Posted: 1/25/2026 2:11:53 PM EDT
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We are taking a trip to California in the spring. The first stop is Sonoma for wine, followed by hiking Yosemite, Kings Canyon/Sequoia. Then over the mountains into Death Valley, weather permitting. Any tips for wineries in Sonoma to check out, or a play to stay? Open to suggestions for the rest of the trip as well. Will be doing our best to support non-lib businesses on this trip, as we do on all trips. Please save negative comments for the political threads. |
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Originally Posted By onthebreeze: We are taking a trip to California in the spring. The first stop is Sonoma for wine, followed by hiking Yosemite, Kings Canyon/Sequoia. Then over the mountains into Death Valley, weather permitting. Any tips for wineries in Sonoma to check out, or a play to stay? Open to suggestions for the rest of the trip as well. If you haven't yet driven it, Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) has reopened. I'd suggest that the drive from Monterey to Cambria is worth doing. I would recommend it over Death Valley. Both are worth doing. If you are in Yosemite heading to the east (Death Valley), Highway 120 offers magnificent views and is worth the drive. It takes you to and through Tuolomne Meadows but many other places, too. Those two roads are EPIC! Both offer numerous opportunities to get out hiking in some of the Nation's most amazing places. I'll stop at this point, having mentioned a couple of easy to recommend options. |
| Don't want to support liberal outfits. That pretty much puts all of Napa, Sonoma and Mendicino out of contention. You'll have to head further north or east to get out of the San Francisco sphere of influence. But if you do go to the "wine country" and intend to do Yosemite PCH is sort of out of the way. Not undoable, but it all depends on your time line. The 120 out of Stockton I can vouch for. You can take it all the way through Yosemite to the 395 south then take the 136 over to the 190. That will put you on the road to Death Valley. |
"Go low, go slow and preferrably in the dark", the old Sarge.
"Every man needs at least one good rifle and know how to use it," Dad.
"Every man needs at least one good rifle and know how to use it," Dad.
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How would you define, date wise, "Spring?" Sierra high country is typically not road accessible in early spring and sometimes Tioga Pass and Glacier Point roads in Yosemite don't open until May or later. This could mean crossing at Donner Pass/Lake Tahoe east of Sacramento, or, all the way south to 58 over Tehachapi Pass east of Bakersfield. That said Highway 395 on the east side of the Sierras can link both passes and there is quite a bit to see on the way to Death Valley. Just some flexibility might be needed in route planning because it can be hard to predict what seasonal snow fall will be like and how quickly things open up. Highway 1 south of Monterey to San Luis Obispo is open after several years of closure and is quite spectacular ride. I'd suggest the two least desirable routes south, if it works out that way, are I5 and Highway 99. I5 is dull, boring, kind of skirts the coastal mountains and west edge of the Central Valley, it's fast and lacks almost any scenic interest. 99 is busy but kind of mid-valley/close to the Sierra foothills, if you decide to hit the National Parks, it's the main CV north-south route through the ag areas, etc. 1/101 are on or close to the coast. Some map time can be helpful. Not a big wine drinker but the wine country north of San Francisco is really enjoyable, and mixes in with the coastal redwood forests, too. Lots to see. Muir Woods is pretty close to San Francisco and can be pretty crowded, there are quite a few state and national parks, etc., as you go north that can be as or more scenic and less crowded. We've stayed in several places in the area, our favorite in Petaluma wised up and their prices went up. "Healdsburg is a city located in Sonoma County, in the North Bay region of California, United States. Situated along the Russian River, it lies at the convergence of three major wine-producing regions: the Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Russian River Valley. Wikipedia" I've visited Quivira Vineyards in he Dry Creek area, pleasant little place, Ridge Vineyards - Lytton Springs, part of a larger winemaking operation and this particular winery is made of hay bales ("earth covered," iirc) and is one of the companies that helped get major attention for California wineries in some European competitions, etc. The Russian River area also has some interesting wineries, etc., and flows out to the Pacific Ocean, not too far from Fort Ross, the Russian fur trade outpost. These areas are close to Sonoma and might be alternatives to the likely pricier Sonoma and Napa areas. Lots of on-line information about the wine country with info on tasting and tours. As you get away from the coast or north of San Francisco, etc., people aren't as crazy, Highway 49 is getting some contamination but not all bad. Much of the Central Valley is conservative and ag business related. But not all that scenic. Incidentally, Highway 1 from just north of the Golden Gate Bridge until it finally rejoins 101 quite a ways north is also a beautiful drive, slow, as are pretty much all parts of Highway 1. In park lodging for Yosemite, Sequoia/Kings Canyon is limited and pricey. Likely booked up but try. I'll stay in Mariposa and use 140 to enter the Park. there are some places along the Merced River which are closer and that can be reflected in the prices. 140 is the lower elevation route in. 120 and 41 can be over 6,000 feet and more weather impacted. In park lodging in Death Valley is limited, too, and "nearby" is hard to apply to any communities sort of close. Bishop is about the largest town on 395 in the area and close enough to Mammoth to have ski season crowds. Or spring trout opening, a big deal but not sure when it happens. |
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P.S. - If you drive south on PCH toward Cambria, you can cut inland and go the burgeoning wineries in the Paso Robles and Templeton area. Although newer, these have excellent reputations, equal to those of Napa. I'm not trying to push you towards this version. I'm just adding some info. Mid-May can be glorious in many areas. |
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What kind of wine/champagne do you like to drink? We've always preferred Sonoma over Napa because it was much less crowded. All that's changed now and Sonoma is also that way now. Sonoma: - Viansa had a great sauvignon blanc back in the day. We skip the reds there... Sam and Vicki Sebastiani own the place and we began stopping there the first year it opened. They have a little market inside where you can grab a sandwich, cheese and other items to picnic on a bench that overlooks their vineyard. It's one of the first wineries as you head north on 121 coming off 37. You'll drive past Sonoma Raceway. - Rutherford vinyards is another nice place to have a picnic. Reds are drinkable there... - St Francis has always been known for a superb merlot, lot's of awards over the years. It's at the north end of the valley. - BR Cohn is known for their cabs. - Kenwood Vinyards is good for chardonnay. Heavy in oak flavor which I like... Our favorite place to stay is the Kenwood inn in Kenwood. You'll earn some serious points with the wife.  Old town Sonoma is a good place to hangout for an afternoon or grab dinner there around the plaza. The Fairmont hotel is close, but not what you'd expect from a Fairmont property. When we last saw it, it wasn't worth the price. Needed serious renuvation, but they may have done that by now. My advice would be drive up 12 and stop the wineries that catch your eye. Napa is the next Valley to the east but there are no roads connecting the 2 valleys. Ya gotta drive back down to 121 and drive north again in Napa valley. We've also done Yosemite and Sequoia but not in the same trip. Hope you have fun. |
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Alas, I wouldn't spend a dime in "wine country" today. Way back when, you would drive to the winery. They usually had a very small "tasting room" (usually some sort of storage closet or shed that they converted. They'd offer you a tour where they would explain their wares and something about their ideas on wine making. Afterwards you'd taste a selection of the wines. The cost for this time and attention, zero. Most of the wineries were old established and frequently family owned. Then the "new" people invaded the area. They had no background in wine making, but they had money to buy land and hire a master vintner. They started to charge a fee to taste. Then a fee to tour. Then they all got together and set up "tours" so you wouldn't have to drive yourself around. A fee was charged, of course. And thanks to Mondavi, more and more "wineries" decided that making huge volumes in stainless steel, where you could speed up fermentation by adjusting temperature and pressure was a good idea. A lot of the "new" wineries followed suit. In short wine making went from an art to an industrial process. That process is driven solely by the bottom line with decisions made by CPA's and lawyers. |
"Go low, go slow and preferrably in the dark", the old Sarge.
"Every man needs at least one good rifle and know how to use it," Dad.
"Every man needs at least one good rifle and know how to use it," Dad.
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Originally Posted By jeepnik: Alas, I wouldn't spend a dime in "wine country" today. Way back when, you would drive to the winery. They usually had a very small "tasting room" (usually some sort of storage closet or shed that they converted. They'd offer you a tour where they would explain their wares and something about their ideas on wine making. Afterwards you'd taste a selection of the wines. The cost for this time and attention, zero. Most of the wineries were old established and frequently family owned. Then the "new" people invaded the area. They had no background in wine making, but they had money to buy land and hire a master vintner. They started to charge a fee to taste. Then a fee to tour. Then they all got together and set up "tours" so you wouldn't have to drive yourself around. A fee was charged, of course. And thanks to Mondavi, more and more "wineries" decided that making huge volumes in stainless steel, where you could speed up fermentation by adjusting temperature and pressure was a good idea. A lot of the "new" wineries followed suit. In short wine making went from an art to an industrial process. That process is driven solely by the bottom line with decisions made by CPA's and lawyers. Ya might find off the path Mom n Pop places that still have free tasting and an old time vibe. We stayed at a BnB that had their own vineyard once. They had a "friend" at a small local winery process their grapes and bottle it with their label. We'd taste it for free and chat with the owners just like the old days. Need to hunt for those places... |
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If you are de-prioritizing the Sonoma/wine (which I agree with personally)and leaning more on hiking (which is also my preference) consider: - Fly in to SoCal. Not sure which airport would be best, I am NorCal. (Might be better to fly in to Reno and start at the north end to avoid the commotion of SoCal cities - Joshua Tree national monument. - North on 395 to Death Valley - North on 395 to Mammoth lake and on to Mono Lake. If Tioga pass is open - West on 120/Tioga road at Lee Vining to get to Yosemite. - Then 41 south to 180East to get to Kings Canyon/Sequoia If Tioga pass is closed - continue on 395 up to Lake Tahoe. Worth a day of hiking there at least. - 50 west to 49 South from Tahoe to get on the other side of the Sierra - Gold Country (Sutter Creek, Angels Camp, etc.) Could check some of the caves in these areas too. Quite a few places. Wine country if interested. - Continue 49 south to 120 east to get to Yosemite - Then 41 south to 180East to get to Kings Canyon/Sequoia Hope you have a great time regardless your itinerary. |
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It looks like Tioga is still closed and the NPS site doesn't have an opening date yet. The NPS site did say Glacier Point was open to bicycles, that's usually done a few days before opening to cars. It does look like the other passes to the north are open. But we've had some short serious storms so there can still be some temporary closures and check trail/weather conditions any place. I got slammed by snow a couple of weeks ago in Truckee, trying to see the UP Big Boy go back east from it's stop in Sacramento but snow and road and rail conditions were so bad, they went back via Feather River. But things were pretty much wide open on the east side if not heading to the highest areas. Some of the breweries still go with shot glass "tasters" for one or two types but nice "free" tastings are pretty much done for. I think one can find small vineyards and wineries for a quieter, more relaxed experience. Lots of on line advice in the area. If you hit the "celebrity" places, like Coppola's, hard to be surprised that they would be busy. The greater Bay Area is a world class destination. 40 million people in California and tourists. It aint the good old days anywhere. |
| If you wanna skip Sonoma you can head to Murphy's out in gold country. Lots of mountain wine country out there and not nearly as liberal. |
Watching the kids shoot Pieeater's 1919 was great. Nothing warms the heart more than seeing a little kid kneeling in a pile of brass and links.-Pthfndr after the Nov 13th NorCal shoot
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Originally Posted By onthebreeze: Going to hit the hiking a bit harder and enjoy the outdoors. YOSEMITE ! Cathedral Lake Tuolomne Meadows (walk south,... anywhere) * Vogelsang Peak and nearby Evelyn Lake come to mind. There is a High Sierra Camp and Store there. North side of Saddle Bag Lake (take a short boat ride to get there, that's fun, too) Hwy 120 east of Tuolomne Pass Well, those are the places I'd like to go. |
| Murphys gets you to Highway 4, Ebbett's Pass, open across now, a little south, near Sonora, 108, over Sonora Pass is open, too. You could check these for high country vistas and hiking opportunities. Not Tioga but they'll get you to the northern approaches to Owen's Valley/Death Valley without going Tahoe/Donner or south to Bakersfield/Tehachapi. |
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Some notes: Ended up flying into SFO, and driving up 1. Did some hiking along the shore. Then did Gloria something winery on the way to Sonoma. Walk in, terrace seating and decent wine. Stayed at the El Pueblo Inn in Sonoma, which was great. Spent hours in the hot tub and garden area, they had a solid breakfast as well. Went to Gundlach Bundschu, did the paid cave tour/tasting. The paid tour is basically all you can drink afterwards, and since we were driving after, they just gave us a bottle to take. We got there at 11am so it was not crowded. I really liked their wine. Then headed to Yosemite, and stayed in Curry Village there. That was great, multiple days we were able to just walk to our trailhead from the tent. We did many of the standard hikes (waterfalls, Mirror lake, Sentinal dome). We then stayed on the way to Kings Canyon, did a day in Kings Canyon (cave tour, waterfalls), and yesterday in Sequoia (various giant forest trails, Moro rock). Today is a relax and road day to Ventura. We called an audible and decided based on time, to hit the Channel Islands and fly home out of LAX. Next time we are here, we'll do Tolumne area, probably from the backside, then head north. Hopefully that is on a sabbatical and we get to do it from the comfort of a truck camper. Everything, especially lodging, is pretty expensive here. We have still had a great time. Keep in mind, we've done 10+ National Parks, so we are good at dodging crowds and finding deals. I think Switzerland is quite a bit cheaper, though, even in tourist areas, haha. The real MVP of the trip is the rental car. Hybrid Camry that is pulling down a hair over 50mpg. I am amazed at the lifted trucks hauling ass here, with gas being $2+ more than home. |
| There's a big fire on Santa rosa Island, the others may still be available. Last time we were in Ventura Harbor,lots of work being done, remodeling, etc. We like Brophy Bros. OTA(alley) (OTSidewalk?) on the ground floor has much of the same food, upstairs Brophy's is a bit fancier. Andria's Seafood. Low key fish place across the parking lot from Brophy's is a really, really good and popular "fish and chips" type place. Their regular fish is, I believe "angel shark," but they have several other options, cod, halibut? depends on what's available. Often a wait but not usually too long. Nice beach to watch the sunset if not too May Gray - June Gloom. |
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This article is about the Paso Robles area. How to Eat and Drink Your Way Through Paso Robles - It’s arguably the best wine region in America, but the area has more to offer than just great vino The central coast is probably my favorite area of the US. |
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Originally Posted By Featureless: There's a big fire on Santa rosa Island, the others may still be available. Last time we were in Ventura Harbor,lots of work being done, remodeling, etc. We like Brophy Bros. OTA(alley) (OTSidewalk?) on the ground floor has much of the same food, upstairs Brophy's is a bit fancier. Andria's Seafood. Low key fish place across the parking lot from Brophy's is a really, really good and popular "fish and chips" type place. Their regular fish is, I believe "angel shark," but they have several other options, cod, halibut? depends on what's available. Often a wait but not usually too long. Nice beach to watch the sunset if not too May Gray - June Gloom. We did just a drive by of Anacapa Island, so fortunately, no issues with the fire. I wanted to camp on an island but my wife was not up for it. Originally Posted By Trollslayer: This article is about the Paso Robles area. How to Eat and Drink Your Way Through Paso Robles - It’s arguably the best wine region in America, but the area has more to offer than just great vino The central coast is probably my favorite area of the US. |