San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
ECO-CONSCIOUS CONGRESSMAN OFFERS FAVORITE GREEN SPOTS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
If he weren’t casting votes in favor of environmental and resource protection on Capitol Hill, Rep. Jared Huffman would probably be casting a fly line into the Smith River, a redwoodshaded, free-flowing beauty near the Oregon border renowned for its salmon and steelhead runs.
“Catch and release, of course,” says the threeterm representative for California’s Second District, which runs north from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.
“When you ask me my favorite places to go, both politically and honestly, I don’t have to go out of my district, because all of the best places are right here,” says Huffman.
A former senior attorney specializing in water issues for the San Francisco office of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Huffman appreciates that his current job lets him head out into his district’s crown jewels of environmental protection.
“When I first ran for Congress in 2012, and even after I took office, I’d take my family on campaign swings so that it wasn’t just me being an absentee father,” says Huffman, who splits his time between Washington, D.C., and San Rafael, where he lives with his wife, Susan, and their children Abby, 15, and Nathan, 12. Huffman recalls picnicking in the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt County and skipping rocks in the Eel, a designated Wild and Scenic River that flows into the Pacific just south of Eureka.
“We’ve gotten to experience these places together,” he adds, “and it’s been pretty wonderful.”
During his congressional
tenure, he has backed laws to protect wilderness, promote sustainable farming, preserve and protect lakes and rivers, and combat climate change. So, it’s natural that Huffman has his own eco-friendly favorites when it comes to things to see, do and experience along the Northern California coast. Oh yes, and sip and swirl here, too — Huffman likes to dabble in home winemaking, using eco-friendly practices. Here are some of his top picks.
Quivira
Sonoma Valley vineyards tout their sustainability, and it’s not uncommon to see winery buildings topped with solar panels and sheep grazing among vine rows to naturally control weeds. But Healdsburg’s Quivira takes green practices to another level. Led by winemaker Hugh Chappelle and viticulturist Ned Horton, Quivira follows the mantra that responsible farming is the best thing for both high-quality wines and the community. Wines use only organic-certified, biodynamically farmed grapes. Vineyard soils are enriched with “biochar,” made by stacking and burning grapevine clippings to create nutrient-rich charcoal that’s added back to the earth. Composting is king. Extensive stream restoration helps create habitat for coho salmon and steelhead. To learn about all these eco-efforts, take a guided estate tour, which includes a flight of wines and estate-raised charcuterie. “Everything you eat and drink is produced within feet of where you walk,” says Sam Tesconi, Quivira’s brand manager. “You learn how thoughtful winemaking practices ultimately end up in the bottle.”
4900 W. Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg; 707-431-8333. www.quivirawine.com. Estate tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily through September; reservations required.
TrekSonoma
Follow forested paths along creeks and rivers, then gently climb to a ridgetop for wraparound vistas of mountains, farms, sea and sky. End the day at a pop-up “village” to find your own comfy tent, your sleeping bag unfurled and your gear, portaged here by staff while you hiked, neatly stashed. Relax by the campfire, sipping local beer or wine and noshing on chef-prepared hors d’oeuvres, then head to your plein air dinner — focusing on Sonomagrown ingredients, of course — before evening music and conversation under the stars.
TrekSonoma, part of the Sonoma LandPaths nonprofit organization, has created this “Bohemia to the Sea” three-day hiking adventure to showcase the region’s natural riches.
“It reconnects people with the land,” says executive director Craig Anderson.
“We hike a very doable 6 to 10 miles a day through parks, private ranches and preserves,” says Anderson, who works to create accessible routes through the county. “On a recent trip, I was concerned it might be too much for a senior lady. When I asked her if she was doing OK, she told me the only bad thing was that the trip was too short.”
618 Fourth St., #217, Santa Rosa; 707-544-7242. Details on multiday hikes and paddles: https:// bit.ly/2K3uwF6. Excursions include all food and shared camping gear. Guided day hikes, workshops and workdays also scheduled; details at LandPaths.org/events.
Fish
Sitting at a picnic table on the edge of the bay, eating a crammed-full Dungeness crab roll or fresh fish coated in batter made with Anchor Steam beer, would normally be enough of a reason to head to this ultra-relaxed restaurant on the north end of Sausalito.
But what makes this restaurant an extra-great catch is its extreme commitment to environmental stewardship. In the restaurant’s online journal called the Fish Times, read about how you can help protect fish populations and keep oceans healthy. Find local beach cleanups and other ocean conservation events.
Fish, one of the first restaurants to a partner with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, has hooked plenty of environmental accolades, including the Sustainable North Bay Award, bestowed by the California Legislature to honor the restaurant’s
commitment to protecting wild fish populations and supporting local fishermen.
350 Harbor Drive, Sausalito; 415-331-3474. www.331fish.com. Casual dining, takeaway and fresh-fish counter open 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily; no reservations. Beer and wine only ($15 corkage fee for BYO wine).
Campovida
When they purchased a 50-acre organic vineyard from the Fetzer family back in 2010, husband and wife Gary Breen and Anna Beuselinck didn’t intend to start a winery or become a showcase for organic winemaking. “We knew it was crazy, but somehow it just happened,” says Beuselinck. The pair began to produce highquality, small-lot wines (typically 50 to 300 cases), using only certified organic and biodynamically farmed grapes from their own vines or grapes from other likeminded farmers in Mendocino County.
The couple also dived into reviving Fetzer’s sprawling but overgrown gardens. “They were in pretty bad shape when we bought the property,” says Beuselinck. Hard to imagine that now. The organically tended beds, originally planted in the 1980s, showcase more than 2,000 mature varietals.
“I call it ‘nature’s amusement park,’ ” says Beuselinck. “There’s always something going on — birds, butterflies and things to smell and taste.”
See it for yourself and learn about organic techniques on a private, gardener-led tour — class it up with a glass of Campovida Viognier in hand while you stroll.
13601 Old River Road, Hopland; 707-400-6300. www.campovida.com.
Tours and tastings by appointment only; call between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to schedule a visit.
Lost Coast
Just about 40 miles north of Fort Bragg, before Highway 1 meets up with Highway 101, the road swings inland, away from the Pacific as it heads north. But the coast continues, bending west to become the Lost Coast, a land of soaring trees, rugged peaks, billowing fog and secret coves.
Epic hiking, backpacking and mountain biking reign here, with routes lacing the 68,000-acre King Range National Conservation Area (top elevations soar above 4,000 feet).
The region’s signature hiking route is a 25-mile chunk of the Lost Coast Trail, between Mattole River Beach to the north and Black Sands Beach to the south. Most people start at the trail’s north end. “It puts the wind at your back,” notes the conservation area’s manager, Greg Wolfgang. To backpack (permit required) one way, park a second car at the trail’s south end. Shuttles back to Mattole River Beach are also available.
For an invigorating day hike, take a 3-mile out-and-back from the northern trailhead for an awesome photo op: the abandoned lighthouse at Punta Gorda, a favorite lounging spot for elephant seals.
BLM King Range Project Office, 768 Shelter Cove Road, Whitethorn; 707-986-5400. https:// bit.ly/2lqRv1X. Shuttles and guided hikes and tours: Lost Coast Adventure Tours (707-9869895; lostcoastadventures. com); Mendo Insider Tours (707-962-4131; www.mendoinsider tours.com); Bill’s Lost Coast Shuttle (707-4421983).
Backpacking permits: https://bit.ly/2K3tzww.