Growing up in New England, a typical Sunday family activity in the fall would be to go apple picking. I loved those days. Especially when I was old enough (and tall enough!) to climb the ladder and reach for the very brightest red apple. We would bring our bushels of apples home and wait patiently for my mother’s apple crisp to come bubbling out of the oven.
A few weeks ago, I was craving some apple crisp. So, I made one from apples off my little side yard tree – but I wanted to grasp that similar New England apple picking feeling, so I ventured out to find one in Northern California. And low and behold, I found a pick-your-own apple orchard in Sebastopol, California.
Sebastopol is a quaint and sleepy Sonoma County town just 55 miles north of San Francisco, so it’s doable for a quick trip. I stayed two days in Guerneville just 20 minutes west of Sebastopol near the Russian River. There are many things to do in Russian River such as wine tasting, kayaking, hiking, biking, and dining. Of course, I had to try a little bit of everything.
Highlights from my trip:
1. Hiking in Armstrong Woods State Park. We hiked among 1200-year-old Redwood trees, which are enormous in size.
2. Apple picking at Gabriel Farm, Sebastopol – touted as one of the best apple picking locations in the Bay Area. I’ll be honest with you, as a New Englander I was a bit disappointed because the apple trees were tiny, which meant no ladder was needed to reach for that rosiest apple.
3. Dining at The Barlow, Sebastopol. This industrial park houses cafes, breweries, shops, tasting rooms and more. It was fun to explore and sip a little of this and nosh a little of that. I recommend visiting Woodfour Brewing Company.
Another must-dine-here restaurant is boon, eat + drink in Guerneville.
The food was exceptional, especially the flash-fried brussels sprouts with chili flakes! They also have a hotel called boon hotel + spa which is on my list for my next trip to the Russian River.
4. Wine tasting. We actually champagne tasted first at Korbel Champagne Cellars. What? No Veuve? You heard it right here. It actually was better than expected, not like the stuff you buy in the grocery store. Ha! There are over 50 wineries in this Russian River Wine Country. We also tasted a Merry Edwards Pinot Noir, which was merry good. Ha! Fun Fact: Merry Edwards was one of California’s first woman winemakers.
If you’d like me to help you plan a fun day-trip or week-long getaway to Sebastopol, Just Ask!
The Report Sneak Peek: Get ready, because next week I’m going to reveal the recipe for my mom’s crumbly, bubbly, yummy apple crisp. Yum!
