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Main Street Station

Main Street Station

This is the great place to look for live entertainment any night of the week. The owner, Suzi Feehery, has an ear for jazz and singers and books the best talent in and out of the area. For a small cover fee (usually $3-5) you can spend the evening with the likes of Grammy Nominee Vernelle Anders ( “At Last”) or a hot blues artist like Gwen “Sugar Mama” Avery. There is someone I’d like to see and hear there every night of the week.

Even on a rainy winter night there might be at least thirty people there enjoying the jam, juice, and jive.

The menu is Italian style featuring great country pizza and prime rib on weekends. You are guaranteed a good time at Main Street. You can even try your hand at Open No Mic with Kit Mariah on alternate Sundays.

Check out their website at http://www.mainststation.com for more information.
16280 Main Street
Guerneville
707-869-0501

PS They deliver too!

Posted in: Activities, Entertainment, Food, Guerneville, Italian, Live Music, Places, Restaurants

A Tour of the “Island of Sonoma”… West County Day Trip

West Sonoma County map

April is usually the time I like to go to Hawaii, but why bother when we live on the beautiful island of Sonoma County? Any time is a good time for a “Circle the Island” trip!

Beginning in Guerneville, we head out to the coast, past cows and sheep, redwood trees, and views of the Russian River, where we reach our first stop: Duncans Mill. There are lots of little shops here and a real old fashioned Country Store where you can buy lemonade, a pickle, a ceramic collectable, or a wind chime. There’s Wine and Cheese tasting (707-865-0566), Pig Alley and Dreamers & Weavers. There is an art gallery too and if it’s time for brunch on a weekend, the restaurant Cape Fear (707-865-9135) where I like to order grits and eggs with smoked salmon. Yumm-me! Duncans Mill is the home of the Russian River Rodeo and some of my best friends. Yee- haw! I love you guys!

Jenner on Sonoma County coastPast more cows, redwoods, sheep, the river and a right turn at Highway One to Jenner where the seals are usually out sunning. Get out of the car here to breathe in the windy salt air and watch the surf crash on the rocks. Don’t get too close – the tides are ripping! Say hello to Hawaii while you’re there (smile). Turn around and head back down Highway One and a right turn to take you across the bridge over the river. If you haven’t eaten yet there’s an Indian restaurant – Sizzling Tandoor (707-865-0625) – that has great views of the river and surrounding hills and serves a wonderful array of Indian delicacies. (Hint: Have a breath mint).

Doran Beach in Bodega BayNow back on the road and up the hill – Wow! What views! Too bad the driver can’t look – ha, ha. There are many pull outs along the road to Bodega Bay where you can stop and have a look. I hope it’s sunny! The water is glistening and the grass is blowing like green hair in the wind… A few more cows and some horses on the right hand side. There are a series of state beaches all along this stretch of Sonoma County coast where you can stop and kick some sand, watch surfers, or picnic. Fifteen miles south of Jenner, you’ll make your way into into Bodega Bay – stop and buy a wind sock or a kite. More little shops: knick knacks, glass, shells, t-shirts, a surf shop…Now if you’re hungry stop for some oysters and clam chowder or a seafood salad at Inn at the Tides Restaurant where Alfred Hitchcock filmed The Birds starring Tippi Hedron. Try some down home friendly service at the Sandpiper or buy fresh fish off a boat from a real fisherman at Spud Point Marina. Bodega Bay is home to the Fisherman’s Festival April 21-22. Check out their website for the full schedule.

Osmosis Spa in Sonoma CountyOn the road again…just south of Bodega Bay, Doran Beach makes a nice stop for a walk in the sand. Make a sand castle and listen to the gulls. Or take a dip in the safest beach on the Sonoma Coast. This area is also home to some great vacation rentals and golf. On to the actual town of Bodega and a short detour to Valley Ford for a stop at the local watering hole for bar-b-que oysters and a beer – Interesting little village, hmm?

Jump back on the Bodega Highway towards Sebastopol and take a left at Freestone and visit Osmosis Spa where you can bathe Japanese style in organic rice hulls and cedar, get a massage, take in some aroma therapy…. Or buy more bread and baked goods than you know you should eat at Wild Flour Bakery. If you don’t get there early, you’re probably going to miss out. Oh, go ahead! Buy some for later! You could take your last venture for the day into Occidental which has several popular restaurants like the Union Hotel and of course more shopping!

Graton also offers some great places for dinner like Underwood Bar and Bistro or the Willow Wood Market Cafe. Shopping there too – Graton Art Gallery and Far West Trading Company and Tea Bar – the place to buy bulk teas and essential oils. Then back into Guerneville where you can stop by Main Street Station to have a drink and see the last set of whoever is playing there that night. There is always someone good and jazzy! In Guerneville I hope you are staying at one of the charming bed and breakfast inns like the Sonoma Orchid Inn, Creekside Inn, or Fern Grove Cottages. Enjoy your visit to the Isle of West Sonoma County!

Russian River Inns in Sonoma CountyCheck out Russian River Inns for some places to stay in Guerneville and Monte Rio. The Russian River Valley is a great place to make your home base for day trips to the coast, the vineyards, and the redwoods.

Posted in: Activities, Bodega Bay, Day Trips, Guerneville, Occidental

Guerneville and the Russian River

Village Inn in Monte RioThe Russian River communites include Forestville, Guerneville, Monte Rio, and Rio Nido. After early development as lumber and farming areas, these towns had their most rapid growth as resort towns in the early 1900’s. Train service from San Francisco provided easy access and the hills and valleys were filled with summer cabins. There was a peak of activity during the Big Band era when there were as many as three big bands playing in famed venues from Rio Nido to Guerneville.

Since then, the towns have had surges of gays, bikers, back to the land people, gays again, and the bohemian and libertarian residents that make this the most eclectic part of the county. A listen to the playlist of low power KGGV-FM gives you a hint of just how diverse this town can be. Safeway in Guerneville is the shopping anchor for the residents of this redwood filled resort area.

Big events here include the blues and jazz festivals that bring more than 5,000 fans to Johnson’s Beach every summer.

Posted in: Guerneville

A Russian River Flood Primer

Dave Roberts Guerneville FloodMix heavy rain and narrow river channels and you’re bound to get floods. I’ve had one home and one business flood, so high ground looks good to me, even in dry times. When floods are rumored, it helps to have good information about projected river levels. Even the best estimates are often wrong, but it’s smart to keep your eye on accurate information.
This web page from the California Department of Water Resources combines both rainfall and flood stage information for Guerneville, the most likely flood area in Sonoma County. Here’s an example.
Guerneville Flood Map

The left side of the chart is five days of historical information, with rainfall on top and flood stage on the bottom. The right side of the chart contains five days of predictions for both rainfall and flood stage. The nearer in time the more accurate the predictions. Those are shown in green. The state also attempts to look deeper into the future, but they call it guidance rather than predictions, since they don’t have enough information to make a strong prediction. That information is in magenta and is worth watching, particularly when rains are heavy and flood rumors start to spread. The image is a link to the actual state information that is updated frequently.

The best advice I can give potential flood victims is to keep your pictures and important documents where you can grab them fast and keep them safe. Furnitures, clothes, applicances, etc. can be replaced, but your wedding pictures, birth certificates, etc. can be impossible to recover. Next best advice…get a motel room in Santa Rosa and wait the flood out with electricity, working toilets, showers, and hot food.

Posted in: Guerneville, Places Tagged: california department of water resources, flood guidance, flood predictions, guerneville flood, russian river flood

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