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Smiling In Sonoma

Exploring Sonoma County and beyond through wine, food, music, hiking, and photography.
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    • Marin County

    Playing Tourist on Angel Island

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    • South Bay

    Hidden Gem of the California State Parks – Butano State Park

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    • Marin County

    Wildflowers and Wildlife at Rodeo Beach – Marin Headlands

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    • Marin County

    Land of Star Wars and Rolling Green Hills – Big Rock Ridge Trail

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    • South Bay

    Escape to Montara Mountain – San Mateo County

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    • East Bay
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    Sibley Volcanic Preserve – East Bay

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    • Marin County

    A Magical Hike – Indian Tree Open Space Preserve

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  • Hiking

Tule Elk Preserve Tomales Point – Point Reyes

Posted on February 10, 2016October 29, 2016
Tule Elk Preserve - Tomales Point | Smiling in Sonoma

There’s not too many places where you get to be up close and personal with several herds of elk on historic ranch land while gazing out on the mighty Pacific Ocean. Point Reyes National Seashore is a gorgeous place for so many reasons and the Tule Elk Preserve on Tomales Point is definitely one of them! The […]

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  • Hiking

Coast Trail to Alamere Falls and Hippie Town

Posted on February 9, 2016October 29, 2016
Coast Trail to Alamere Falls and Hippie Town | Smiling in Sonoma

“ENTERING SOCIALLY ACKNOWLEDGED NATURE-LOVING TOWN” is what greets you IF you can find the turn off for Bolinas, CA. Love this town and all its quirky beauty! (P.S. they continually take down the signs for the turn off so you can’t find it easily) The hubs and I have been wanting to hike out to […]

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  • Hiking

Waterfall hunting – Cataract Falls, Marin County

Posted on January 18, 2016October 29, 2016
Waterfall hunting - Cataract Falls | Smiling In Sonoma

A M A Z I N G foggy, rainy, sweaty hike up a ton of muddy, slippery stairs and rocks following the trail of Cataract Creek…to waterfall heaven. Mount Tamalpais has a lot of waterfalls just dribbling down all over it right now like icing on a bundt cake. Everywhere you look while driving the […]

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  • Hiking

Hiking into the clouds – Skyline Wilderness Park Napa

Posted on January 11, 2016October 29, 2016
Hiking into the clouds - Skyline Wilderness Park Napa | Smiling in Sonoma

Ever wonder what the wildlife does during the winter in between storms? They hunt for food and mate…what else is there when you don’t have a 9 to 5 workweek holding you back? We were lucky enough to experience a little insight into the wonderful world of forest creatures at Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa […]

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  • Hiking

Waterfalls and Brushy Peaks – Sugarloaf Ridge State Park

Posted on December 30, 2015October 29, 2016
Waterfall and Brushy Peaks | Smiling in Sonoma

Sometimes you don’t have to go very far to find something beautiful. Sometimes you just need to grab the hubs and follow the mossy steps and the sound of a creek flowing and you get rewarded with a beautiful waterfall. If that isn’t enough fun for you then run through a hailstorm for cover on […]

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  • East Bay

Ladybugs at Redwood Regional Park

Posted on December 28, 2015October 29, 2016
Redwood Regional - Ladybugs | Smiling in Sonoma

A ladybug invasion?? Scary, no. Cute, yes!! Hello ladybug migration!! Hundreds of ladybugs make an annual migration from the coast to the exact same spot in Redwood Regional Park to vacation/hibernate and repopulate (rated G pictures only) in Oakland. The hubs and I saw on the news they had arrived so we grabbed our pack and headed […]

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  • Hiking

Exploring Mendocino Coast – Russian Gulch State Park

Posted on December 27, 2015October 29, 2016
Russian Gulch State Park | Smiling in Sonoma

We got up early to drive the 2+ hours to reach our destination along the Mendocino Coast. We had heard the drive on Highway 128 through Anderson Valley was beautiful but we did not expect the redwoods to rival our beloved Armstrong Woods! We were just casually driving along the curvy road and then ahhhh…that […]

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  • Hiking

Getting lost in the views at Annadel State Park

Posted on December 5, 2015October 29, 2016
Two Quarry Annadel | Smiling in Sonoma

The hubs and I had set out for a little adventure at Annadel State Park with just a map of the 5,200 acre park and intentions on an approximate 8 mile hike. Oh goodness can you get turned around in this park! We started off in the official parking lot (paid the $7 fee and saved […]

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  • Hiking

Chasing Sails – Urban Hike Around the Bay

Posted on November 26, 2015October 29, 2016
Urban Hike SF | Smiling in Sonoma

An urban hike you say? Exploring the city at 3 miles per hour and no traffic?? This hadn’t been something we had really thought about prior to our conversation with a native Sonoman a few weeks ago. As we were clearing out blackberry bushes from the trails during a trail work day at Helen Putnam […]

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  • Hiking

Humbled at the summit – Mt St Helena

Posted on November 9, 2015October 29, 2016
Mt St Helena | Smiling in Sonoma

“Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another” – John Dewey When the hubs and I first started hiking in wine country we had our eyes set on hiking to the top of Mt St Helena. It’s our tallest peak in the area at 4,341 ft and towers over the gorgeous Napa Valley. […]

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