California Northern Coast - Walks, Wine and Water:
Sonoma Valley and Mendocino Coast (April,
October and November)
Scheduled trips: Please contact us to set up a custom trip!
Trip Cost: $2,295 - (
7
Days & 6 Nights). There is a $200 single supplement charged.
Sonoma and Mendocino counties, just north of
San Francisco, are a walker's paradise. Pacific views, whale-backed hills of
grasses and wildflowers, redwood-fir forests tucked away in secluded valleys
- all connected by a superlative network of footpaths and old roads through
state parklands.
- Sonoma hiking trails go through grape vineyards in
bloom in Spring, or being harvested in Autumn, and on the Mendocino coastline,
we can enjoy the beaches and surf.
- In Sonoma, we will have a vineyard tour and tasting
at our octagenarian friend George MacLeod's Indian Springs Ranch, specializing
in sauvigon blanc. Other good winery options include Kenwood and Ravenswood,
both known for incredible Zinfindels and Cabernets. Our Beltane Ranch-based
walks range from Jack London and Sugarloaf State Parks to nice trails right on
the ranch. On Tuesday evening we can take in the Sonoma Plaza farmers market,
which is really seeing a slice of Wine Country life.
- We hike through redwoods and river valleys to the
magnificent Pacific coastline! We'll walk among stately redwoods as well as
on trails with oceanscapes-a-plenty. During our stay near Point Arena, we
include the low-tide classic walk at Schooner Gulch, hitting our stride on the
amazing Bowling Ball Beach.
- Mendocino looks like a New England town, with gabled
rooflines, picket fences, and gingerbread trim-work, but here, dramatically
poised on a headland, overlooking the Pacific. We can happily sample footpaths
in nearby state parks and walk the headlands as well. You can even rent a bike
and go up the Big River path for miles!
- We stay the first three nights at the quiet, historic
Beltane Ranch near Glen Ellen, in Sonoma Valley; then a night at an inn on
the "Lost Coast" near Point Arena; a final two nights at lodgings in Mendocino
village, also near the ocean.
- We head inland along the Navarro River to Anderson
Valley, with great scenery and a final picnic lunch at a low-key winery where
superb Pinot noir rules. We'll have people back to their cars (parked in Glen
Ellen for a few days), or at Sonoma Plaza/bus stop by 5pm, for post-trip
lodging and airport shuttle busses.
- We invite you to do a little "California Dreamin'"
with us as we show you the best of this coastline and wine country.
- Also check out our friends at Wine Direct Selections in Santa Rosa for assistance with choosing the right wine for the right occasion. (Ask for Vaughn Filer).
