> Get your mid-week nature fix by joining Bill Arenander on a series of Thursday after-work hikes at Sonoma County Regional parks. Space is limited so reservations are  required. Call Bill at 763-8133.

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See draft horses plow and get a wagon ride at Jack London’s Beauty Ranch. Also: Sheepdogs, blacksmithing, BBQ, antique engines, clydesdales, belgians, and percherons.   Sunday May 17  10 am to 4 pm

Jack London State Park

Glen Ellen

$6

Bring your own basket to all of these egg hunts, and don’t be late…these eggs tend to go fast.  

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In Sonoma County, we know we have it all—beaches, rolling farmlands, orchards, charming towns where (if you squint a bit) you could be in 1950 (or 1850), Victorian farmhouses, lavish mansions, suburban tract homes, vineyards, hey, we even have a few Tuscan courtyards. Hollywood knows it, too.

Here’s a list of 110 movies said to have been filmed (or partially filmed) in Sonoma County (alphabetically by title).

It makes a great DVD night trivia game—can you recognize Sonoma County in these films?

But I’m adding another game into the mix. Do you recognize a house in one of the movies (and know what corner it’s on)? Or can you give me more specific locations for scenes I have listed below? Were you an extra? Or a spectator? Do you know of a movie (big screen only–no made for TV movies) that isn’t on my list? Or do you just want to guess on a filming spot in one of these movies or  suggest a movie that looks like it was filmed here? Enter a comment below. On May 1, all the comments to this post will be entered in a drawing. One lucky reader will get 4 free movie passes for Reading Cinema’s Rohnert Park 16 at 555 Rohnert Park Expressway West in Rohnert Park.  Another lucky commenter will win their own DVD of Bottle Shock.  And one of our email subscribers will win a copy of the gorgeous photo book, Hidden Sonoma.

 Ready? Action!

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OK, I know this sounds like a misdemeanor, but anyone with kids in Sonoma County that has out of town friends or relatives has gone wine tasting with kids in tow. And it’s not bad. Many Sonoma wineries are great for picnicking, and many offer something kid friendly, even if it’s just a cork for a teething baby to chew on.

Here are a few tips for a kid and adult pleasing wine tasting tour:

• Bring food, a bottle of water or juice, a blanket or two, diapers and diaper wipes (enough diaper wipes that the kids can share with the adults), band-aids, a Shout stain stick (that’s for the adults), and everything that you could possibly need on an all day jaunt with kids. Don’t skimp: you have a car, and with kids even wine-tasting is an full-out expedition.
• Bring a designated driver. Really. Those sips add up. Pregnant women make great, if resentful, designated drivers.
• Unless you’re paying the designated driver, don’t make them watch the kids all the time. Take turns staying outside with the kids, initiating games, changing diapers, etc.
• Large, low tables full of olive oil and vinegar are dangerous. Avoid these at all costs. Those bottles can go down like dominoes. If you hear a glassy “clink” followed by a soft “uh-oh”, dive with your arms fully outspread for the nearest display table. If vinegar breaks, mop it up, volunteer to buy it, and be appropriately grateful if you are told that the sympathetic, kid-free wine tasters have already taken up a collection to pay for the broken (and pungent) vinegar disaster. Trust me on this.
• Chose wineries that offer something to occupy kids—even if it’s just a broad lawn to run on. To help with that, here are some  kid friendly Sonoma County wineries, organized by town to make planning your wine tasting tour a little easier:

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The Larson Family Winery in Sonoma is hosting its first Get Lucky at Larson Limerick Contest.  This is a family affair, with three categories of entries: children under age 12, teens and young adults ages 13-20, and adults ages 21 and over. Entries are due by Monday March 9th at 5 pm. 

Entries should consist of a limerick in the classic form, with a theme of Sonoma Valley grapes, and/or Sonoma Valley wine.  There will be two winners in each category.   Winners will be announced on Friday March 13th, the start of a weekend long St. Patrick’s Day celebration at Larson.  First place winners of each category will receive three horseback rides through the vineyards; second place will receive a $50 gift coupon to the tasting room.