\u201cI think people are really starting to catch on to how magical it is here, not only in the summer, but really year-round,\u201d says Luedtke, who knows that no matter how much Guerneville<\/a> and surrounding river towns might evolve, there will always be a \u201cgritty bohemian funkiness\u201d beneath the surface.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the reason Bonzo, a new Guerneville gift shop, sells sweatshirts with the slogan \u201cKeeping it weird since 1850\u201d beneath a silkscreened winged frog and a cluster of mushrooms with eyes. And it’s the reason corporate chain restaurants rarely venture into town \u2014 and those that do, like Subway, don\u2019t survive. \u201cWe\u2019re not ever gonna be a Healdsburg or an Aspen or a Sonoma town square,\u201d Luedtke says. \u201cWe\u2019re still funky, and we will always be funky. I mean, look at River Electric. As hip and groovy as it is, it\u2019s still got its cool funkiness. They\u2019re taking over what was once J\u2019s Amusement Park.\u201d<\/p>\n On a tour of The River Electric a week before it opened, co-owner Kelsey Sheofsky showed off the resort\u2019s new tent city beneath the redwoods (imagine an Ewok forest village with chic canvas tents) and made note of a tombstone \u2014 a vestige of Dr. Evil\u2019s Haunted House that continued to scare locals every Halloween long after the amusement park went dark<\/a> \u2014 that still needed to be removed.<\/p>\n Where once there was a Mad Mouse roller coaster and corner-hugging go-karts, a 12-acre resort has come to life as The River Electric, centered around a 60-foot circular pool accessible to overnight guests or with a $32 day pass. A sleek outdoor bar and restaurant serves upgraded smashburgers, turkey clubs, and Straus soft serve (and look for The River Electric canned wine collab with Ruth Lewandowski Wines). A block from the river, it\u2019s a watering hole by day, with chaise lounge and cabana upgrades, and a glamping resort by night, all drenched in an Oakland hipster vibe \u2014 evidenced by the Instagram-bait payphone booth, restored and reprogrammed so that guests who pick up the receiver hear poetry recited in a voice reminiscent of Boris Karloff.<\/p>\n Sheofsky and her husband, Mike, made their name erecting luxury tent hotels in the middle of nowhere all over the country with their glamping production company, Shelter Co. Since founding it in 2011, they\u2019ve staged elaborate off-the-grid weddings, hosted eclipse events for Virgin Galactic, and provided VIP tent experiences at BottleRock and Outside Lands music festivals. With The River Electric, they\u2019re putting down roots and finding a permanent home for the brand. After buying the property in 2018, they\u2019ve weathered seven years of permitting and floods to make it happen. “We filled the pool yesterday and I said, ‘This pool is half river water and half my tears,'” says Kelsey Sheofsky, who is very grateful for the river resurgence, giving respect and credit to Luedtke as the de facto “town mayor” of this unincorporated river community.<\/p>\n Just as there is a seasonal flow to the Russian River, a rolling way of life that runs between the highs of winter rains, when currents move fast, and the lows of lazy summer trickles, when paddlers have to portage kayaks to the next deep spot \u2014 there is also a generational flow through the decades.<\/p>\n In the 1850s, it was a logger\u2019s paradise, better known as Stumptown. In the 1930s through the 1950s, it was a popular postcard summer escape for fogged-in San Francisco families. Big bands leaders Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey played the circuit from Forestville to Rio Nido to Guerneville and beyond. In the \u201960s, hippies came to town, with the Grateful Dead playing the Dance Hall in Rio Nido. Then in the late \u201970s and early \u201980s, it became an LGBTQ+ haven, with gay entrepreneurs opening Fife\u2019s Resort, Rainbow Cattle Company, and R3 Resort, eventually paving the way for Pride parades, Lazy Bear Week, and Women\u2019s Weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this latest wave is not necessarily a reinvention, as much as it is just like the next generation,\u201d says Nick Schwanz, the president of the Russian River Chamber of Commerce and co-owner of Solar Punk Farms. \u201cA lot of young people are coming up to Guerneville for the same reason that people have always come up to Guerneville \u2014 because it\u2019s absolutely gorgeous.\u201d<\/p>\n If Forestville is the gateway from the east and, winding along River Road, Monte Rio and Duncans Mills are the trailing lower-river towns that give way to the coast, then it makes sense that Guerneville is the epicenter, where much of the new scene is taking hold. When historians look back one day at the urban flight and migratory effects of Covid on small towns across America, this former logging town will be the perfect case study.<\/p>\n The Sheofskys had already planned their escape from San Francisco to Sebastopol when the pandemic hit in 2020, just two days after their kids started at new schools. Among that same wave of transplants is Michael Rex, a former ESL teacher in San Francisco who moved to Guerneville during the pandemic.<\/p>\n Lured by a \u201cFor Rent\u201d sign in the window, he opened Russian River Books & Letters in an alcove beside Coffee Bazaar caf\u00e9. He has filled the charming book nook with a wide range of literature and sprinkled in vintage typewriters that customers can use to type poems or letters. An acoustic guitar sits in the corner, waiting for anyone who wants to strum it. Along with author readings, the bookstore hosts live musical performances, and there\u2019s a Hanukkah concert every year.<\/p>\n Since opening in 2021, Rex has learned a lot about locals by the books they order. \u201cIt\u2019s very eclectic. You have fly fishermen and hunters, and then you have drag queens and bikers and bicyclists,\u201d he says. \u201cSomebody said that Guerneville is the queerest rural town in America, and it\u2019s probably true.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s a special section in the bookstore curated by Solar Punk Farms, whose owners, Schwanz and his husband Spencer Scott, also repaired to the river from San Francisco during the pandemic. Converting a former horse property on Armstrong Woods Road into a \u201cqueer-run regenerative land project,\u201d they\u2019re harvesting their first crops this year, supplying local restaurants in town. But they\u2019ve created more than a farm. Having recently hired an events manager, they\u2019re planning concerts, farm tours, volunteer weekends, and an \u201cupcycled fashion festival.\u201d<\/p>\n Across the street from the bookstore, Hair and Heavy Metal Salon boasts the largest concentration of \u201980s hair band posters (Dio, Motley Crue, Whitesnake) along the river. In 2023, owner Donnelle Malnik moved to Guerneville, calling it \u201cthe freakiest spot I could find catapulting out of San Francisco.\u201d Around the corner on Main Street, El Barrio mezcal lounge is always hopping on summer nights. It features a three-page cocktail list and a closet-sized kitchen where they make their own tortillas. Like other big-city expats, owner Jimmy Kansau blew into town during the pandemic with his husband.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the summer, everybody\u2019s in a good mood,\u201d Kansau says. \u201cEverybody wants to have a party. So it\u2019s a constant influx of people in and out. Some people come here with their bathing suits and their hats, and other people come dressed up, because they just feel like dressing up. It\u2019s a juxtaposition of amazing things, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Four years ago, the Venezuela native bought El Barrio from Luedtke. This fall, he\u2019s planning to open Guerneville Social Club near R3 Hotel at Mill and Fourth streets in the former Timberline Restaurant. His vision is a market hall concept with downstairs storefronts that might include a bakery, coffee shop, and taproom, with a beer garden out back. The upstairs event hall will be the main attraction, he says, the scene of \u201cridiculous weekend brunches\u201d in the restaurant, along with cooking classes and wellness activities. As a social club there will be a yearly membership of around $200 a year.<\/p>\n With so much investment coming from newcomers, it\u2019s not surprising to hear the word \u201cgentrification\u201d pop up in local conversation. It\u2019s one of the reasons The River Electric is hosting \u201cLocal Tuesdays\u201d with $5 entrance fee and lower-priced menu options \u201cso you can really come in and have lunch and swim for under 20 bucks,\u201d says Kelsey Sheofsky.<\/p>\n When Saucy Mama\u2019s Jook Joint owner Yvette Bidegain says, \u201cThis isn\u2019t the same Guerneville that was here when I grew up. This is a totally different town,\u201d she means it in a good way. Bidegain grew up in the Hacienda community east of town, near Forestville. Her father ran the Richardson\u2019s Ribs booth at the Sonoma County Fair, serving gumbo and ribs from recipes he learned growing up in Louisiana. It proved so popular they eventually opened three restaurants. Bidegain used vacation time from her job at CalTrans to help out with the business.<\/p>\n In 2017, she started doing pop-up soul food once a week, gaining a devoted following selling Southern food and barbecue at Johnson\u2019s Beach during the pandemic summers. Since she opened Saucy Mama\u2019s in 2022 west of downtown, the biggest seller has been the catfish and fried okra, inspiring one of her friends to call her \u201cthe Colonel Sanders of catfish.\u201d The ribs, cooked out back in a Texas smoker with her father\u2019s secret recipe, come in a close second. Ebbing and flowing over the years, the Russian River seems to have found a new rhythm, she says. \u201cI\u2019m a person who likes change \u2014 change is good. No one expects to find a soul food restaurant in Guerneville, and they tell us that all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, at the peak of the summer season, as tourists from around the Bay Area and California discover \u2014 or rediscover \u2014 the winding ribbon of water that rolls through the redwoods, it\u2019s a chance for a new generation of business owners to learn to work together in solidarity. \u201cAnytime there\u2019s a new business that comes to town, it\u2019s not about like, \u2019Oh man, there\u2019s competition.\u2019 No, it\u2019s like, more begets more,\u201d says Luedtke. \u201cI come from an abundance model, where I feel like there\u2019s enough for everyone. New people coming to town is an opportunity for us all to shine our shoes and make sure that we\u2019re not getting complacent and lazy.\u201d<\/p>\n Burke\u2019s Canoe Trips:<\/strong> Countless thousands have dropped in here for the epic summer rite of passage: paddling the 10-mile span of the Russian River from Forestville to Guerneville.<\/p>\n Along the way, you can stop off at sandbars and beaches for picnics and swimming. Keep an eye out for wildlife such as great blue herons, river otter, osprey, and turtles. And make sure you chat up owner Linda Burke, whose family has been renting boats since the late 1950s, back when Burke\u2019s Resort had a roller rink, arcade, and nightclub that staged everyone from Tommy Dorsey to Duke Ellington. Rates: $95 canoes\/$60 kayaks, with complimentary shuttle pickup. 707-887-1222, burkescanoetrips.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n River Shuttle:<\/strong> Summer parking can be a nightmare at many of the beautiful regional park beaches along the river, especially later in the day. Hot tip: Hop on the Sonoma County Regional Parks River Shuttle, departing every 30 minutes from El Molino High School, 7050 Covey Road, Forestville. The shuttle runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends and holidays from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, stopping at Steelhead Beach Regional Park and Sunset Beach River Park. Buy $5 advance passes: parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov\/visit\/regional-parks-river-shuttle<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Also, one of the best river hangouts is at the wide sandy beach at Mom\u2019s Beach, just past Burke\u2019s Canoe and Steelhead Beach, at 10584 River Drive. Make sure you get there early (park opens at 7 a.m. and there are only 17 spots), park in the corner lot, just off River Road, and take the trail down to the water.<\/p>\n Sonoma Pizza Co.:<\/strong> If you\u2019re looking for picnic supplies in town, this seasonal gourmet pizza joint poses a tough choice between the wood-fired Pepperoni Nirvana pie, prepared Chris\u2019s Way with hot honey and ricotta, and the Italian Stallion sandwich. 6615 Front St. 707-820-1031, sonomapizzaco.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Rio Nido Roadhouse:<\/strong> There may be no better venue to see live music near the river than this classic roadhouse. It\u2019s the reason Chuck Prophet keeps returning for his Summertime Thing festival. It\u2019s where Count Basie and Harry James played during the 1930s and ’40s, and where The Beach Boys and the Grateful Dead plugged in during the ’60s. And it\u2019s the reason why most locals show up any night no matter who\u2019s on the bill. 14540 Canyon 2 Road. 707-869-0821, rionidoroadhouse.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The River Electric:<\/strong> Located on 12 acres, about a block from the river, this brand-new swim club and glamping resort features two pools to cool off on a hot summer day \u2014 a 60-foot round pool and the smaller, rectangular Little Dipper. Swim club day passes are $32, with upgrades for chaise lounges and cabanas. Pool bar snacks range from smashburgers, \u201cRiver Rat\u201d fries (loaded with pimento cheese), and root beer floats to ceviche and local wines. Pool and restaurant are open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 16101 Neeley Road. 707-937-8915, theriverelectric.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Johnson\u2019s Beach:<\/strong> Rent a kayak, a beach umbrella, or a cabin and chill at one of the most famous bends in the river. Siblings Ethan, Alison, and Andrew Joseph took over in 2022 and are updating what founders Ernie and Gertie Johnson started a century earlier in 1918. 16215 First St. 707-869-2022, johnsonsbeach.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Solar Punk Farms:<\/strong> Touted as a \u201cqueer-run regenerative hub<\/a>,\u201d this former horse arena has been reborn as a climate think-tank, demonstration area, and working farm all rolled into one. Look for a MORF (Music on Regenerative Farms) concert on July 12. Later this year, they\u2019re creating \u201cWine and Wander\u201d experiences that combine farm tours with wine tasting, and also volunteer work and play weekends. 15015 Armstrong Woods Road. solarpunkfarms.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Equality Vines:<\/strong> Founders Matt Grove and Jim Obergefell combine their love of winemaking with an undying fight for equal rights in this eclectic tasting room. Since releasing their first wines (with names like Ros\u00e9 the Riveter and 19th Amendment Sauvignon Blanc), they have donated nearly $300,000 to nonprofits and equality organizations. 16215 Main St. 877-379-4637, equalityvines.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Porter-Bass Winery:<\/strong> \u201cWe do our tastings outside under our walnut tree,\u201d says winemaker Lance Bass. \u201cIt\u2019s a fairly intimate setting, with a beautiful view of the vineyard and the forest around us.\u201d When his parents bought the 17-acre vineyard in 1980, it was run-down with old, unhealthy Palamino and Zinfandel vines. Today, it\u2019s thriving with organically farmed Chardonnay and Zinfandel. Tastings by appointment only. $25 per person, fee waived with purchase of wine. 11750 Mays Canyon Road. 707-869-1475, porter-bass.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Pond Farm Pottery:<\/strong> Master potter Marguerite Wildenhain put this renowned ceramics studio and artist colony on the map back in the 1940s and \u201850s. Now a designated National Historic Landmark located in the Austin Creek State Recreation Area, it hosts a new artist residency program and docent-led tours for $25 per person the third Saturday from March-October. Reserve spots at pondfarm.org<\/a>. 17000 Armstrong Woods Road, 707-869-9177<\/em><\/p>\n Guerneville Wine Collective:<\/strong> This newly opened wine nook takes over where previous Wine Vault owners left off, adding trendy imported tinned fish from Spain and Portugal to the mix. \u201cOur idea is that people can come and grab some pickled veggies, tinned fish, some crisps, a bottle of wine and then go to the river and have a picnic,\u201d says owner Karla Garcia. She opened the wine shop next to Nimble & Finn\u2019s ice cream in the historic Guerneville Bank Club building in May. 16290 Main St., Instagram.com\/guernevillewinecollective<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Bonzo:<\/strong> Run by husband-and-wife team Eric Gonzales and Beth Miles, this funky clothing and gift shop is the place to go for all things Guerneville-branded, such as river-centric \u201cI Choose the Bear\u201d or Samsquanch T-shirts, \u201cGville\u201d hats, and \u201cKeeping it Weird Since 1950\u201d hoodies. 14016 Armstrong Woods Road, thebonzo.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Boon eat + drink:<\/strong> The much-buzzed-about restaurant that helped put Guerneville on the map when chef Crista Luedtke opened in 2009 still garners rave reviews more than 15 years later. The focus is on seasonal, farm-to-table comfort food, so it\u2019s no surprise the flash-fried Brussels sprouts are still the most popular dish, Luedtke says, adding that \u201cthe mac ‘n’ cheese is still going strong.\u201d This time of year, look for \u201cblistered tomatoes, seasonal peaches, basil, and really fresh summer vibes on halibut,\u201d she says. No reservations. 16248 Main St. 707-869-0780, eatatboon.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Road Trip:<\/strong> Chef Crista Luedtke\u2019s latest offering is an ode to her globe-trotting foodie travels<\/a> and childhood favorites. Look for Mexican street corn salad daily and Thai-style pork Benedict with crispy rice cakes and a Thai hollandaise sauce on the weekend brunch menu. Two of the most popular items are the Free Bird and The Mac Daddy. \u201cDon\u2019t call me out here, but I love a Big Mac and this is my version,\u201d says Luedtke, who makes her own secret sauce. 16218 Main St. 707-604-6102, eatatroadtrip.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Trillium:<\/strong> The petite 12-seat marble-counter raw bar is the main attraction at this forest-flower-inspired caf\u00e9 and lounge<\/a> run by chef Greg Barnes and wine geek Genevieve Payne. Come for the super-fresh oysters, poke, crudos, and ceviche \u2014 but don\u2019t miss the crab roll. And good luck narrowing it down to a glass on the nearly bottomless wine list. 16222 Main St. 707-604-5750, trillium.bar<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Saucy Mama\u2019s Jook Joint:<\/strong> Owner Yvette Bidegain has taken her Louisiana family\u2019s recipes and love of Southern cuisine and soul food<\/a> to another level with the ever-popular fried catfish and her father\u2019s secret-spiced ribs that premiered decades ago to long lines at the Richardson\u2019s Ribs booth at the Sonoma County Fair. From collard greens to sweet potato pie, there\u2019s even something for vegetarians \u2014 behold the deep-fried tofu po\u2019boy. 16632 Highway 116. 707-604-7184, saucymamasjookjoint.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Nimble & Finn\u2019s:<\/strong> Year after year, the most popular flavor at this boutique handmade ice cream shop is lavender honeycomb. But it really depends on what\u2019s in season. Two sisters, Leandra and Jazmin, started with a pushcart freezer at farmers markets, and now make a wide range of flavors from Earl Grey blackberry to toasted coconut date shake. Located inside the historic Guerneville Bank Club building (next to the Wine Collective). Tip: Don\u2019t miss the cool photo booth in the old bank vault behind the counter. 16290 Main St. 707-666-9411, nimbleandfinns.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Piknik Town Market:<\/strong> First thing to know is, yes, the new owner, Margaret Van der Veen, is still serving the famous biscuits that once made Oprah\u2019s holiday list of \u201cFavorite Things\u201d when the same venue was known as Big Bottom Market. Now the motto is \u201csame biscuit, different basket.\u201d It\u2019s the perfect pop-in spot to grab a breakfast burrito in the morning or a Headlands Hiker sando (beetroot hummus, mixed greens, topped off with pickled cucumber-cashew kale pesto on a ciabatta roll) in the afternoon.\u00a016228 Main St. 707-604-7295, pikniktownmarket.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n El Barrio:<\/strong> One of the tastiest cocktails at this popular mezcal lounge is known as El Patron, named after owner Jimmy Kansau, \u201cbecause, well, I\u2019m the boss,\u201d he says. Close your eyes and you\u2019ll swear it\u2019s a Mexican Negroni. In addition to handmade tortillas and birria tacos, don\u2019t get Kansau started on the L.A.-style vegetarian tacos with roasted-curry cauliflower, pine nuts, olives, and dates. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like an amalgamation of cultures with this amazing habanero salsa,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s to die for.\u201d\u00a016230 Main St. 707-604-7601, elbarriobar.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Baked on the River:<\/strong> Helena Gustavsson Giesea\u2019s popular Guerneville caf\u00e9 reopened this spring<\/a> at the R3 Hotel, serving dinner plus brunch and a barbecue lunch on weekends. 16390 Fourth St. 707865-6060, bakedontheriver.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The River Electric:<\/strong> In addition to the swim club, this glamping resort offers overnight stays in 40 tents. They’re decked out with king-size beds, electricity, and Wi-Fi, tucked away like a luxurious summer camp in the shade of a redwood forest that runs up against the meadow and pool. 16101 Neeley Road. 707-937-8915, theriverelectric.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Dawn Ranch:<\/strong> This 22-acre spread of chalets, cabins, cottages, bungalows, and tents is an intimate natural river paradise. Chefs Juliana Thorpe and Ignacio Zuzulich spin local produce and seasonal ingredients with a Brazilian, Argentinian, and European twist. Dawn Ranch is also home to the annual Cosmico music festival where the theme is \u201cmusic is love.\u201d 16467 Highway 116. 707-869-0656, dawnranch.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The Stavrand:<\/strong> Roll out of bed to a plate of crab Benedict and a flight of mimosas at this off-the-beaten-path hideaway in Pocket Canyon, across the bridge and down the road from The River Electric. Owners Sam and Emily Glick (previously the general manager at the Kimpton Buchanan in San Francisco) bought the former Applewood Inn and turned it into a luxury boutique gem. 13555 Highway 116. 707-869-9093, thestavrand.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Boon hotel + spa and The Highlands:<\/strong> \u201cI like to call Boon sort of like Palm Springs meets the redwoods. It\u2019s kind of got that mid-century vibe,\u201d says Crista Luedtke, owner of both resorts. \u201cAnd then Highlands is more like an adult summer camp. A little bit moody, a little bit more like a writer\u2019s retreat.\u201d Take your pick, both have recently been remodeled.<\/p>\n Boon<\/em>: 14-room boutique hotel with a spa that offers Swedish, deep-tissue, and therapeutic massages, ranging from $145-$215. 14711 Armstrong Woods Road. 707-869-2721, boonhotels.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The Highlands<\/em>: Up the hill from Johnson\u2019s Beach, this quirky getaway features rooms, cabins, and Coyote Camp tents. Note to old-timers: The pool is no longer clothing optional like the previous incarnation as Highland Park Lodge. 14000 Woodland Drive. 707-869-0333, highlandsresort.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n AutoCamp:<\/strong> Picture a big campground and lawn nestled among the redwoods west of downtown Guerneville. It’s loaded with 31-foot Airstreams, glamping tents, tiny homes, and the 42-square-foot Happier Camper for a more minimalist stay. Grill out on private outdoor fire pits. The general store is open until 10 p.m. And did we mention complimentary granola? 14120 Old Cazadero Road. autocamp.com\/location\/russian-river<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Mine + Farm:<\/strong> A B&B for cannabis lovers (and beer and wine lovers), this nine-room renovated ranch-house inn grows its own weed. It means guests can toke pre-rolls anywhere from the hot tub to the ping-pong table, or they can dig into special Elevated Experience dinners with cannabis as a featured ingredient. Owners Bryce Skolfield and Suzanne Szostak also cultivate fruit trees, a garden, and chickens on the 3-acre property around the corner from Korbel Winery. 12850 River Road. 707-869-4466, mineandfarm.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Lightwave Coffee and Kitchen:<\/strong> Not far from the Monte Rio skate park, this river caf\u00e9 with a Middle Eastern twist serves up everything from shakshuka and coconut curry to baklava cream pies and chocolate peanut butter cream pie. And Lightwave might have the raddest T-shirts of any caf\u00e9 down by the river, featuring a hand-drawn design with skull and skateboard and gramophone. 9725 Main St. 707-865-5169, lightwavecafe.square.site<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Monte Rio Beach:<\/strong> The largest public beach on the lower Russian River offers kayak rentals, soft-serve ice cream, a boat launch, and a dog-friendly area. Tip: There is no better slice of small-rivertown Americana than this beach packed elbow-to-elbow on the Fourth of July for the boat parade and Big Rocky Games. mrrpd.org\/monte-rio-beach<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n![\"Russian](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2052348-R1-045-21-937x1400.jpg\")
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Small Town Gems<\/em><\/h5>\n
Forestville<\/h3>\n
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Rio Nido<\/h3>\n
![\"Keira](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RioNidoRoadhouse-Jornada.jpg\")
Guerneville<\/h3>\n
Things to do<\/h5>\n
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Shopping<\/h5>\n
Places to eat<\/h5>\n
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![\"Road](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/jb0521_roadtrip_001.jpg\")
![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/jb0301_Trillium_008-1024x680.jpg\")
![\"Black-eyed](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cs0612_saucy_4-998x1400.jpg\")
![\"Lavender](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/NF-processed-16-sm.jpg\")
![\"El](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/el_barrio_0768.jpg\")
![\"Baked](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/jb0108_baked_001-1024x706.jpg\")
Places to stay<\/h5>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/River-Electric-Guerneville-double-tent-courtesy.jpg\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/230525_DAWN_RANCH_SHOT_32_CABIN_65_LIVING_ROOM_0095.jpg\")
![\"At](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/PhotoEmmaKMorris-03248-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"Sip](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/boon-hotel-spa-829x1024.jpeg\")
![\"AutoCamp](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AutoCamp-Russian-River-tent.jpg\")
![\"Mine](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2023_0816_MineFarm_FIREPIT_FRIENDSGETAWAY.jpg\")
Monte Rio<\/h3>\n
![\"Co-owner](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/JcKFfcvGgyYtYSSiuoELfTglFUQ-scaled.jpg\")
![\"Monte](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sc_cBo7Gp5erfJx4gU572EhEX_8.jpeg\")
Duncans Mills<\/h3>\n