
On a Dark Delta Highway, Ryde Hotel’s Party Legacy Endures
With all the food, fun and spirits, guests may never want to leave
The four-story Ryde Hotel, considered one of the most haunted hotels in Northern California, has been a Highway 160 art deco beacon for almost 100 years.

Stop and Smell the Daylilies at Amador Flower Farm
Take a break from wine tasting in the Shenandoah Valley to picnic in a garden
Nestled squarely in the midst of dozens of award-winning wineries that make Amador County’s Shenandoah Valley so unique, Amador Flower Farm in Plymouth is home to something different — an eye-popping 1,300 varieties of daylily.

Grass Valley Museum Tells Untold History of Women During the Gold Rush
Industrious nuns, international stars and well-educated orphans
In a county known for its wealth of Gold Rush-era museums, undoubtedly some of the most compelling stories from that time reside at a former orphanage hidden within the 160-year-old walls of the Grass Valley Museum.

Lotus Pub Is a Low-Key Gourmet Hideaway
A place to take your time by the South Fork of the American River
It’s the first night back after Lotus Pub’s annual two-week holiday break, and at 5 p.m. when the doors swing open on this frigid Friday in January, a line has already formed.

Mokelumne Hill Is Authentic California Gold Country
The entire Gold Rush-era town is a designated historic landmark
Mokelumne Hill may not be the busiest tourist hub in the Amador-Calaveras Sierra Nevada foothills loop that includes Sutter Creek, Jackson, Angels Camp and Murphys. But that doesn’t mean the uniquely well-preserved 1850s Gold Rush-era settlement along the Mokelumne River, often called Moke Hill by the locals, is lacking in things to do and see.

Mountain House Bar & Grill is in the Middle of Gold Rush History
The remote waypoint has served travelers for more than 170 years
It’s a stop for nightly commuters, a biker bar and a family-oriented historical highway landmark, hosting everything from car shows, weddings and baby showers, to taco Thursdays and Wednesday trivia nights.

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.”