Santa Rosa Outdoor Activities

Picking a criminal out of a lineup is hard, but at Bodega Bay Sailing Adventures, the staff knows that picking a plant out of a lineup is even harder. On the company’s naturalist tours, naturalist Katja Svendsen arms passengers with comprehensive ID cards, printed with pictures and descriptions of local flora and fauna. As they identify the plants as well as the whales and seals native to Bodega Bay’s hamlet, Svendsen explains topics such as the causes of tides and human’s impact on the bay. Meanwhile, US Coast Guard-licensed captain Rich Crumley steers the sailboat. Crumley can also captain the 33-foot vessel during traditional tours, supervising passengers while they steer to ensure they don’t turn in a tiny circle forever.

A fire swept through the Mayacamas Mountains foothills in 1964, creating an environment ripe for the knobcone pines that quickly repopulated the land. Four years later, Jane Davenport Jansen purchased more than 40 acres of the nascent thicket, taming it with vineyards planted on the open valley floor. In 1987, she began cultivating a garden along the rocky, steep hillsides, which were pocked with the remains of abandoned rock quarries. Heavy rains and natural infiltration of waters created a group of ponds, creating a serene natural environment that Jansen soon planted with seedlings, flowers, and plants from seeds collected on more than 25 annual Asian expeditions. Until she passed away in 2000, Jansen funded the growth and cultivation of the 25-acre garden, which is now one of the largest collections of scientifically documented, wild-source Asian plants on the continent. Visitors can view the rare plants and vast selection of Asian greenery blossoming from the Glen Ellen countryside as they meander through the gardens during self-led tours.

An acronym for "Ridiculously Awesome Visual Expedition," Run to Rave combines the healthiness of a 5K with the party energy of a rave. DJs blasting electronic music energize the event, inspiring participants to power through 3.1 miles of light shows while donning complimentary glow kits. Across the finish line, electronic dance music thrums even louder in Glow Village, where runners become serious dancers. Proceeds from the event benefit Run It Forward, which helps endurance athletes raise money for inner-city children.