Travel Times & Tips

Beautiful field with old fashion wooden fence with forest in the distance

Adventure Insights

  • Mendocino County is approximately the size of Napa, Sonoma, Alameda, and Marin counties combined … it’s a big place!

  • Take your time on the curvy country roads and pull over for faster traffic

  • The adventure starts when you get in your car. Relax and enjoy the ride!

  • Drive times:

    • 3.45 from Sacramento.

    • 3.30 hours from San Francisco,

    • 4.15 from San Jose

Where to Stop Along the Way

If you’re coming from the Bay Area you’ll travel through Healdsburg, Geyserville, and Anderson Valley. All have good spots to stop, grab a bite, and stretch your legs. Our top food spots for this season include:

in healdsburg

Barn Diva
Modern country cuisine with beautiful patio dining.
(707) 771-9481 barndiva.com

Bravas Bar de Tapas
Traditional Spanish and modern tapas-style dining by James Beard finalists, Mark and Terri Stark.
(707) 433-7700 starkrestaurants.com


In Geyserville (10 miles north of healdsburg)

Diavola Pizzeria
We love this place for their incredible pizza, salads and house cured meats.
(707) 814-0111 diavolapizzeria.com


About an hour further north you’ll hit Boonville and Philo. Think apple orchards, grazing sheep, vineyards, historic fairground. It’s upscale, rural and welcoming. Our favorite haunts include:

in boonville and philo (anderson valley, 1 hour north of healdsburg)

The Boonville Hotel & Restaurant
In Boonville. The restaurant in the Boonville hotel serves family style prix fixe meals that our campers are screaming about. Lunch is only served on Sundays but dinner is Thursday through Monday evenings during the summer months.
(707) 895-2210 boonvillehotel.com

Boonville General Store
In Boonville. We love this place for a late breakfast or lunch. Soups, Salads, Sandwiches and lots of tempting sides. It’s all homemade and extremely good.
(707) 895-9477

Mosswood Market
In Boonville. Great place to stop for coffee and baked goods.
(707) 895-3635

The Boonville Distillery
In Boonville. Two restaurants in one space: Bistro (classics with a California twist) and Fiesta (Mexican by local culinary icon, Libby). Also the only full bar in the area.
(707) 895-3869 boonvilledistillery.com


Shops

Farmhouse Mercantile (adjacent to Mosswood Market)
Offering a beautifully retrained collection of homewares, clothing, and jewelry. Well worth the stop.
(707) 895-3996 farmhouse128.com


Ice cream & Cheese

Paysanne Fri-Mo 11-6pm
Yummmm is all we can say about this French inspired ice cream shop featuring organic ice cream, freshly baked treats, natural candies & confections.
(707) 895-2210 sweetpaysanne.com

Pennyroyal Farm
Their yummy goat and sheep’s milk cheeses are a good addition to any camp provisions. They also offer a lovely lunch. Call ahead for availability.
(707) 895-2410 pennyroyalfarm.com


Beer

Anderson Valley Brewing Co.
We love their Gose styled beers, Whiskey Barrel Aged Stout and frisbee golf. It’s a bonus that they’re super dog friendly, especially at this stage of the journey.
(707) 895-2337 avbc.com


Farm Stand

The Apple Farm
At the Hendy Woods turnoff in Philo (bit farther north). Truly worth a stop if traveling through during apple season from late August - October.
(707) 895-2333 philoapplefarm.com


Anderson Valley Wineries


The Home stretch

From Boonville you have another 45 minutes. Prepare for more winding roads as you enter the redwoods where you’ll follow the Navarro River to the mouth of the Pacific Ocean, then continue for a few miles north on Highway 1 to arrive at the end of your journey.