Wind Your Way Through California's Back Roads

	Northern California's Finest

Spectacular natural scenery, low-key wineries, intimate inns, first-rate restaurants, easy hiking trails: Northern California's Anderson Valley and Mendocino coast have all the makings of a relaxing getaway.

And the next several weeks are an especially good time to head to the area. The visitor crowds are thinning, the grape and apple harvests are well under way and the ramp-up to the rainy season isn't due until November.

Still, the drive up from San Francisco is no walk in the park. The 27-mile-long Anderson Valley runs southeast to northwest, largely paralleling the Pacific coast; it's skewered by Route 128, which you reach by taking U.S. 101 to Cloverdale, some 80 miles northwest of San Francisco, and then veering west.

Exploring Anderson Valley

The road into the narrow valley climbs, twists and dips, yo-yoing from 300 to 1,000 feet above sea level before uncurling down as it approaches the Pacific Ocean. The two lanes straighten out long enough for you to shift focus from your lurching stomach to the serene rural surroundings beyond the windshield, where tree-lined ridges and high golden hills provide a backdrop for apple orchards and vine-stitched knolls.

The valley's agrarian tradition will be on full display at the 80th Mendocino County Fair (Sept. 14-16), a homespun event with swine judging, sheepdog trials and apple tasting held in the old logging town of Boonville, about halfway to the coast. With 1,400 residents, Boonville is the valley hub and the largest of the villages strung along Highway 128. It's home to some delicious eateries, including Mosswood Market (lunch about $11), a cheery cafe that offers homemade soups, panini and baked goods and by-the-glass wines. This is also where you can buy excellent olive oils from highly regarded local producer Stella Cadente.

At the centrally located Boonville Hotel, the dining room is open for dinner Thursday through Monday (entrees $20-$25, three-course prix fixe $30-$40). Owner and chef Johnny Schmitt creates Mediterranean-influenced Cali cuisine for a daily menu that spotlights organic, locally sourced ingredients. Billing itself as a "modern roadhouse," the hotel has 10 country-chic rooms (doubles $125-$275) and a bar area. Overall, however, lodging options in the valley are limited; Mendocino and the coast offer a greater selection as well as water views.

Before continuing northwest on Highway 128, beer fans should detour to the Anderson Valley Brewing Company and sample the pale ales or a couple of the other craft brews. Twice-daily tours ($5) are offered on most days. But as good as these beers are, make no mistake -- Anderson Valley is wine country.