Going to Russian River
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Going to Russian River
April 2008
Hello,
We will be traveling to the Russian River (staying in Guernville in a
house on the river) in July with our (then) 19 month old twins.
We'll be staying a week.
Can anyone recommend any fun activities, parks, or beaches in the
area for their age? Also, does anyone know of any good websites or
books to use to find out about fun stuff for toddlers to do in the
area?
Thank you!
Our favorites in Guerneville--
The beaches--there are bunches of them, we like Steelhead
Beach near Mirabel Road in Forestville (fee).
Armstrong Woods--imagine Muir Woods without the crowds,
park in the outside lot and there is no fee.
The seals on the beach in Jenner at the mouth of the
river--unlawful to get close but you can spy down on them
from Highway 1. Then check out the views as you head north
on the highway.
There is a library branch in Guerneville on Armstrong Woods
Road in town.
Love the River
March 2007
I am looking for a special rental property or neighboring properties for a week in
September 2007 (the 9th-16th). I would prefer if it is around 2 hours or less from
the East Bay. I am trying to get a group of girlfriends together for a 40th birthday
celebration. I want to have swimming and lounging readily available. I am open to a
river, lake or ocean but am having a hard time navigating the thousands of rentals
that are available online. Ideally I would love to rent nice big house that could
accommodate the larger group for the few nights all will be there and then a smaller
group 4-6 could stay for the additional nights if we rent for a week. A sleeping
loft
or even tents outside could work for the few nights when we have more people if
that were an option..
Any ideas?
I would recommend
Guernewood, a vacationy town on the Russian River. I say
Guernewood because I once visited a friend who lived there. His
house was right on the river, and it was so truly beautiful and
idyllic, you would definitely have your swimming and your
lounging! It also has a repuatation for being a SF vacation
town, so there would probably be no shortage of suitable places
to rent.
rolling on the river
Sept 2005
We are looking for a vacation home in the Russian River area.
The houses located right along the river look so attractive,
but we have heard scary news about winter floods. We would
appreciate any information regarding seasonal hazards and
particular areas to avoid. Thanks in advance.
cautious house hunter
The type of flooding at the Russian River that you would need to
be worried about happens infrequently and with lots of warning.
The last big floods were in '95 and '86, and EVERYTHING near the
river was flooded, so there are no ''good'' areas when that
happens. Consequently, many houses are now way up on stilts, so
it's hard to know how they'll fare in the next big flood. If
you're still concerned, however, there are lots of vacation
homes that are not in flood zones, and the rental companies (or
owners if you're contacting them directly) should be able to
(and should) tell you if you ask. Good luck!
May 2005
Re: 10th Anniversary romantic getaway
Of course, I don't know if you're looking for upscale pampering
or a rustic getaway, but you might want to check out
http://www.rrgetaways.com/index.html for rental getaways along
the Russian River, all privately owned cottages with two night
minimums. AMAZING cottages all along the river, with upscale
amenities. I think it looks very romantic (I have not yet been to
them)and appears to be upscale rustic, i.e the cottages look to
be very nice with all the amenities. You'll find the area not so
remote that you won't be able to get into a town for supplies,
and you'll be on the River where you can canoe, swim, hike in the
forest. Most of the cottages appear to have hot tubs and they do
allow ''well behaved'' dogs, which is a plus for some people.
HeatherMay 2005
March 2005
Our family is looking to go to the Russian River area this
summer. I checked the archives but couldn't find a place that
will accommodate 4 adults and 4 children that is on the river,
is nice, and maybe has a hot-tub... Does anyone have any
recommandations? Thanks!
river-seeking
For the past several years, we've rented ''Grandma's House'' in
Rio Nido through Russian River Getaways. 4 bedrooms (each with
their own bath!), large kitchen, pool table and right on the
river. I highly recommend it!
Viki
In response to someone looking for a family-friendly rental in
the Russian River area, we have a lovely, large cottage in Monte
Rio (5 minutes from Guerneville) that is completely secluded and
private, yet only a short walk to one of the best beaches on the
River. It sleeps 8, and children and well behaved pets are
welcome. It also has a hot tub and gas grill. You can see
pictures and get more information at
www.thestonesthrowcottage.com
Star
Sept. 2004
Re: Small Family Reunion with our Parents
It's barely a trip anywhere for us, but the Guerneville/Monte Rio
area might serve you well. We had our family reunion wedding
there in '02. For shareable houses, Russian River Getaways
(http://www.rrgetaways.com/) cordinates rentals of lovely and
affordable houses, including some very large old fancy ones
that'd house a big group, indeed. They'll also let you know which
houses are in walking distance from each other, and which are
most child-friendly. Some have docks and canoes to go paddling
right from the house, and some of these are well fenced for child
safety! Also, the area is a very short drive from the ocean, and
river beaches are gentle and child-friendly.
For those who don't want rental houses, the Village Inn in Monte
Rio (http://www.villageinn-ca.com/) is warm, elegant and
reasonable, and the Rio Villa Beach Resort (Rio Villa Beach
Resort, phone 707.865.1143; email: Innkeepers@riovilla.com) is a
great group of family friendly cottages just across the river
from the Village Inn--easy walking distance. So it'd be easy to
have a whole group divided between the two, with children
enjoying the cottages. You would need good kid control for small
ones at the river's edge.
Honest, I have no connection to these businesses! They were just
wonderful for our family gathering of about 40 family members
from all over the US and all different ages. We had alternatives
for lodging preferences, great activity and accomodation for
children, and a lovely chance for out of state folks to see
what's beautiful about Northen California--Redwoods, River, Wine
Country and the Ocean all within a 20 minute drive.
Ellen
Re: Weekend of solitude for mom (March 2003)
I recomend ''RIO VILLA'' as a close ,quiet,nice getaway place to
stay,in the town of Monte Rio,in the Rusian River area.It's on
the ''sunny'' side ,right on the river...it's a small place about
a dozen rooms,all have kitchenettes,some have decks facing the
river(better),there are also 2 cottages (more privacy/romantic-
the best ).The landscaping facing the water is great.You can
walk to the nursery nextdoors,the small town store,cafe,and the
beach.the owners (Rick or Don)are very friendly and give great
advice of ALL the local places to go.It's perfect for
singles,couples,and famillies too.The drive ,once you get off
the freeway,is pretty nice too, especially if you go the back
way...(not through Guernville)...located at 20292 HIGHWAY
116..the # is 707-865-1143 ...
Marianne
Camping at Russian River with a Toddler
2001
Can anyone recommend a specific campsite or area on
the Russian River which would be good for camping with
an 18-month old? We want to go this summer, but have
no idea about which areas have easy accessiblity to
the river, nice wading/swimming areas, (showers &
indoor toilets would be nice too, but not
neccessary.), etc. Thanks,
Heidi
There is a campground near Duncan's Mill called Casini Ranch Family Campground
(tel. #707-865-2255). My family has been there many times. It is about ten miles out
of Healdsburg and about five miles from the coast. It has a nice beach area which is
generally more shallow than deed -- not a good "swimming" area but you can rent
kayaks. There are showers and indoor toilet facilities. A few camping spots are fairly
close to the river but the majority of them are a bit more "inland." The grounds are fairly
flat except for the areas right around the river so they are easy for toddlers to navigate.
There is also a little bit of a playground. It can be a bit dry but we've always enjoyed
our times there.
Vanessa
I recommend the Joshua Grindle guest house. They also run a
bed and breakfast in town but purchased a great house a couple of years ago
that is available. We've stayed there for the weekend several times. The
house is two bedroom/two bath so depending on the ages of the kids, they'd
have to have a slumber party with sleeping bags. If you're looking for
bedrooms for everyone, this won't work. We brought pack n plays for our
babies and that worked great. There's a huge kitchen, a comfortable sitting
area with TV/stereo and a wrap-around deck area. It's walking distance from
a great hiking area and just a two-minute drive from Mendocino Village. You
can check it out at 1-800-GRINDLE or www.joshgrin.com. If it doesn't work
out, the folks at the Joshua Grindle are really helpful and may be able to
suggest alternatives. Have fun!
Jill
1998
If you're not up for camping, my in-laws rented a house along the Russian
River once which was a lot of fun. We rented canoes and kayaks and swam in
the river a lot. I can try to find the rental service number (Russian
River Vacations?)if you like.
Natasha
March 2002
My husband, son and I would like to spend up to a week
somewhere in the Russian River Valley this summer. My
son will be almost 2 by then. We would like to rent a
house- someplace fairly nice but not too expensive- with
access to the river or a pool but not too far away from
wine tasting either. We are leary of renting someplace
sight unseen. The recommendations on the website seem
kind of dated, and we wanted to know if anyone could
recommend a place that they have stayed.
Looking forward to a vacation
Hi,
try Russian River Getaways. We did last sept. We got a
house w/hot tub, kayak w/ life jackets, bbq, 2 bedrooms,
fireplace, and 2 baths for $1000. for 7 days. Beach was
near but no good for swimming but Monte Rio is perfect
for 2 yr old. Safeway is close by also health food store
behind Safeway, and wine tasting is back towards 101 35
mins. It was great for me. In fact I will be getting
the second home somewhere up there based on this vacation.
Not in town though, outside somewhere maybe near Armstrong
Redwoods.
Lucinda
Russian River getaway
4/00 Karen
Does any one know of a great place to stay for a few days along the Russian River
(without kids), preferably not too far from a beach area along the river ? (Could
be any type of accommodation -- B&B, house keeping cottage, small house).Thanks
very much for any suggestions.
Eastbaymom
One of my favorite adult places to stay anywhere is the Applewood Inn in Guerneville.
All of the rooms are beautiful, the service is excellent and the food is terrific.
They can be reached at 707-869-9093 or e-mail norton@applewoodinn.com.
Adam
The Camellia Inn in Healdsburg, CA is a nice, smallish B&B in a Victorian (perhaps
10 rooms?). We stayed there a few years ago and have recommended it to friends
who also enjoyed it. There is a great big Camellia tree in front. The owner's
family makes a small amount of wine which they make freely available to guests.
When we came back from winetasting in the middle of the day there were fresh brownies
out in the common area. If I recall correctly, they have a hot tub behind the
inn. Healdsburg is a great town to use as a base in the Russian River area. It's
far enough away from San Francisco that most of the wineries don't charge for
tastings. I would strongly recommend Preston Vineyards. They have a gorgeous bocce
area under an ivy-covered trellis, alongside an herb garden. People are welcome
to play for free (unless they've changed the rules). The winemaker was quite pleasant
in a lumberjacky/Northern Exposure sort of way. There are several nice restaurants
in Healdsburg -- opened by chefs who wanted to leave SF for a smaller town environment.
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