P L A Y T I N E R A R I E S : Bay Area

Best playgrounds in the Bay Area

The list and comments have some favorites (Adventure Playground, Yerba Buena Gardens, Children’s Park) and new finds we’ll try in future itineraries:

• Always Dream Play Park
• Berkeley: Totland, John Hinkel Park
• Danville Parks
• Healdsburg’s Giorgi Park
• Napa: Playground Fantástico
• Pleasanton Parks
• San Francisco: Presidio, Walter Haas Playground

Missing favorites:

• San Francisco: Alta Plaza Park
• Sonoma: CornerStone (Children’s Garden, Stone’s Throw)

And of course the best playground is always in the neighborhood park

2011 California Federal Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest

W H A T :    2011 California Federal Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest
W H E N :    March 25 (judging 10am – 5 pm), March 26 (celebration)
W H E R E : CornerStone Gardens, Sonoma

This event is free to the public.

M O R E : Free Spring Nature Festival

Expert judges to announce State of California’s “best of show” Federal Junior Duck Stamp on Friday afternoon approx. 3:00-4:00PM. Four student age groups (K-12) will be judged all day Friday. The public is welcomed to observe. Nearly 2,000 CA. entries are expected. The United States winners will be announced on April 15th in Washington DC. A free Spring Nature Festival with live raptors, the 2010 & 2011 student JDS winners, optics, decoy carvers, pollinator pals, beavers, burrowing owls and the California’s National Wildlife Refuges is slated for Saturday 3/26 in Sonoma. “Connecting Kids with Nature” is the 2011 event theme sponsored by – the U.S. Dept. of Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. – The celebration is hosted by Sonoma Birding & Cornerstone Gardens located at 23570 Arnold Drive in Sonoma. Directions. Phone 707-939-8007 for information. The current Federal & Junior Duck Stamps can be purchased at the event and through the U.S.Post Office.

CORNERSTONE’S BIG BLUE TREE…

…TO COME DOWN

Sunday, March 20th, 2pm sharp
CornerStone Gardens Sonoma
Complimentary Blue Balls will be handed out to all guests.
The first 100 will receive signed balls by the artist – Claude Cormier.

ARTISTS & FARMERS

at a favorite play place, Cornerstone Gardens:
SONOMA PROJECT
video ARTISTS & FARMERS: *the SHEPHERD & the DOLLMAKER* (teaser) from TINBIKE on Vimeo.

HOLIDAY ITINERARY : Thanksgiving in Napa – Festivals of Lights in Sonoma

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• H O F F M A N   F A R M

2125 Silverado Trail, Napa CA 94558, (707) 226-8938

• A reminder of when orchards ruled the valley
• The Last Walnut Orchard in Napa Valley

U-pick persimmons, walnuts and apples or buy already picked, including delicious Pineapple Guava. We’ll return next year at a better time, end of September – beginning of November!

• S A T T U I   P I C N I C

1111 White Ln, St Helena, CA 94574-1599, (707) 963-7774
Open on Thanksgiving day, classic picnic spot with yummy food.

• Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park

Stays on our wish list, we’ve got there late this time.
Mill grounds open daily, milling demonstrations offered on weekends.

• M O U N T A I N   H O M E   R A N C H

3400 Mountain Home Ranch Rd, Calistoga, CA 94515, (707) 942-6616
Missed their Thanksgiving dinner at 3PM, but fed the animals carrots and bamboo leaves, went fishing, hiked and picked mushrooms. Masleata mushroom that is, translation, pls

• S O N O M A   T R A I N   T O W N

20264 Broadway, Sonoma, CA 95476, (707) 938-3912
I don’t know how I didn’t know about this spot after searching so many times for kid-friendly places in this area. Nice stop for kids!

• C O R N E R S T O N E   G A R D E N S

23570 Arnold Dr, Sonoma, CA 95476-9211, (707) 933-3010
Found this children playgarden by chance some Thanksgivings ago, closed on Thanksgiving day. Happy to find them again on the Annual Lighting of the Snowmen day. A beautiful place!

HOLIDAY ITINERARIES: FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

W H A T : Yountville’s 21st Annual Festival of Lights
W H E N : November 27th from 2 p.m. to 6 . Santa arrives at 2:00 p.m.
W H E R E : Yountville

M O R E :
Carolers, elves, horse-drawn carriage rides, ice carving and a visit from the big guy in red. Admission is free; Tasting tickets for food and wine are $1 each. Local wineries and the region’s top tables (Bouchon Bakery, étoile, Redd, Brix, Bistro Jeanty, Hurley’s Restaurant & Bar, Bouchon, Pacific Blues, Mustards and Napa Valley Grille) serve up tastes along Washington Street while galleries, boutiques and restaurants open their doors for late night shopping and dining.

T H A N K S G I V I N G   M E N U :

• Napa Valley Wine Train Thanksgiving Dinner
• Thanksgiving on the Sonoma Serengeti
• Thanksgiving Dinner at Bardessono
• Thanksgiving Menu: Brix
• Thanksgiving Tasting Menu

E V E N   M O R E :
November 25: Turkey Trot Day for Kids at the Stables
November 25: Napa Downtown Tree Lighting Ceremony
November 28: Napa Downtown Christmas Parade

CornerstoneGardens:
November 28:
Lighting of the Snowmen