How wonderful they started this collection and keep it open for free. Great place to learn about…read moreMexican / American colonization. Great books for sale too. All while wine tasting! The history of California becoming a US State started right here in Sonoma. Albeit a hostile takeover, it's the history we live in today 170 years later. Check it out https://youtu.be/LDwWCFSrvQU

A neat little museum behind the tasting room complex at Cline. The museum celebrates the history…read moreof the 21 missions established in the early Spanish settlements. In addition to the models of each mission, there are some paintings of the missions, two stained-glass panels from Mission Dolores, and a life-size statue of Father Junipero Serra. It's worth a few minutes to stroll through. Once back outside, there is a nice courtyard garden and picnic area where you can enjoy the day and escape the sight of the wine tour buses.

Fascinating for history students...rare finds...travel far...in Bay Area...house museum with Maple…read moreLawn building...Elk's Lodge? Downtown San Rafael has a main street with shops and restaurants...like old times...fun...anytime really...it's not hard to visit some parts of outer Bay Area counties...this area has access with the transit center buses that go out of the bridge area...nice adventure...some people are ignorant of buses...sometimes buses are a better to way to transport...house museums are in all directions NWSE...etc...this one is different...it says that the daughter was a polar photographer, geographer, and went on expeditions...related to Canada etc...really wonderful time to visit the history house...quiet community...scholarly...athletic...

MHM has some excellent programs, both over zoom and in person. I attended Jo Haraf's discussion of…read moreher book Murder, Marriage, and Betrayal, set mostly in Marin--Novato, San Rafael, Olompali--and learned so much about the founders of Marin County and it's early history. Marcy's walking tours sound fantastic, and since they are outside, they should be within covid protocols. Now that part of the collection is back in it's beautiful home in downtown San Rafael, it's more accessible. Reach out.

The name should be changed to a gallery or collection or something.. the best things were the…read morestructures outside. The collection is disorganized and not very informative. The taxidermy is sad and the barbies dresses up as native people were weird. The park is nice...

This is a very small but, excellent Museum. It's in a nondescript stucco two story building…read moretowards the Novato Blvd. entrance and parking. Every time I have explored it, I've been impressed. There are I've local items and also rotating visiting exhibits. Last time I was there, there were beautiful Indian clothing from several different tribes within the U.S.

Gayle and I last visited the Sonoma Plaza area 2 years ago. Since that time, there seems to be more…read morewine tasting places and some turnover in retail shops. I don't recall Changing Seasons Gallery & Gifts the last time we were here, but then again I'm not conducting a census. The other issue after visiting all the gift/home furnishing shops around Sonoma Plaza is that they start looking the same after awhile. As such, Gayle and I wandered around here for several minutes, admired a few interesting glass pieces, listened to some interesting local conversation, and left without much of an impression either way.

The Hess Collection Winery 4411 Redwood Road Napa CA 94558 (877) 707-HESS (4377) Open 10 am to 4 pm…read moredaily This winery is off the beaten path, and displays an ever changing and solid modern art collection that makes a stop there, along with the wine, a pleasant experience.

Outstanding experience period. These folks really know how to treat people. Very different…read moreexperience from the other vineyards with an interesting art collection and media rooms to help the novice and others better understand the process. A 5 star experience and a must see. Don't miss this one. Thx to Sue our guide for her red carpet treatment.

This review is just about the Dia de Los Muertos Festival and Parade on November 1, 2015…read more Petaluma celebrates Dia de los Muertos for the entire month of October with many many events and workshops. This was our first time attending Petaluma's Dia de Los Muertos festivities. We were blown away! A small town feel but a HUGE celebratory mood. Many people painted their faces and wore costumes. The parade through town was fun and festive. Costumed people, a large ofrenda, Large puppets, bands, dancers, drummers and citizens marching! There were many vendors selling home cooked tacos ($2 each) and pupusas ($3) also flautas, drinks ad more. Vendors also sold festival tee-shirts, clothing, crafts and more. There were colorful and enthusiastic dancers and musician including mariachi bands. The closely Petaluma museum had an exhibit featuring large, colorful and heartfelt ofrendas (altars). We usually have gone to the Dia de los Muertos celebration in Fruitvale--but it has grown so huge and it gets so crowded. Petaluma's festivities were smaller but the energy and enjoyment was huge! We will absolutely return to Petaluma's 2016 events! Thanks Petaluma for all your hard work---it was a fantastic event!

What a lovely little gem of a building that takes you back in time. 3-4 rooms filled with old town…read morememorabilia and historical sales and product from the sugar factory next door. It was free to get in, but gently asks for donations to help support. Lots one star from me as I would have really liked more description information on the different items. Otherwise you really are not sure what you are looking at :(

This was a fun stop and the whole reason I made a trip to Crockett…read more They have a wild miscellany of city history, industrial equipment, hobbyist work, and local flavor. I think I spent about 45 minutes wandering through the place, which is probably plenty unless you read everything. But I definitely recommend it for anyone who is into tiny museums - about 4-5 rooms that used to be a train station. Sadly, there's not that much that has that train station feel. But aside from that, if you've never seen a cream separator, punch card sorter, or a scale model of the National Cathedral (D.C.) and want to, this is your place. Staffed by friendly, knowledgeable docents who take pride in Crockett's history.

Now I know there was a failed museum in Napa that focused on wine and food called COPIA. However, I…read morewasn't aware that there's been a local art museum next to Chandon in Yountville since 1972 until Jamie read about the special tiki bar exhibition running until the end of this month, "Tiki Dreams: From Far Away Fantasy to Pop Culture Phenomenon". Definitely up our alley. Well, given our recent run on patronizing tiki bars here and abroad, we just had to go. We went up on a recent Saturday, and the museum was crowded with tiki aficionados. It turned out Bank of America was sponsoring an admission-free day, so we took advantage and became engulfed in what felt like a claustrophobic space that was equal parts arts & crafts fair and vintage memorabilia. There was definite entertainment value if you miss this mid-century phenomenon. There were other exhibition rooms, but we weren't made aware of them by the staff. Perusing the website, I noticed some interesting past exhibitions like "The Great California Road Trip 1962", something that appeals to my baby boomer sensibilities. Next to Chandon and close to other attractions, this might be worthy of a return visit. RELATED - Exploring north of San Francisco? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2tIHlkV

Visited the Napa Valley Museum during the Tiki Dreams, Mini Masterpieces, and the Great California…read moreRoad Trip exhibits. I went for the Tiki Dreams exhibit in particular. The largest exhibit is in the main building on the ground floor with the admissions desk and gift shop. The tiki exhibit itself was quaint and small. Mugs, old menus, photos and history of tiki bars, one set of Witco chairs and table, plus a hand built bar by local artist Woody Miller. Interesting to see but ultimately a quick walk through maybe intended more for those looking for nostalgia. They were selling tiki merchandise and mugs at inflated prices at the gift shop. Mugs that were $150 at the original events are being marked up and sold for $230. Almost all of the gift shop merch was overpriced. The other two exhibits downstairs were small and it smelled of sulfur or sewage since they are located below the bathrooms.. Really off putting. We looked through mini masterpieces and Great California Road Trip exhibits in at most 15 minutes and left. Entry to the museum is $15 per person... We went during Bank Of America's Museum on Us which takes place every first full weekend of the month. Bring your Bank of America credit or debit card and entry is free. Luckily one of us got in for free with this promo.