Russian River
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If you're out exploring on your own, the best winery-hopping plan is to drive east of Guerneville on River Road. Just outside of town, stop at Korbel Champagne Cellars, which is headquartered in a century-old, creeper-covered brick building. The facility's Korbel Deli and Microbrewery is a delightful spot to grab lunch - it serves superb panini sandwiches (try the one with salami, Brie, tapenade, roasted peppers, and greens), prepared salads, and fresh-baked sweets, and there's seating on a lovely tree-shaded deck. Continue along River Road and make a left onto Westside Road, following this toward Healdsburg. Over the next several miles, you'll encounter one exceptional winery after another - best bets include Gary Farrell, Porter Creek (amazing pinot noirs), Davis Bynum, Hop Kiln, and Roshambo.

Alternatively, explore the wine-growing region south of the river. Fine vineyards in the towns of Forestville, Graton, and Windsor include Joseph Swan, La Crema, DeLoach, Topolos, and Hanna. Many businesses and accommodations in the area distribute free "Russian River Wine Road" brochures and maps, which can help you plot your oenophilic journey - or log on to www.wineroad.com to see the maps there.

Where there's great wine, there's great food, and Guerneville has gradually improved as a culinary destination in recent years. Charizma Wine Lounge and Deli is a relatively new spot for breakfast, lunch, dinner, wine-tasting, and live jazz some nights. Sophisticated but well-priced options include a baked Petrole sole with mango-jasmine rice, baby beans, and blue mussels, and the smoked-ham and provolone sandwich with peach-and-onion barbecue sauce. Cape Fear cafe is another very good lunch source - it's in a small complex of historic buildings a scenic 15-minute drive south of Guerneville.

When it's a good old-fashioned burger you're after, drop by gay-owned Bob N' Boy in downtown Guerneville. Chase down your burgers, hot dogs, and fries with Red Hook beer. Grab breakfast, lunch, or an afternoon espresso snack at the Coffee Bazaar, just off the main drag along Armstrong Woods Road. The sunny little cafe with free Wi-Fi has wonderfully hearty soups and sandwiches, egg dishes, cakes, cookies, and similarly enticing treats.

In Forestville, you'll find a couple of the region's best restaurants, including Mosaic Restaurant and Wine Lounge, which serves first-rate contemporary American fare, and the famed Farmhouse Inn, Restaurant, and Spa, which has garnered all kinds of awards and kudos for its innovative cuisine. A typically delicious dish here is the plate of seared pork medallions with caramelized onions, black Mission figs, and parmesan polenta.

With dinner out of the way, don't overlook Guerneville's gay nightlife. Some of the restaurants in these parts have lounges or bars popular with the GLBT crowd, and then there are a couple of self-standing bars. One spot that's friendly with men and women, old and young, is the Rainbow Cattle Company, a former gambling hall, which draws a genial, outgoing bunch, many of whom tumble in after 11 for a nightcap...or two...or seven.
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