Guerneville pedestrian bridge. Photo by: Ed Walsh
The river is back.
That seems to be the consensus of visitors, locals, and those involved in the tourism industry on the Russian River, the gay-popular resort area of Sonoma County, California, 90 minutes north of San Francisco.
Folks in the Bay Area on staycation helped bolster business on the River this year. Business owners report that this summer has been a good one.
The Triple-R resort in the town of Guerneville is the focal point for entertainment on the RIver. The resort has been able to attract big name performers to its venue. Earlier this year, it got comedienne Bruce Vilanche to headline its Queer Comedy Festival. American Idol’s Frenchie Davis and singer Kim Kuzma headlined over Memorial Day Weekend. The Triple-R events have had a domino effect, boosting other businesses in the town of Guerneville, the heart of gay Russian River.
Club promoter Gus Bean is bringing his Sundance circuit party back to Guerneville. The last Sundance was in 2004 and those involved in the tourism industry on the river are welcoming its return. Sundance will be held over the weekend of August 21-23. Dance parties will be held at on Saturday, August 22, and Sunday, August 23. The big pool party will be noon-6 p.m. across the street from Dawn Ranch Lodge (formerly Fife’s). It is the space that used to be the gay club, Drums, in the 80s. For all the details, check out the site guspresents.com.
If you are looking for a room for Sundance, be advised that many hotels have already sold out. For my post on the gay hotels of Guerneville, click here.
Lots of fun stuff is planned on the river for the harvest season (Sept - Oct). Heirloom Tomato Festival at Kendall-Jackson 9/12; Old Grove Festival at Armstrong Woods 9/25 - 27; Harvest Fair 10/2-4; Halloween Weekend 10/30-31; Wine & Food Affair 11/7-8.
The biggest event for lesbians is held during Women’s Week, usually in May. And gay women meet regularly en masse on the river the first Friday of every month, for more information check the Russian Area Gal Society (RAGS) at rivergals.com
For my post on gay nightlife on the Russian River, click here.
Walk over pedestrian bridge over the Russian River in Guerneville on a quiet spring day.
Sights
A must-see attraction for any visitor to the Russian River, besides the river itself, is the Armstrong Woods. It is just a couple of miles from downtown Guerneville and is the perfect opposite of frantic city life. A series of trails through the park take you by giant redwood trees and streams. It is often compared to Muir Woods in Marin County. See photo in gallery below.
On my recent trip to the Russian River, I took an impromptu gay wine tour of the area. My first stop was the Raymond Burr Vineyards (raymondburrvineyards.com) It north of Guerneville in the town of Healdsburg. It is owned by the late actor’s partner, Robert Benevides. The tasting room is filled with Burr memorabilia. The tasting manager is happy to take pictures of visitors holding one of Burr’s Emmy Awards. An orchid nursery is on the property and is open for tours by appointment Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m.
My last stop was the Gary Farrell Vineyards and Winery (garyfarrellwines.com). It is an easy 15-minute drive east of downtown Guerneville and boasts sweeping views of the area. The tasting room manager is a gay guy, Scott Monroe. He is one of the organizers of the Magnun, a gay men’s wine tasting group that meets one night a month for wine tasting parties. For more information about Magnum, contact Scott’s partner, Bill Carney at bill@lavenderhillvineyards.com.
Cell phones
In the old days, only AT&T cell service worked in Guerneville. But Verizon now also has a strong signal there. T-mobile also works in most parts of the town. But if you can’t live without your cell phone, be sure to check your carrier before you go. All the gay resorts provide free wireless service to guests, so you can always make calls on Skype if you bring a laptop.
For more information:
www.gayrussianriver.com
www.rivergals.com
www.russianriver.com
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