Russian river – Staycation in Northern California

 

We enjoy going to Russian river that it has become a family tradition on every summer. Russian river is surrounded by tall redwood trees.

Russian river is 75 miles north of San Francisco and 20 miles from Santa Rosa. In US-101, we avoid going through Santa Rosa and take route through Sebastopol and Forestville. Those eclectic towns provide view about small town life and also beautiful scenic drive. But the speed limit is always around 45 miles which may increase your travel time.

The beach we access to get into Russian river is Johnson’s beach. It is located on Guerneville. It offers canoes, single and double kayaks and pedal boats for rent ($30 day or $10 hour) as well as umbrellas ($6 day), low beach chairs ($5 day) and inner tubes ($5 day).  Since the water is not very deep near the beach, even kids go alone in the boats.

A popular spot is the roped off kiddies’ pool. We could see a lot of kiddos playing alone in their own designated area. This year we felt that the water was little dirty. A local told that the dam was not opened because of drought condition making the water stagnant and dirty. But we were happy to see water in the river even in this drought condition.

Russian river allows kids to play, kayak, pedal in the water. There are few campgrounds and cabin rooms available near which we have not used.  Over all it is a beautiful place with a lot of activities for kids and adults. Since it is in Sonoma county, the adults can plan for wine tasting too.

The following information will help you to reach Russian river

GPS address : 16209 First Street, Guerneville, CA 95446

Hours : 10 am to 6 pm everyday from May to October

Parking : Free

Entry to the beach : Free

Avoid bringing to the beach :  Alcohol, pets and BBQ 

More activities to do in Russian river : https://www.russianriver.com/site/cms/pages/activities.php

Again, this post is written in part of California Staycation Blog hop 2014. Check out what other great bloggers are visiting with their kids.

Places to Visit with Kids in California:

Sunshine Kids Blog Hop 2014

Summer is a great time to explore with your kids – and you don’t have to travel far to do it! California has so much to offer to families. Take a great staycation this summer by visiting your local treasures! In our second annual Sunshine Kids Blog Hop, we are focusing on our favorite places to visit with kids in California. Enjoy! And be sure to add your own family-friendly California posts in our linky at the bottom. You can also check out even more California posts on our collaborative Kid Friendly California Pinterest board!

Participating Blogs:

	So Cal Pocket Memories	Made with Happy

And now it’s time to see what everyone has been up to:

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