Sacramento Bee: Travel

California faces major long-term challenges, not just short-term economic woes. One of those is producing an educated citizenry. Yet the two major candidates for governor have had very little to say about the state's public higher education system, particularly the community colleges.

Beware candidates touting new "tough on crime" policies – and hold on to your wallet. Year after year, this state spends a steadily increasing portion of its budget on the prison system – without increasing public safety.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share

If you are a customer of Pacific Gas and Electric, you probably are feeling pretty sore right now. Not only does PG&E charge higher rates than some utilities (such as SMUD), but it is spending vast sums of money on a self-serving constitutional amendment, Proposition 16.

1. General Rules:

Cupid, with Yuri, shows why she's also known as "Boing-Boing Dog" as she leaps for her love of pulling Dotty Dennis' sled. Yuri, meanwhile, takes a more restrained approach to the moments before Dennis' team springs into unified action.

FIRST PLACE [WORLD]
"Sunrise at the Dunes at Sossusvlei"
MAI HARVILL

RANDY PENCH Sacramento Bee file, 2006
A sun-warmed rock near Sorensen's Resort on Highway 88 makes a good place to perch and read a book. The Hope Valley region of the eastern Sierra has some of the state's best fall color.It comes fast.

Scenes from Placerville, from above left: Roger Hopkins of Fair Oaks looks at a vintage photo in a Main Street window; the Hangman's Tree Tavern in its heyday (with dangling dummy); Hopkins and friend Colleen Gast explore the shops; Main Street looking up the hill.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share

Deals to Hawaii
Among them: Hawaiian Airlines is offering vacation packages starting at $720 from Sacramento for round-trip air and three nights at the Aqua Palms hotel in Waikiki, taxes and fees included.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share

In the barrel room at David Bruce Winery, samples of wine are retrieved for founder Bruce, center, using a "wine thief."Among California wine regions, the Santa Cruz Mountains winemaking district is the razorback boar.