On the whole, we find the restaurants in Mammoth to be quite expensive and the food generally average. This is not to say that there aren't some good restaurants - and the food scene has generally improved in the past 10 or so years. Pick up a copy of Mammoth Menus, which is available at Vons or at some of the restaurants. This is a very informative guide to dining in the Mammoth area. Menus and prices are included. Prices subject to change … [Read more...]
Hopland, CA
The small scenic town of Hopland (population around 800) is situated about two hours (1 hour 45 minutes on a good day) north of San Francisco along the 101 Freeway or about 45 minutes north of Santa Rosa. Hopland is in Mendocino County and located on the western side of the Russian River. The 101 is a freeway the entire way from San Francisco until several miles south of Hopland where it turns into a 2 lane road. Reminiscent of parts of the 5 … [Read more...]
Hopland, CA – Wine Tasting
Tiny Hopland contains a number of tasting rooms which deliver down to earth experiences for visitors - focusing on wines from Mendocino County. Although there are many wineries in Mendocino County including a number of tasting rooms in Hopland, this area does not have the recognition that perhaps Napa and Sonoma County have obtained over the decades. For the consumer, that is not a bad thing. Mendocino County is producing some stellar wines (the … [Read more...]
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, or as locals call it, "The City", is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. How many cities have a population of just over 750,000 and have the instant name recognition that San Francisco has? What other city can lay claim to have founded the United Nations, introduced the topless dancer, and the hippie movement? How many cities are known world wide for its cultural diversity and cultural acceptance? Where else can you … [Read more...]
San Francisco, CA – Restaurants
More then most cities of its size, San Francisco contains a culinary delight of restaurants specializing in cuisine's from around the world. On one block one can find a mix of Chinese and Italian. On another block in the same vicinity one may find a Thai restaurant located next to an Ethiopian restaurant. Several distinct areas in San Francisco are known for certain types of cuisine. North Beach is known for its Italian food, Chinatown for … [Read more...]
San Francisco, CA – Napa Wine Tasting
Ever wanted to visit the Napa Valley and see the most famous wine tasting region in the United States? How about neighboring more low key Sonoma with its small personalized wineries in Dry Creek and the Alexander Valley? Look no further than our concierge services. We have an extremely unique point of view into the Napa Valley from a winery perspective as Dave has personally visited and tasted with more than 1,000 wineries/producers in Napa … [Read more...]
Santa Rosa, CA
** Click here for significant photo coverage of the Tubbs Fire October 2017, Santa Rosa ** Typical California guide books have approximately one page about Santa Rosa. We offer much more than that! Read on... The Highlights Santa Rosa, California is a city of about 175,000 (and growing fast) located about 50 miles north of San Francisco in Sonoma County, just off of the 101 freeway. Santa Rosa has seen tremendous population growth in the … [Read more...]
Santa Rosa, CA – Weather
Sonoma County has many many micro climates, not only relating to temperature, but also with precipitation. For example Santa Rosa averages a little over 30 inches of rain a year, but if you travel 10 to 20 miles away, rainfall averages can be much higher. Cazadero, in western Sonoma County one year received 117 inches of rain! Sometimes for several years in a row Cazadero receives well over 50 inches of rain each year. Santa Rosa tends to have … [Read more...]
Santa Rosa, CA – Napa Valley
The Napa Valley is a fairly small geographical region - with the Napa Valley appellation encompassing much of Napa County (but not all). The valley only produces about 4% of the state's entire wine production. The focus here is on quality over quantity - much of the valley is harvested by hand. There are over 1,100 unique producers in the valley - of which there are around 500 physical wineries (ranging from small garagiste operations to much … [Read more...]
Santa Rosa, CA – Shopping
Coddingtown is one of two primary malls in Santa Rosa and is the city's oldest mall. It continues to undergo a number of select remodels over the years with parts of the mall torn down and then rebuilt from the ground up. Originally founded by Hugh Codding in 1962 as an open-air mall it was later enclosed in 1979. The name Codding is a long time prominent family in town - Hugh Codding developed a number of shopping centers in town as well as … [Read more...]