondered that myself.

I think many of them do, some of them may not know all the, the facts, but I am convinced that the space speaks so eloquently, you know, that they do have, maybe on a sub-conscious level, they're engaged with something.

Something bigger than themselves, something about truth, about love, about eternity, you know, and I've seen it, I've been here many times and people, visitors, come walking through, and round the corner and their mouth's just drop open, and they just gasp.

Meredith: To have it here in California is incredible.

Rob: And you know this is from Ovilla, Spain.

Meredith: Yes, I do.

When I walked around the corner and I was able to, to come inside, it was just like wow, right back in Spain.

Rob: Journeys in life take all different routes... Paul Mark: Yes.

Rob: So did these stones... Father Paul Mark Schwan: Exactly, exactly, you know, and, and none of it, you know, particularly planned, at least on a human level, but you know what we speak about is, is the providence of God, and how all things really work for the good, you know, so that even dead ends or detours or at least what we would perceive as these kinds of blocks or obstacles are an actual way, an actual fact, ways forward into this, continuing this journey of life.

♪(Chanting)♪ Rob: I did not realize when I asked you and the monks to sing for us that you've hardly every sung in there.

Paul Mark: No we haven't, its I think this is only the second time since, you know, the completion of the, the stone work.

Rob: What do you think?

Paul Mark: I love it.

Paul Mark: I mean the, the, the sound, the reverberation, it's just incredible.

Rob: The acoustics... Paul Mark: The acoustics are, are out of this world.

♪ Monks Chanting ♪ Rob: And those acoustics are 800 years old.

Paul Mark: Yes, and they, they were hearing the chants of the monks for a good 600 years and they're going to hear these stones not living but still somehow I like to think these stones are going to hear their monks once again after a 200 year period of, of nothing.

Rob: Why should people come here?

Why should they take a trip on 99 and come here?

Paul Mark:To experience the profound love and peace of God in their lives that's already right there in their hearts, but this place just simply allows that to come forth more in the consciousness and, and, and just really engage a person I really think.

Rob: You could not have created a more beautiful place for it.

Paul Mark: Aha, thank you, thank you for your encouragement Rob.

♪♪ Rob: We've made it up to the 2nd floor of the California State Capitol.

We're headed over to the elevators where we're going to go to the 4th floor and then a special entrance.

No roof access but not the case today!

This is so exciting!

5th floor.

6th floor.

Oh my gosh!

Just look at that view of Capitol Mall, the perfect spot to see this.

We are on the 1st level of the colonnade.

Just look at these beautiful columns, they are so massive up close and so historic, and I love it when you can just reach out and put your hands on history, I love that kind of thing.

Speaking of history, we have a Capitol expert and historian, Vito Sgromo, with the Department of General Services here at the Capitol.

Good to see you.

Vito: Good to see you again Rob, great, thank you.

Rob: Yes.

Great to be with you.

So exciting to be up here, which is closed to the public.

Vito: Yes.

Rob: But you're taking us on an exclusive tour today.

Vito: Yes, exactly, and it's a combination of the architecture, the wonderful grounds, and then the views here really make it as spectacular visit and I hope you'll enjoy it.

Rob: This has been closed since World War II.

Vito: Because of safety concerns, not meeting codes for access, so it's not open to the public but it has a wonderful historical lessons, and architectural lessons, so as we walk up there you'll see.

Rob: Okay, let's go through this door.

Vito: Sure.

Rob: Because what's on the other side will blow you away.

♪ ♪ Rob: My goodness!

Look at this!

Vito, this is the dome!

Vito: This is the inner dome and we have a 2 dome system.

Rob: This building, heavily remodeled in 1975, that took until 1982 to complete.

Vito: At the time it was the largest restoration of any building in North America, and it's been the 2nd largest attraction in the state for visitors.

Rob: My goodness!

Where are we going now?

Vito: We're going to the 2nd level of the colonnade.

Rob: Look at this!

Vito: And what I find fascinating here is Sacramento was called the City of the Trees.

If you look the panoramic view from here shows you how many trees we have and you picked the best time of year to be here because it's like a carpet of color.

Rob: Oh yes!

Vito: So you have a spectacular view of Sacramento to Sierra Mountains, and the surrounding area from here.

Rob: Alright, I can't believe we're doing this.

Vito: This is the staircase to the top of building.

Rob: Are we up to code?

Vito: We are not up to code, but it is definitely safe.

Rob: Okay.

Vito: You notice too, Rob, as we're walking, it moves a little bit.

Rob: I feel that.

Vito: You see the rods?

Rob: Yes, I, don't point that out!

[laughs] Vito: It's designed to be flexible, in case of an earthquake those rods will cause this to move without falling.

So this is actually one of the safest places in the building.

We're almost at the top, but I want you to see one section of the fencing that's been taken out.

Rob: Okay.

Vito: And it gives you a spectacular but scary view of what the distances are between the upper and lower dome, we're looking 90 feet down, so before the fencing was here this is what workers had to deal with.

Rob: Wow!

Vito, that is scary.

Vito: It is.

Rob: How high up in the air are we?

Vito: 90 feet.

Rob: And from the ground?

Vito: From the ground we're close to 237 feet, and when we get to the top part of the building which we're going to get now, called the Cupola, we'll be 237 feet above ground level.

So first of all the architecture, what you'll see here is 19th and 20th century, you'll see the top of this space that has hooks, they used to hang gasoline lanterns there.

Rob: No way!

Vito: The lanterns were hung there for lighting, so when the restoration occurred they added these lights and these bars you see here are for seismic safety but you don't see them when you're down on ground level.

Rob: No I've never noticed them.

Vito: You never notice them.

And then if you look around, you have, I think the pinnacle of all of the themes we talked about.

Rob: And it really takes me back to be up here.

Vito: Yeah, you know, people ask me all the time, what do you, which emotions do you have when you come up here, and what I think about hits me is the 165 years of history that I'm standing on, I mean, you talk about all the major legislation advance, people that visited this building, I mean it is a huge treasure.

Rob: I mean we have really explored the Capitol in a way that I've never seen before.

Vito: Right, and most unfortunately the public can't see but through your show they can.

Rob: Vito, thank you.

Vito: It's a pleasure Rob.

Rob: What a pleasure and a treasure here in California.

Vito: Thank you very much.

Rob: On top of the State Capitol, can you believe it?

[laughter] ♪ ♪ Thank You for joining us on Rob on the Road, a decade of destinations as we celebrate the best of 10 seasons.

Thank you so much for your support.