Berkeley Parents Network: Going to Russian River

Berkeley Parents Network

Going to Russian River

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Places to Go > Going to Russian River

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Family-friendly rental
Family Reunion
Camping at Russian River with a Toddler
Renting a house at Russian River
Russian River getaway
Jenner and Ft. Ross

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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

Family-friendly rental

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

Family Reunion

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

Renting a house at Russian River

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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