Napa Valley/ Sonoma San Fran

[Clar7135]

Planning on heading down to "wine country" this summer! Looking to see if someone has some experience or extensive knowledge of a good spot to serve as a base camp (hookups would be nice) that I can -


-Be close to getting on a wine tasting tour/shuttle either for Napa Valley/Sonoma

-Leave the trailer for a night while we head into San Francisco for a day/possibly a night.

Cheaper the better...

[Lara Me]

We stayed in Nov at the Napa fairgrounds, which has full hookups and is across the river from downtown Napa. Close to wineries and about 25 min from Sonoma. About $50 a night. There is also a park in Calistoga.

[Bob Thompson]

Sonomo County Fairgrounds RV Park at 1500 Aston Ave, Santa Rosa. Call CG Host at 707-293-8410. or email: info@sonomacountyfair.com $25 - $30/nt w/ water+elec. $5 to dump. Looks to have 120 spaces. Pretty much a gravel parking lot with a few trees. Is very convenient to Sonoma and Napa and the wine country. It is very secure, and pleasant!

[DryFly]

We're going down towards the end of March. After doing a bunch of research, it doesn't appear that there are a lot of options. We'll be staying at the Cloverdale KOA. Fairly expensive but KOA quality.

[Zymurbrian]

I would recommend looking at the Petaluma KOA. The location is close to The Napa, Sonoma and Anderson wine valleys, you also get hookups, and it's a location other than a gravel parking lot.

[webspinner]

The California wine area has spread from Napa Valley and now fills the former lumber valley along Highway 101 from Santa Rosa to Cloverdale and even up towards Hopland. Many of these towns are as historic as those in Napa valley, but with less of the hype and the blatant catering to tourists. If you want the whole tourist schtick, definitely visit Napa Valley. If you want good wine, there are plenty of good wineries to be had around Cloverdale and Hopland. The Alexander Valley, which runs from Geyserville to Calistoga produces some excellent wines. Don't limit yourself to Napa alone.

For ambiance, I'd choose central Sonoma over central Napa. The latter is the area's biggest city/town and is full of businesslike bustle.

If your beverage inclinations go beyond beer, I can personally recommend Ruth Gowan's Pub in Cloverdale and Ukiah Brewing Company in Ukiah. Hopland got its name from the hops that were grown there before lumber became the major industry.

Also, before visiting California's wine country, I'd strongly recommend the movie Bottle Shock. It's based on a true story, stars Alan Rickman and features wine. What's not to love?

[webspinner]

This place isn't particularly cheap ($50 a night for water and electric, not sure about sewer). But the location is lovely, right on the Russian River, very close to Cloverdale, San Francisco is a bit of a stretch, but there are plenty of wineries around.
http://www.rvonthego.com/california/...rv-campground/

If you're interested in sustainability, or just want a glimpse into that cultural phenomenon, Real Goods, just on the southern edge of Hopland is worth a look. The store is hay bale construction with lots of recycled features, and the ground have fountains and shady groves and would be a nice place to take a picnic, maybe after visiting Fetzer's tasting rooms in Hopland.

[webspinner]

Originally Posted by Zymurbrian

I would recommend looking at the Petaluma KOA. The location is close to The Napa, Sonoma and Anderson wine valleys, you also get hookups, and it's a location other than a gravel parking lot.

Petaluma would be a heck of a lot more convenient for San Francisco touring than Cloverdale.

Cloverdale and the northern ends of Napa Valley are prettier and more rural.

[NevadaGeo]

Originally Posted by webspinner

This place isn't particularly cheap ($50 a night for water and electric, not sure about sewer). But the location is lovely, right on the Russian River, very close to Cloverdale, San Francisco is a bit of a stretch, but there are plenty of wineries around.
Russian River RV Camping | Thousand Trails RV Camp in California

If you're interested in sustainability, or just want a glimpse into that cultural phenomenon, Real Goods, just on the southern edge of Hopland is worth a look. The store is hay bale construction with lots of recycled features, and the ground have fountains and shady groves and would be a nice place to take a picnic, maybe after visiting Fetzer's tasting rooms in Hopland.

More fun to go to the NorCal Casini Ranch rally, just a little closer to the coast:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f288...-a-103629.html