A sign at the driveway to Morningsun Herb Farm with their opening hours

Purchase Herbs, Morningsun Herb Farm, Vacaville

One of the greenhouses at Morningsun Herb FarmFall is a great time to plant. And if you are in the Vacaville area, Morningsun Herb Farm is a great place to pick up all that you’ll need to beautify your garden, not only herbs.

The nursery can be quite overwhelming, with rows and rows of perennials and herbs, augmented with fruit trees on the side. I think I counted 4 double rows just for all the lavender varieties. My tip is to check out their website: https://morningsunherbfarm.com/ and come up with a plan. I ended up with two varieties of thyme and some lime mint. 

A planting statue as part of a garden at Morningsun Herb Farm in VacavilleAs an extra bonus, the Herb Farm is having its plant sale – 35% off all plants until Sunday, October 12th, 2025. If you act quickly, they also have a sale on soil and amendments (10%) and garden art (15%) until September 21st, 2025.

Now, I do love a nice nursery, but I love this one even more. You can stroll through relaxing gardens, and you can feed chickens and donkeys! 

Two of the donkeys you can feed at Morningsun Herb FarmOn Saturday, September 20th, 2025, Morningsun Herb Farm will participate in the PVAA 9th annual open farm day. They present an all-day program featuring interesting talks and a demonstration on the distillation of lemon verbena. 

Morningsun Herb Farm is located at 6137 Pleasants Valley Road in Vacaville. Their fall hours are Wednesday – Sunday, 9 am – 5 pm. The overflow and large vehicle parking lot is located at the second driveway at 6147 Pleasants Valley Rd.

 

I did not receive any compensation for this post.

Coyote Artist: Efraín Fuentes

Imagine Creatures, Alebrijes in San José

HAPPY ALIEN
by Constantino BlasAlebrijes are brightly colored artworks from Mexico. Usually, they depict multiple animals painted with intense, intricate patterns. They originated in 1936 from a fever dream by the artist Pedro Linares. These days, they are a symbol of Mexican folk art. Although Alebrijes are attributed to Oaxacan culture, you can buy little wooden creatures in gift shops all across Mexico.

CatBIRD
by Leonardo LinaresMy first encounter with Alebrijes was in the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City. Of course, while the little representatives were in every gift shop, the large sculptures entrance you at a higher level. 

Cat Nahual
by Angélico JiménezTo experience a group of 22-foot-tall mythical creatures, you can marvel at them at Plaza de César Chávez in San José until September 28th, 2025. This exhibition is in partnership with San Jose Jazz; they offer a lot of free events around the plaza to celebrate Mexican culture. While we saw the Alebrijes at the golden hour, San Jose Jazz recommends you see them at night, as they come to life glowing with vibrant, multicolored LED lights. 

The fantastical creatures are on a tour. The next stop will be from October 10th to December 7th, 2025, at the Arte Américas in Fresno. At this stop, you will also be able to see the original, smaller hand-made sculptures.

ARMADILLO
by Margarito Melchor

Do you have a favorite Alebrije?

Produce offered at the FarmStand in Yountville

Shop at the FarmStand, Yountville

Tomatoes at the FarmStand in YountvilleLast week, I was talking about the Yountville Art Walk. While we checked out the art, we also wanted to stop by the FarmStand. The FarmStand Garden is advertised on the town of Yountville’s website as a “thriving, community-powered space growing fresh, seasonal produce in the heart of town.” What we didn’t realize was that this was so much more than a place to buy fresh produce.

The Coop offering coffee and cold drinksIn the back of the Yountville Commons, a former Elementary school that now awaits a community space overhaul, we found the Coop. The Coop is a café with inviting yellow and green seats in the shade. Additionally, it serves as a collaboration of the 4G gardening club’s FarmStand and the Hoopes Winery owner’s cafe. The 4G gardening club stands for Grow, Garden, Glean, and Give. You can find the FarmStand next to the Coop. Shop for locally grown produce, support sustainability, and find community. 

Green and yellow seating area for the CoopThe Coop offers a changing menu, drinks, and a welcoming space to hang out. This is a fantastic place to meet old and new friends!  And if you are a Yountville resident or worker, you’ll receive a discount! They are a flagship for sustainability and community building. A definite stop if you are in Yountville!

The Coop and the FarmStand are located at 6554 Yount Street. Opening hours for the Coop are Tuesdays to Thursdays 10 am to 5 pm, Fridays to Sundays 9 am to 6 pm.

Follow the Art, Yountville Art Walk

Follow the Art, Yountville Art Walk

Yountville combines food and wine culture with an advocacy for the arts. The Yountville Art Walk displays more than 30 outdoor sculptures. Many of these artworks are for sale. 

Midnight Snack Trays - A Feast for the Eyes by Seward Johnson at the Steve Rogers Gallery in the Yountville Community CenterWe picked up a brochure at the community center. The community center is a great starting point for the art walk as a lot of sculptures are nearby. But you can really start this art exploration anywhere. Most of them are on a 1 mile stretch of Washington Street. At Van De Leur Park is another cluster of sculptures. The park is not very extensive but it offers shade and the possibility to sit and rest. It also has a little rose garden.

The Yellow Sphere by Ivan McLean part of the Yountville Art WalkThe Steve Rogers Gallery at the community center hosts six free exhibits a year. Currently, they are displaying painted trays, Midnight Snack Trays – A Feast for the Eyes by Seward Johnson. These trays can be viewed through September 12, 2025. 

My favorite sculpture was this Yellow Sphere by Ivan McLean – a large yellow ball made out of woven metal. 

We enjoyed our stroll while we discovered Yountville. What an excellent way to promote both the walkability of Yountville and the arts!

Dancing Butterflies by Peter Hazel part of the Yountville Art WalkThe Steve Rogers Gallery is located at 6516 Washington Street. Opening hours are Mondays through Fridays from 9 am to 4 pm. You can also listen to descriptions about the sculptures in an audio tour: https://youraudiotour.com/tours/yountville-art-walk/  

Information about the art walk can be found on their website: https://ca-yountville.civicplus.com/238/Art-Walk 

Jonah and the Whale mechanical bank at the Napa Toy Museum

Adore Vintage Toys at the Napa Toy Museum, Napa

A metal vintage toy bikeThey name themselves the collectors of collections. The owners of the Napa Toy Museum proudly display their collections of wind-up toys, mechanical and still banks, patent models, and salesman samples from 1890’s to the 1960’s. It’s as fascinating as it is whimsical. 

We were offered a tour that was included in the admission, and we gladly accepted. Our guide, one of the owners of the museum, opened cases and demonstrated how a mechanical bank works, and showed us vintage wind-up toys. 

Ken and Barbie in their Switzerland outfitsThe Barbie collection is on loan from the collector Myk Ciapusci. Ninety-eight Barbies with accessories prompted us to share memories and stories about miniature outfit creations. 

The arc animals displayBut there is also a lot of history in those pieces. Like the patent models that inventors had to submit to the patent office with their inventions. Or the Ark toys that were popular in Germany around the late 19th century. These toys were also called Sunday toys because they were the only toys kids were allowed to play with on the Sabbath. Although only a fraction of the 150 ark animals are displayed in the case, we still appreciated the love that went into carving the animals.

Mr and Mrs Hall, the owners of the Napa Toy MuseumThank you to the Halls for sharing and explaining your collection. 

The Napa Toy Museum is located at 964 Pearl Street in downtown Napa and is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $8 for adults with discounts for seniors, locals, first responders, and kids. The museum is free for under-8-year-olds. If you bring an unwrapped, new toy for Toys for Tots through December 17th, 2025, you will receive one free admission.

Sign for the Grist Mill hike

Hike the Grist Mill Trail, Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, St Helena

Last week I talked about our visit to the Bale Grist Mill in St Helena. An added bonus adventure is to hike the 2.4 mile round trip starting from the Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. 

Footprints of local animals at the visitor centerWe began this hike by stopping at the visitor center at Bothe Park. The nature exhibit, history, and 3D map of the area are informative. The center has a little shop where they sell ice cream and popsicles. If you need something to fend off ticks, they have that too. They also have a Native American plant garden next to the building. But our agenda was already tight, so we skipped the garden. 

Cemetery at Bothe-Napa Valley State Park We parked the car in a shady spot on a loop near the cemetery. The cemetery is the final resting place for some of the original settlers in Napa Valley. To go on the grist mill loop, start on the right towards the cemetery loop and hang right. A little while in, I wished I had studied the 3-D map. The hike was surprisingly steep and narrow. We came from the direction of Napa and had passed the mill. So walking up when the goal was near the street seemed counterintuitive. Since the mill is water-powered, it needs to have water flow from an elevated reservoir. So once you are near the resevoir, you will hike down towards the mill. 

The pool at Bothe-Napa Valley State ParkWe picked a hot day, but the weather can differ, so be sure to check ahead. But for us, the heat led to another bonus adventure. Once you return to the visitor center at Bothe Park, you can buy tickets to the swimming pool at the visitor center! The $5 per person was a great price for cooling down.

Information 

The Bothe-Napa Valley State Park is open daily from 8 am to sunset. The entrance fee to the park is $10 per vehicle. The swimming pool is only open Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm, during the summer season.

 

Water wheel for the Bale Grist Mill in St Helena

Grind Corn at the Bale Grist Mill, St Helena

Milling stone from the Bale Grist MillA grist mill converts grains such as wheat or corn into flour and animal feed. Built in 1846, the Bale Mill in St Helena is one of the oldest structures in Napa County. This marvel of ingenuity still works; you can watch it in action on the weekends. 

Our tour guide demonstrates how to mill corn by handTours are offered at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm.  We got there a little late, but it was no problem to join a tour midway and then stay a bit longer to catch up on what we missed. 

Our guide was very knowledgeable as he presented the history of the mill and its owners. Then he turned on the waterwheel. He set it at the slowest setting so he could demonstrate it and yet still be heard once we moved inside. The mechanics for the mill are efficient. It can be operated with just two people. Cup elevators transport the grain through the system. The pinnacle of the demonstration is to watch the flour come out of the grindstone. There is also a hands-on element where you can grind corn by hand.

Flours at the historic granary gift shopYou can buy various flours at the historic granary gift shop. These are marked ‘Not for human consumption’, as the mill operators opted for a personal demonstration area that doesn’t meet the high hygienic standards. 

The Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park is located at 3315 St Helena. Parking fee is $10 and the entrance fee for adults is $8, children 6-17 pay $3, and children under 6 are free. The mill is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm.

The entrance of the Bodega Marine Laboratory

Tour the Bodega Marine Laboratory, Bodega Bay

Rock fishDid you know that UC Davis has a Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute in Bodega Bay? And more importantly: Did you know you can tour this place for free?

A round aquarium showing the rocky shore of Bodega BayEvery Friday from 2 pm – 4 pm the Bodega Marine Laboratory offers free docent-led tours. You sign up online for an hour-long tour, which has a maximum of 10 participants. This gives you a great opportunity to ask questions!

When you arrive, you can admire the aquaria in the entrance way displaying local fish and other sea life. The tour starts with a history lesson about the area. One is an amazing story about community activism, preventing the building of a nuclear power plant on the fault line.

A sea urchinAfter that, you walk through the center with your docent and hear about the work of the institute. The highlight is a stop at the tidepool where you get to hold an urchin. The work they do for white abalone breeding is also amazing.

The Bodega Marine Laboratory is open for public tours by appointment on Fridays from 2 pm – 4 pm. The tour is free, but a donation is appreciated. It is located at 2099 Westshore Rd. in Bodega Bay.

Taste Point Reyes Cheese, Point Reyes Station

Taste Point Reyes Cheese, Point Reyes Station

Soft cheese samples at the Point Reyes cheese marketplacePoint Reyes blue cheese is my go-to blue cheese. It was a real treat to see where the cheese comes from – the pastures and the cows. 

The road towards the market is winding and narrow. You may need to pull over to let the ongoing traffic pass. On our way back, a cow was blocking traffic. But after we took her picture, she gracefully moved away

Cows along the road to the Point Reyes cheese tastingThe cheese tasting was in the little market. Note: The signage was a bit confusing – all we saw was a ‘No Access’ sign. We wandered around a bit before finding the stairs to the entrance. But the gift shop was lovely. With a warm welcome, we were educated about the cheeses and enjoyed all of them! The fennel blue cheese was my favorite!

Fridge at the Point Reyes marketplaceFor our picnic, we picked out a soft, ripe cheese and a passion fruit jam. 

Make sure to check out the patio and the garden. All comes with a healthy portion of country air!

Point Reyes Cheese marketplace is open for free cheese tastings Mondays through Saturdays from  11 am – 3:30 pm. It is located at 14700 Highway 1, Point Reyes Station. 

The garden at Point Reyes CheeseThey celebrate their 25th year anniversary this year with a special tasting ($55 per person ) on June 13th, July 18th, August 15th, September 26th, 2025. 

What is your favorite cheese?

 

I did not receive any compensation for this post. 

If you are more into goat cheese I highly recommend Hartley’s Farm in Pescadero.

Be Grateful at the Children’s Bell Tower

Be Grateful at the Children’s Bell Tower

A wind chime out of blue hummingbirdsWhen I researched things to do in Bodega Bay, the Children’s Bell Tower rose to the top of the list. I am always interested in large sculptures and local oddities. So, we absolutely had to check this one out. 

It turned out that the coffee shop, Sea Flower Cafe, where we had breakfast, was a short walk away from the bell tower. The bell tower itself includes a small parking lot if you decide to skip the coffee and delicious breakfast. 

Before we reached the tower, we admired the small community garden. We were fascinated by the vast number of wind chime collections hanging from two trees. 

Plaque for Nicholas GreenThe bell tower is a very touching place. First, you see the inscription, a dedication for Nicholas Green. Nicholas, just seven years old, was shot by highway robbers in Italy. His parents donated his organs to seven Italians. In gratitude for this selfless act, Italian families donated 140 bells for the tower. The largest bell, the centerpiece, has the name of Nicholas and the seven recipients engraved on it. Pope John Paul II blessed it. This is a very peaceful place. But I’m sure kids have a good time running around and exploring, too.

A selections of bells from the children's bell tower in Bodega Bay.The donation started a wave of organ donations in Italy known as the ‘Nicholas Effect’. The Nicholas Green Foundation is an advocacy group promoting the best gift you can make: donate your organs so others can live!

The Children’s Bell Tower is located at 2255 CA-1, Bodega Bay, CA.

This was a humble reminder that organ donation saves lives and gives hope. If you’d like to sign up to be an organ donor you can visit this website: https://www.organdonor.gov/sign-up