If you're in the area on Route 128 near Lake Berryessa in Northern California, the Monticello Dam…read moreis worth the road trip stop The vista point is on Route 128 between the town of Rutherford and Interstate 505. The dam overlook is right on Route 128. The dam is 26 miles long and 304 feet tall. The spillway hole is 246 feet deep and 72 feet in diameter. There is an information board providing the history of the dam. There is a concrete sidewalk that stretches a bit westward from the dam. If you follow that walkway, you can view the lake spillway hole. The hole is a constructed overflow outlet that looks like a big hole emerging from the lake. When the water level is higher than the height of the hole, the lake water drains into the hole. When I visited a few days ago, the lake level was low. So no draining water vortex effect. Across the street is beautiful mountainside. Chiseled looking, beautiful exposed striations. The size and beauty makes one feel large and small in the same minute of time. The stretch of Route 128 is beautiful backcountry. But it's also desolate and two lanes with stretches of no shoulders or pull outs. I don't drive this stretch in the dark for various safety reasons.

The Monticello Dam was built to supply irrigation to Solano and Yolo counties. The Berryessa Valley…read morewas one of California's most fertile lands and there was a lot of objection from the landowners who would be flooded out by the dam. Many homes were lost, the torn of Monticello was relocated and even 300 graves were reinterred on higher ground. The dam was completed in 1957 and is 304 feet high. It is a concrete arch design. Nearly 25 years later, the Monticello power plant was added and its three generators make 11.5 megawatts of power. Driving along Route 128, you can see the massive Lake Berryessa which is the seventh-largest man-made lake in California. Boating is permitted on the lake or just stop and appreciate the view as I did. Unfortunately, the top of the dam is not open for viewing and there is no access across the top. [Review 20988 overall - 505 in California - 1973 of 2023.]

General Vallejo's House is located in Sonoma, CA, in the Sonoma State Historic Park…read more The grounds (including trails) and visitor center was free to walk about. Parking was free as well, they had a nice size parking lot. To view the inside of the house, it's $3. The visitor center was the carriage house nicknamed the Swiss Chalet. It was built in 1852. The timber came from Europe. It's now the museum with history information boards about the General Vallejo and his family. So you may ask, who is General Vallejo? What's the hubbub? Mariano Guadalupe Vallejwas born in Monterey, California, in 1807 as a subject of Spain. He served in the California military which was under Spain. He served as commander of various presidios and establishing them and the controversial workforce. His last command was the Sonoma presidio. The house is furnished and staged as it was in the mid to late 1800s. It was built in 1852, Vallejo lived there until his passing in 1890. The architecture is Victorian Carpenter Gothic. It was prefabricated back East and shipped around Cape Horn (pre railroad). The rooms are viewable through the barred doors. The fireplaces are made of imported marble. The kitchen was another building behind the house. The family cook lived onsite in a room adjoining the kitchen. Behind the kitchen is a body of water, a water reservoir. Back in the day, it was a natural spring. The General sold water to the town and folks by transporting the water in redwood pipes. It proved a steady income. He even tried his hand at winemaking. But suffered severe losses in the 1870s blight and didn't get his winemaking business off the ground. He never fully recovered to his previous economic heyday, living out the rest of his years modestly than before.

Great introduction by the park ranger! Enjoyed how they sell plant bulbs and fruit from the…read moregrounds ! I bought a delicious grapefruit! Plenty of signage regarding rattlesnakes.

I found this place today, exploring a new road. It is truly amazing! At first saw a few hub caps on…read morethe fence, and then more and more and even more. They are everywhere! I took the long way, and as it is said, that road WAS insane! Be sure to enter from the Calistoga side, much easier drive. As I passed it and finally saw the driveway, I HAD to turn around and take pictures. There is a State historical marker. POPE VALLEY HUB CAP RANCH. And I thought I had a lot at 20. LOL!!!! There re over 5,000 hub caps o all kinds here.

It's a very nice museum with a professional staff. The history of Napa included a long stretch of…read moremineral spring tourism. They also have a gift shop to support the facility. Admission is free.

Preserving History…read more Founded in May 1948 by local citizens, Napa County Historical Society is a membership-based archival and educational organization. Its mission is "to discover and keep history alive through exhibits, lectures, and events, as well as research, publications, and educational activities". It has been located in the beautiful Goodman Library building since 1970s thanks to Jess Doud who was the Executive Director at the time. Visitors can enjoy various displays, exhibits, and educational programs at this location. If visiting, you might check the calendar of events posted on their website in advance of your visit to take full advantage of the programs they offer.

With this being my first time working in Rohnert Park I stopped in to check out the Chamber of…read moreCommerce. Lisa orloff, the chamber director, was very friendly and very helpful. She provided a lot of great information too! I've been to dozens of Chamber of Commerce offices across the bay area and this was by far one of the friendliest welcomes I've ever had. This chamber is definitely a fantastic resource for anyone doing business in Rohnert Park.

I've been involved in all the local chambers the last 17+ years. The Rohnert Park is the best…read more It's not $500 to be a member like the ridiculously priced Santa Rosa Chamber. It's free to have a mixer vs fees at the SR Chamber and they still have so many networking options. Tons of lunch mixers and evening mixers. Great, friendly group of people. I've really enjoyed being a part of this group and hope to attend future events if my schedule permits. Thanks for the nice acknowledgements and for being so easy to work with.

Pastor Casteñado gave the best tour I had at this place and I've been going since I was a kid !! So…read moremuch history and inspiring stories especially the ones with the Angels !!

I really appreciated the chance to take the tour with my family. My family came to visit from Peru…read moreand wanted to visit Ellen White House.I was really impressed and touched by Ellen White's life, faith and conviction. I really enjoy the tour given by Mr.Castanon who guided us and who was very informative and patience with all the questions. It was a awesome that he speaks Spanish so my family felt so blessed and thankful since they had may questions. The only suggestion I have is to confirm the "tour" by letting know the interested person with the date and time requested, not only with "it was noted" It was a little confusing since I was desperate to get my family to the tour that I send like 2 emails and I call 1 time or somethign like that. Tip * Do your reservation in advance * Parking is free * The place is awesome so be careful - full of antiques Keep doing an wonderful job even in this hard time. Thanks again!

I have lived in Fairfield for 12 years, and until now, I did not know about the Casual Carpool. It…read morereally is a tremendous resource for drivers and riders in the Fairfield community, and surrounding cities. At this point, I have only been a driver, and it is nice to take the carpool lane up to SF. I've only had pleasant riders, that all have offered me $1.25 for the ride. It's not a lot, but it's better than nothing and I get to drive in the carpool lane. It's been such a great experience that has reduced the stress of dealing with morning traffic. I'm surprised that no one has "yelped" about it, so I thought I would be the first...CASUAL CARPOOLING ROCKS!!!

Trace the route of the Napa Valley Northern Railroad as you walk along side over 1500 feet of track…read morerepresenting a run from Napa north through Lake County with connections northbound to Portland and southbound to Stockton. My preschool-age train fanatic delighted in the detailed layout that had to have taken such patience and time. From the picnickers by the lake to the trains snaking through tunnels and hillsides, this miniature representation of life on the rails was expertly assembled by the Napa Valley Model Railroad Historical Society and if you'll allow, their hard work will transport you back to life in the 1940s.The society was formed in 1955 to advance the hobby of model railroading in the Napa Valley and surrounding areas. The organization was incorporated in 1966. The railroad is open to the public, be sure to check it out if you're in the area. Hours: Friday evenings 7:00 to Midnight Shows held in conjunction with events at the Napa Valley Exposition For more info dial: (707) 253-8428 or visit: www.nvmrc.org

Something that is free to take your kids to in Napa. This place is tiny, but if you or your kids…read moreare into trains, it's kinda neat to see the models. When you enter, there's a little brochure holder with checklist of things that kids can look for in the models (ie, Coca cola truck, etc). It's just down the road from Oxbow, so after hamburger with your kids, you should stop by here.