NorCal Road Trip 2021

Our weeklong road trip made us feel connected with the landscape and people of the North Coast. But as we left San Francisco, the city still felt like a stranger we just met.

As we left Santa Rosa, we went way out of our way to hit Shoreline Highway and take the scenic route south to San Francisco. We were not disappointed!

With over 400 wineries in Sonoma County alone, how do you decide which to visit? Here are 2 low-key wineries where you’ll find both good zen and Zinfandel.

The southbound drive from Eureka to Santa Rosa is a scenic one … if you know where to stop. Small town charm, summer wildflowers and redwood trees guided us as we left Humboldt County.

From our historic hotel in Eureka, we went to Redwood National Park for an exclusive hike. But, were we able to make it to the gift shop in time? Learn from our successes (and our failures) on Day 4!

It was her birthday and things did not go as planned. But between the apple orchard picnic, seal sightings and beach squirrels, we learned that the unplanned parts of life can end up being the best.

We spent our first full day admiring a unique redwood tree, exploring our hotel’s on-site offerings and driving to the coast for a photoshoot. A surprise dinner guest capped off an incredible day.

The first day of our Northern California road trip taught us a lot about our own physical limitations and things to do differently next time. But at the end of the night, there was hope.