Central Valley
Now as during the Gold Rush era, the Central Valley is both California’s breadbasket and a jumping-off point for excursions to wine country,
Gold Country, the Bay Area and the
High Sierra. But with so many recreational opportunities close at hand, there’s no reason to wander far.
The region, stretching 450 miles from Glenn County in the north to San Joaquin County in the south, is drained by the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. Colusa, Yuba, Sutter, Yolo and San Benito counties are part of the Central Valley mix covered under this DogTrekker tab.
Sacramento County has its own pages.
There’s lots of dog-friendly wine country to explore out there, as well as lakes, rivers, parks and public lands to explore. The Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta is an other-wordly maze of waterways of particular interest to Central Valley visitors.
One of our favorite destination apps for the iPhone and iPad this year is called the
NorCalGuide. This comprehensive app covers both the Gold Country as well as the Central Valley, from Sierraville in the north -- to Lake Tahoe in the east -- to Sacramento and Folsom in the west -- to Bakersfield in the south.
You'll find destination profiles, points of interest, photos, videos, maps and events in the palm of your hand,showcasing the best of Northern California in a format that's easy to use on the go. Visit the iTunes app store and search for
NorCalGuide. Check out your favorite dog-friendly Gold Country place on
DogTrekker.com, and then use this handy app to guide you to, and around, your destination. The great thing about this app, besides all the cool stuff, is that it is free!
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Among the solutions Governor Brown's proposing to the state's budget crisis--removing the funding behind the Hayden Act, which, since 1998, has required city and county shelters, among other things, to hold impounded stray dogs for four business days before euthanizing them or putting them up for adoption. Without that protection, the shelter could dispose of the dog as it thought best within 72 hours of impound, regardless of whether it had been open for business at any time during those hours.
Nightmare scenario--you're traveling. Your dog loses his collar and gets lost. His microchip information has your home contact information. You have no idea where the local shelter is. It's a holiday weekend and nothing's open. more »
The Clarksburg wine region along the Sacramento River just 10 minutes south of the state capitol is expanding like a supernova, with another boutique winery opening up every month, it seems, along the scenic Freeport-River Road. more »
The San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta is a boater's paradise that in places feels like another world. Its 1,000 miles of navigable waterways wind through one of the richest agricultural regions in the nation and are easy to get lost in, so navigation skills are a must. Other challenges—like knowledge of tides and currents and being on the alert for low bridges, snags and shallow channels—make houseboating here a different venture than on a lake. more »
Group dog walks and off-leash recreation are the focus of Sacramento’s Responsible Dog Lovers Meetup group, while hiking and dog socialization is the name of the game for TOPDOG, an acryonym for Trekking Our Pooches Dog Owners Group. If your interest lies in training, Dogs with a Job is your vehicle for sharing “career” experiences such as obedience, agility, flyball, dog Frisbee, hunting, therapy or tracking. Also in the Sacramento area, you’ll find Meetup groups dedicated to big dogs, toy dogs, shih-tzus , border collies, Australian shepherds, miniature pinschers, dachshunds, schnauzers, Labrador retrievers, greyhounds, pit bulls, mastiffs, beagles—and, of course, those lovable pugs.
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