Sacramento wineries and beyond with your furry friend

The words “wine” and “Sacramento” may not seem to go together—until you realize more than 200 wineries and tasting rooms are situated within 75 miles of the state capital. Many welcome tail-waggers as warmly as the uprights on the other end of the leash. Once you and Sparky have experienced the friendly atmosphere in the Sierra Nevada foothills, along the Sacramento River corridor or in surprising nooks and crannies of Yolo and Lodi farm country, you might see no reason to visit that “other” wine country again. Read more.

All American River

Photo by Greg Morris, National Wild and Scenic River System.

Zapata at River Bend Park. Photo: Trevino (CC) A paddle trip down the six-mile stretch of the Lower American River between the Sunrise Bridge off Highway 50 and River Bend Park (called by its former name, Goethe Park, on many maps) is a signature summertime experience for residents of and visitors to Sacramento.

Delta dawgs

Isleton Bridge. Photo by Visit CA Delta.

The Sacramento River Delta is a watery maze worlds removed from the urban clutter of Sacramento and the Bay Area. On a Sunday drive you'll see old-time bridges and miles of levees that in the mid-1800s transformed a once trackless wetland into 55 agricultural islands—two of them connected by public ferry— that still produce food for Northern California. Regrettably, there are not many areas in the Delta where you can legally let Astro off leash. But don't let that stop you. Read more.