The Jack London Village is a charming village tucked away in wine country. This village in Glen…read moreEllen has artisan shops, restaurants, wine tasting rooms, and more! It's fun to shop in the shops, enjoy a wine tasting, or enjoy a leisurely meal at one of the restaurants in the village. Jack London Village is a historic place that was preserved over the years. I love that it has a water wheel and a creek that runs through it, making it a peaceful place to visit and spend time exploring. It has an relaxed and artistic vibe to it. There is a large parking lot with plenty of parking, which is convenient. This village considers what is across the street park of the village as well so there is plenty to explore. I have only ate at one of the restaurants so far at the village (The Mill) so I'm looking for forward to exploring the other restaurants there soon. The Mill has incredible food, the shops are adorable, and there is so much to love at the Jack London Village.

One of the most beautiful places I've ever been to it's quiet, calm, very romantic. The food is…read morealways great. We went to a fundraiser for his darkest Society and had a blast.

Oakville's Carmelite Monastery is a historically fascinating spot in the Napa Valley. There were…read moreplans for this mansion to be a Summer White House on the West Coast. It had the same designer as Golden Gate Park- https://noehill.com/napa/poi_carmelite_monastery.asp The South Napa quake of 2014 severely damaged the monastery, yet the chapel remained intact. Miraculously, the chapel is having Masses to this day. They are celebrating Holy Week&Easter. They have a small gift shop- not sure if it's still being restored/renovated. A serene, beautiful oasis for prayer.

Whether you go there to take in the Catholicism or you just want to see the "Great Gatsby" style…read moremansion, the place is something to see. The grand mansion built in the 1920's has a history and I think even a ghost. You know those types of stories, a well-to-do family with a fortune and then a stepmother or father walks into the scene, something like that. The place is well worth the visit on the Napa Valley wine country tour. Take a few minutes to visit the little town of Oakville, which is close to St. Helena. It is among the few small town spots left in Northern California. See the Carmelite's web site for details about retreats and events. And, they also have a gift shop. http://www.oakvillecarmelites.org/

The city of Sonoma is a perfect place for a getaway and a place that I personally love for so many…read morereasons. I personally prefer Sonoma County more than Napa Valley because it is so charming and has a small town feel that I love. It feels less crowded and more laid back, which I also love. The Sonoma Plaza is in the heart of town and this area is very quaint and charming. This is a perfect area to sip and stroll, shop, enjoy the amazing restaurants, and/or to enjoy a picnic. The city of Sonoma is also great for both foodies and wine lovers. The vineyard views in this town are also absolutely gorgeous. There are lots of amazing wineries if you enjoy wine tasting. There are lots of farm to table restaurants that are amazing as well as events throughout the year that are fun to partake in. You can also take a hot air balloon ride and soar above the vineyards. There are spas if you are looking to relax and this is an excellent spot for a girls getaway. If you enjoy hiking, there are lots of places to enjoy within a short drive. There is also the Sonoma Overlook Trail which is an easy loop that offers panaramic views of the town and the valley below.

I love this small town for a quick getaway. I like it much better than neighboring Napa which is…read morejust a short drive from here. Napa has evolved into a much more commercial and bougie destination that I can see the glaring changes each decade brings. I mean I will still visit the Napa area, but if given the choice, I will take Sonoma any day. I've been preferring this wine valley over on Hwy 12 versus the one on Hwy 29. The actual town of Sonoma is very quaint with good California history in its tow. And I don't find it as pretentious as Napa and their neighboring appellations like Yountville and Calistoga. I have stayed in small hotels, camped, hiked, wine tasted and dined at many places in or nearby Sonoma. And on every visit, I always make an effort on spending some time near their main square where there are several beautiful parks with shady mature trees, beautiful rustic buildings, lots of great places to eat/drink and just people watch. A great local gem for a getaway where I don't have to significantly travel. Been in my back pocket since the early 90s. And still madly in love with it. Trust.

This is for the staff at the Public Works department of Fairfield, CA…read more I had a last-minute issue with a tree that had to be dealt with very quickly. Everyone at Public Works worked so hard to make this happen on time. From Daniel who was in the office Thursday afternoon to "Micki" (?) on the phone Thursday afternoon to Ken the supervisor to the lady working the front counter on Monday morning, to whoever was answering my zillions of panicked emails and comments on their website, everyone was so understanding, helpful, and efficient. Their contractors who showed up and actually worked on the tree were awesome too! I'm extremely happy to be living in Fairfield right now. Thank you Public Works.

1 of 2 reviews as the City of Fairfield has two listings…read more Cut and pasted from the internet: "Fairfield was founded in 1856 by clipper ship captain Robert H. Waterman, and named after his former hometown of Fairfield, Connecticut." Quality/Quantity - My dad has one distant cousin that lives here. As a kid we only came out here once. Known for Travis Air Force Base and the Jelly Belly Factory. I think my daughter had field trips to the Jelly Belly Factory?!?! I was never a chaperone for that... My wife used to take my daughter here often, really to shop at the Vacaville outlets. Tours used to be free, I believe they are $8 an adult now. It is the location of Travis Air Force Base and the headquarters of Jelly Belly. The population was 119,881 at the 2020 census. Today I discovered my new favorite Bahn Mi Sandwich place - Sai Gon Nho! See other Review (5 Stars). But in summary, not much to do. The best is to go next door to Vacaville. Another nearby city is Vallejo. If you are following, I have been spending more time in that city also. Just noticed that I do not have a review on that city?!?! Atmosphere - 41.4 square miles, 0.26 of which is water. 2020 population - 129k. Jobs Obviously the # 1 employer is our government with the Travis Air Base here. Actually the first 3 top employers are from our the government. Service - Depends on what you do, eat, or drink. Price - Depends on what you do, eat ,or drink. Seems affordable, below average prices. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1903.

When we'd have a swim meet in Vallejo I'd feel defeated before we got there: Close by- definitely a…read moreplus- but facilities run down from the early/mid 1960s. The town feels the same way. Uneven pavement that'll rattle your teeth on some streets; ranch houses for hard working people living by paycheck; higher than average crime; car sideshows. But such modest beginnings often incubate amazing talent. Native born residents include Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin, Grammy and Oscar winning artist H.E.R. and familial roots for Zendaya whose father is from Vallejo though she grew up in neighboring Oakland. Vallejo's motto should be: "Mighty oaks from little acorns grow."

New and improved Transit buses. They are beautiful. My bus connection have been to SolTrans ,The…read moreVine of Napa,Amtrak and Greyhound. I hope to take the Ferry sometime to San Francisco Ferry Terminal. This is a fun City, never a dull moment.

The 35 foot tall Bunny Foo Foo sculpture is massive and is visible from highway 29. This is owned…read moreby Hall Wines, which also owns Baca Wines (Healdsburg) and Walt Wines (Sonoma). Most people see it while driving by on the highway, although you can also see it if you visit Hall Wines as well. The artist behind the sculpture is Lawrence Argent. They decorate it during certain times of the year. The story is, "When David and Jennifer (Kathryn's children) were little we were living in Dallas but spent at least 1 weekend a month at my family's vineyard in Mendocino. One of our daily routines was to walk through the vineyard singing the song 'Little Bunny Foo Foo hopping through the vineyard scooping up the field mice and bopping them on the head' note that we changed the word forest to vineyard because it was our song. I am very excited that we now have a new not so little Bunny Foo Foo hopping through our vineyard here in St. Helena. Life feels like it comes full circle." -Kathryn Hall It's what happens when a family is loaded, they purchase a giant bunny sculpture. It's cool I guess, although I wouldn't go out of the way to see it.

Installed in 2014, this is a 35-foot-tall stainless steel bunny, leaping up and into the Hall WInes…read morevineyard from Highway 29. "Bunny Foo Foo" is made of 3.3 metric tons of stainless steel, and takes its name from a children's poem. The mesh-like design was inspired by the vineyards, artist Lawrence Argent said. Through his projects, Argent likes to break down the barriers of the public's notion of what art is supposed to be. It takes its name from a children's poem, "Little Bunny Foo Foo/hopping through the forest/scooping up the field mice/and bopping them on the head." The rabbit is clearly visible from the highway and there is room to stop. You can get closer to the rabbit if you're thinking about visiting the winery. [Review 17609 overall - 401 in California - 1128 of 2022.]

2 of 2 reviews as the City of Fairfield has two listings…read more Cut and pasted from the internet: "Fairfield was founded in 1856 by clipper ship captain Robert H. Waterman, and named after his former hometown of Fairfield, Connecticut." Quality/Quantity - My dad has one distant cousin that lives here. As a kid we only came out here once. Known for Travis Air Force Base and the Jelly Belly Factory. I think my daughter had field trips to the Jelly Belly Factory?!?! I was never a chaperone for that... My wife used to take my daughter here often, really to shop at the Vacaville outlets. Tours used to be free, I believe they are $8 an adult now. It is the location of Travis Air Force Base and the headquarters of Jelly Belly. The population was 119,881 at the 2020 census. Today I discovered my new favorite Bahn Mi Sandwich place - Sai Gon Nho! See other Review (5 Stars). But in summary, not much to do. The best is to go next door to Vacaville. Another nearby city is Vallejo. If you are following, I have been spending more time in that city also. Just noticed that I do not have a review on that city?!?! Atmosphere - 41.4 square miles, 0.26 of which is water. 2020 population - 129k. Jobs Obviously the # 1 employer is our government with the Travis Air Base here. Actually the first 3 top employers are from our the government. Service - Depends on what you do, eat, or drink. Price - Depends on what you do, eat ,or drink. Seems affordable, below average prices. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1903.

The City of Fairfield is exactly the mid point between Sacramento and San Francisco, ~45 miles…read moreapart, and only ~15 miles to Napa! Most visitors take a break off of I-80 and Travis Blvd. Hotels, In N Out, Trader Joe's, indoor mall, gas, and even a Bev Mo are all within a 1-mile radius. My in-laws have been here since 1984, when my FIL retired from the Navy. Why did he choose Fairfield of all places? Well, it's an affordable community in the Bay Area and only 5 miles away from Travis Air Force Base. He had envisioned jumping on an AMC flight at a moments notice to travel the world. Luckily, he was able to do just that before staying at home became the norm in his senior years. Things to do in small town Fairfield: Jelly Belly Factory, Western Railway Museum, American Armory Museum, Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company, and downtown breweries! In nearby Suisun, you can visit a few wineries. On my last visit, I walked around downtown and saw quite a lot of improvements. Hope to see the place grow even more in the near future!

It was very fun to get out and see people no masks required…read more They get five stars because of Covid they didn't have a lot of planning time and they did it. There were lots of vendors food music and even a puppet show for the kids. Not quite as big as the normal art and wine festival but nonetheless it was great!

This is my first year of adding the Novato, Art, Wine and Music Festival in my summer festival…read morerotation. Usually I'm a fan of the San Anselmo Art Festival, which was cancelled for 2017. Overall, this isn't a bad little festival. It's free and there is street parking nearby (2 hour limit) that is also free. You could do worse on a nice sunny, not too hot/not too cold Marin County Saturday. The booths were of similar style and quality as many other festivals in the Bay Area during the summer months. There were a few unique vendors and I ended up purchasing a tank top with a manta ray design (I mean EVERYONE needs one of those) and a small giclee print on canvas of a vintage Yosemite travel poster. I didn't partake in the food or wine, but it seemed like the usual street fare. The crowd was having fun and overall it was a nice little community event. I can't say I'd travel too far to attend but if you're in the area, it could be fun to stop by for a little while and see the sites.