WE are planning to visit your 23 year old daughter who is stationed in Sacramento in the Americorp. We will arrive into Sacramento on Thursday night and leave on Monday. We would like to get out of the city and do a good road trip so basically have Fri, Sat, Sun and then must leave Sacramento mid day Monday. We have done San Fransico so would like a few other suggestions. She likes the scenery and wouldn't mind doing a winery. If time permitted we could do the CArmel area but not sure if we have time. Any suggestions

You MUST go to Napa Valley! wonderful place to meander around and if you like wines - you get to see any one of the 200 plus wineries there. Great restaurants too!

Carmel is definitely do-able - it's about a 3 hour drive from Sac. You could visit Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur. There are wineries in the Santa Cruz mountains and the Carmel Valley.

Lake Tahoe is another choice, it's only about an hour and a half away and there is definitely no shortage of scenery there.

The gold country is very close to Sac - you could tour Hwy 49, through the gold rush towns. There are some nice wineries in that area. You could easily spend your 3 days there.

You could also head out to the Mendicino Coast, which is west of Sac and north of SF. I think the drive is about 2-3 hours to get there.

I'd suggest driving to Lake Tahoe, and stopping at some wineries near Placerville. I particularly like the wines at Lava Cap.

Lake Tahoe is an excellent suggestion. It's only about two hours from Sac. Are you going in the warmer months? The summer is my favorite time to visit Lake Tahoe. I grew up spending a couple of weeks there each and every summer. ***kim***

You left off WHEN this trip is scheduled. it makes a big difference - snow/chains in the Sierra, etc.

If it is this Spring or Summer I would probably do a two night loop through the Amador/El Dorado county wine reagion which would also include several gold rush era villages and lots of restaurants and antiques shops, and then up to South Lake Tahoe.

I'd leave Sacto Friday morning (to miss the really bad friday afternoon traffic) and spend the whole day centered somewhere along Hwy 49 south of Placerville. Then Saturday morning head up to S Lake Tahoe either on Hwy 50 or Hwy 88 (avoid 88 if it is snowy) and spend Saturday and 1/2 a day Sunday at Tahoe.

Then head back to Sacramento and spend the last night there. have a nice dinner along the river or in Old Sac, and then leave Monday.

I grew up in Sacramento and I think Janis has the best idea. It will give you a feel for that area of California, which considering it is where your daughter is spending her time is probably what you want. And there are some good wineries in the foothills too (as well as some really bad ones!).

If you're coming in the summer, the Sacramento and Napa valleys can be very, very hot. So in that case I'd head for Lake Tahoe, visiting Auburn and Nevada City along the way.

For a long trip, you may want to go north out of Sacto on Hwy99/70 to Marysville then head East on SR 20 to Grass Valley/Nevada City. Beautiful drive.

Hit the old town sections of Nevada City and Grass Valley then go South on Hwy 49 thru Auburn.

Stop in Coloma and take in Sutter's Mill and some of the other attractions. Right around there begins the wineries of ElDo/Amador and Calaveras Counties.

Nice little B&Bs in Coloma you can use as a half way point or make your way down to Placeville.

Continue on down Hwy 49 to Sutter Creek, Jackson and maybe down to Angels Camp?

You can cut over to Hwy 99 then back up to Sactown after a brief stop at some of Lodi's up and coming wineries. (Our fave, "Michael David"... 7 Deadly Zins, E'quake Zin, 6th Sense Syrah, the Incognito lines).

A lot of under rated wineries in the Sierra Foothills area.

Love Boeger, Lava Cap, Karly's, Madrona, Jodar, Easton, Montevina, Ironstone, et al.

I agree with the Amador and El Dorado County wineries. The country is very beautiful, pastoral and the wineries are charming. Much of the time you are doing tasting with the owners behind the counter. This will be my third year in a row visiting a friend in Flosom and we always spend a very fun and relaxing day there every year. I have been to Napa and Sonoma several times too and enjoy those very much. The two areas are very different in atmoshpere. Tasting is mostly free in Aoador and El Dorado.