Occidental, California · West Sonoma County
Restaurants, redwoods, wineries, provisions, coastal detours, upcoming events, and good places to stay—curated by people who live here.
The local edit
38.4074° NStart in town. Follow the Bohemian Highway through redwoods and farmland. Turn toward the river, or keep going until the road meets the Pacific.
Coming up · October
A few future picks for people choosing their dates, linked directly to the organizers.
See the full calendar →Poetic Visions pairs poets and visual artists in a two-way creative exchange: poems interpret artworks, artworks interpret poems, and the finished pairings meet in a gallery exhibition with selected readings.
A fifteen-piece Sonoma County ensemble fills the mandolin family out with mandolins, mandolas, mandocellos, guitar, and bass for a program spanning folk traditions, classical works, contemporary arrangements, and music from around the world.
Altamont puts its outdoor event season to bed with a come-as-you-are dance party—onesies, silk pajamas, flannel, and other sleepwear encouraged.
Choose your pace
Begin with a plan, then leave room for a bakery detour, a longer walk, or another glass of wine.
2 days · Couples · first visits
Coffee, old-growth quiet, a long dinner, and enough unscheduled time to actually notice where you are.
Open the plan →2 days · Scenic-drive people
Wood-fired bread, winding roads, blufftop air, and the satisfying feeling of taking the long way.
Open the plan →2 days · Hungry friends
Bakery boxes, butcher paper, a cellar-door pour, and dinner worth planning the day around.
Open the plan →The little black book
Places we return to, recommend to friends, and would send you to first.
Eat & drink →A longstanding breakfast-and-lunch stop at the bend in the Bohemian Highway.
Our takeThe reliable first move for a proper breakfast before the day gets ambitious.
Wood-fired sourdough, giant scones, coffee, and a garden in tiny Freestone.
Our takeThe line is part of the scene. Divide, conquer, then eat something warm in the garden.
A small, publicly accessible old-growth redwood preserve stewarded by LandPaths.
Our takeGo quietly and early. Parking is extremely limited, with no street parking, water, or bathrooms.
Pick a direction
Occidental stays at the center. The rest are very good reasons to take a drive.
See all things to do →Fern shade, old-growth quiet, easy paths
↗02Bohemian Highway to the Pacific
↗03Bluffs, beaches, fog, and wind
↗04Summer beaches and slow water
↗05Food, wine, art, and useful provisions
↗06Small rooms and coastal vineyards
↗07Galleries, classes, and live sets
↗08Cultivated wildness and seasonal food
↗Stay among the orchards
A private four-bedroom retreat seven minutes from Occidental, with an orchard, redwoods, a hot tub, sauna, cold plunge, and room for eight.
Explore the retreat →Occidental · Freestone · River · Coast