Category Archive: picnics
June 19, 2009 at 8:38 pm
by nancy
· Filed under attractions, birding, ecotourism, events, family fun, hikes, parks, pet-friendly, picnics, walks
Docent Led Hikes at Jug Handle State Reserve
Join California State Parks for guided Ecological Staircase hikes every other Thursday this summer. Hikes are scheduled for June 18, July 2, July 16, July 30, August 13 and August 27. All hikes start at 10:00 a.m. and end at 2:00 p.m. Meet at the Jug Handle State Natural Reserve parking lot on the west side of Highway 1, about 3 miles south of Fort Bragg.
Summer Programs at MacKerricher State Park
California State Parks announces free, guided interpretive programs at MacKerricher State Park. These programs will be presented every week through September 6, 2009. All programs are led by park staff or volunteers.
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July 25, 2008 at 12:19 pm
by bruce
· Filed under attractions, family fun, general, picnics
More than 20 years ago, I attended a French Country music concert and picnic at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. Set up on an intimate corner among the Garden’s 47 acres, it was a memorable day. For many years, while the beautiful gardens continued to attract people from around the world, the music stopped. No one really remembers why. But the music is back and from 3 pm to 6 pm Sunday, August 3, the San Francisco Bay Area music group, the Fundamentals, will be playing decades of party and dance tunes along with food available for purchase. A perfect setting for a summer concert.
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October 19, 2007 at 12:44 am
by dff
· Filed under drives, general, picnics, walks
If you’re driving on Highway 128 through the Anderson Valley on your way to or from Mendocino this weekend, plan on taking some time to stop at some of the many tasting rooms to enjoy the fall foliage in the vineyards. Bob Nye, Operations Manager at Goldeneye Winery, called me the other day to remind me about coming down to see the fall colors on the grapevines, so I made it down on Wednesday. Although the weather guys had predicted showers that day, it turned into a warm day with clouds racing through — perfect for walking through the vineyard. I’ve always admired the colors on the vine-covered hills, but this is the first time I’ve had the chance to walk through the middle of it.
As you can see, the colors ranged from green to yellow to orange to deep red from one plant to the next, making for swaths of color below the hill. You can still find the occasional bunch of grapes that was missed in the picking. These were pinot noir grapes, and while the resulting pinot is excellent, they weren’t particularly tasty in the raw. I love the deep almost-indigo blue in contrast to the wild yellows and reds around the grapes.
The Goldeneye tasting room is a charming building nestled between several restored apple-drying sheds. They host group events on the patio outside, with its barbecue grill and Dutch oven and fabulous view. Out in the middle of the vineyard on a manicured path, they’ve placed a pavilion with picnic tables. What a spectacular place to enjoy a picnic or some cheese with a fine wine!
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October 14, 2007 at 2:17 pm
by bruce
· Filed under general, parks, picnics
One look at this photo says it all about Gualala Point Regional Park as a great picnic spot. Visible is the Gualala River with the town showing on the right.
While a coastal community, Gualala is part of a “banana belt” that seems to exempt the area from the fog which often shrouds towns north from Elk to Wesport in late spring and summer.
About the Name
From Gualala.com: “some people call it gwa-LA-la, but the natives call it wa-LA-la, from the Kashaya Pomo Indian phrase, “ah kha wa la lee” which means, “Where the water flows down”, which makes sense–for the river goes out to the ocean right across from the center of town, right by that big sand bar where the whales stop for lunch every year.”
Oh So Cool …
The downside is the wind. Cooling ocean breezes are present alot as you might expect on a hill high above the Pacific. Still, it also can be t-shirt weather. In any case, come prepared for any weather, but also be prepared for a wonderful picnic. And forget to check out the park museum.
There are trails that take you along cliffs or down to the beach. Of coure, photo opportunities are limitless.
Bruce’s Best Best: take the Sea Ranch coastal access trail south for more sweeping ocean views, coves with spectacular crashing waves. You’ll cross streams along the way. A you can following trails along one stream that takes you to a small waterfall. Or bring a kayak or canoe and ply the Gualala River. While the ocean is always in the low 5o’s, requiring a wetsuit, the river in summer is warm enough for please swimming.
Supplies: two supermarkets in the four block long town have everything you need. But fish restaurants an outdoor barbecue on Main Street (Highway 1) offer tempting take-away.
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October 7, 2007 at 4:25 pm
by bruce
· Filed under picnics
Picnics can be group affairs or romantic getaways. At Big River Beach in Mendocino, on the east side of Highway 1, you can have both. You can plop down on the warm sandy beach with a blanket for two or have a group picnic with a fire. Part of the experience is wondering at the River’s edge or walking under the Highway 1 bridge and dipping your toes into the chilly water (52-54 degrees) where the river meets the sea. With binoculars you can view nesting birds in the pines and redwoods on the opposite shore or watch as canoers and kayakers make their way up the river. This day, I came up on a different kind of entertainment: a group of art students from the Mendocino Art Center painting painting the landscape with pastels.
“I was teaching a class on what to do with all those wild pastel colors in your box,” explained local artist and gallery owner Suzi Long, owner of “The World of Suzi Long” on Ford Street near Kasten in Mendocino Village.
Driftwood fires and barbecues are allowed on Big River Beach, a part of Mendocino Headlands State Park. Is there any wonder why this is one of our picnic favorites?
Location: drive on Highway 1 a couple of hundred yards south of Mendocino Village and make a left at the north end of the Big River bridge. The road takes you to a parking area along the beach and river.
Supplies: Harvest Market on Lansing or Corners of the Mouth market, Mendocino Deli and Lu’s Kitchen on Ukiah.
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