San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
From your backyard to the backcountry, embrace adventure in the outdoors
If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s that there is no replacement for getting outdoors. Nature is accessible to everyone, and it doesn’t matter if you find it in your backyard, the neighborhood park or the backcountry way out there.
Many people have rekindled their love for wide-open spaces, and this holiday season is a good time to make sure your favorite outdoor lovers (including yourself) are kitted out in the gear that fits their lifestyle — whether that includes camping, cooking, hydrating or staying warm.
Entry-level campers are more likely to embrace the campground lifestyle when they don’t have to forego many of the comforts of home, and this car-camping bundle makes it easy to camp out of your car, no matter the season. Included are an air mattress for two with air pump and patch kit, a fitted mattress sheet, car window screens for privacy, a car camping fan for climate control and a seatback organizer to keep the essentials at your fingertips. Buy at www.lunolife.com. lightweight, four-person tent that’s aces at protecting you from the elements. Buy at www.thenorthface.com. everything. Two chest pockets with button closures and roomy hand pockets are all you need for your small essential gear, like keys, money and phone. Buy at www.marmot.com. it easy to hydrate safely wherever you go. Water is filtered twice to remove bacteria, parasites and microplastics, as well as reduce lead, bad taste, chlorine and other unwanted chemicals. A sip-friendly, leak-proof straw cap tops it all off. Buy at www.camelbak.com. bright joy. Because repurposed materials are used, like the Durable Water Repellent-treated taffeta chest stripe and snap placket, each colorway is also a limited edition. The elastic hem and cuffs keep the chill at bay, and big kangaroo hand pockets provide ample real estate to keep your hands warm. Versions for men and women are available. Buy at www.cotopaxi.com.
covered. Made with Bluesignapproved fabrics, recycled polyester and a Durable Water Repellent that lacks perfluorinated chemicals, it’s an ideal gift for sustainably minded friends. Store your essentials in the zippered slash pocket or the main compartment, which has a cinch closure. The pack includes a hydration reservoir sleeve to keep water near on athletic adventures, whether you’re on a neighborhood trail or off the beaten track. Buy at www.osprey.com.
Lighten up your backpack with this cook set that’s made from durable Japanese titanium, perfect for those who don’t do much backcountry cooking, but need something more versatile than only one pot to heat water. The cup and pot nest inside each other for optimal storage when space is limited. Large enough to store two canisters of 110-G fuel, the pot features a silicon tab so you don’t need to use a hot pad to remove the lid. Buy at www.snowpeak.com.
Down jackets have come a very long way from their earliest years. This jacket features pockets of 700-fill Responsible Down Standard-certified down insulation woven from a single stretch fabric, which is great for adventure people who are always on the move. It can tackle a wide variety of winter activities and is equally comfortable on ski trails and around campsites. The adjustable hood has a front cinch closure, and zippers secure the two chest pockets and two hand pockets. Versions for men and women are available. Buy at www.mountainhardwear.
I’ve never been one for Black Friday shopping at the mall, but Plaid Friday in Sutter Creek? That’s a different stripe altogether.
The quaint Gold Country town is one of many communities across the United States that has embraced the shop-local initiative created by Oakland artist and entrepreneur Kerri Lee Johnson in 2009.
Rather than getting up before dawn the day after Thanksgiving to brave the crowds at big-box stores, Plaid Friday encourages holiday shoppers to ease into a day of visiting independentlyowned boutiques, who in turn may offer special treats or discounts to those who wear something plaid.
I discovered Sutter Creek’s version by accident five years ago, while staying at the vintage Hotel Sutter for Thanksgiving. My friend and I had just finished a bountiful buffet dinner at the hotel’s Sutter Restaurant when we spotted a Plaid Friday ad in the local paper. Our first stop the next morning was to buy a tartan muffler just down the block at the Clothes Mine, one of some 40 independent stores in and around historic Main Street. Second stop: Choco-Latte, where the staff wore plaid pajamas as they served us espresso drinks and pastries to help fuel the rest of our forays.
I ended up bringing much more home than a plaid scarf, thanks to the tempting fashions at cowboy-themed Romancin’ the Range and Unique Boutique for U, the adventure-oriented gear at Sierra Mountain Outdoors and the goodies at Sutter Creek Cheese Shoppe, which also sells locally crafted Miller wines, jams and honey. Browsing the aisles at a half-dozen antique and collectibles stores such as Tigby Hill Vintage and the Antique Gardener yielded more treasures that helped me tick off names on my Christmas gift list.
Since that serendipitous time in Sutter Creek, which hosts Plaid Friday this year on Nov. 26, I’ve learned you don’t have to schedule your travels over Thanksgiving to benefit from a holiday shopping getaway. Many hotels offer discounted rates in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, too. And taking a break from your typical haunts — assuming you’re vaccinated and following all other recommended antivirus safety measures — can provide not only gift-giving inspiration that supports small businesses, but also some much-needed change of scenery in a busy season.
Here are some highlights of
Northern California destinations ideal for both shopping and catching-your-breath getaways:
CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
Artist Christian Jorgensen built the mansion that became La Playa Carmel, now a 75-room hotel, as a gift for his wife, Angela Ghirardelli, in 1905. Beautifully restored in 2012, the hotel now aids modern givers by offering free holiday gift-wrapping for their finds from the many intriguing shops uphill.
One such store is Kris Kringle of Carmel, a 37-year-old institution known for its dazzling variety of Christmas ornaments and related decor.
Owner Carol Montana became inspired to open the 400-squarefoot store while on her honeymoon in Germany with husband, Michael, now deceased, and she is still very hands-on, according to Pam Sheppard, owner of the 20room Horizon Inn & Ocean View Lodge in Carmel.
“They will personalize any ornament in the store while you wait. I use their ornaments for our Anniversary Celebration packages and guests love them,” Sheppard said.
“It’s perfect! It’s Christmasthemed year round,” seconded Miranda Natrass, manager of the 30-room Coachman’s Inn, a short walk to Kris Kringle in the charming Doud Arcade off Ocean Avenue. “Some other great little shops include the Mole Hole, Ms. Fabulous, and the Carmel Honey Company.”
Carmel also hosts more than a dozen wine tasting rooms, which can serve as a source of locally produced gifts or as liquid revival for the shopper. Natrass recommends three in particular: Scheid Vineyards, which creates smalllot, sustainable wines from its 10 estate vineyards in Monterey County; De Tierra Vineyards, which offers live acoustic music from 3 to 5 p.m. Sundays; and Silvestri Vineyards, which produces seven varietals from its Carmel Valley vineyard. Luckily, guests at the 30-room Coachman’s Inn are within walking distance of all three.
HEALDSBURG
This favorite Sonoma County getaway brims with eclectic shops and tasting rooms, most on or near Healdsburg Plaza.
“Some of my favorite shops are Ereloom Men’s Shop, Copperfield’s Books and Mr. Moon’s Gifts,” said Jennifer Ostrom, manager of the 12-room Healdsburg Inn on the Plaza.
Copperfield’s owners Paul Jaffe and Barney Brown opened their first bookstore in Sebastopol in 1981, and gradually expanded to include eight more locations in Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties. Besides thousands of books, the light-filled Healdsburg store also includes a cornucopia of greeting cards, magazines, puzzles and (though not for sale) a friendly cat or two.
Founded in 2013 by Merete Wimmer and her son Bjorn, Ereloom showcases distinctive menswear brands and designers such as life/after/denim, John Varvatos and Will Leather Goods.
Like Ereloom and Copperfield’s Books, Mr. Moon’s Gifts is on leafy Healdsburg Plaza. Founded a few years after the original location opened in Calistoga in 1982, the Healdsburg site brims with gift ideas, including silver bangles, woven handbags, embroidered billfolds, fragrant soaps, new and retro toys for children, colorful baby clothes and artful greeting cards and wrapping paper. Owner Patty Timmsen curates the dizzying selection with her daughter Jessica.
For nearby wine tasting, Ostrom recommends Thumbprint Cellars, whose tasting room on the plaza a few doors down also doubles as an art gallery, and Journeyman Meat Co., a salumeria (handcrafted salami shop) created by renowned winemaker Peter Seghesio, which conveniently sells boxed packs of salami, beef snack sticks, spices and other gift possibilities.
“At Journeyman, you can taste their wonderful, local meats along with the wine — how cool is that?” Ostrom said.
Journeyman, which lies just over a block north of the plaza on Center Street, also includes a cafe with outdoor and indoor seating.
NAPA
It’s easy to make a gift basket of
Napa Valley goodies solely from vendors in downtown Napa’s Oxbow Public Market, including Whole Spice, the Olive Press and Milestone Provisions, just to name a few.
Jenny Toomer, general manager of the nearby, 114-room River Terrace Inn, also recommends checking out the spirits for sale at Napa Valley Distillery inside the market, and driving to St. Helena to visit Napa Valley Olive Oil Company. Founded in 1931, the family-owned company produces delicious olive oil (available by the jug) and also sells wine and delicacies imported from Italy. For local arts, crafts and jewelry, she points guests to Makers Market in the First Street Napa complex; it’s close to another favorite store, the year-old Milo & Friends Pet Boutique, named for owner Chandler Manasse’s Cavalier King Charles spaniel.
Scarlett Accurso, manager of the newly renovated, 11-room Milliken Creek Inn near the Silverado Trail, similarly guides guests to downtown Napa for wine tasting and shopping.