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This small beautiful town is situated about two hours (1 hour 45 minutes on a good day) north of San Francisco along the 101 Freeway.

HOPLAND, CA

Dave
2004-02-21 14:06:59

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An annual event that Real Goods offers every June around the 20th, is their SolFest. This is a 2.5 day event that attracts more then 10 thousand people. It starts with an alternative energy vehicle parade from Ukiah to Hopland (about 20 miles). On a Saturday and Sunday there are many booths that exhibit and sell solar and alternative related items. These booths are located on the Solar Living Center. There is not enough parking at the Solar Living Center so there are over flow parking lots, from which shuttles run back and forth every couple of minutes. There are many speakers that give talks at this event. Real Goods also offers FREE workshops, and classes on straw bale construction, electric vehicles and planning and designing a solar house.

NOTE: The Days Inn located at 950 N. State Street in Ukiah offers discounts on their rooms for SolFest. They can be reached at PHONE NUMBER (707) 462-7584.

For more information about this unique facility please call PHONE NUMBER (707) 468-9292. Real goods has a catalogue which lists all their items for sale. You can order that by writing to: Real Goods Trading Corp, 555 Leslie Street, Ukiah, CA 95482-5507. Real Goods can also be visited on the web at: www.realgoods.com

Fetzer Vineyards is located on East Side Road just 1/2 mile east of Hopland on Highway 175 (the same road used to access the casino - see below). Not only does Fetzer use an environmentally friendly approach to growing grapes, but they also produce wines of the finest quality. At this location on Highway 175 they have a tasting room and a visitor center. These attractions have been at this location since the late 1980's, so they are relatively new. Its original purpose was a culinary retreat and a garden research center.

One area well worth visiting at Fetzer is the Bonterra Garden. This garden is 5 acres and contains all organically grown plants. In the garden, depending on the season, you can find edible herds, fruits, vegetables, and ornamental flowers.

The Valley Oaks Deli serves a delightful selection of excellent food. They are open daily from 8am to 5pm. They offer many soups, sandwiches, and salads. Fresh produce from the Bonterra Garden is even used in some of their dishes. Enjoy this food at the picnic sites and/or dining pavilion overlooking a small lake.

For more information about this one of a kind winery visit their web page on the net at: www.fetzer.com

The Sho-ka-wah Casino is located just east of Hopland. If you are driving northbound on the 101 take a right at Highway 175. You will certainly see the large billboards advertising this casino on your drive along the 101. Highway 175 is called Hopland Road. You will pass though the tiny town ] of Old Hopland on your way to the casino. It is located about 7 miles from the town of Hopland on the grounds of the Hopland Indian Rancheria. The building is rather large and is located by itself.

There is plenty of parking at this relatively new casino. There is always one or two police officers standing at the entrance. Gambling age in California is 18. On my several trips to this casino, I never found any hand pulled slots in the casino. They are all operated by pushing a button. If you come out ahead, you can get cash by pressing the "pay" button and a receipt will be printed. This is then taken to the cashiers office.