Cloverdale — a charming wine country village just coming into its own. Take a walking tour in the newly remodeled downtown to do a little shopping or view the many finely restored vintage homes. Visit the Cloverdale Museum to catch up on the town history. Or drop into the North Coast Wine and Visitor Center at 105 North Cloverdale Blvd. to find out more about Cloverdale.

Wine Touring— Sonoma County has hundreds of wineries open to the public. From the Inns of Cloverdale, guests can visit the Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Anderson Valley wineries and those along the Russian River. Many will pour you a taste of their current releases without a charge. Some will ask for $5 to $10; others will only charge to taste older vintage or limited production wines, which they typically refund if you make a purchase. Some wineries have small shops with food and a place to picnic.

Lake Sonoma — Located in the beautiful coastal foothills of Northern California is Lake Sonoma. Lake Sonoma is surrounded by Sonoma County vineyards and land rich in history. This provides the perfect setting for a wealth of recreation activities.

Gambling — try your luck at the River Rock Casino in 10 minutes away, in Geyserville, or the Sho-Ka-Wah Casino, 25 minutes away in Hopland.

Hot Air Ballooning — the skies above Sonoma County are often speckled with hot-air balloons of every size, color, and design. The wide, flat valley with its moderate and (somewhat) predictable winds makes hot-air ballooning a favorite activity in the area. For a personalized ballooning experience, contact Up & Away Ballooning (836-0171 or 800-711-2998).

Redwoods — Armstrong Redwoods, located in the Russian River country 30 miles southwest of Cloverdale, is an 805-acre park featuring a magnificent grove of ancient redwoods, a large outdoor amphitheater, self-guided nature trails, and a variety of picnic facilities.

Russian River — for many visitors, the Russian River is the heart of Sonoma County recreation, winding its way through some of the area's most spectacular scenery. The river provides a venue for swimming, canoeing (Trowbridge Canoe & Kayak rental or Burke's Canoe Trips), rafting (both float and whitewater varieties), fishing, boating (sail and motor), and all styles of relaxing.

Solar Living Institute (SLI) – established in 1998 in Hopland, CA, the Institute provides one- to nine-day workshops on renewable energy, green building, sustainable living, ecological design and alternative construction methods. The SLI (www.solarliving.org) manages the Solar Living Center (707-744-2017), a 12-acre renewable energy and sustainable living demonstration site that is visited by nearly 200,000 people annually.

MUSEUMS

Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society
Healdsburg: (707) 431-3325
Tuesday - Sunday: 11am - 4pm

The Hand Fan Museum
Hotel Healdsburg: (707) 431-2500
Call for hours

Anderson Valley Historical Society
A great source of information about Boontling, a native English dialect
spoken since the turn of the century in Boonville.
(707) 895-3207
Friday, Saturday & Sunday: 1 - 4 pm

Charles M. Schulz Museum
Santa Rosa: (707) 579-4452

Cornerstone Gardens
20 gardens, each designed by a contemporary artist
Sonoma: (707) 933-1030
Daily: 10am -5pm

diRosa Preserve
217-acre estate gallery of Renee diRosa collection
Carneros: (707) 226-5991 ext 25
Tuesday - Saturday: call for tour times

The Robert Louis Stevenson Silverado Museum
Everything Stevensonian
St. Helena: (707) 963-3757
Noon - 4pm, closed Mondays

Sonoma County Museum
Santa Rosa: (707) 579-1500
Wednesday to Sunday, 11am - 5pm