A blog by Lucky Bend Lookout, a modern vacation rental on the Russian River in Guerneville, California
this year I decided to put on my ugly Christmas sweater and bring the family to a tree farm in Sebastopol. And while we were in the area, why not go ice skating in Santa Rosa? And then to kid friendly dinner in Petaluma? We had such a great time on our day trip from San Francisco that we decided to share this itinerary with you so you can be inspired to get outdoors and have fun too!
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It’s time for the annual family outing to the Pumpkin patch! Even with COVID-19, there is an abundance of options for families in the SF Bay Area. Sonoma County is my favorite place to go get pumpkins, gourds, and Autumn treats so here is a summary of just a portion of the pumpkin patches available for visitors.
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Today we have our first guest post! Written by a Mom and trust & estate attorney from San Francisco, Patricia DeFonte shares her unique experience of visiting the Russian River with her family. She describes her favorite activity of her trip (also one of our favorites), which was biking along the West County Trail in Forestville and Graton. She started in downtown Forestville, then biked and wine tasted her way to Graton and back.
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In this article we feature our favorite West Sonoma ciders, all of which have a tap room with outdoor space. There is so much to do in the area, that we were able to come up with suggestions on how to turn the cider tasting into an adventure for the whole family!
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Are you ready for a trip away from home but dread the thought of having to cook yet another meal for your family? The Russian River area is now open for visitors so you can get away into the Redwood forest, enjoy the scenic river, and visit nearby beaches. And that is all you will have to think about when you come, because our local restaurants and small businesses have adapted to the new way that we are enjoying restaurant food during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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From Stillwater Cove in the north to Wright’s Beach in the south, the area surrounding the hamlet of Jenner where the Russian River meets the sea is full of fun and sometimes quirky adventures for the whole family. Check out our choose your own adventure guide to a day trip in Jenner.
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In this series we are highlighting our top 3 easy, moderate, and strenuous hikes in West Sonoma County. A few of our favorite trails in Armstrong Woods and Austin Creek were burned in the recent fires and remain closed. When they reopen we’ll post an update to these posts. We hope these other equally amazing trails inspire you to get out and enjoy the fresh air and natural beauty of Sonoma County.
These strenuous hikes have steep uphill components and range from 4-15 miles, and great for adults and big kids. The shortest one may also be considered moderate.
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Now that our kids have graduated from fairy wands while hiking (though certainly not from berry bushes), we have moved on to geocaching as great way to motivate slightly older kids on down the trail. Geocaching is a free IRL treasure hunting game played with the GPS on your phone. Someday we will do a…
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I wouldn’t consider myself a francophile so much as a wineaux. Growing up in California and having travelled to all the major wine regions in in France and Spain, I have always been struck by how Sonoma and France are kindred spirits in wine and food culture, even sharing similar Mediterranean climate and similar ecology.…
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There is something that satisfies the soul about picking a harvest and turning it into delicious treats for the family. In the spring we take our family out to Brentwood to u-pick cherries, apricots, and peaches. Most of our spring harvest gets chomped for snack time or converted to jam to take us through the…
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