All "Relaxing" Stories in Northern CA

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  Forest of Stone Trees

  Tucked way up and away in the mountains of Calistoga's wine country there lies a forest where redwood trees once grew and grew … until they turned to stone! The backstory: Some 3.5

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  A Real Flockbuster

  Some real movers and shakers have swooped in on San Francisco's southern industrial-chic waterfront thanks to the creative work and advocacy of the Golden Gate Audubon Society and

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  California's Serengeti

  When people talk about our great golden state, rarely included in that conversation is the Central Valley’s Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, or, as we call it: California’s Serengeti. It’s home to some of the most spectacular concentrations of waterfowl in the entire continent, and fall and winter are prime times for viewing action.

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  Sun Tam

  If you’ve ever driven Mount Tam’s West Ridgecrest Boulevard, then you know how dramatic it is, with its sweeping coastal scenery, edged by rolling headlands and hulking cliffs, wit

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  Now and Zen

  Feel like you need to enlighten up? Green Gulch Zen Center understands. For over 40 years, this Marin County staple of mindfulness has blazed a trail to ahhs (including, literally,

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  Gray's in Fashion

  Built in 1872, Pigeon Point Lighthouse is an iconic mainstay on the San Mateo Coast. Go in winter and get a big bonus: you might spy a gray whale migrating. Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park is one of the best places for spying them.

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  SF LED's the Way

  Something very cool is glowing on in San Francisco until New Year’s Day. 35 vibrant light art installations are brightening up neighborhoods throughout the city. Illuminate SF is a

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  Miley Menagerie

  You’ll need to go up the hill and through the trees to get to the hidden expanse of San Francisco’s Fort Miley. Tucked behind Lands End and with a picnic table and solo grill, the

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  Battery Powered

  Modern artwork discovered inside a gun battery? Voices coming from within an old military installation? It’s not Stranger Things. The Presidio’s historic military structures overlo

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  SUP 'n' Sip

  Crowned Wine Enthusiast’s 2015 Wine Region of the Year? Lodi is hot on the vine trail. But wine isn’t the only thing flowing here: The Mokelumne River is a nature-lover’s oasis tha

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  Wine Surf

  Want to wine surf? Bodega Bay’s Gourmet au Bay put its name on the map by introducing “wine surfing”: three wine tastes brought to you on a mini wooden surfboard. Now they’ve opene

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  Beerland

  Looking for true hoppiness? The Santa Cruz Beer Trail has microbrews popping up all over town, and makes a great thirst-quencher post outdoor adventure. (For the best savings and d

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  Just Dune It!

  Coastal wildflowers are still going strong at Manchester State Park in Mendocino County, where dune-top hiking trails colored in baby blue eyes and purple lupine dance across the n

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  Secret Booty

  It’s hard to say what’s better: the hike to Pirate’s Cove, or Pirate’s Cove itself. Tucked between Tennessee Beach and Muir Beach on the Marin coast, Pirate’s Cove is a rugged little beach with a colorful past. And it’s only accessible by hiking in.

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  Goat for It!

  Behold the glorious Sonoma Coast, underrated sibling to Big Sur. Dozens of accessible pocket beaches pop up all along this dramatic stretch of northern California that's perfect fo

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  Lake County Lush-ious

  Wildflowers aren’t the only things dotting the emerald-green rolling hills of Clear Lake. Wineries have been popping up all over the mountain ridgelines and sun-soaked valleys of t

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  Urban Wine Wheel

  Waterfront warehouses pouring outstanding wines, buzzing freeways in the distance … Oakland’s Urban Wine Trail has uncorked a thoroughly modern era of wine, with ten tasting rooms

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  Mission Possible

  The Old Mission is a popular visitor spot in Santa Barbara, but many visitors are unaware of what lies beyond this stately historic landmark, on the east side. The 10-acre Mission

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  Mather, May I?

  Reading that a whole bunch of friendly giants are hiding behind an unassuming gate sounds a bit like a storybook beginning. In this case, it’s a redwood fairy-trail. Across the str

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  Stroll and Sip

  Picking a beach on the Central Coast is like deciding which flavor to go with at a homemade ice cream shop: There are so many good choices! You really can't go wrong, but if you're

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