All "Relaxing" Stories in Northern CA

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  Wine Down, Dine Out in Paso

  The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

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  Path of History Walk (+ Food Bonuses)

  Monterey’s 2-mile yellow tiled, multilingual Path of History is a do-it-yourself stroll among some of the area’s most interesting, beautiful, and culturally significant sites, including through the Old Town, past Mexican-era adobes, and to the beautiful Royal Presidio Chapel.

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  Hike Elkhorn Slough Reserve

  Elkhorn Slough Reserve is one of California’s few remaining coastal wetlands. Go on a hike and marvel at one of the state's largest coastal salt marshes, a valued habitat for birds, plant life, sea otters, and marine mammals.

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  Dune It Right

  Want a beach that will really get you away from it all? Monterey's Fort Ord Dunes State Park is just the ticket. And it often glows golden toward sunset.

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  Deeper Meanings

  The Monterey Bay Aquarium brings wonder, inspiration, and education to visitors, including its excellent "Behind the Scenes" tour and outstanding new bilingual exhibit, Into the Deep/En lo Profundo.

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  Biking the Best of Livermore Valley

  A perfect day is just a bike ride away in Livermore Valley. From wine pours and beer tastings to BMX courses to sandy beaches, it all goes down smooth on two wheels with this 13-mile hidden gem of a loop through Livermore and Pleasanton.

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  Sponsored

  The Unexpected Wonders of Monterey

  One of the world’s best teachers? Mother Nature. And one of the best destinations to learn from her? The Monterey Bay Aquarium. Spend a few hours at the Aquarium, then take your pick of self-guided walks...

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  Oh, Brother!

  Spending the night on a tiny island in the Bay? Intriguing. Spending the night in a lighthouse perched on that island? Sound the foghorn! East Brother Light Station Bed & Breakfast sits on a small patch of land in the strait that separates San Francisco and San Pablo Bays.

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  Bucks Up!

  Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

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  Sponsored

  Taste of Monterey (the Sustainable Way!)

  Food for thought: Get a taste of Monterey this fall! And do it the sustainable way, with the Monterey Bay Aquarium as your basecamp.

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  Sponsored

  Medford's Made for Summer

  Located in the heart of Southern Oregon’s sublime Rogue Valley, Medford is a road-trip basecamp made for summer getaways!

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  Dillon Dollar Stay

  Proving that tiny concepts pair well with big nature, Marin’s Dillon Beach Resort has refreshed overnight stays with their new and charming tiny cottage additions. Complementing the tiny? Huge coastal views, sweeping from Tomales Point to Bodega Bay.

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  Sponsored

  Forest Bathing By Land & Sea

  Spend time in nature at and around the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Surround yourself with the tranquility of the Aquarium’s swaying Kelp Forest exhibit; then soak in more serenity hiking in a magical redwood forest in Carmel Valley or Big Sur.

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  Island Vibes

  Our own piece of island paradise does exist here in the Bay Area! Enjoy a slice of island life on this 8-mile coastal bike ride through Alameda that ends with a tropical cocktail at Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge.

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  Sponsored

  Water You Doing This Summer?

  It’s a best-kept secret in the northern Sierra and we’re gushing about it. Fun and friendly Plumas County has only three traffic stops, more wildlife than people, and over 1,000 lakes, rivers, and creeks!

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  Sippin’ on the Dock of the Bay

  Definition of a relaxing summer day? Sipping bubbly and sampling wines right on the bay! Riggers Loft is a hidden gem located in the historic Richmond Shipyard.

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  Sponsored

  We Dream of Ashland

  Dreaming of your next amazing getaway? Dream like a local—an Ashland, Oregon local! This beautiful mountain town is a vacation dream come true, with outdoor adventures right in town and all around.

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  Sponsored

  Grants Your Wish

  Enchanted Forest, Cathedral Hills, the Lavender Trail, Supernatural Chocolates … sounds like storybook material, but it comes to life in Southern Oregon’s beautiful Grants Pass.

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  You Know Kehoe?

  Hiking with your dog in a national park? Almost unheard of! But Point Reyes National Seashore has an easy and short hiking trail to a stunning beach that’s dog-friendly on its north side. Kehoe Beach is a beautiful place to hang out even if you don’t have a dog.

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  Can't Top This

  San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And the new Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Tunnel Tops is just as it sounds: a park on top of tunnels! Presidio Parkway tunnels to be precise.

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