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| California (San Francisco Area) |
| Russian River Valley |
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Just northwest of Santa Rosa, the remote Russian River Valley contains some of the most secluded vineyards and bucolic landscapes in the state. Back in the Twenties and Thirties it was a recreational resort for well-to-do city folk, who abandoned the area when newly constructed roads took them elsewhere. Drawn by lower-than-city rents, hippies started arriving to fill the void in the late Sixties, and the Russian River took on a non-conformist flavor. Today, an injection of affluent Bay Area property seekers, many of them gay, has sustained the region’s economy, especially at GUERNEVILLE, where a collection of bars and resorts catering to the gay tourist trade – along with a funky mix of loggers, sheep farmers, and wealthy weekenders – keep the place jumping every summer. |
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this combination and two exclusive Women’s Weekends (tel
707/869-2971) – in early May and late September – the town can still
seem a bit backward. Though tolerance is the rule, not all the longtime
locals follow it, and there have been more than a few stories of same-sex
couples getting turned away from vacant rooms in “family inns” just
steps from the predominantly gay resorts. Still, during high season,
Guerneville packs enough gay and lesbian nightlife into its few narrow
blocks along River Road to keep gay tourists coming back every year.
Weekend visitors of all orientations flock here for the canoeing, swimming, and sunbathing that comprise the bulk of local activities: Johnson’s Beach, on a placid reach of the river in the center of town, is the most frequented spot, with canoes ($12 a day), pedal boats ($5 an hour) and tubes ($3 a day). But Guerneville’s biggest natural asset is the magnificent Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve (daily, 8am to one hour after sunset; $6 parking; tel 707/869-2015), two miles north at the top of Armstrong Woods Road – 700 acres of massive redwood trees, hiking and riding trails, and primitive camping sites. Take food and water and don’t stray off the trails: the densely forested central grove is quite forbidding and very easy to get lost in. One of the best ways to see it is on horseback; the Armstrong Woods Pack Station (tel 707/887-2939) offers guided horseback tours that range from a half-day trail ride ($40) to a three-day pack trip ($450). A natural amphitheater provides the setting for the Redwood Forest Theatre, which stages dramatic and musical productions during the summer. More musical happenings occur at the Russian River Jazz Fest (tel 707/869-3940; $40), the first weekend after Labor Day, and a popular time to come here – events take place right on Johnson’s Beach. The mid-June Russian River Blues Festival, also on the beach (tel 707/869-3940; www.russianriverbluesfest.com; $35–75), is quite happening too. The Chamber of Commerce, at 16200 First St (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; 24hr info line tel 707/869-3533), has good free maps of the area and accommodation listings, while the friendly Russian River Region Visitors Bureau, across the street at 14034 Armstrong Woods Rd (tel 1-800/253-8800 or 707/869-9212), can also recommend places to stay. To get the most out of the wilderness, though, you’re best off camping, and the whole region is dotted with campgrounds every few miles. There are a couple of free primitive sites in the woods, and $7 walk-in backcountry sites in the state reserve. All the state campgrounds, however, are first-come, first-served, so be there before they open at 8am to claim one, especially if you are visiting during a holiday or festival. Russian River Valley wineries |
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The
Guerneville Chamber of Commerce issues an excellent Russian River Wine
Road map, which lists all the wineries that spread along the
entire course of the Russian River. Unlike their counterparts in Napa and
Sonoma, the wineries here neither organize guided tours nor charge for
wine-tasting. Some of the varietals produced here are of remarkably good
quality, if not as well known as their Wine Country rivals.
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