I was neither born nor raised in Sonoma County but I have been connected to this spectacular place since I was two years old.
I swam in the Russian River and played on its beaches during vacations with my mother, who was born in Napa, and my half sister. While still a toddler, I recognized the rows of towering eucalyptus trees along Lakeville Highway: it was my portal, my gateway to this spectacular place. In grammar school, I explored our coastal tide pools for science projects and, in high school, I lounged on our beaches and camped in our parks.
As soon as I was able, I moved to a dairy farm in Lakeville, near the entrance to that gateway of magical trees and raised my two girls in their shadow before moving west to Sebastopol.
From the day I arrived, I shopped at farm stands, a drive-in raw milk dairy, and the docks of Bodega Bay, where I bought salmon and crab. I gardened, too, and visited our redwoods, hiked our hillsides, picnicked at wineries, gathered wild blackberries and absorbed all I could in every way.
Sonoma County is in my blood. In this section, I share all that I love about this place.
Plums, peaches, and nectarines may be gone or nearly so but much of summer’s harvest continues well past the beginning of fall. Some foods that we associate with summer, especially melons, often peak in September and October. And if we don’t have an early winter, if temperatures remain warm and early rains are not too […]
critters
Meet the critters who provide us with milk, butter, cheese, eggs, meat and, sometimes, hours of enjoyment and unbridled love.
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dance
From dancing on the lawn at a summer concert and pursuing studies in ballet, belly dancing, hula and more to our annual production of The Nutcracker, we spend a lot of time on our feet in Sonoma County, moving to a world of rhythm.
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drink
News about our local coffee, tea, shrub, cider, beer, wine & more, including cow shares and raw milk.
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eat
What we eat when we eat in public, from taco trucks and pop-ups to down-home breakfast and uptown dinner.
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elsewhere
As much as we love Sonoma County, sometimes we travel. And when we can leave from Charles Schulz Airport, we're off to a good start. Here you'll find my occasional adventures away from home.
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farmers
A high school boy is inspired to raise ducks for their eggs, a young woman leases an acre of land and starts a flower farm, an apple farmer plants acres of new trees: Farmers are the life blood of Sonoma County and here we celebrate them.
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grow
Sonoma County is a gardener's paradise, with nurseries to suit every inclination, from wild and unkempt to formal and manicured.
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listen
From local radio and a neighborhood band at your favorite dive bar to performances at the Green Center, there is plenty to keep your ears happy in Sonoma County.
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look
Galleries, public art, open studios, art classes, museums, painted sidewalks, graffiti, and more.
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markets
Farmers markets, farm stands, farm stores, honor-system egg stands, & locally owned markets and supermarkets make it possible to eat locally easily and reasonably.
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people
Here are stories of the talented, the quirky, the mesmerizing, the heroic, the memorable and more, the people of Sonoma County.
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