Apple Hill (Camino, Placerville) ★ 4.5
Famous for: Apple cider, apple donuts, apple pie
Apple Hill on the Camino-Placerville road, 45 minutes east of Sacramento, runs October apple-picking, cider mills and donut farms across 50-plus growers.
Food destinations within easy reach of Sacramento. worth the train, the rental car or the early start.
Worth the trip
Amador County Wine Country ★ 4.4
Famous for: Zinfandel and Barbera tasting rooms
Amador County wine country east of Sacramento centres on Plymouth and Sutter Creek, with 40-plus zinfandel and barbera tasting rooms in the Sierra foothills.
Sutter Creek Wine Country ★ 4.4
Famous for: Walkable Main Street wine tasting and Sutter Creek Cheese Shoppe
Sutter Creek in Amador County, one hour east of Sacramento, has eight walkable Main Street tasting rooms plus the Sutter Creek Cheese Shoppe.
Davis Farmers Market ★ 4.5
Famous for: Farm-fresh produce, pasture-raised meats, Picnic in the Park Wednesday evenings
Davis Farmers Market at Central Park, 20 minutes west of Sacramento, runs Saturday and Wednesday with Picnic in the Park evenings each summer.
Locke Historic Chinatown ★ 4.4
Famous for: Al the Wop's Chinese American kitchen and Locke museums
Locke in the Sacramento Delta, 30 minutes south, is the US's only rural Chinatown, a 1915 National Historic Landmark with Al the Wop's and museums.
Ruhstaller Farm, Dixon ★ 4.5
Famous for: Open-air farm brewery, California-grown hops
Ruhstaller Farm in Dixon, 30 minutes west of Sacramento, is the 40-acre farm brewery with hop yard, open-air taproom and food trucks Friday to Sunday.
Wise Villa Winery, Lincoln ★ 4.4
Famous for: Placer County estate winery and Tuscan-style chef restaurant
Wise Villa Winery in Lincoln, 35 minutes northeast of Sacramento, is the Placer County estate winery with a full Tuscan-style chef restaurant.