Healdsburg: Pricey, Quiet, and Not Worth the Hype…read more I wanted to like Healdsburg, but it fell flat. On a Wednesday morning, the town wasn't "peacefully quiet" -- it was just empty. Barely any foot traffic in shops, restaurants, or on the plaza. Prices were high, yet nothing felt unique enough to justify them. The exception: Quail & Condor bakery, which The New York Times ranked among the best in the U.S.. That part of the hype is real. Healdsburg does have well-reviewed restaurants too, but on a slow weekday they weren't enough to give the town energy. I walked the main strip, grabbed a pastry, and left for Calistoga -- much better call. Unless you're coming specifically for the bakery, I'd skip it.

This is a charming and quaint town that is great to visit for so many reasons. The downtown area is…read morefilled with boutiques, hotels, restaurants, wine tasting rooms, art gallaries, etc. Everything is laid out well with a green space in the center of it all with benches and redwood trees and everything else is surrounding it. For this reason, it's very walkable and is a great place to explore. It also has plenty of parking, which is very convenient. Many people come to Healdsburg for wine tasting since it's in the heart of wine country and has so many amazing options. Outside of the downtown area, you will find wineries in Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley. Many of these wineries have stunning vineyard views in both of these valleys. You will want to spend a few days soaking in the views and all the amazing wine in this area. I love the restaurants in downtown Healdsburg. Due to their popularity, it is recommended to make reservations in advance. It's recommended if you are visiting to spend at least a few days exploring this wine country town because you will fall in love with its charm and all it has to offer!

While visiting Bodega Bay this summer, my daughter sent this place to me and I knew I wanted to go…read moreand see it. We pulled into the parking area and it first I did not see the memorial but then I saw a large tower and the dedicated plaque in the distance I and headed over to it. This is the Nicholas Green Memorial. While he and his family were vacationing in southern Italy on September 29, 1994, their car was hijacked by armed robbers who shot and killed Nicholas. Their car was mistaken for a car that held jewelry. His parents made the decision to donate their son's organs. This donation managed to help seven Italian patients awaiting transplants. This organ donation was huge and helped launch more organ donations around the world. Italy is now considered one of the top countries in Europe for organ donations. The Children's Bell Tower is dedicated to children everywhere and it was inspired from Nicholas' untimely death. The center bell is so beautiful and has Nicholas' name inscribed. Many people donated bells from Italy to be hung on the tower. In the same area, there is a large tree with many wind chimes hanging from it and the sounds are so lovely. We stood there for some time just listening to the bells ring from the coastal breezes blowing. A very peaceful and tranquil place to visit. This beautiful memorial is right off Highway 1 near the Community Center. Not advertised so you need to look for the memorial.

Every visit here is magical. The walk there is quite…read morepleasant and at the end of the trail is the spectacular & symbolic Bell Tower. This tower is so well done and a beautiful tribute to the children. Also special and magical are the creative wind chimes in the trees near by. When the wind picks up you can hear the chimes make lovely and unique sounds.

The Springs wONEder Project has transformed the otherwise dreary stretch of Highway 12 that is…read morenorth of the town of Sonoma. Plain Jane's is no longer plain. Armando's Auto makes a typical oil change look less typical. El Brinquito's piñata chicken statue is the true El Pollo Loco, adding color to the community. The Sonoma Salon&La Tienda Iniquez have become glorious, colorful works of art. La Michoacana, which once had a bland beige exterior, is now a fiesta for the eyes (along with the mouth) The Springs wONEder Project is the brain child of Sebastopol artist Rico Martin. He had long experience doing ad campaigns&rebranding with companies like HBO, Cinemax, the Discovery Channel, the AIDS Walk, and he helped make "the Springs" north of Sonoma into a vibrant area. Martin transformed this often bypassed stretch of road. Tragically, Martin passed away recently not far from Mt. Shasta- http://www.sonomanews.com/news/7258514-181/family-says-rico-martin-dies?artslide=0 One can only hope that the wONEder Project lives on, as vibrant as the brilliant buildings that have sprung up in the Springs.

Love this place plus Thomas Keller has some many restaurants here in town. This cute little town is…read morea great place for food and drinks. Perfect for a stroll through the neighborhood. Always clean and safe place . There are so many great places to stay and of course the food scene is amazing here. So close to all the wineries too. Friendly atmosphere and a fantastic place to visit and perfect location to do all the touristy things here in the Napa valley. Lots of parking throughout the town and great Instagram photo ops all over the town.

This town of Yountville is super upscale and everyone would be so fortunate to visit this beautiful…read moretown!! I absolutely love being here and feel so lucky to be here! Fly up here on JSX and make a reservation and check out the chic town

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.

Bodega Bay...sounds exotic...and wonderful! It's not…read more Downtown? What? Who? There's not one! Bodega Bay: A curved coastline with the development along the bay, an inlet from the ocean, and then an ocean front with cliffs and lovely/open beaches. But there's really nothing to see. Less than a dozen restaurants, all seafood. Some new development, some nice hotels and a golf course, but mostly, a fishing town. It's good for a few hours to kick around and eat. That's it. Shops? Well, there's one little gift shop, a surf shop, a kite/candy shop, a small market. Ta-da!

I love Hallberg Butterfly Gardens (see previous review). But while they get five stars for concept…read moreand purpose - butterfly conservation and education - they get one star in execution. In all the times I've been here - and it's many over the years - I have never seen a single employee on the property. There is no one available to answer questions, tell you about butterflies, or even discuss events. We signed up for an event today, and there was not a single person on the property. We wandered around for an hour and found NO ONE. Oddly enough, you can't get in touch with them via phone, either, because no one ever answers. Try for yourself and see. There's no outgoing info when you call, and you cannot leave a message. Amazingly, there aren't even posters displaying the different types of butterflies you might see, or how to identify them. Given that this place focuses on butterfly education, you would think they would offer some education...? Moreover, the place is falling apart - it's run down with poor signage. There's also a massive amount of disorganization: we signed up for one event on 7/2, and got confirmation for an event that already happened weeks ago. There was no info contained in the email beyond the gate code and the time to show up. We didn't know if someone would be leading the event or if we would be meeting people there. (Answer: no and no.) Hiring a part-time assistant to organize public events that attract people here would be a worthwhile investment, one would think...? I am ALL about natural spaces and supporting science education, and have always supposed the Gardens -- but if this place wants to make money and keep fans, they need to prioritize, even minimally, the people and events that support their existence.

What a local gem! I…read moregrew up in Sonoma County and I was just about today years old when I discovered this spot. Louise Hallberg was the original matriarch who created this property and lived to be over 100! In her 60's she began to cultivate and grow this beautiful space. It's truly a labor of love that is still preserved today. Donation based, you can schedule a self guided tour to view the gardens. We scheduled online and brought a picnic which was a wonderful idea and perfectly lovely afternoon in the meadow. We didn't see a lot of butterflies but that's ok. The property is lovingly tended by many volunteers. Truly a hidden gem in West County.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world."…read more I don't trust PG&E, the world's largest utility. Ever since that neighborhood in San Bruno imploded in 2010 I've been leery. Thankfully, I'm not the first person who's felt this way. Back in the late '50s/early '60s PG&E began erecting a nuclear power plant right beside the ocean on Bodega Head in the town of Bodega Bay. The site sat directly atop the San Andreas fault (that worked so well in Fukushima...) near environmentally sensitive dairy farms and ranches. PG&E got as far as drilling a hole in Bodega Head; a hole 142 feet across and 120 feet in depth. A hole sizable enough to drop a 10-story building into if one desired though the actual plans for that hole were to contain the biggest boiling water nuclear reactor ever. And then the opposition began. A small group of thoughtful, committed citizens banded together to fight it. Their opposition ran on for five+ years and represented an early step in the environmental movement. After years of loud and ongoing opposition as PG&E pressed on for their "Atomic Park" (sic), the PUC in 1963 rejected PG&E's request. The hole was left to fill naturally and has now become a freshwater "pond" for birds and wildlife. PG&E eventually sold the entire 225-acre site to the state park district for $1 and abandoned their scary plans for the site. Hole in the Head is, today, most easily viewed from the parking lot at Campbell Cove. There you'll see a little walkway and signage which will take you to a viewing area looking out on the large water feature. Signage on the Bodega Head trail will also alert you to Hole in the Head which can be seen far below that trail. Without historical knowledge there's nothing either interesting or exciting about this body of water. Only when you know its history however, and realize that California's Environmental Quality Act and California's Coastal Commission were borne out of the fight against PG&E's plans do you begin to respect it as you should. * That opening quote is attributable to cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead. * Read more about the hole here: http://sonomacountyhomesforsaleonline.com/bodega-bay/hole-in-the-head-bodega-bay-ca/ and http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/2296499-181/battle-over-bodega-head-nuclear * Truth be told, I've not been a fan of PG&E since far before the San Bruno incident. * Oh no she didn't... oh yes she did. I just reviewed a hole in the ground.