Fun Activities/Locations:

If you like art museums, check out DiRosa in Napa. There is an outdoor sculpture garden where you can have lunch, a trolley ride that goes from the main building to the house part. Kids are free. You can usually snag a free admission ticket through the library Discover and Go Program too.The museum staff are generally excited to see kids since they don’t get a ton.  They have a kids scavenger hunt and bingo!  https://www.dirosaart.org

Cornerstone Sonoma has some terrific outdoor gardens to run around with many different displays. They have some food shops, lots of hedges to play hide a seek in and of course wine!  https://www.cornerstonesonoma.com

Great Beaches and Parks:

Short Tail Gulch just before Doran, (many people know Pinnacle Gulch) but when that trail is busy Short Tail is right next door and connects! It’s a short hike but enough of a deterrent that most people who want to go to the beach avoid it, so it’s like a private beach most of the time.

Hearts Desire in Pt. Reyes, a little more sheltered so smaller wave activity, and you can take a small hike to a more secluded beach covered with tiny shells - pretty magical place.

Maxwell Regional Park in Sonoma Valley is good for toddlers. There’s a great playground and then lots of acres of mostly flat trails for exploring meadows and oak trees.

Doyle Park in Santa Rosa has a great creek exploration area behind the big kids playground. When the water level is normal you can easily walk down to the water for boot wading or just admiring the beautiful riparian greenery.

Florence Ave in Sebastopol is a great area to drive along and see all the sculptures.

Deals Clothes, books and more: 

Sweet Pea in Cotati and Whipper Snapper in Sebastopol are great kid’s consignment stores. 

Falling Prices in Santa Rosa is great, but you never know what you will find so it's hard to use for specific items. It can feel like Black Friday every opening morning, so buyer beware. They do have a great auction site for online finds too: Www.Bidrl.comI

For used baby clothes Welfare League Thrift (Fourth street location). It has a limited selection but everything is $1-2. They don’t have much in 2T or larger though. Kids books are also $1.

Treasure House for knickknacks and antique furniture, usually way cheaper than an antique store.

ABC Thrift in Petaluma and there is a higher end consignment shop that’s fun I’m forgetting the name.

Believe it or not, Olivers Market usually has a great sale on at least one natural care shampoo/conditioner so you can stock up.

Borders Books has a good clearance section but you never know what’s there. I’ve bought heavily discounted stationery, games, and books.

Corricks is not cheap but they’re a wonderful local institution and always worth perusing their kids section. Good books, toys, and even stuffies.

Plain Jane’s Consignment in Sonoma is awesome. Great variety of home decor and furnishings.

Food:

Korbel Winery has a great deli-style lunch and beautiful seating area outside during the summer.

The Wurst in Healdsburg is a casual sausage place. One of the cheapest places in Healdsburg to eat on your way back from a day at the river.

Community Shop inside Windsor's Raley’s. Lots of local vendors and items from local schools.

Vinoma Restaurant, an Argentinian spot attached to a Shell gas station: 5085 Redwood Dr in Rohnert Park is known for their Empanadas. 

Criminal Bakery has huge and delicious breakfast burrito- so much better than the normal just eggs & potato variety.

With our local Farmer’s Markets being quite pricey, Imwalle’s is definitely the place to score affordable local produce.

Frozen Art (500 Sebastopol Road Ste. B) and Fru-ta (3 locations) are both great options for yummy ice cream and popsicles.