Downtown Merced is ready for its close-up
Downtown Merced is making a dramatic comeback and LGBTQs are helping to lead the way. With a population of nearly 90,000, the Central California city's downtown was once its crown jewel.
Now it appears to be on a roll to reclaim some of its past glory.Earlier this month, I made the trip to Merced on Amtrak from San Francisco.
The fare was just $31 round trip, including the Amtrak bus shuttle from 555 Mission Street, which connects with the train at the Emeryville station.
It would take a little over two hours to drive in good traffic. My trip took just 3.5 hours, including the bus ride. Merced has the closest Amtrak train station to Yosemite National Park and the YARTS bus (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System) runs regularly from downtown Merced to Yosemite for $22 round trip.
