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Trattore Farms Tasting Room & Terrace Winery (Sonoma County)

Address: 7878 Dry Creek Rd, Geyserville, CA 95441

*** On your visit please mention to Trattore Winery that you’ve seen the review via our travel blog www.explore2places.com

The Trattore Winery is a boutique winery situated high a top a hill with an amazing view of the valley/vineyards. The winery is located west of Healdsburg in Dry Creek Valley and grows both good quality wine grapes and award winning olive oil. Trattore Winery is owned by Mr. Tim Bucher and his wife Mary Louise Bucher. Trattore means tractor in Italian due to the owners love for tractors. In fact, they have a few cool and beautiful red tractors on display inside their spacious wine tasting bar area. And the winery features Rhone-style wines, olive oils, vinegar, charcuterie, panini, and seasonal wood-fired pizzas. The Trattore Winery is about 1 hour and 30 minutes (85 miles) from San Francisco via US-101 North. It is open Thursday-Sunday from 11 am- 5 pm and closed on Tuesday-Wednesday.

The Trattore Winery accepts both reservation and walk-in customers. I contacted the winery the same day when we were in the area and was lucky that they have availability. The scenic drive to the winery was very relaxing with the gorgeous view of the mountains and beautiful wineries. The fun part was driving through all the wineries with our Mustang convertible on a warm sunny day. We had to pass through the winery gate and drove up the long winding driveway that led us to the top of the hill. The property grounds are beautiful, clean, and relaxing with olive trees. The amazing view on top of the property was so picturesque and relaxing.

As we arrived at the door, we were immediately greeted by the friendly and welcoming owner Mary Louise. We were then escorted to our table with an unobstructed view of the valley/vineyards. The table was on a large outdoor patio, very clean and have sunshade available to keep their customers cool on a warm sunny day. The view is amazing, picturesque and looks like a picture on a postcard. We were served by both the owner Mary Louise and Candis (Manager) They were very knowledgeable, professional, friendly, fast, and provided us with an excellent service. My daughter ordered a glass of fruit juice and while my wife had the 5 small glasses of their signature wine sampler. There were a wide variety of appetizers or food pairings on the menu but we ordered the Trattore Charcuterie (serves 2-4) which is a selection of Journeyman Meat Company salumi, local artisan cheeses, dried fruit, nuts, arugula salad and house made crostini for $35. The delicious Grilled Seasonal Chipotle Chicken panini sandwiches with roasted tomatoes, white cheddar, and DCOC Chipotle olive oil for $20. The Italian with Ham Panini sandwiches with Black Forest ham, journeyman’s salumi, mozzarella and pesto for $20. My favorite is the Italian Ham Panini since I love anything with pesto. We didn’t order dessert as we were all satisfied and full with the food that we ordered. My wife bought one bottle of their popular “Two Lakes” wine and we’re lucky enough that the Vineyard owner Mary Louise signed the wine bottle with my daughter’s name on it. My daughter was surprised, very happy and thankful for the kind gesture.

Overall, we were very satisfied with the quality of the food and the outstanding service of the owner Mary Louise and the entire staff. The unobstructed view of the beautiful vineyard, the outstanding service, and the beautiful sunny warm weather made our wine tasting experience very memorable. It made our early Valentines Day celebration for my wife and daughter a success. The best part of our experience was when the owner Mary Louise signed (with my daughter’s name) the “Two Lakes” bottle that we purchased.

Tips: All their outdoor seating have a view of the vineyard. They have a large parking lot area for all their customers. Dogs and children are welcome in the winery. Lake Sonoma is about a 15-20 minutes drive from the winery. Try to visit the overlook area with a view of Lake Sonoma but drive safely as the road is winding. The winery is also close to Truett Hurst Winery which allow children and have farm animals onsite. Trattore also have a display of cool tractors inside their wine tasting bar area. You can book an “Estate Tour” or “Private Event” online or by calling them. The winery also offer seasonal wood-fired pizza on Sundays from April-October. They also offer wine club membership to customers.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about the Trattore Winery after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you. Please don’t forget to subscibe to our blog.

Click here to find a hotel close to the Trattore Winery in Geyserville Ca.

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Cafe Aquatica (Jenner) (Sonoma County)

Address: 10439 CA-1 Jenner, Ca. 95450

Cafe Aquatica is a relaxing beach shack situated on a rocky hill just above the Russian River estuary in Jenner, California which offers stunning ocean and river views with fresh local organic ingredients. The small coastal town of Jenner is located on the Pacific Coast and situated close to the mouth of the Russian River. Jenner is also known as Jenner-by-the-sea. The Cafe Aquatica is about 1 hour and 45 minutes from San Francisco via US-101 North and CA-1 ( 84 miles). Cafe Aquatica is open for business 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Our drive to Cafe Aquatica in Jenner was a very fun, scenic, and winding road. The beautiful panoramic view of the ocean during our travel was well worth the challenging drive. We saw a lot of dairy farms, cows, cheese, and local creamery stores on our way to the restaurant. We also drove by at a small, quaint coastal town called Bodega Bay where they filmed the movie by Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”. We were lucky enough to find a parking space in front of the Cafe. The interior and exterior design of the Cafe is like a Gypsy sea-hut decor. As of now, the Cafe only has outdoor seatings available due to Covid safety practices. We first had to order our food over the counter and were given a pager to inform us once our food is ready. The server called our names and we had to pick up our food at the counter window. The place wasn’t too busy so we were able to find a table in the covered patio and later moved to a table closest to the water. The Cafe has a very relaxing, cozy, and peaceful ambiance. There was a singer/entertainer that performed live music near the covered patio or deck during our visit.

My wife ordered the healthy Pesto Portabello Sandwich with toasted Foccacia, balsamic roasted mushrooms, tomato greens, pesto aioli, served with side pickles for $12. As for my daughter, she had the famous and delicious Local Dungeness Carb Roll for $15. And lastly, I ordered the Smoked Lox Bagel with a toasted bagel, cream cheese, salmon lox, greens, and seeds for $12. As for our drinks, my wife ordered the Pinot Noir red wine while my daughter and I had the strawberry and orange seltzer water.

Overall, we enjoyed our relaxing and California Dreaming experience at Cafe Aquatica, especially with all the outdoor patio tables and chairs overlooking the beautiful ocean, gorgeous sunset, and the Russian River. Nothing compares to eating outdoors with your family on a nice sunny day with good quality food, relaxing ambiance, live music, stunning ocean and river view.

Tips: No reservations are needed for breakfast and lunch since it’s on a first-come, first-serve basis. Watch out for oncoming cars on both sides of the main road when coming out from the parking lot in front of the Cafe. You can rent kayaks, paddleboards, etc in the Visitor Center close to the Cafe. There’s also a local gas station and kayak rental booth across the Cafe. Live Music is available only on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There’s also a nice restaurant a few minutes away from the Cafe called River’s End with an amazing panoramic view of the ocean and the river.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Cafe Aquatica after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, comment, and share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe.

Click here to find a hotel close to Cafe Aquatica in Jenner.

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Goat Rock State Park:

Address: Salmon Creek, Jenner, CA 95450

Goat Rock Beach is located in Jenner California which is about a 2 hours (84 miles) drive from San Francisco, California. A huge arched sea stack connected to the land by a narrow isthmus, the flat-topped rock is said to have derived its name from goat herds that grazed nearby more than a century ago..

From Bodega Bay we drove through a series of narrow, curvy winding roads with a beautiful view of the coast and a lot of smaller beaches to take pictures. While driving on CA-1 North after we passed Shell Beach we and saw the signage stating ‘Goat Rock Beach”. We made a left on the Goat Rock Road and drove for at least 20 minutes through another curvy winding road. As we passed the gate entrance, we drove on a downhill road and took the narrow road to the left towards the parking lot of the Goat Rock State Park. If you take the road to the right it will lead you to Goat Rock Beach where the sea lion sanctuary is located. We were surprised that the road to Goat Rock was narrow and both ways were taking turns or giving way to oncoming cars. The narrow road that led to the parking lot is made up of gravel, sand, and rocks so we drove slowly. There were a lot of parking spaces available and a public restroom on site. We took a lot of pictures along the area and even saw the famous Archstone Rock from a distance with the waves crashing through the rock. There were a lot of people laying or relaxing on the beach and we watched a few surfers riding the waves. But we were cautious as the waves were very strong around the area.

Overall, Goat Rock Beach is a very unique, and a good place to unwind or have a picnic on the beach with a gorgeous view of the Archstone Rock from a distance.

Tips:  Drive slowly as the road going into the parking area is a one-way road only. The parking area and the road are made up of gravel, rocks, and sand. There is a public restroom available near the parking area. You can also see the Archstone Rock from the distance at the parking area. The entrance to the Goat Rock State Park is after the Blind Beach overlook. There is a lot of smaller vista points that are good for a photo opportunity along the way to the Goat Rock.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Goat Rock State Park after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Whale Rock at Seaside Beach (Fort Bragg)

Address: 30000 Shoreline Highway North of Mackerricher State Park Fort Bragg, Ca. 95437.

Seaside Beach is about 4 hours drive from San Francisco via Hwy 101, Hwy 20 and Hwy 1. Seaside Beach is located about 10 miles north of Fort Bragg. Seaside Beach is popular due to its sandy, long beach and huge rock formations.

We passed through the town of Cleone and Inglenook on our way to Seaside Beach from Fort Bragg. It took us about 20-30 minutes from Fort Bragg to Seaside Beach as we navigate through Hwy-1. We parked at a small parking area (about 8 parking spaces available) in front of Seaside Beach.

It was low tide, sunny but windy when we arrived at the beach. It is a very long sandy beach and not overly crowded. We even saw a few dogs running around and playing in the water without a leash.

We then proceeded and walked towards the left side of the beach from the parking lot. During our walk, we saw a few high monolithic rocks, caves, and tidepools.

As we were walking further, we end up seeing the famous Giant Whale Rock with a few smaller cave tunnels which are only accessible during low tide. The Whale Rock shape or outline is more visible if you are walking from the south going back to the parking lot. We even went inside the smaller caves and took pictures but be very careful about the changes of the tide. We took a lot of pictures of the unique, huge rock formations and beautiful homes on the bluff.

Tips: Seaside Beach is also close to the boardwalk at Mackerricher, the 10-mile bridge, and the 10-mile river. It’s a good place to enjoy the sun, bring your dog, and explore the different rock formations and hidden caves. But pay attention to the high tides when going inside the caves. Overall, the Whale Rock was the main highlight of our trip to Seaside Beach.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about the Whale Rock at Seaside Beach after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you

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Black Point Beach (Sonoma County)

Address: 60 Sea Walk Drive Sea Ranch, Ca. 95497

Black Point Beach is located in Sonoma County. It is a public beach situated in the Sea Ranch Community. The beach is about a mile and a half long with a rugged cliff as a backdrop.

It’s about 2 hours and 40 minutes drive and 113 miles from San Francisco via Ca-1 North. As we arrived at the entrance, the parking area is small and about 15 parking spaces available. We also saw a few dogs on leashed and they also have a public restroom available near the parking lot.

We followed and walked through a short trail that goes straight ahead and that led us to the edge of the cliff. We even stopped and took pictures with some of the beautiful colorful wildflowers blossoming along the trail or bluff.

Once we got to the edge of the cliff, we saw and walked through a huge wooden staircase that led us all the way down to the beautiful beach below. We walked, took pictures, and played with patches of black sand. It is not as black sand as the beach in Hawaii. We saw a few warning signs that indicated that the beach is one of the most dangerous beaches in California due to its strong current. Just a reminder to don’t walk closer to the ocean water or cliffs.

As we reached the top of the wooden stairs, we noticed that the property around the beach and the trails were private. Overall, it’s a good beach to relax, have a lunch picnic, or stroll along with great views of the ocean.

Tips: The Black Sand Beach is a few minutes away from the famous Sea Ranch Lodge and from Pebble Beach.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Black Sand Beach after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you