For our new Out of Office column, reporter and photographer Brad Branan takes us on a journey to some of his favorite hikes around Lake Tahoe. 

Once upon a time — 1959, to be precise — Fairytale Town opened at 3901 Land Park Drive in Sacramento, just four years after Disneyland debuted in Southern California. Almost immediately it was acknowledged, year after year, as one of the region’s top five family amenities — and still is. 

In general, players know to watch out for the younger players, who can be child prodigies who rapidly increase their ratings. “They say when his feet don’t touch the floor, you’re in trouble,” local player Paul Taylor said.

When Off the Beaten Track debuted in early 2021, the Capital Region was tenuously crawling back from the worst pandemic in more than a hundred years. As we poked our heads outside, we wondered which businesses made it out OK, and how did they do it? Their compelling tales were the overriding storylines of those early post-pandemic days, while impacts from COVID-19 stretched throughout OTBT’s run.

Pokémon has earned an estimated $147 billion in revenue, making it the highest-grossing media franchise of all time. There’s money to be made in Pokémon cards even on the local level across the Capital Region, but profits aren’t guaranteed.

Not quite two years old, the Amador line of Rail Explorers in Ione is a unique, self-motorized way to experience the countryside of Amador County’s historic Mother Lode region.

Quietly, a robust live music scene has emerged in the foothills, with several venues able to draw in well-known acts. And if the changes in Grass Valley are emblematic of another thing, it’s that this sector is growing.

Beautiful natural resources like this make Northern California a popular destination for recreation lovers. In fact, in California in 2023, some $81.5 billion was generated from outdoor recreation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Let’s head outdoors.

The former Roseville High School standout long-distance runner is preparing for his sixth participation in the event, beginning July 5. The race stretches across the sunflower-packed flatlands of France, ascends into the snow-covered Alps and Pyrenees and often crosses country borders as if visiting nearby neighborhoods.