
Mounted Animals Draw Visitors to Iconic Foster’s Bighorn for 90 Years
Rio Vista restaurant and bar features hunting trophies from around the world
Bud Milo enters the 90-year-old restaurant and bar on Main Street in Rio Vista for the first time, and his expression immediately changes after seeing 300 mounted hunting trophies and photos lining the walls. “There’s a whole lot of animals here,” says the incredulous Milo.

Family Fun at Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland
Three generations have run the popular attraction for more than 50 years
Wayne Bishop of Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland claims the farm is the largest pick-your-own pumpkin patch in the world. It remains a true family-run business, with Wayne, his wife Ann, his sons Lee and Austin, and his daughter-in-law Courtney leading the farm his parents started more than 50 years ago.

Dutch Flat Is a Trip Into California’s Gold Rush
Visitors find historic charm in the mountain community of just 133 residents
The well-preserved, semi-ghost Placer County town of Dutch Flat, an hour drive east of Sacramento in the Sierra Nevada foothills, has earned the description of being “a step back in time,” as local hotelier Leif Lowery described it.

Up, Up and Away With Yolo Ballooning Adventures
Enjoy a thrilling ride in the sky
As the crew with Yolo Ballooning Adventures prepares the aircraft for its scheduled 90-minute trip, general manager Mike Veliz looks out over the launch site dotted with half a dozen other balloons from various Northern California companies readying for takeoff. “The best part of this job,” says Veliz, a Woodland native, “is getting to watch the sunrise every day.”

A Place of Peace
Awe-inspiring flowers and vistas await visitors at Nevada County’s Crystal Hermitage Gardens
Even when the tulips aren’t blooming during the April-May window, Crystal Hermitage is a destination experience that has received accolades by AAA Magazine as a top garden to visit in the West.

Hometown High School Sweethearts Bring Cajun Cooking to Benicia
Lines often form for their homemade cooking
The story of The Workshop, the popular 600-square foot Cajun-Creole walk-up restaurant in Benicia, starts with a teen romance between Danny Glassmaker and Naomi Buskirk more than 30 years ago.

Bok Kai Temple in Marysville Preserves Centuries of Culture
The temple is one of the oldest Taoist places of worship in the country
The temple and museum is usually a quiet respite for visitors, open by appointment only. But during one weekend, the serenity is replaced by bursts of firecrackers and thousands of visitors attending the Bok Kai Festival weekend, honoring Bok Eye.

Off the Beaten Track: A Retreat in the Forest
Sugar Pine Lodge much more than just a B&B to isolated Placer County communities
Inspired by its proprietor Brynn Wooden — known to all as Miss B — and Woody, her husband of 40 years, the lodge is a beacon in the tight-knit Gold Rush communities of Colfax, Iowa Hill and Foresthill.

It’s All About the Mead
New Penn Valley establishment fills a niche
Nevada County Mead Company is one of the few places in the Capital Region that produces and serves mead, which the ancient Greeks called “nectar of the gods.”

Museum Tells Unusual Stories of Almost Two Centuries in Benicia
Historic building used to house camels during the 1850s
The Benicia Historical Museum houses tens of thousands of artifacts related to multiple wars and the Gold Rush era, providing a place for visitors to learn something new and appreciate the story of California.