During the morning, help gather the harvest in the orchard, then, in the afternoon inside the fort, there will be be juicing, baking, and crafts. “Kedry” will share traditional Russian song and dance. $10 per car. [Read more →]

Living Social is offering a pretty good deal for the Timber Cove Inn right now: you get a one-night weekday stay (Ocean View) plus dinner for two (for $199) or two-night weekend stay (Forest View) plus two dinners for two (for $398)—that’s 50% off. This will expire in a couple days (Sunday Oct 31st? I’m not sure, so act fast.) As aways, read the fine print. SOTC is a Living Social affiliate, for more on what that means, see the How to Use SOTC page.

A lot of people have told me that when it’s rainy and the kids are bored (or sometimes when the sun is shining but the kids are bored) they go to SOTC’s Best Rainy Day Kids Activities in Sonoma County post. And I’ve had people tell me that when they’re bored, or have guests coming in from out of town,  they turn to one of the Ten Free Things to Do in…posts (Bodega Bay, Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park & Cotati,  Sebastopol, Sonoma Valley, Santa Rosa, and Windsor.)

So we’re proud to unveil the ultimate list: SOTC’s 102 Free and Cheap  Things to Do in Sonoma County List. I hope you like it. You’ll always be able to find it in the sidebar to your left, along with other always-useful pages like the Sonoma County Farmer’s Market list. If there are any ideas you think I’ve missed, please leave a comment below telling us about them.

From 1812 to 1841 the settlement of Ross was home to Russians, Creoles, native Alaskans, Kashaya (Pomo) and the Coast Miwok. On Cultural Heritage Day, celebrations include Russian folk music, dance, musket and cannon and other demonstrations. You can purchase food and drink or bring your own picnic. It costs $20 per car, unless you have a Senior Citizen in your car; then it’s $15.  No dogs, please. For more info, call (707) 847-4777.

A sidenote: Viktor Vekselberga, a Russian billionaire, has pledged up to $1 million a year to keep Fort Ross open after California budget cuts closed it to the public. We came very close to losing this local gem.

Saturday July 24, 2010 10 am to 5 pm
Fort Ross State Historic Park, Jenner

Timber Cove will host the Ridge Band for the first outside concert of the summer. Admission is free, but if you want to eat in the restaurant , you should make reservations.

Friday, July 2, 2010 6 pm to 9 pm
Timber Cove Inn
21780 Coast Highway 1, Jenner
707-847-3231

The first harbor seal pups have been born at the seal rookerey at Goat Rock at Sonoma Coast State Beach in Jenner.

Every weekend, March through September, volunteers will be there with spotting scopes,  to answer questions about the 100+ seals sleeping on the beach.  [Read more →]

Looking for free and cheap Halloween events in Sonoma County for 2010? Go here.

Sonoma County has dozens of free or cheap ($10 or less) ways to celebrate Halloween—there is something for just about every age,  running from this weekend through to Halloween itself. There are pumpkin farms (of course) and art projects, parties, spooky (or not-so-spooky) stories, and more. I’ve organized them here by date. If I’ve missed any, please add a comment, or email me at lisa(at) sonomaonthecheap.com. Thanks!

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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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The first harbor seal pups have been born at the seal rookerey at Goat Rock at Sonoma Coast State Beach in Jenner. These are the things that make Sonoma County special–and it’s free. [Read more →]

In tough economic times, a vacation in Sonoma’s wine country that centers on free, or almost free, activities is just the prescription. With a reputation as a wine country that is welcoming, friendly and relaxed, Sonoma County is also known as a great value for those seeking the lifestyle of great wine and fresh food.

Courtesy of the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau, here’s a roundup of a dozen of free things to do in Sonoma Country. [Read more →]