No road trip to Mendocino County is complete without sipping a few of the best Anderson Valley wines. From casual newcomers to expansive long timers, here are a few down-to-earth wineries you must visit on your next California road trip.
COVID-19 We are believers in the life-changing aspects of travel. While travel may at this time be limited, not possible, or beyond your personal safety boundaries, that doesn’t mean you cannot dream, plan or get inspired, and our stories will help you do just that. If you do hit the road, traveling near or far, always remain informed and respectful of an area’s safety guidelines. Remember that operations and hours of businesses may temporarily change. To help guide your decisions about traveling during the pandemic please visit the CDC and check with local travel destinations.
California
Peaceful evening in Old Sacramento on the river
A beautiful stream of reflected light fell across the river from Old Sacramento and its lights. I was standing on the opposite side of the bridge from Old Town. Now, if only that goose would swim over into the right place….
Bathing in pollen: Ladybugs and poppies
When thoughts start to turn to spring and flowers, the question arises, where to find wildflowers and perhaps butterflies and ladybugs too?
South Yuba River State Park: Bridgeport covered bridge and wildflowers
South Yuba River State Park’s Bridgeport wildflowers are fantastic in spring. Although anytime is a perfect time to visit the Bridgeport Historic Covered Bridge and enjoy a guided walk.
Alhambra Theater: Travelers can find lost history in Sacramento
Once a renowned theater and movie palace in the 1920s and ’30s, the site of the Alhambra Theater represents a bit of lost history in Sacramento that is fun to find. We’ll show you where to look.
Feather River Fish Hatchery fish saved from Oroville Dam disaster
On a sunny, spring day about a year ago, we stopped in at the Oroville Dam and its Feather River Fish Hatchery. Little did we know the peaceful shots we snapped would be such a contrast to the thundering water of the overfilled Oroville Dam in February 2017 that forced the evacuation of more than 180,000 people. In addition to the evacuation of people, however, was the mandatory evacuation of several million baby fish from the hatchery we had enjoyed.
Indulgent spa detox at Villagio Spa in Napa – intimate oasis escape
We experienced 4 hours of blissful retreat at the Villagio Spa in Napa that was more about discovering a relaxing oasis than the bounty of wine and food of Napa Valley. Outdoor fireplace, steam shower, sauna, massage, outdoor soaking tub, and yes, not to worry, plenty of food and wine too.
Discovering San Francisco secret gardens and public rooftop open spaces
POPOS may sound like a funny name for something you’d munch on during happy hour, but that is so wrong. POPOS stands for “Privately Owned Public Open Spaces,” a.k.a. San Francisco secret gardens. Whether you as a traveler call them POPOS, secret gardens, or rooftop parks, they are ideal respites and secluded open spaces when wandering and touring cities for travelers who just need to rest weary feet or simply take in the surroundings or do a little people-watching – for free, often in a really pleasant venue.
Rose Hill Cemetery at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve
The San Francisco Bay Area hills are spotted with numerous parks where one can hike or picnic, often with great views of the rolling countryside or even the ocean. Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve east of San Francisco has another secret worth a traveler’s exploration: the Rose Hill Cemetery dating back to the Gold Rush.
Mozzeria Pizzeria: Dining experience more than extraordinary food
Mozzeria pizzeria on 16th Street in San Francisco’s Mission District seems like any other pizza joint from the outside looking in. Unassuming sign, simple door, narrow long room, tables full, a line of patrons waiting to be seated, and wait staff bustling about. The noise-level inside is subdued, but unless one is very observant, you may not even notice the out-of-the-ordinary experience provided by dining at Mozzeria. Not until the hostess greets you do you begin to realize this is not your everyday pizza joint.
The gold panning world championships – not just about panning for gold
Since HI Travel Tales is based in California’s so-called Gold Country, we naively thought that this was the center of the panning for gold world. You know, Sierra Nevada gold rush, gold discovery at Sutter’s Mill, gold miners, ‘49ers, and all that jazz. Boy did we learn a thing or two, like gold panning is a world-wide pursuit and there is even a world championships each year.
Liberty Cemetery: A California ghost town burial ground
Driving north on State Route 99 through California’s Central Valley isn’t always a travel bright spot. But keep your eyes open and pioneering history may pop out at you – such as the Liberty Cemetery from the 1850s.
Historic Gold Rush town Michigan Bluff off beaten path
Situated at about the halfway point of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, Michigan Bluff is a California Gold Rush town so tiny nobody even bothers to count how many people live there. Could be about 20. Give or take. An old mining hamlet that once teemed with thousands of gold-seeking pioneers, this is what they call in true Old West cowboy slang a “one-horse town.” No, there’s not much there, but that’s what makes it charming and worth a stop for a hike or a walk when in the Sierra Nevada Gold Country.
Table Mountain Reserve – Amazing California wildflowers and waterfalls
Table Mountain reserve boasts one of the most spectacular waterfalls in California and an amazing display of California wildflowers in the spring, yet the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve (just “Table Mountain” reserve to locals) is surprisingly unknown. If you want blankets of colorful wildflowers, including periodic super blooms, Table Mountain delivers.
Pacific Grove Museum: Area natural history comes alive
The Pacific Grove Museum is a little place with a huge heart that invites visitors – adults and kids alike – to not just look but to touch, hear, play and feel. Dang amazing really for a museum that opened in 1883 and still, in part, exists in one of its original historic buildings on a side street in Pacific Grove.
Monterey Wildflowers: Spectacular shows at Pacific Grove Museum
Wildflowers are everywhere in the spring and summer in California, from mountains to the coast. With a love of all things that bloom, we found our way to the Pacific Grove Museum to see Monterey wildflowers.
Sierra foothills wildflowers hike: Fields of California wildflowers
With springtime comes the search for California wildflower walks to enjoy the multicolored beauty of sometimes fleeting blooms. Sierra foothills wildflowers are everywhere as are relatively easy hikes to view them – you just have to know where since you often can’t see the blooms from a road. This short hike showcases some amazing wildflowers such as lupine and poppies.
Corpse Flower: stinking good time in Sacramento
When a giant flower only blooms about every two decades – and promises to fill a hall with the smell of road kill rather than jasmine – I just had to go. I’m a garden nut when I’m not traveling – and sometimes even when HI Travel Tales is circling the globe we love to ferret out great gardens.
UC Davis Arboretum: free award-winning gardens
Alongside the roar of Interstate 80 connecting the San Francisco Bay Area to Lake Tahoe is an award-winning botanical garden that beckons plant-lovers, gardeners or anyone looking for a relaxing park setting – the UC Davis Arboretum. The park-like arboretum itself beckons with winding paths, benches and plant collections with different themes.
Amgen Tour of California: Cycling fun in the Golden State
Instead of saving for years to follow the Tour de France in Europe, try a regional stage race. Such as the Amgen Tour of California.
Lynch Canyon Open Space escape near San Francisco
Immediately adjacent to Interstate 80, between San Francisco and Sacramento or Lake Tahoe, California, there is a quiet and wonderful park that isn’t commonly known– Lynch Canyon Open Space, a part of the Solano Land Trust.
Apple Hill: Yummy visit promised in Northern California foothills
Apple Hill. The name conjures up images of crunchy apples and juicy pies on crisp fall days. All of that – and more – is true. But the Apple Hill region in California’s Sierra foothills not even an hour east of Sacramento has much to offer most of the summer, fall and winter too.
