Trip time: 4–6 days

Leave the freeway behind for this trip, and take to the Central Valley’s beautiful, bucolic farm roads.

Start with a visit to Great Valley Grasslands State Park and hike the 6-mile loop through 2,700 acres of unplowed grasslands—rare in the valley—bounded by refuge lands. Bring a fishing pole? Black bass and channel catfish swim in the San Joaquin River, which twists slowly through the region. 

Take a break from tromping in the woods and pay a visit to Quady Winery in Madera. Taste dessert wines, like the Starboard, then tour of the grounds. Be sure to sip the winery’s renowned red dessert wine, Starboard—a regional version of a classic port. 

Climb into the Sierra Nevada, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, via State 180. Take a guided tour into Boyden Cavern , where you’ll see stalactites and stalagmites, soda straws and twisting helictites, speleothems, an underground creek, and other freakish novelties of subterranean geology. Feeling adventurous? Ask about guided canyoneering and rappelling excursions.
 

For a taste of the high country, make reservations and hike to Bearpaw High Sierra Camp , a tent-cabin resort (including gourmet meals) perched at almost 8,000 feet. From here, you’ll have access to trout fishing in alpine lakes, spectacular trails, and vista views from as high as 11,200 feet. 

A must-see for any visitor to Kings Canyon: Grant Grove, a stunning cluster of giant sequoias, including several of the largest trees on Earth. Choose from several easy trails to pass reverently beneath these serene and stately giants. http://www.nps.gov/archive/seki/ggvc.htm