California
The 6 Best Wineries in California's Anderson Valley
Wine trips in Napa and Sonoma are popular for a reason. The wine is incredible, the setting is beautiful, and the accommodations are exemplary Unfortunately, such trips take a great deal of planning. Most wineries in Napa and Sonoma require reservations and tastings are a luxury, with base tasting fees in Napa averaging $81 per person. Fortunately, there are options for visitors seeking a casual, accessible way to experience California wine. Anderson Valley, located 2.5 hours from San Francisco in Mendocino County, is home to some of California’s most laid-back wineries. Anderson Valley tasting fees cost about 75 percent less than they would in Napa, appointments are generally unnecessary, and the wines are outstanding. Am I speaking your language? These are the best wineries in Anderson Valley for your next wine trip.
Navarro Vineyards and Winery
Tastings of current offerings are free at Navarro Vineyards and Winery (although enhanced experiences like behind-the-scene tours or culinary add-ons cost more). This is one of the oldest wineries in the area: owners Deborah Cahn and Ted Bennet have been growing grapes in the . The tasting room vibe is relaxed and friendly with indoor and outdoor seating available (weather permitting). With a diverse lineup including Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, and non-alcoholic artisan grape juice, it’s easy to find something to appreciate here.
Bee Hunter Wine
Bee Hunter Wine is crafted from local fruit grown with biodynamic, organic, and sustainable processes. Owners Ali and Andy DuVigneaud run a small operation, producing 200-500 cases of wine in a given year. If you like something, purchase a bottle before they sell out. The boutique tasting room offers both indoor and patio seating. Varieties offered include Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Grenache.
Goldeneye
Goldeneye is brought to you by who have successfully executed their vision of creating Pinot Noir in Anderson Valley as distinctive of the Merlot that made them famous in Napa. If weather permits, take your tasting on the back garden view patio. In addition to their celebrated Pinot Noir, the winery produces sparkling, Gewurztraminer, and selections from the Duckhorn portfolio.
Foursight Wines
Owners Bill and Nancy Charles in honor of the four generations of their family who have lived and made wine in Anderson Valley. Weather permitting, tastings are served with a view under tall oak trees or inside a lovely gazebo. Varieties include Pinot Noir, sparkling, Semillon, and Sauvignon Blanc. If you need lodging in the area, the family also manages two guesthouses, .
Toulouse Vineyards
The welcoming atmosphere at is the perfect complement to the winery’s stunning 160-acre property. Tastings here are surrounded by tall redwoods and sweeping views of the Valley. Owners Vern and Maxine Boltz offer standard varieties like Pinot Noir, Sparkling, and Pinot Gris alongside surprises you aren’t likely to find elsewhere like Vermouth and Amaro Rita elixir.
Baxter Winery
Owner Phillip Baxter grew up vacationing in Anderson Valley. After earning a degree in viticulture and enology at U.C. Davis and completing an internship in Burgandy, he returned to his childhood vacation place to begin focusing on his elegant Pinot Noirs. Today still focuses on Pinots but they also produce stellar examples of varieties like Chardonnay and Nebbiola.
Tamara Gane is based in Reno/Lake Tahoe. She takes dozens of trips a year and shares the best destinations, accommodations, experiences, and travel gear with her readers.
California
California Now Offers Free Passes to State Historic Parks (Just Don’t Miss the Deadline) | KQED
An annual pass that’s usually $50 is free in honor of Juneteenth — and to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Historical buildings are visible at Sonoma State Historic Park, Sonoma, California, May 31, 2026. Until July 6, Californians can download the state historic park pass for free and use it as many times as they want through the end of 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images)
“California doesn’t hide from hard truths and uncomfortable history – in fact, we embrace it and learn from it,” Newsom wrote.
Until July 6, Californians can download the state historic park pass for free and use it as many times as they want through the end of 2026. The pass gives free entry to state historic parks for up to four people.
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The Historian Passport grants entry to more than 30 state historic parks, including parks like Olompali and Malakoff Diggins which, rather than just providing outdoor recreation, also have an educational emphasis on the state’s history.
Many of these parks tell the story of the state’s cultural or indigenous history, from missions and museums to temples and the site that sparked the California Gold Rush.
Newsom made a similar move to make state parks free for Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, in response to Trump’s decision to eliminate the holiday from the list of fee-free days at national parks across the country, replacing it with his birthday on Flag Day.
How to get your free Historian Passport for up to four people
You must make an account with the state’s reservation site ReserveCalifornia.com to obtain a Historian Pass. Then, visit the site’s Advance Passes page and select “Special Edition Historian Passport” from the dropdown menu, which will show as costing $0. No payment information is required.
After checking out, you’ll receive an email with an attached PDF version of your Historian Passport.
The state recommends you print off this PDF to present at any California state historic park for free entry, although you may just be able to show the image on your phone too.
Bear in mind that cellphone service may be poor at many state historic parks, so it’s worth screenshotting the PDF to save it as an image on your phone in case you’re unable to search your email.
Looking for free entry to other state parks that aren’t included in the Historian Passport? Consider checking out a parks pass from your local library, which provides these passes as part of the California State Library Parks Pass program.
Northern California State Historic Parks to visit for free this year with a Historian Passport
Bay Area
Sacramento area
Sierra foothills
KQED’s Carly Severn contributed to this report.
A 33-year-old Northern California man was sentenced to three years in prison after he was found passed out drunk behind the wheel in the drive-thru of an In-N-Out Burger, marking his seventh arrest and conviction for driving under the influence.
According to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol officers were alerted to the June 2025 situation by a store employee.
Responding officers approached the vehicle and reported smelling urine and vomit, along with the odor of alcohol inside the car, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Officers arrested the man, identified as Carlos Alvarez of Salinas, on suspicion of felony DUI.
This was his fourth DUI conviction in the past 10 years, The Times reported.
It was not immediately clear what sentences were imposed in Alvarez’s prior DUI convictions or whether he has previously served jail time for any of the other felony convictions.
Two college students died after being swept out to sea from a Santa Cruz beach as massive waves and dangerous rip currents inundated the California coastline in recent days.
Authorities confirmed this week that Harshita Nair, 21, and Mahial Sran, 20, were killed after the sudden swell at a Santa Cruz beach last Wednesday. Nair died last week while Sran died in a local hospital on Sunday.
The incident came a day after a five-year-old girl in southern California was killed when turbulent waters swept the child, who was walking with her mother and brother, out to sea from the shore of Treasure Island Beach in Orange county.
Authorities have urged people to take precautions while visiting beaches throughout the state as the coast faced treacherous conditions with the continuing king tides, a non-scientific term describing the highest tides of the year.
On 10 June, local authorities in Santa Cruz responded to a beach for an ocean rescue of two women who had been pulled into the water. A team of about eight rescue swimmers helped pull Nair and Sran from the water, and they were taken to local hospitals by ambulance and helicopters.
It was the fifth rescue firefighters had undertaken on that mile-long portion of coastline from Yellow Bank Beach to Bonny Doon Beach, the San Mateo-Santa Cruz unit of Cal Fire said in a statement online.
Kyle Breton, a Santa Cruz county volunteer fire captain, said in a video that officials believed the two friends were napping near a rock archway between two beaches when the water came in and swept them out.
Sran was a student at San Jose State University and Nair attended the University of California, Berkeley, the universities confirmed to media outlets.
In an obituary, Nair’s family remembered her as a “cherished sister, granddaughter and a treasured friend” who “always found a way to lift others up”.
“Harshita was truly full of life – radiating energy, warmth and joy wherever she went. She had a deep love for adventure and embraced every moment with enthusiasm and courage. Her spirit was contagious, her laughter uplifting and her presence comforting.”
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