Top ten plus one when this Sacramento local wants to drive away

Well, Today's Top Eleven...Ask Me Again Tomorrow! Story & Photos by Barbara L. Steinberg© 

In no particular order...the Sacramento City Guide loves all things California.

(1) California Delta- Just down the road from Sacramento, beautiful drives and more than 1,000 miles of waterways. Enjoy the last car-hauling ferries in the northern state; free rides aboard the 60-something Real McCoy or the J-Mack. In Rio Vista, Foster's Bighorn restaurant boasts a huge collection of big game trophies. It took more than a little coaxing to get me inside. If you prefer, take a spin around the Delta Loop Scenic Byway, dine along the Mokulumne River, and overnight at nearby RV Parks, B&Bs, and motels. Or check-out a houseboat from Seven Crown Resorts. Tranquil days floating and exploring definitely sooth the spirit. From October to March, the Delta is a landing strip for birds along the Pacific Coast flyway. Sandhill cranes arrive, literally, by the thousands to spend the winter months at the Cosumnes River Preserve and the Isenberg Sandhill Crane Preserve.

(2) Yosemite National Park - Where else would you go? Annually, millions of people throng to see the splendor of the granite cliffs, cascading falls, giant sequoias, and the grandeur made famous by the likes of John Muir and Ansel Adams. My favorite season(s) is October-March. The quiet hush of a snow-draped Yosemite is pure meditation. The crushing sound and view of Yosemite Falls is reason to pause. A visit to the Yosemite Museum is always high on my list of things to do. Time spent with Pomo Indian Julia Parker, watching as she magically weaves native baskets and tells stories, is something I will leave you to discover. Along with the Other Ten...

(3) Can you say Bezerkely (no disrespect intended)? Berkeley is so often forgotten in the shadow of that big city by The Bay. The delights of the 4th Street shops are well-known. The Pasta Shop is a nosh-spot fave where you can, quite simply, sample everything before you buy. Just blocks away, the unassuming corrugated building along the railroad tracks is home to Takara Sake. Everything you never knew about sake will be resolved in one amazing visit. The tasting room is elegantly Japanese…and the museum includes an exhibit of the historical sake-making process. Embrace a little history and spend the night at the Berkeley City Club. Designed and built by Julia Morgan, the Moorish “Little Castle” is classic Julia.

(4) Eastern Sierra/Mammoth Lakes- This most beautiful and less-visited region of California offers all of the best outdoor recreation. Head to Saddlebag Lake off Tioga Pass and enjoy some of the best blackberry pie above the 10,000-foot elevation. Take the water taxi across the lake and head-off into the Hoover Wilderness and the 20 Lakes Basin. Back at Mammoth, it’s year-round recreation from fishing and mountain biking to the best of downhill and snowboard action.

(5) California Wine Regions- pick one...pick two...each has its own marvelous character and offers something special. The Russian River Wine Trail provides the pleasure of California’s best wineries plus the splendor of the redwoods and the Sonoma Coast. However, from north to south, wine is liquid gold. Nearly every corner of California has a wine region -- some have just a handful of small wineries, where you'll often find the winemaker hard at work in the tasting room. Close to Sacramento, the Delta also delivers a wonderful collection of local wineries in the Clarksburg Appellation.  Hundreds or handfuls...enjoy the ride and take a designated driver.

(6) Suisun Marsh – The largest contiguous brackish water marsh remaining on the west coast of North America it encompasses 116,000 acres and includes 52,000 acres of managed wetlands. Incredible hikes and wildlife viewing; you pass right through on Amtrak’s Capital Corridor trains. Enjoy easy hikes from the Rush Ranch Visitor Centerpart of the Solano Land Trust off Grizzly Island Road. Enjoy a sunset kayak trip; a little fishing; explore Indian grinding stones; or views of white pelicans as they glide across the sky. Suisun Marsh is part of California's natural and historic past.

(7) Get lost on the Lost Coast- Incredible drives not for the weak-of-heart, views of the coast, and the remotest areas of the California coastline. There’s a reason the call it “lost.” Usal Beach at the tip of the Sinkyone Wilderness State Park is worth every nerve-wracking mile and the short hike past undisturbed Roosevelt elk. Others explorations should include Arcanum Ranch Pottery. The glazes and pottery they so lovingly create are part of the Lost Coast mystery. The Shelter Cove Airport is a favorite of small planes. What views!

  (8) Wilbur Hot Springs – I can’t say they’re off-the-grid since quite simply they were never on it!  They are the poster child for solar systems since they are completely powered by solar gardens with back-up (propane) generators. The resort at Wilbur Hot Springs dates back to 1865. The current hotel was built in 1915 and offers numerous comfortable corners to lose yourself or spend time with friends. The clothing-optional hot springs are loaded with life-giving minerals.  The sodium levels provide buoyancy similar to floating in the Dead Sea. In spring, California wildflowers grow in profusion in this most blessed region of California's Central Valley, internationally known for the quantity and diversity of its blooms. Orange poppies, yellow tidytips, purple lupine, owl's clover, and rare adobe lilies are just some of the wildflower delights.

(9) Catalina Island – Part of the Channel Islands...this Mediterranean-style island just a short 1-hour boat ride from LA...22 miles. It's a world away and offers the incredible opportunities for relaxation, romance, and recreation. When people say to me "There's nothing to do on Catalina..." I am stunned. My response..."YOU should not go to Catalina."  Walking and golf carts are the preferred modes of transportation. Head for the Green Pier and the best fish tacos at Earl & Rosie’s…a decades-long tradition. Old-fashioned movie fun at the Avalon Theatre with its Page Organ, world-famous dive spots, and don’t miss…the flying fish tours!  I’m not kidding.  Oh, yes, the Airport in the Sky’s Runway Café is famed for its buffalo burgers.

(10) Twentynine Palms Inn– You have to love a place that claims the Oasis of Mara and a “bread cathedral” where restaurant breads are crafted. Fresh picked fruits and vegetables find their way from the garden to the table. Comfortable adobes and wood-frame cabins complete this near desert mirage. It’s the perfect location for taking in Joshua Tree National Park and other natural wonders of the Morongo Basin.  Art in public places, local art studios and the Murals of 29 Palms draw art enthusiasts from around the world.

(11) Sundial Bridge - The bridge is an actual working sundial. Designed by world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, he said, "the bridge resembles a bird in flight." The gleaming white expanse connects the nationally-designated Sacramento River Trail System in Redding, California, with the Turtle Bay Exploration Park and McConnell Arboretum.