Next Stop: Duncans Mills... one stop shopping…read more Different shopping experience! While taking the scenic route along the Sonoma County we came upon this Russian River town. The cute little town is nestled in the Pacific Coast among redwoods and vineyards. Shopping, restaurants, antique stores, art galleries, camping and recreation activities abound this town. We stopped to check it out. The stores are so cute in this quaint village and they strictly enforce covid regulations here. When entering the stores you must sanitize your hands, wear your masks, and social distance. If you love tea you must stop at the Tea Shop, they also sell spices. The bookstore is adjacent to the tea shop and is such a cute tiny store. There is also a plant store, the Antiquarian. Located on Hwy # 116, 4 miles inland from the coast. The town has a population of only 85. There is shopping and food on both sides. They even have a tiny post office and a train depot & museum. Review #2184

Selfishly, I want to keep this place a secret…read more For those in Northern California, this is a perfect overnight getaway. Though Christina Ferreira sold her beautiful inn, there are many AirBnBs along the river, or you can splurge with a place in Jenner. Start your day at the DM bakery, or visit Cape Fear for the best eggs benedict - instead of the heavy version most of us know, theirs is light and lemony. Stroll the shops and the exceptional Christopher Queen art gallery, where the owner, Nancy (sister to Christina) shows exceptionally dedication to her 10 artists, and curates shows that would make any city gallery owner jealous. End a perfect day with dinner at the Blue Heron - sit in the bar or better yet, out back...locals will make you feel at home and you'll leave with both a full belly and full heart.

I'm very impressed with downtown Santa Rosa. Its got a Barnes and Noble and a very popular brewery…read more- Russian River and parking is free after 6pm. Overall the city looks clean and pleasant. Parks and green areas are there for you to enjoy after trying some restaurants. The downtown area is cute and intimate and very pleasant. The buildings are old and interesting and there are no monster ugly new construction in sight. Pliny the Younger season is still in session for a couple more days - if you live in the bay its a once a year opportunity that you should jump on if you can. Live a little. Parking is abundant and free after 6pm. There are tons of lots and garages and it shouldn't be an issue. They say that any neighborhood with a Barnes and Noble is a good one. This must be amore affluent area than I first imagined. I suppose Santa Rosa is within reasonable distance to San Francisco that people may choose to commute in. I tend to think its at the edge of being considered part of the bay area. I think downtown Santa Rosa could be a destination for you. Research a few things you'd enjoy and have a plan B in case Russian River's wait line doesn't work out for you.

Santa Rosa was not a destination, until recently. Still, it doesn't have much, yet. It has a…read moregritty feeling, like Venice Beach. The homeless don't help it, but what can you/we do? Things to do: 2/5 Safety: 3/5 Cleanliness: 2.5/5 Features: ======== * It's all about 4th street (and a lil about 5th) * Russian River Brewing * La Rosa Tequileria & Grille * Santa Rosa Plaza mall -- 120 shops * Hotel E -- a restored old courthouse Nearby, in Santa Rosa, West of the 101: =================== * Hyatt * Courtyard Marriott * New Coddingtown Shopping Center

The Marin Civic Center is a beautiful Frank Lloyd building. As a Marin county resident, I am always…read moreso thrilled to go to one of our civic offices so I can walk around the spaces. It is a living, functional part of our daily lives. How many people are lucky enough to have a place to do your county business that also gives you something beautiful in return? The farmer's markets are also fantastic.

I attended the funnest outdoor event on Halloween, 2020. It was a thoughtful alternative to regular…read moredoor-to-door trick or treating. I stopped by the Civic Center for an evening walk and found a drive up holiday event. There was a charge to drive into the area and cars then processed by giant spiders etc. to a drive-up option for hot dogs, and beyond. It looked fun but since there is a charge it does not seem equitable for those who could not pay over $10 per car.

On Easter, I was up in the north Bay and looking for a church to celebrate. I drove over to Mission…read moreSan Rafael for the first time when a beautiful church an amazing history. I set a free prayers in the side chapel just after their service they had quite a community buzz going on as they had live music for the service. Just being on the grounds of Mission San Rafael brought a calmness to me. If you be looking for a spectacular place to pray or reflect. I highly recommend visiting Mission San Rafael.

Nice to be back ..church is the last resort haha ...saloon de Jesus ..don't forget ...get outread more

I saw this place on Yelp and was surprised because I've been to McGinnis golf course many times and…read morenever knew this place existed. Driving out there seems a little weird because you feel as if you are going in the wrong place but if you stay left past the sanitation building there is a little parking lot with space for about 5 cars and the walk starts there. The sanitation plant ponds are a haven for birds and birdwatchers. I wish I knew the names of more birds, but I saw many different kinds as well as an unbelievably ginormous Swan and tons of ducks quacking around. There are lovely views in every direction: Mount Tam, Saint Vincent's church steeple, and Marin's endless hills. Many parts of the trail are aligned with Himalayan blackberry bushes which bloom in the late summer. The trail is very level so good for running but it can get a bit dusty, so you'd be kicking that up. To walk around the pools is around 2 miles but if you wanted to go longer the trail veers out north and you can walk to the Hamilton Trail which is about 1.5 mile one way. This part of the trail is nice for something longer but it can get more monotonous in scenery so not as good for a solo walk and there is absolutely no shade so I wouldn't recommend for the summertime.

This review is for the reclamation pond/project, not the sanitary district itself. What a hidden…read moregem! The miles of even-ground hiking trails have incredible views of Mt. Tam and San Pablo Bay. There are sitting and picnic benches if you want to stop and rest or observe the abundance of wildlife, and bikes and dogs are allowed. This is one of my favorite places to walk in Marin because dogs are allowed, and I love stopping to watch the migratory birds. If ornithology is your jam, I recommend bringing binoculars and a camera. Parking can be challenging on weekends, and the smell (especially near the entrance) can be super potent when it's warm or hot outside, but the wildlife viewing makes it worth it for me.

I can't believe this cute little town has never received a YELP rating (and a 5 Star rating at…read morethat)! I moved to the North Bay just a few months ago and discovered this place and fell in love with it! You could almost miss the main drag if you just travel down Sir Francis Drake (by the way, some cute shops and restaurants on SFD on the side by the old theatre. Don't miss those either!). But hit the main drag by taking Tunstead off of Sir Francis Drake and then turn left or right to find some great shopping, parks, restaurants, galleries, market and the like. Everytime I come here, which is often these days, I discover something new. As I do, I will post my finds by adding to this review. My three picks for the week are Marin Coffee Roasters (delicious coffee, snacks, breakfast, lunch..and beer if you like), Cucina SA (amazing restaurant for lunch and dinner) and Tumbleweed (new little clothing shop I discovered after dining at Cucina one night...I just got some great boots there!); unique and quality items and some great bargains! This is a very charming and fun town and you need to check it out! Forget the malls and come here and shop! Dog and kid friendly! Love it!

Attended an author event here. The staff were organized and kind. The inside is dated but nice…read moreenough. Room was large with space for large groups. Super easy to get to, but the parking is terrible for large events. We had to park blocks away and walk. Event was great and would attend something there again.

I traveled here for the Real Music series by Oliver's Market, to benefit the Redwood Empire Food…read moreBank. I was impressed with the multitude of spaces available, the friendliness of the staff represented, and the acoustics, perfect for music. The location would be great for a dance or social, and effortlessly accommodated a huge crowd of multi-generational attendees. My only concern, and angst was the parking. We ended up leaving part way through to find dinner, and upon returning there was no parking anywhere, even on the street. This is a great problem to have, I think, because it proved the turnout and support of a community this dedicated, even in a small space. Regardless, we ended up parking 7 blocks down and walking, which proved to be a challenge once the event was over and was dark with no street lights. Overall quite the venue, and such a great asset to the City of Sebastopol!

Awww yes, the Life-Saving Cemetery of Inverness…read more As you head toward the Point Reyes Lighthouse, you'll pass Drakes Bay Oyster Farm, and Schooner Creek. At this point on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. you'll see a sign directing you to turn off the main rain, toward the cemetery. While I don't think heading down random roads in an area with no cell phone coverage in search of cemetery land is always a good idea, we were in an adventurous spirit and had plenty of daylight left. We would be safe. There is a two-car parking area and one car had taken both spots, so we put our car nearby and hiked up the (small) hill to a grove of large trees, keeping the graves shaded and mostly hidden from sight. Bright yellow flowers littered the walkway up the hill, bringing life to an otherwise very quiet place. Was it getting windier as we reached the top? Did the sun just hide behind a cloud? A crumbly, white picket fence surrounded the small cemetary. We each laid a yellow flower at the first graves we came to. You cant actually get to the headstones - they are surrounded by personal fences, but you can read their inscriptions. It was really cool. The place was a little beat up looking and not that well maintained, but I imagine they weren't getting a lot of complaints from the residents. At the top of the small cemetery sat a small bench, made from a tree. We quietly reflected on our day and our lives, then turned to head back down the hill and were on our way. I thought it'd be pretty fun to stay around here and wait for another car, and hide behind a tree before jumping out and scaring them, but this area is pretty isolated and it might have been a long wait.

As we drove towards Chimney Rock on Sir Francis Drake Blvd, we noticed a sign for the Life Saving…read moreStation Cemetery. We thought that sounded unique and talked about how we would stop by on our way back after doing our Chimney Rock hike. Later on the way back, we looked for a sign, but there was none. As we passed the Drakes Estero pullout, we looked back and noticed the sign. We did a turnaround and we were on our way! Once we were on the road to the cemetery, we drove all the way down the road, looking for a second sign to direct us to the cemetery, but there was nothing. At the end of the road, we ended up at the US Coast Guard property that was fenced with no access. Again a turnaround and this time we noticed a two-car parking area on our way back to Sir Francis Drake Blvd. We parked and walked down a road, looking for the cemetery. Still nothing, and we walked back to the car. Then we noticed a hikers sign across the street from the parking area. The trail was overgrown, but we decided to check it out. After a thousand feet or so, we noticed a white picket fence, hoping it was the cemetery. Yes! We found the two different fenced in areas, with the gravesites. Very peaceful here, but now viewing the previous reviewer's photos from 2013, it was obvious that no one maintains the cemetery. It is overgrown and the trail is no longer clearly marked. Even so, we enjoyed our trek to the cemetery and finding the grave markers.