Ramblings

“I love Sonoma in the winter …” ?

During the fall harvest, Sonoma Valley is teeming with tourists. And it can be hot. Very hot. The vine-covered hillsides are parched yellow. Good restaurants have humbling-ly long waits.  

Which makes off-season trips look pretty darn good. According to Adrien Glover in “Suddenly Sonoma” (Budget Travel Online, Feb. 18, 2005): “Springtime is still considered ‘off season’ but it’s an excellent time to visit. Not only are plum trees, quince, and yellow wild mustard flowers in bloom, you're almost certain to land a good deal at an area hotel. And there’s plenty to do year-round.”

My husband and I spent a wonderful early March weekend exploring Kenwood. From our home base at a stylish yet cozy rental, aptly named Kenwood House (look for a full review of this rental right here in the coming weeks), we ventured out to explore nearly deserted tasting rooms. Winemakers aren’t busy at this time of year so you can actually spend time chatting with one.

Because it had been an unusually rainy winter (we had hail and snow during our visit), the landscape was lush green, with Spanish moss dangling from bare branches of valley oak trees. We lingered at the fascinating Bartholomew Park Winery Museum. We enjoyed a delightful hike to the remains of Wolf House in Jack London State Park. We were seated right away at some very good restaurants, including the new Doce Lunas, where there was a guitarist playing at the bar and signature sticky toffee for dessert. At night, we cozied up to the woodstove and watched movies.

Most of my review trips are planned during the off-season. I’m so spoiled, now I won’t go any other time.

HINT: Treat yourself to a trip during the “shoulder” weeks—just before some invisible bell clangs and the high season floodgates open on throngs of tourists. You may never subject yourself to that kind of madness again.

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 09:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just happened to spot a profile on the fascinating Sim Van der Ryn in the November 2007 issue of the stylish Dwell magazine (tag: At Home in the Modern World)."For decades, (his) name has been synonymous with design that's in tune with nature," the article begins. His personal pride, Highland House is featured in Renting Paradise: San Francisco and Marin County.

Set high on a ridge bordering a nature conservancy and overlooking the magnificent Point Reyes National Seashore, Highland House is a place to indulge all your senses.

The house was built in two stages and many fixtures and furnishings are salvaged from the local area. One bathroom sink is carved from a massive piece of burlwood. The stairs to the master suite spiral around one of the original utility poles from the town of Inverness below. The house runs entirely on renewable energy from a 2.5 kilowatt sun-powered array.

If you're looking for a relaxing getaway -- and a glimpse of what's possible in a more environmentally-responsible future, take a look.

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 09:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I noticed that the San Francisco Bay Area made SmarterTravel’s list of “Eight great destinations for dessert”. Notably missing from their countdown of indulgences—ranging from Ghirardelli sundaes to chocolate body scrubs—are the decadent souffles at Café Jacqueline. 

Romantic? Absolument! Cafe Jacqueline is a tiny souffles-only restaurant tucked into the corner of Union St. and Grant Ave. on the fringe of North Beach. Classical music nourishes a relaxed mood while you wait for made-to-order soufflés big enough for two to savor.

For dinner, try salmon and asparagus souffle. For dessert, bittersweet chocolate or fresh strawberry.

I’d forgo the trendiest or "hottest" new place for this little pocket of sensuality (just a dozen tables) any old day.

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 08:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"The Sonoma Diet is like no other.” Or, is it just one more shameless promotion aim below our already straining belts? On closer look, I was surprised to find it combines the South Beach Diet (sensible, balanced nutrition) and with the French Women Don’t Get Fat sensual love affair with fresh, wholesome food.

Who in their right mind would quibble with that? And nowhere could this approach make more sense than in Sonoma County.

Aside from its world-famous wines, Sonoma County produces a bounty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, olive oil, homemade cheeses, artisan breads—all key ingredients celebrated by the Sonoma Diet. The diet is built on savoring a variety of fresh, wholesome, and delicious foods—and, yes, wine in moderation.

So when you’re finished with the Russian River Wine Road, hit the Farm Trails. Just follow the Farm Trails Map & Guide and explore Sonoma County’s farms, cheese factories, bakeries and breweries as locals have been doing for 30 years. You can experience life on the farm with sheep, llamas, honey bees and butterflies. Or get your hands dirty and pick your own berries, apples, or pumpkins in season. Just add fresh flowers and you’ve got a picnic. Or the makings of dinner back at your vacation rental.   

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 04:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

…“Send your camel to bed…”  If you adore out-of-the-ordinary accommodations as much as I do, take the Concierge tour of luxury tents and tree houses in exotic places such as Kenya, Mongolia, Tunisia and Dubai. Oh, and Santa Barbara, California, too.

Because it’s my job to point out sweet spots in Northern California that somehow miss the big lists, I’m adding Safari West in Sonoma County.   I reviewed my stay in the game keeper’s cabin for Renting Paradise: Sonoma County.

But check out the luxury tents (plush beds, polished floor, private bathrooms with hot showers) scattered across the grounds of this sprawling wildlife conservation park. It’s not a zoo or a drive-through park. It’s a wildlife preserve where the whole family can experience some of nature's most beautiful animals in a natural habitat.

Feed the giraffes on the way to breakfast. Fall asleep to the cries of lemurs. Take an authentic safari tour of the “back 400” acres, where you’ll see hundreds more exotic breeds—gazelles, ostriches, zebras, water buffalos—roaming free. 

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 04:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As you research your next rental, be grateful if you stumble across a link to an owner's "blog". A well-done (key distinction!) blog can be a living, breathing connection to updates, photos, personally vetted activities and seasonal events ... all the stuff you crave before you go.   

Sure, many are mind dumps. But many more are truly interesting, informative and thought-provoking. Postings are typically short, containing live links to more detail. At the end of many (not all) postings, there are links for readers to add their two-cents on that particular topic. Participating is easy and relatively anonymous. Check out the blog created by the owners of At The Bay's Edge featured in Renting Paradise.

If you find an owner who's taken the time -- and care -- to create a web site and maintain and informative blog, I can guarantee you can put your rental worries to rest. The other great thing in this info-overload age? It's easy to subscribe (an unsubscribe) to blogs, via buttons such as "My Yahoo".

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I love "best" lists. Sure they're subjective, but how better to slice through the monster-mass of information out there and find (when it comes to trip-planning) the activities, sights, restaurants, et. al., most worthy of your limited time? Check out these three very cool best-lists focused on San Francisco. 

San Francisco City's Best 2007. This annual list is compiled by readers of AOL® CityGuide, a Web-based network highlighting local entertainment in more than 300 cities nationwide--including directions. Once a year, the site posts bests in dozens of categories--from blues clubs to romantic restaurants.

Consumers' votes ultimately determine which venues are chosen #1 in their categories. All City's Best® establishments are nominated based on recommendations from AOL CityGuide's local correspondents who live and work in the cities they cover, the editorial insights of the CityGuide programming team and user feedback.

Winners often represent those establishments with a commitment to quality, selection or service. Often, they have a reputation for value that has been upheld and polished over many years. However, sometimes, it's simply that people in a city naturally gravitate to a place because of its character, its uniqueness or its special contribution to local culture.

Best (& Worst) San Francisco Experiences. Published by the very opionated SFTravel.com, this guide to San Francisco Underground, this list attempts to separate the tourist traps from the truly fun and unique. Forget Fisherman's Wharf (dubbed "A Vicious Tourist Trap") and head instead for Marina Green and the Presidio. Check out the cable cars (the "funnest" way to get around), the Aquarium in Golden Gate Park and the 5 most beautiful beaches. This guide pulls no punches--but it's interesting, useful and right-on from the perspective of this former SF resident. 

Yvette's Joy of Life Guides.  "Joy of Life Guides" are Joie de Vivre Hospitality's staff-authored guides to the sights and sounds of San Francisco. Designed to highlight many hidden treasures off-the-beaten path in these guides. I like whimisical category names ("I Need My Java," Hidden Cafes and Breakfast Spots) and smart and original content ("Help!!! It's Raining! Having Fun Despite the Elements"). The San Francisco guide truly is a joy, appropriately named.

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We dog-people are a special breed. So stuck on our four-legged friends that we want to take them on vacation with us -- leashes, dishes, slobbery toys and all. It tickles me that the number of web sites focused on finding "room at the inn" for dogs and their people is growing.   

In fact, I'm astounded that when I apologized in advance to one vacation rental owner with a particularly lovely home that we planned to vacation with bring THREE dogs, she scoffed "I've never had any trouble with pet-owners. It's kids I worry about."

ANYway: The latest dog-friendly I like is PetVR.com. It features more than 5,400 pet-friendly vacation rentals (homes, cabins, condos and B&Bs, by their definition).

I initially checked out the site when I was searching for a destination for our upcoming family vacation. I was looking for a dog-friendly beach on the California coast. Voila! PetVR provides a link to pet-friendly beaches by state And lo, there are plenty in California. However, I must admit they do not list the beach I finally picked in Morro Bay. And, er, I did ultimately select a home from another site.

But! That that in no way diminishes what PetVR has to offer. I appreciate the reach (selections encompass all 50 states and 24 other countries ... you'll find many more options than you will on some vacation rental site that hyave been around for years!). And I lap up the site's authentically goofy spirit. Their "Top Ten" lists include the "Ten Gassiest Dogs."  (Honestly? We have a little problem in that area with our Terrier-Corgi mix. I was afraid to check.)

Resources include a handy list of things you might not think to pack. In fact, the site is compiled for and by pet owners -- a singularly gregarious group. So click in whether you're traveling by car or internationally.

"More than 67% of pet owners travel with their pets," Dow Scoggins, president and creator of PetVR.com, said. "And, according to surveys, nearly 40% more would travel with their

pets if they found it easier to do so." (Okay, even a math-idiot like me knows that adds up to more than 100%. But, hey, I'm a dog-lover -- which means over-the-top already.)

And I'm not as over-the-top as it gets! My "kids" sleep in their own beds when they travel. But if your pet is more "discriminating" than mine, check out the Restful Paws Bed & Breakfast in Massachusetts (complete with indoor, bone-shaped dog pool) or The Paw House (where dog portraits and Doggie Mystery Weekends are available).

My advice? IF YOU LOVE YOUR PETS ENOUGH TO TAKE THEM ON VACATION?  YA GOT NOTHIN' TO  LOSE BY CHECKING OUT PETVR.COM. Go fetch!

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Need a vacation from your real life ... RIGHT NOW? This one takes only 60-seconds.

But you may want to linger longer over the 20 slides in the short slide show put together by Concierge.com. Click through a soul-soothing, first-class tour of Northern California's lush Napa and Sonoma wine regions.

The show begins with a gorgeous shot of the Sonoma Coast and includes views of some of Sonoma's finest wineries, including Viansa, Kunde Estate and Chateau St. Jean. 

(Thanks! I know I needed that.)  

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 08:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's all the rage these days. "Move over Napa," says the Washington Post. "Healdsburg has gone upscale on us," says Sunset magazine. Travel + Leisure dubs the town "Sonoma's New Star." 

The cosmopolitan-izing of Healdsburg leaves me a little wistful for the old days. I loved the small town feel around the plaza. And I'm glad to see that -- despite the addition of the Les Mars Hôtel (which Sunset Magazine says "feels more like Louis XIV’s Loire Valley than today’s Sonoma County") -- there are still magazines counting down its simpler pleasures.

Places evolve. (It's all good.) So, by all means, check out some of these recommendations of the Washington Post food critic in Postcard from Healdsburg.  And get the lowdown on shopping and the latest boutique wineries from Travel + Leisure before you visit.

And should you opt to stay at a vacation rental, consider trading "Louis XIV's Loire Valley" for the real thing --  "Redwood Tree House" (recommended in Renting Paradise).   

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Get yourself to a fabulous city (like San Francisco) and then walk. That’s right! San Francisco is a city best seen on foot. Okay, when you need a faster way to get from Point A to Point B, try public transportation—including San Francisco’s legendary cable cars and ferries—a great way to tuck into its history and culture.

Pat yourself on the back. In addition to doing your share to reduce dangerous emissions, you’ll leave stress-building activities traffic and parking stress in the dust.

The city’s most efficient mode of travel is the San Francisco Municipal Railway. Better known as “Muni," this network of buses, cable cars, and vintage streetcars will take you anywhere in the city. The F-Market Line features a fleet of vintage street cars from Hiroshima, Melbourne, Philadelphia and Milan running along the Embarcadero from Fisherman’s Wharf to Market St.

Check schedules for ferries San Francisco and the Bayside towns of Sausalito and Larkspur.

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

…“Send your camel to bed…”  If you adore out-of-the-ordinary accommodations as much as I do, take the Concierge tour of luxury tents and tree houses in exotic places such as Kenya, Mongolia, Tunisia and Dubai. Oh, and Santa Barbara, California, too.

Because it’s my job to point out sweet spots in Northern California that somehow miss the big lists, I’m adding Safari West in Sonoma County.   I reviewed my stay in the game keeper’s cabin for Renting Paradise: Sonoma County.

But check out the luxury tents (plush beds, polished floor, private bathrooms with hot showers) scattered across the grounds of this sprawling wildlife conservation park. It’s not a zoo or a drive-through park. It’s a wildlife preserve where the whole family can experience some of nature's most beautiful animals in a natural habitat.

Feed the giraffes on the way to breakfast. Fall asleep to the cries of lemurs. Take an authentic safari tour of the “back 400” acres, where you’ll see hundreds more exotic breeds—gazelles, ostriches, zebras, water buffalos—roaming free.  

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 09:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

If you’ll be visiting San Francisco before September 17, plan to visit the “Monet in Normandy” exhibit at the exquisite Legion of Honor Museum. A three-quarter-scale adaptation of the 18th-century Palais de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris, The Legion of Honor is San Francisco's most beautiful museum. Check out its impressive collection of 4,000 years of ancient and European art and sculpture (including Rodin's The Thinker") in an extraordinary setting overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.

The special exhibits are a treat. This one features 50 paintings Claude Monet produced while he lived in Normandy in northern France. Of particular interest: his interpretation of the sparkling, surging bodies of water—from the bustling commercial harbor at Le Havre to the crashing waves at Etretat.

You'll also be treated to some of the most stunning views in San Francisco. Anyone who’s ever visited me has been treated to the spectacular drive from the Legion of Honor along Pacific coast toward Golden Gate Bridge. The views in this short stretch of coastline are astonishing. They still make my jaw drop every time. So, take your camera and take your time.

Leaving the museum follow cypress-lined Camino del Mar along the water. Just before you enter the upscale neighborhood of Sea Cliff, pull over and park. A short path on the ocean-side of the road leads you to wooden deck at the edge of a golf course fairway. This is the first of many postcard views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Believe me, they just get better and better.

Continue through wealthy Sea Cliff to Lincoln Blvd. and turn left. TIP: (Be careful not to follow “Scenic 49-Mile Drive” signs. They will take you back to city streets—not where you want to be.) Lincoln Blvd. winds along the coast, revealing breathtaking views at every turn. If you’re driving keep your wits about you!

Around one curve, the Golden Gate Bridge rises up before you—looking close enough to touch. The first time I drove this way, a lavender-indigo dusk was settling. The flow of headlights across the bridge span was like a river of light flowing into a frame of cypress at my feet.

You’ll find a more complete itinerary—including links for sights along the way, including Robin Williams’ home, China Beach and Fort Point, a must-see underneath the Golden Gate Bridge—leading off  the “10 Cool Things to Do” section of in Renting Paradise: San Francisco & Marin County.  

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 08:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

A lot of “top 10” lists strike me as a tad obvious and even self-serving. At least once a year Paris is named one of the 10 “most romantic” cities in the world. Tell me something I don’t know. And by now, I’m absolutely clear that at least five of the “10 most beautiful beaches” are in Hawaii. (There's a whole advertising section on Hawaii to back up the claim.) It’s the more obscure "top 10" lists that surprise me. Like this list of rare U.S. beaches that have escaped the bulldozer.

In fact, the Point Reyes peninsula is one of the Bay Area’s best-kept secrets – just a few hours from San Francisco, it is almost completely untouched. You can harvest oysters, kayak into secluded coves, follow herds of Tule elk and actually swim in the water. (It's reasonably warm here!) For more detail about the area's special sights, click on my favorite links. (Scroll down "Marin County".)

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 01:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I noticed that the San Francisco Bay Area made SmarterTravel’s list of “Eight great destinations for dessert”. Notably missing from their countdown of indulgences—ranging from Ghirardelli sundaes to chocolate body scrubs—are the decadent souffles at Café Jacqueline. 

Romantic? Absolument! Cafe Jacqueline is a tiny souffles-only restaurant tucked into the corner of Union St. and Grant Ave. on the fringe of North Beach. Classical music nourishes a relaxed mood while you wait for made-to-order soufflés big enough for two to savor.

For dinner, try salmon and asparagus souffle. For dessert, bittersweet chocolate or fresh strawberry.

I’d forgo the trendiest or "hottest" new place for this little pocket of sensuality (just a dozen tables) any old day.

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 08:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The owner of At the Bay’s Edge first steered us to Wild Flour Bread in the tiny crossroads of Freestone. “You have to try their fougasse!” she said. “It’s a meal in itself.”

Turns out that while the fougasse—stuffed with gouda or blue cheese, red peppers, olives, and onions—is a noble standard, there are as many as a dozen varieties of artisan bread to choose from throughout each of the four days (8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Monday) Wildflower Bread is open.

Sticky buns, pear and cranberry scones, chocolate biscotti, Bohemian loaves (flavored with apricot, orange and pecan) or Egyptian loaves (stuffed with pear, fig and candied ginger)… my mouth is watering … focus…focus!

It’s just so hard to say no to any of the hand-kneaded artisan delicacies that emerge from the 15-foot deep, 5-foot wide wood-burning oven that can hold 100 loaves at a time. Good thing sampling is encouraged.

As a closet baker (and a morning person!), I’ve often dreamed of a business like that.  I just don’t think my waistline could take it.

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