Russian River
 
3-Day Wine, Coast & Redwoods
Itineraries
Day One: Wine Tasting    
Morning
Have a casual breakfast and plan your wine tasting outing for the afternoon. Talk to the concierge at your lodge or take a short drive over to your town's visitor center. There are several maps available for planning a drive, the foremost of which is the Wine Road guide. There is the option of going to the tasting rooms in town -probably save that for the evening and use the day to experience the beauty of the vineyards, estates and their cellars. Try and end up at a winery with a restaurant or deli around lunch time. For a more adventurous morning, explore our website for activity ideas.
  Afternoon
Wine tasting!

If you are less spontaneous than planning your wine tasting outing the morning of, visit our in depth Wine County guide for a wealth of information. In the online section there are several additional websites to help you plan your day.

Of course every restaurant in the Russian River has an excellent wine list to choose from and many lodges have wine bars. So there is no need to stop your tasting when you leave the wineries.
 

Day Two: Coast    
About
There are four parks that cover approximately 16 miles of coast north and south of the River's mouth. They are Sonoma Coast State Beach, Fort Ross State Historical Park, Salt Point State Park, and the Kruse Rhododendrum Park. They all have hiking trails, beach access, picnic areas, restrooms and a full list of other activities and facilities.

In addition to the parks there are 3 great coastal towns (see the coastal region heading). From south to north they are: Bodega Bay, Jenner and Gualala. You will find great restaurants here overlooking the ocean and serving up fresh seafood.

Suggested Plan
Start the day with a hike along the beach at Bodega Dunes. Bodega Dunes is just a few miles north of Bodega Bay, so plan to head there around lunch time for some fresh seafood at the marina (salmon, crab, etc., depending on what is in season). Then head out to Bodega Head for some great views of the coast.
  Afternoon
There are a lot of options for the afternoon. We have listed some of them in the visit the coast section.

Suggested Activity -
Kayaking at the Jenner Estuary. The Jenner Estuary (picture) is the calm, protected stretch of river shielded from the Pacific Ocean by Goat Rock Beach. You can rent kayaks just upstream at the town of Duncan's Mills. They will drop you off at Jenner where you can paddle around then head upstream back to Duncan's Mills when the wind picks up and carries you home.

Day Three: Redwoods    
About
Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve is an old growth Redwood forest located outside of Guerneville along Armstrong Woods Road. There are a ton of incredible sights here and definitely has enough activities for to fill multiple days.

The minimum you should do is park at the entrance and take a walk through the Redwood grove. This is a flat walk with well maintained trails suitable for all ages. Dog owner's can take they pets along the meandering one lane road and not miss a thing.
  Suggestions
Plan a picnic in the park. Drive in to claim a spot, setup then build up a health appetite exploring the area. The trails are littered with signs talking about the wildlife and plants of the park as well as history. The visitor's center has treasure hunt maps for kids.

After lunch head up the hill to bullfrog pond. The more adventurous may want to ride their bikes up the 1100 foot climb. At the top you can look out over the Russian River Valley on one side, and the Austin Creek State Recreation area on the other. If someone wants to volunteer driving the car down, the rest of your group can walk back along either East Ridge Trail or Pool Ridge Trail.
Visitor Center Phone Numbers <-- Vacationers use this
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Popular: Vacation Rentals - Restaurants - Wine - Spas - Weddings
Towns: Healdsburg - Forestville - Monte Rio - Windsor - Bodega Bay - Jenner - Geyserville
Parks: Armstrong Redwoods - Lake Sonoma - Sonoma Coast State Beach - Salt Point
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