In case you missed or just didn't get enough of the Marin County Fair, you'll be happy to know that the 2010 Sonoma County Fair starts today, July 27 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, and runs through Sunday, August 8. It's worth checking out if you've never been: it's bigger and a lot different than Marin's smaller, more intimate fair, and has more of an agricultural focus, which is natural for a more rural county like Sonoma. The Sonoma County Fair also features the largest themed flower show in the country, which is usually pretty stunning.

One of the benefits of living in Northern California is that you can go on a hike or other outdoor activity pretty much any time you want to, even in the dead of winter. In fact, winter is really one of the nicest times to be outdoors, with crisp, clean air, bright green grass, fewer crowds and tourists, and even the first of the wildflowers showing up. This is all provided it's not raining, of course. One of our favorite outdoors spots, and a great place to take a hike with the family, is Jack London State Historic Park, located in the small Sonoma Valley town of Glen Ellen, about a 45-minute drive north from Marin.

As the name implies, the park is made up largely of land that was at one time the Beauty Ranch owned by renowned writer, social reformer, and rabble-rouse Jack London (1876–1916), author of classic tales like The Sea Wolf, The Call of the Wild, and White Fang. Nestled at the foot of Sonoma Mountain, the park is full of stunning scenery, historic buildings, and short easy hikes that are perfect for families. There are of course longer treks available for those who don't have two little kids in tow.

Many families in Marin and the North Bay have fond memories of visiting the popular pumpkin patch at Cardoza Ranch outside Petaluma. In 2005, the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District and the Sonoma County Regional Parks Department acquired Cardoza Ranch, also known as Tolay Lake Ranch, turning its 1,737 acres of farmland into a county park. Tolay Lake Ranch is a unique spot, with a freshwater lake, wetlands, diverse wildlife, and 8,000 years human habitation with extensive archaeological and historical sites. Tolay Lake Regional Park is currently under development and access is restricted, although the public can now make use of the park through a day-use permit program.

Late summer and early fall mark the start of apple season, and plenty of the tasty fruits can be found north of Marin in western Sonoma County, particularly in the town of Sebastopol. We headed up that way recently in order to try our hands at apple picking, which is available at a number of farms in the area at this time of year. Sonoma County Farm Trails map in hand, we decided to check out Gabriel Farm, a certified organic farm on fourteen acres in Graton, just north of Sebastopol.

Gabriel Farm is currently open weekends for apple picking from 10 am to 3 pm. Weekday times are available by appointment (call them at (707) 829-0617). We pulled into the lot, parked, and headed down the path to their store, stopping to make friends with the resident farm dog on the way. Along with the pick-your-own apples, Gabriel Farm also grows several varieties of Asian pears (AKA apple pears, which aren't part of the pick-it-yourself deal), Fuyu persimmons (not in season yet) and blackberries.

In case you missed or just didn't get enough of the Marin County Fair, you'll be happy to know that the 2009 Sonoma County Fair starts today at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, and runs through Sunday, August 9. It's worth checking out if you've never been: it's bigger and a lot different than Marin's smaller, more intimate fair, and has more of an agricultural focus, which is natural for a more rural county like Sonoma. The Sonoma County Fair also features a famous annual flower show, which is usually really worth seeing.

This year's theme is "The Fair Before Time", so there are plenty of dinosaur-themed attractions on hand, including three-dozen life-size dinosaur replicas sited througout the fair and Dinosaur Island, where aspiring paleontologists can dig for dinosaur skeletons, build volcanoes, and paint on a mural. Dinosaur identification, imitation, and look-alike contests will be held, and the flower show this year has been dubbed "The Garden that Time Forgot"! The Fair also holds a daily parade, which this year features two special guests: a 10-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus Rex and a 20-foot-long Stegosaurus.

Looking for something fun (and free) to do in the Wine Country? Last weekend we visited Cornerstone Place outside of Sonoma. You'll see it on your right as you drive up Highway 121 past the Schellville airport and across from Gloria Ferrer winery. Cornerstone Place is a complex of art galleries, shops, restaurants, and, most importantly, gardens.

Every time we go Cornerstone Place, my kids have a blast and can run endlessly. Cornerstone Place showcases 20 different gardens, each with a different theme, and each designed by a world-famous landscape architect. They also have the Cornerstone Children’s Garden, which features a bright green arbor, several grapevine trellises that the kids can run through, a sandbox, colorful bird houses, small huts that the kids can go into, and, my daughters favorite, small kid-size Adirondack chairs. Some of the other gardens feature burlap hills that the kids can run on, a huge culvert to run through, and a 9-hole miniature golf course.