Autumn, is the savvy traveler’s secret season: ideal weather, fewer crowds and shoulder season $$$$ rates. Located in the heart of California, Sacramento is a perfect starting location for accessing some of the West’s most prized destinations: Mountains? ✅ Ocean? ✅ Lakes? ✅ Wine?✅ Casinos? ✅ We got them all within a two hour drive. These are some of my favorite spots:
North Lake Tahoe/Truckee/Palisades (102 miles)
One can not help falling in love with Lake Tahoe in the fall: crazy tourists are gone, the aspens are at their brightest, and weather is just perfect!
North Lake Tahoe: We always stop at #Wildcherries, a European bakery in Truckee if we’re driving up highway 80 to Reno or North Lake Tahoe. They have great coffee and fresh muffins, scones, European-style pastries and more. This is a perfect stop for breakfast or a light lunch like sandwiches. Here’s their menu.
Photo Courtesy of Wild Cherries Coffee House
Palisades Tahoe-Olympic Valley (Formerly Squaw Valley) is only 17 minutes south of Truckee and it is one of our favorite go to places on the weekends. There are shops, live music (sometimes), restaurants and a small man-made pond for the dogs to swim in. If you’re there, do this: at Fireside Pizza, order a Thai Curry Chicken and a House Salad. Trust me: It’s one of the best pizza’s you’ve ever had. And the salad, as simple as it might sound, is just amazing. Say yes when asked if you would like olives on it. It’s been our ritual for years and we still love it as much as we did the first time. With $50, you can take the gondola up to top of the mountain and go for a hike in the higher elevation, if it hasn’t snowed yet. It is absolutely worth it but if it’s your first trip to the Palisades, there is plenty to keep you entertained in the valley. There’s also an annual Octoberfest festival in September which is an absolutely fun event if you like German culture. #crossculturalactivity.
Photo courtesy of Palisades Tahoe Alpine Meadows
Bodega Bay (110 miles)
Only 110 miles away, you could be sitting by the ocean in less than 2 hours and you can take your canine friends with you too: lots of beaches where 🐶’s are allowed. Whale watching from October to February is possible there and you may see gray whales breaching and spraying while traveling from Alaska to Mexico. You can also go kayaking or paddleboarding through the bay. No worries if you don’t have the right tools: There is no shortage of places to rent them. You can’t do Bodega Bay and don’t have some delicious fresh seafood. There’s crab, fish and the my favorite clam chowder soup (Is it considered a soup? IDK). You may also visit the filming location of Hitchcock’s “The Birds”. Bodega Bay is where it was filmed and as you are driving around the town, there’s no shortage of signs to remind you of it. Just like every other touristy town, there is a visitor center to tell you more about everything BODEGA BAY.
Photo Courtesy of Brad Lane Planetware.com
Napa (70 Miles)
During fall, while most destinations are experiencing a seasonal respite, Napa is bustling with activity. And late October through November is the best time to see fall colors in Napa Valley. If you are planning on visiting the wineries, make sure you make reservations as fall is one of their busy times. If you are as crazy as I am about enjoying the fall colors, then any of the vineyards along the Silverado Trail and Highway 29, or spots on the valley floor like Yountville and Rutherford will do.
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Mt Shasta (190 miles)
Mount Shasta is about 3 hours from Sacramento and one hour north of Redding. Shasta is definitely underrated. Most Sacramentans I have spoken to, have not been there. Start with a trip to Living Memorial Sculpture Garden. It is a living tribute to the fallen. A place for reflection. We visited it when we first got to Mt Shasta and had to go back again before we returned to Sacramento. A small flat forest of pine and fir. Our dogs ran around and had a blast. See my video of that place:
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McClound Falls is another must visit place. Free parking, nice & easy 4 miles round trip hike will take you to see water falls like this. Dogs will love it too. 
Have you ever wanted to walk behind a waterfall? Visiting Hedge Creek Falls is a unique experience, where you can view falls from different perspective. And the great thing about it is that it is right off highway 5 and a short easy hike will get you to it.
Another place to visit is Mt. Shasta Hatchery which is the “oldest operating hatchery west of the Mississippi”. It was such a relaxing afternoon with almost no one around. 
If you didn’t have time to do your research prior to arriving there, just get a motel and look for the visitor center (in the town of Mt Shasta) and they will help you out. We found them very helpful with all kinds of maps and flyers. The friendly lady there even allowed us to use their restroom!!!!
We loved Mt Shasta and already are planning our next visit there. I will be taking my fishing tackle with me this time.
If looking for good places to eat, you will be kind of limited. This part of the state is not as developed as say, Lake Tahoe. (And that is a good thing!) So, as for restaurants, your choices are limited. Yaks Shack is a famous burger place. You won’t be disappointed. Pipeline Craft Taps and Kitchen is another great restaurant/brewery and it’s located almost across the street. Go fall in love with Shasta.
