I’ve laid this out with a stay at Timber Cove Resort (which is just North of Jenner, and was recently redone), and a stay at one of several places in Elk, Little River, or Mendocino. Weeknights are best for fewer people and easier to get rooms, some of these places might require a minimum 2 nights on some weekends. I’ve provided a summary of helpful links at the end of the post.

THE ROUTE

Starting from St Helena in this case, it’s a 6 hour round trip, 250 miles total. But you can start anywhere in the Bay Area!

Day One

St Helena to Timber Cove Resort: 2 hours, about 60 miles: Get out there in time for lunch, or have lunch in Guerneville along the way. Stroll the area and enjoy Timber Cove, or go to Salt Point State Park, eat dinner at Timber Cove and stay the night and have breakfast. Next morning, head North.

Day Two:

Timber Cove to Little River via Highway 1 North: 2 hours, about 70 miles: This is one of my favorite stretches of scenic CA highway. Stop along the way at Stump Beach and Salt Point State Park just for a view, see the Lighthouse at Point Arena, take time to see the small towns of Stewarts Point, Manchester, Gualala, and Elk.  Stop at the Elk Cove Inn and the Harbor House Inn, either which is great for a stay or a meal. Maybe pull into the parking lot at Navarro Beach for an overlook of where the river meets the sea. Keep on going to Albion, and into Little River, just before Mendocino.

Stay at any of these: Little River Inn, Heritage House, or the Sea Rock Inn (Mendocino)

Eat dinner at the Little River Inn, the Heritage House, or any of the great small restaurants in Mendocino.

Day Three:

Check out early, eat some breakfast, and go to Van Damme State Park in Little River to walk the Fern Trail, a short 2.2 mile out-and-back canyon that has great trees and ferns walking along a quiet creek. You can opt for the longer hike of 7.9 miles total by taking the loop up the hill to the Pygmy Forest and back, but soon after you have passed the Environmental Campsites (about 1.7 miles in) and as you are about to head up the hill, you can turn back and it’s just 2.2 miles back to the parking lot. Check out the Van Damme State Park Website for current conditions and more info. Springtime is best for Ferns, but it’s good year round.

Finish your walk by lunchtime and head home via the beautiful redwood drive on Highway 128 to Philo and Boonville. Stop for a late lunch at The Boonville Hotel or The Boonville Distillery. After lunch, continue East on Highway 128 to Cloverdale and back to St Helena or Highway 101 south to wherever home may be!

Links:

Timber Cove Resort:

https://www.timbercoveresort.com

Elk Cove Inn:

https://elkcoveinn.com

Harbor House

https://www.theharborhouseinn.com

Heritage House (a favorite)

https://www.heritagehouseresort.com

Little River Inn (a favorite)

https://www.littleriverinn.com

Fern Trail

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/van-damme-state-park-fern-canyon-trail

Boonville Hotel

https://www.boonvillehotel.com/menu

Boonville Distillery (aka Lauren’s at the Buckhorn):

https://www.boonvilledistillery.com

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Bioluminescence Kayak Tour

Our daughters bought us this experience as a gift through Virgin Experiences but you can also book directly with a couple different outfitters like Outback Adventures or Blue Waters Kayaking. We went out with Outback and the people were terrific! I can’t give you great photos because it’s an evening tour that relies on the dark of night to highlight this amazing natural phenomenon.

Bioluminescence is the production of light by living organisms (think fireflies, but now in the water). On moonless nights in the Summer, the organisms in this part of Tomales Bay emit light when disturbed. So your kayak bow wake, your paddle, schools of fish, or any other disturbance creates these ethereal glowing trails. The sight is so cool you have to see them to really understand them. You have to bundle up well and strap in tight and follow your guide on a paddle across the Bay from Nick’s Cove to the West side. Just trust me: this is an experience you should try!

Spend the Night

Because the tour occurs at nightfall, it’s a bit late for us to head back to Danville, so we decided to stay the night in Petaluma. We stayed at the unique and convenient Hotel Petaluma, which retains much of its charm from its initial build in 1923 while also providing modern comfort and some great coffee and food options! As a bonus, I suggest driving around the downtown Petaluma area. For about 12 blocks or more in every direction you will find extremely cool and beautiful Victorian homes harkening back to the early days of this historic town

Did you know that Petaluma was once the Egg Capital of the World? Thanks to the invention of a chicken incubator by Petaluma inventor Lyman Byce, Petaluma indeed became the largest producer of eggs in the world and also claimed to have more money on deposit, per capita, than any town on Earth. Read more on George Pendle’s Slate post, where you’ also learn of Petaluma’s place in arm wrestling history.

Walk Around

Petaluma is small enough to enjoy a leisurely stroll. Check out all the well-stocked antique shops, pop into the very cool guitar and music store, Tall Toad Music. Or pick up some live music at the Mystic Theater, built in 1911 and once home to Vaudeville acts.

Food

There are so many great places to eat out this way, and if you want to be closer to Tomales Bay, try the very causal and excellent options in the town of Marshall at Nick’s Cove or Hog Island Oyster Company’s Tony’s Seafood. But on this trip, we decided to eat in Petaluma and we had some unbelievably terrific service and delicious pasta at Risibisi. For Italian food lovers, also check out the options also at Cucina Paradiso or check out the amazing menu and bakery at Della Fattoria.

Beer

I have written before how much we love Brewster’s Beer Garden (see my prior post about their Christmas Miracle Pop Up). Petaluma is a great place for a cold beverage any time of year, and there are a few terrific options for the hop-lovers among us. Just across the walking bridge from the main street in town you’ll come to Taps on the River, or just a bit outside downtown there is Crooked Goat Brewing, and one of our favorite destinations for any Day’ve Trip, the fun outdoor (covered) space minutes from downtown at Lagunitas Brewing Company.

GO NOW!!

Book yourself a day to just go check it out, come back for more and stay a night, and then look into the summer months for a kayak tour! This is a real gem for a day trip in Northern California!!

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A Boutique Winery you won’t just “run across”

We started our day with a wine tasting at a winery that was new to us. The Caldwell Vineyard is located at 169 Kreuzer Lane, Napa, in the Coombsville District of Southern Napa Valley. Check out their website and you might be tempted to give them a try. Right up front, their website lays out their proposition…. “One of the most diverse and influential vineyards in America, with 28 grape varieties, and a portfolio of 23 estate wines crafted by a smuggler, a master Cooper, and one of the most talented winemakers of our time.”. Well, shit, with that intro, how the heck could I possibly stay away? Besides, Caldwell was introduced to us through our membership with Exclusive Resorts, a group that definitely understands good wine (thanks ER!).

And it turns out that Caldwell lives up to the hype. We absolutely loved the grounds, the cave tasting, the beautifully crafted wines, and the people. And by people I mean the wonderfully charming and knowledgeable Ramiro Herrera. Ramiro’s name is on the barrels and we soon learned why. He is one of just 34 Master Coopers in the world and he earned that title studying in France (the art of “cooperage” is the building of wooden barrels). He is the only Master Cooper in North America and today, with a couple decades of experience, Ramiro crafts every barrel used by Caldwell: 350 barrels each year. He goes to France to pick the Oak trees, and he personally produces these barrels and toasts them to perfection for each varietal Caldwell will produce. Go ahead, Google his name. He’s kind of big deal in the world of Cooperage. So it was an immense pleasure to have him as our wine tasting guide on this day. Suffice to say I loved every vintage we tried. We left with bottles of the smooth and rich “Silver Proprietary Red Blend” and the delicate but deep chardonnay. I also loved the Sauvignon Blanc. I can’t say enough good things about this wonderful winery. I need another visit to try more of their varietals.

Reservations are a must, and it is a very personal tasting experience. You need a code to get in the gate, so you’re not going to just “pop in” here. The grounds are beautiful and perched on a hill overlooking the expansive valley. The wine cave tasting room is beautiful and the story of the company and its founder. “John Fucking Caldwell”, is fantastic. Ramiro’s backstory is also a gem, if he’s kind enough to tell you how he got to be a Master Cooper from his humble beginnings, having been born into an immigrant farming family in Manteca, CA.

A Perfect Day at the Carneros Resort and Spa

But if you just want a day trip to a spa, maybe you head straight to the Carneros Resort. This is a classic “day trip” potential, because you could just go here and nowhere else. It has everything. Book yourself a spa treatment and you also get access to the fitness center and the beautiful pool and hot tub overlooking the vineyards to the East. Have poolside service for lunch and just hang out and have a glass of iced tea or bubbly or Sauvignon blanc while you soak up the Napa valley sunshine. It’s a great relaxing day. Resist the temptation to leave this spot to go wine tasting somewhere. Just hang out and enjoy, the grass is not always greener on the other side of the valley.

In the afternoon, use the nice shower facilities to get cleaned up for dinner and I hope you saved room after lunch because the restaurant at the front of the resort, The Farm, is worth every penny and every calorie you burned off at the spa and fitness center. We had met new friends Shane and Connie that day, visiting from Denver, and so we all took advantage of the bocce ball courts outside the Farm and The Pavilion Bar. Some seriously good shooting occurred, or maybe it just seemed that way after the great wine day we had. If you’re not going to have dinner at The Farm, you can also choose this time to get a wood-fired pizza and some amazing truffle fries from The Pavillion.

Dinner at The Farm

Then it’s time for dinner. The Farm menu is classic Napa Valley, with some great options for everyone. Tonight, the star of the meal for me included the Black Truffle Gnocchi, which literally melts in your mouth. I know that term is overused and trite, but it’s the only thing that really describes how delicate these gnocchi are. It’s a pricey treat, but as a starter to share between two people, it absolutely sets the mood. The sauce was delicious and the truffle was just perfectly and properly applied. My meal moved on to the Mishima Wagyu. It came covered in a “rice cloud” and was cooked perfectly rare and was indescribably delicious. The joy of this dish was obviously lost on my pescatarian wife, but she consoled herself with the Grilled Orata with Artichoke sauce. We were also treated to some fantastic dessert pastries for our Anniversary. Thanks, Carneros Resort!

So that’s pretty dang good Day Trip, I’d say. Catch an Uber home or make sure one of you sticks to the iced tea for dinner.

Bonus Feature: Check out the Napa Yard beer garden

Now here’s another bonus add-on if you want another stop along the way, or if you end up making your day trip an overnight. We discovered the Napa Yard for the first time. Not sure how we missed it before because it’s just across the street from the Oxbow Market and the Walt Vineyards tasting room that I’ve featured previously. The Napa Yard is a classic beer garden built along the Napa River and features all the fun outdoor stuff we’ve come to expect from NorCal breweries and tasting rooms. There’s a great bar, excellent beer selection, games and chairs and all kinds of places to gather with friends. Or to make new ones. We made new friends watching some Sunday NFL and found the crowd to be eclectic, friendly, and diverse. Families, young people, old folks like us, all having a good time. I recommend it on a college Football Saturday or NFL Sunday, or any time! We didn’t try the food this time around, but the menu looks good. Go check them out at 585 1st Street, near downtown Napa and the Oxbow Market.

So there you have it, three great ideas for a Day Trip. Any one of them is all you need, but you can also pick and choose bits of each to customize your own Day’ve Trip. We’re all about flexibility and fun. Now go enjoy life!

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Downtown Sonoma can wait a minute though: Just 20 minutes from town, near Glen Ellen, you can start with a hike around Jack London State Park. There are over 29 miles of trails here! You can just take the small walk around the historic range, walk a half mile up to London Lake and the Bath House, or see the Pig Palace or the Museum. Lots of great History here, and great walks. Click here for the trail map. When Jack London bought his original 130 acre ranch (which grew to over 1400 acres), he did so to escape the city where he lived (Oakland), which is exactly what I’m suggesting you do! London said about the farm: “All I wanted was a quiet place in the country to write and loaf in and get out of Nature that something which we all need, only the most of us don’t know it.”

When you’ve filled yourself with the spirit of one of California’s greatest writers, maybe it’s time to fill yourself with some great food. So head on back into Sonoma Square and try any one of my favorite restaurants. The Red Grape has great wood-fired pizzas and pasta, The Girl and The Fig is big-city-quality French-California cuisine, the Sonoma Cheese Factory has a great deli and BBQ burgers, while the Hopmonk Tavern has fantastic brew-pub style food. Try the Reuben, Chicken Philly or Nashville Hot Fried Chicken Sandwhich!

On this particular trip, we ate at the El Dorado Kitchen, on the north-west corner of Sonoma Square. It has a great menu with something for everyone. We shared things like the leek soup with smoked salmon and chives, the lobster taquitos, and the fresh ceviche. Everything was delicious. The old El Dorado hotel is charming, and the restaurant is cozy comfortable with a great dining room and open kitchen as well as a large back patio for al fresco dining.

If you want to walk off a few calories, you could end your day with a short walk across the square to the historic Mission. The Mission San Francisco Solano was the Northernmost post on the Spanish Mission Trail. The State Park here houses the historic barracks, General Vallejo’s house, and of course, the Mission itself. Lots of great free historic stuff to wander through in the barracks building, or pay the $3 for the self-guided full Mission tour.

Also peek into the historic Toscano Hotel, or swing through the Swiss Hotel (hang out at the very old school bar!) or Ledson Hotel. All very cool. Watch for the plaques throughout the town which give you historical information. When you need a snack to take hime, grab some cheese or artisan salami from the Sonoma Cheese Factory. If you want some great vino, stop by for a tasting at one our two favorite Wineries for PinotNoir and Chardonnay: Three Sticks, which is housed in the historic Adobe home built by General Vallejo’s men, the oldest remaining adobe in California, or go see our favorite tasting room hosts Michael and Jeanette at Walt Wines (which I’ve discussed in a prior post called “The Carneros Resort, the Oxbow Market, and a Knock-Out Pinot Noir”). Enjoy this amazing town full of history, fun, and great food, and come back often!

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How to get there: Take Highway 780 West to Curtola Parkway or Highway 80 East to Highway 29 and Mare Island Way. Turn left across on Mare Island Causeway, and as you cross the drawbridge you’ll see the historic Mare Island waterfront on your left, across from the main Vallejo Ferry terminal.

Check your history sites before you go: Mare Island was named by General Vallejo in 1830, after one of his favorite horses was lost off a boat and ultimately swam to the island. After California became a U.S. State, Mare Island became the first Naval Base on the West Coast in 1854. For over 130 years, it was a key Naval Shipyard, employing as many as 50,000 workers during WWII. It was decommissioned in the 1990’s and is now enjoying a resurgence as a place for commerce, food and beverages, and entertainment.

Food and drink: Grab a terrific chicken taco, falafel pita, or a burger from the food truck outside the Coal Shed Brewing Company, or make a reservation at the Savage and Cooke Distillery and try some of their Southern Fried Chicken and “Southern bites” before a tasting of their craft bourbon or whiskey. Take a tour of the distillery, which is housed in a gorgeous set of brick refurbished military buildings. Check this website link that explains all the options on what is known as “The Wet Mile”

Wine tasting and music: A favorite new spot for a splash of wine on a nice day is the Vino Godfather winery. The people here are wonderfully welcoming and engaging, and they serve up some terrific wine options. Our tasting room guy, Joey, was great fun! I loved the Blanc de Blancs bubbly that was a crisp and refreshing way to start our afternoon. They have plenty of different wine varietals for just about any taste, but I really liked the St Peters Church Old Vine Zinfandel, made from 100-year old vines out of Contra Costa County, and the Prohibition Red, which is an 80% Tempranillo and 20% Petite Sirah blend.

The winery is housed in one of the beautiful 1900-era Victorian mansions that were part of the “Captains Row” of houses that are reported to be some of the most historic military homes left in the US. Wander through the house while you wine taste, and enjoy the custom woodwork as well as the Mare Island / Naval historic photos and the fun Godfather memorabilia (the winery’s owner is a big fan…). The anchor home on this row of houses is the impressive Admiral’s Mansion. Make sure you leave time to walk around the mansions on this row, over to the Mare Island Museum, and on up to the distillery and the Coal Shed brewery. Oh, and vino Godfather also hosts music out back during the warm season, so check out their music events and plan your trip!

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Just down the coast from Half Moon Bay and just East of Big Basin State Park is the Ano Nuevo State Reserve. There are many great reasons to visit the Park, and we shall! But a nice add-on to a trip down there can be brunch or lunch at the Costanoa Resort. Maybe you’d like an overnight here as well, but today’s trip just requires one day: an early morning start, a stop for brunch, and a short hike to visit the gathering, mating, and birthing spot of the wonderful Elephant Seals at Ano Nuevo State Park.

Getting There

You can arrive here by many good roads, all of which are fun drives: Highway 1 South out of Half Moon Bay is the most direct, But because I love driving through La Honda (See my other Day’ve Trip option for San Gregorio), I suggest taking Highway 280 to Highway 84 / Woodside Rd and head West through Woodside, Sky Londa, La Honda, and San Gregorio out to Highway 1, where you’ll turn South and go approximately 14 miles to the turnoff for 2001 Rossi Rd at Highway 1 for The Costonoa Lodge (aka Santa Cruz North KOA).

What to Eat

Once you’ve arrived at Costanoa, you’re only 4 miles from Ano Nuevo State Park, so you can plan to have breakfast or lunch here before going to the State Park. They do take reservations at the Cascade Restaurant, so maybe do that and plan an hour to eat before heading to your Sea Elephant tour (more on that below).

The restaurant is charming and the food is very good. I recently had the Croque Madame, because… well, when I see that on a menu I can’t pass it up. And in this case, it was amazing!. But the menu also includes great options for Chicken & Waffles, Salmon & Avocado Toast, Breakfast Burritos, Omelettes and Benedicts.

Leave yourself 10 minutes after brunch to walk around the property and check out the grounds, maybe you’ll want to come back and stay a couple nights!

Ano Nuevo State Park: Elephant Seals

The elephant seals make Ano Nuevo one of their key spots for annual mating, birthing, and feeding their baby calves before they head back out to sea again. Go learn about their fascinating habits and see them up close. If you want to see the males fight for dominance, it’s best to get there early in the season. You need a ticket for the walking tour, which includes an easy trail walk for a couple miles total. Get your tickets months in advance if you want to go during breeding season, which is December 15 through March 31. January seems to be some of the best viewing times and most popular ticket times. Check the Website at Ano Nuevo State Park for ticket information. Start your plan now!

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The Road There: Start by heading to the Visitor Center of Sunol Regional Wilderness at 1895 Geary Rd in Sunol, CA. It’s about 30 minutes from us in Danville, about 30 minutes from San Jose, and about 55 minutes from San Francisco. Click here for a Park Map. If you are adventurous on the way, try driving down Palomares Rd from Castro Valley where it starts at I-580 and goes south to Sunol and Highway 84. You’ve probably never been on that road, and you’re missing something! It’s a great winding road that runs the ridge and through the forested area between Hayward and Pleasanton. The Road Less Travelled!

We started our hike just inside the Park gates ($5 entry fee, waived this time of year). We parked near the sign for Flag Hill trail and started our hike by crossing the stream bridge and turning right for Indian Joe Creek Trail. This is a great winding trail through the shade, about 1.4 miles up to Cave Rocks (don’t run left onto Hayfield Rd, but once you see it, you are almost to Cave Rocks).

Cave Rocks is a basalt formation popular with rock climbers and kids of all ages. You can climb around here and rest a bit. You’ve probably climbed about 900 feet at this point. The views start to get good… but they get better!

From there, you continue climbing up toward Cave Rock Road. You can’t miss it once you see it. You go from your “single track” style trail to a larger open service road. This takes you to the right (East) and toward Cerro Este Overlook and the junction with Cerro Este Rd, which will take you down a steep slope to the stream bottom and “Little Yosemite”. Don’t be in a hurry, the ridge top views are pretty epic up here during “green season” and wildflower season.

At the bottom of the Hill, you will see the signs for “Little Yosemite” I thought it was a pretty optimistic name, and was ready to pooh-pooh it, given that I love Yosemite. But while this place is small, it is a very peaceful spot with some very interesting rock formations and crystal clear water tumbling for your restful enjoyment. Sit awhile. Contemplate. You’re likely far deeper than me, so your musings will likely be more insightful than my own mindless wanderings. I sent these photos to a friend who is a world-class geologist, and suggested these babies must’ve had a tough life. He told me that these rocks are part of the Franciscan Complex, formed 150-160 million years ago: deep water sediments of thin bedded radiolarian cherts interbedded in a mud and shale matrix, subjected to low-grade metamorphism (high pressure). The formation ran the length of California before the San Andreas Fault formed and often were swept up along with oceanic floor basalts in the complex colliding of tectonic plates. Whew!… and I thought they were just really cool rocks.

After this, you head back up the hill to rejoin the Canyon View trail back toward the Visitor Center starting point. You can also follow the trail along the stream and/or Camp Ohlone Rd. This is also a good route to come directly to Little Yosemite for a short walk/hike without the hills. But you’d be missing the journey! Good for a hotter day when you want to stay near the creek. Our 6.5 mile hike too about 3.5 hours, but that’s with an hour or so of stop time.

Something to eat or Drink? On your way home, there are many great spots in Pleasanton, or Sunol. I love Bottle Taps in Pleasanton for great smoked BBQ and one of the best Reuben sandwiches you will get outside of a real NYC deli. Or stop at the aforementioned Bosco’s Bones and Brew and see if you really want a beer that is poured from a tap activated by lifting the leg of a full-sized dog replica on the bar. For us on this day, we just opted for a stop at the long-standing Meadowlark Dairy in Pleasanton for one of their amazing soft-serve cones, where they’ve been serving them drive-through style (or walk up) since 1969.

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Start by heading to Brewster’s Beer Garden in Petaluma. Don’t let the name fool you, because they have fantastic food as well as a great selection of adult beverages. The hook this time of year is a fantastic Christmas Pop-up garden on their very large rear patio. Come for the decorations and fun, stay for the food and drink. I heartily suggest a designated driver.

Their “Miracle Menu” includes a delicious Smoked trout with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Pancetta and an amazing Dino Kale salad with Tahini dressing, along with tradition smoke meats like brisket and ribs, a Chicken/bacon sando, or a Veggie-Impossible burger with pickled onions. We found it all to be delicious and worth the trip. If you are feeling frisky and want to put on your best ELF impersonation, you might get in the mood with one of their holiday themed cocktails like he Christmapolitan, Elfing Around (mulled wine and Prosecco), the SanTaRex (margarita) or the Grinch’s Grog (hot coca, peppermint, and rum). Virgin options available! The cups and glasses they serve in are a treat themselves (also available for purchase). Yes, I came home with a T-Rex… what about it!?

If your designated driver is now ready for another leg of a journey, take the short 15 minutes drive out to 7510 Pt. Reyes – Petaluma Rd, Petaluma to the oldest cheese shop in America, founded in 1865! The Marin French Cheese Co. is a great little destination to grab some good Brie or whatever you’re into. They have a nice small pond and picnic tables, too, if you want to grab a sandwich from their deli or just enjoy your cheese and crackers. The shop has other foods and fun knick-knacks as well. The “Golden Gate” triple cream came highly recommended and did not disappoint. Note that this stop is another option on a prior trip I detailed in my earlier post titled: “Sonoma Dairy Country, Tomales Bay Oysters, and a Great Beach”.

If you know me, you know I’m about the roads… so we took the long way home from here and continued out to Highway 1 through Pt Reyes Station and into Stinson Beach. Great place for a snack, an ice cream cone, or a beverage, and maybe a walk on a big flat beach with a heavy coat. The crowds of summer are gone and the winter beach is as lonely as a Steinbeck novel but achingly beautiful at sunset. You could continue a little farther south to enjoy the amazing views from the trails at Muir Beach Overlook. No matter which way you head home, you’ll be happy you made the trip.

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How to get there: The Lafayette Reservoir is part of the East Bay Municipal Utility District and they a large parking lot at 3849 Mt, Diablo Blvd, Lafayette. They have an interactive trail map you can access as well. The parking lot is just a bit North of downtown Lafayette, so most people will take the Oak Hill Rd exit off Highway 24 when coming from etc East and the Acalanes Rd Exit when coming from the West. Parking can be paid for with an all day parking fee at the booth or hourly (2 hour max) using the automated parking fee machines. Start your hike at the far West end of the parking lot and head Clockwise for a good initial walk up a hill onto the upper levels of the Rim Trail.

Take a Hike: The trails are well-marked and to stay on the Rim Trail you just don’t take any of the “spokes” that crisscross back into the center. But those are great to explore as well. Along the way, you’ll have a few chances to catch your breath at the top of a steep hill or two. Enjoy the views! About half way along, you’ll come to a very steep hill that takes up to the highest point (where my fat finger is pointing) and where you’ll find a welcome bench to sit on and a marker showing that this was a County map triangulation site in 1954.

Hungry Now?: After your hike, you might need to change your sweaty shirt to grab a bite somewhere. Or just choose a nicely aerated outdoor spot ;-). We chose the Social Bird Kitchen and Bar in Lafayette, not only because they have a great patio, but because their Chicken Sliders on house made biscuits with hot pepper jam and garlic aioli are worth the trip, as is their Avocado Bruschetta, and just about everything on the menu (this is the sister restaurant to one I’ve mention in another post: Revel in Danville). They make a mean “mocktail” or cocktail as well. Enjoy your well-earned grub!!

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How to get there: You will start your hike from the “Little Farm” at Tilden Park in Berkeley. Set your nav system for 600 Canon Dr, Berkeley, which will get you to an easily accessible parking lot. Plenty of families use this as a staging area for local fun, but there’s usually plenty of parking. It’s only about a 3.5 mile hike, about 2 miles up and 1.5 miles down (no, you can’t just do the downhill part). Start your hike up Laurel Canyon Trail through the forested canyon, turning left onto Wildcat Peak Trail and out into the open mountain top. Check out the map at the AllTrails website.

The terrain changes from shady gullies to open hillsides and has enough elevation gain to get your heart working nicely. Near the top, you can stop by the Rotary Peace Grove.

Once you are at the top, you get a fantastic 360-degree view of the Bay Area, so go on a clear day! I like going in the mornings, so the sun is behind and shining West to clearly see San Francisco. Of course, late day hikes will get you a sundown through the Golden Gate. You can’t lose either way. Coming back down, head down Wildcat Peak Trail through the eucalyptus along a winding trail and onto Jewel Lake Trail past the lake (more of a small pond, actually) and back to Little Farm.

Driving down to Berkeley: if you’ve never gone this route, it’s a great way to see the Berkeley Hills in a new way. Fantastic views through charming neighborhoods, winding, tight roads. Go slowly! Head out on Canon Drive and make your way down Spruce Street or Euclid into Berkeley. IN just 3 miles, you’ll be out of the wilderness and into the heart of town.

What to eat: well, here’s where it gets tough. I mean, Berkeley has SO many great places to eat. Discover whatever pleases you, but if you’re looking for a place with a broad menu, a casual atmosphere, and some cool people, try out an old favorite of mine: The Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse on Shattuck Ave, just north of University Ave. I’m a fan of their Blue Rock Burger and the Cheesy Bacon Fries, but there are so many great things on their menu, you’ll just have to choose for yourself. And for those who like a cold beer, they’re got amazing house-brewed stuff and plenty of rotating taps.

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