We took a 6-month traveling PT contract in Lake County, so we got to know this area pretty well. It is located just north of Napa Valley and some people even consider it the better wine country because it is less overwhelming, a lot less expensive, and still offers high quality wine. The county surrounds a beautiful lake, Clear Lake, providing for some magnificent views. Below are some lists of things we recommend for anyone visiting or living in the area.
Our cliff house on Clear Lake
Pretty views around Clear Lake
Our cliff house on Clear Lake
Pretty views around Clear Lake
A peak at Mount Konocti
Another sunny view of Clear Lake
A peak at Mount Konocti
Another sunny view of Clear Lake
Places to eat Lake County:
- Cactus Grill (Mexican in Clearlake)
- Happy Garden (Chinese in Clearlake Oaks)
- DJ’s pizza (Lower Lake)
- Pogo’s Pizza
- Foster’s Freeze ($1 chocolate dipped vanilla ice cream cones on Tuesdays)
- Greenview at Hidden Valley Lake golf course (Meatball Mondays, Taco Tuesdays – buffets)
Typical Tuesday at Foster’s Freeze
Breweries in Lake County:
- O’Meara’s Bros Brewery (A great brewpub atmosphere with solid food and beer. Some recommendations- Riviera Red IPA and deep fried PB & J. On Saturday nights they have live music.)
- Mount St. Helena Brewing Company
- Ukiah Brewing Company
- Kelsey Creek Brewing Company
Things to do in Lake County:
One month into our California gig, we were ready to take a weekend lounging around to regain some stamina and hang out with our new coworker friends. We looked around at what events might be going on in the nearby towns and came across the Kelseyville Pear Festival. This festival happens every year on the last Saturday in September. The festival itself takes up the whole downtown Kelseyville area. It is everything pear on this day: pear pie, pear ice cream, pear margaritas, pear smoothies, etc. All the downtown businesses are open as well, including the local ice cream shop and Kelsey Creek Brewing. Another big event in Kelseyville is the Christmas Parade which happens the first Friday of December each year.
Pear Festival
Kelseyville
“California snow” (bubbles) at the Christmas parade
Pear Festival
Kelseyville
“California snow” (bubbles) at the Christmas parade
After we were done at the festival, we wanted to also check out another spot in Lake County called The Lodge at Blue Lakes. This is a small hotel/resort with RV campgrounds near it, all surrounding a couple beautiful lakes with big hills on every side. The lakes are right on a fault line, so they are very deep and clean! At the lodge, you can rent boats and other water activity devices. We decided to rent four of their inner tubes for four hours, which ends up being under $40 per person. So off we went onto the lodge docks with our tubes, ready to soak up the sun. They allow you to bring your own drinks, so we posted our family-sized cooler right on the dock edge and jumped in! If you explore the side of the lake nearest to the highway, eventually you will hit a small, sandy beach area with a fully operational rope swing.
Blue Lakes
Wineries are probably the most popular attraction in Lake County. There were over 30 in the area when we left in winter of 2018, so there are probably even more now! To hang out/take a tour at one of the many wineries, check out: http://www.lakecountywineries.org/wineries.
To check out as many Lake County wineries as possible in one day, check out our Lake County Winery Tour plan.
Brassfield Winery
What you see entering Brassfield
Brassfield tasting room
Brassfield Winery
What you see entering Brassfield
Brassfield tasting room
Boatique Winery
View off the back porch of Boatique Winery
Lajor Winery
Boatique Winery
View off the back porch of Boatique Winery
Lajor Winery
Chacewater Winery and Olive Oil Producer
If you are looking for something more active, join or become friends with members of the Hidden Valley Lake Golf Club where you can golf or play tennis. You can also join the Lake County Milers, a long distance running group and trains regularly for all levels and sponsors races, such as the Vine to Wine 5K that we participated in!
5k at Cache Creek Winery
If you are looking for hikes in the area, try the hike to the peak of Mount Konocti, the highest mountain in the area with an awesome view of Clear Lake. Another great hike is the Oat Hill Mine Trail in Calistoga which brings you to beautiful views of the northern aspect of Napa Valley.
At top of Mount Konocti
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Be the first to read about our new adventures and recent travel tips!
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See our Privacy Policy below.