Occidental, California · West Sonoma County
Restaurants, redwoods, wineries, provisions, coastal detours, upcoming events, and good places to stay—curated by people who live here.
The local edit
38.4074° NStart in town. Follow the Bohemian Highway through redwoods and farmland. Turn toward the river, or keep going until the road meets the Pacific.
Coming up · October
A few future picks for people choosing their dates, linked directly to the organizers.
See the full calendar →Celtic harpist and storyteller Patrick Ball pairs the crystalline sound of the wire-strung harp with Irish legends, wit, and music in an intimate evening of tales and traditional melody.
Western Sonoma County’s THUGZ bring their communal, improvisational jam rock to Halloween Eve, mixing original songs with rock, blues, country, psychedelia, and the spirit of the Grateful Dead—plus a costume contest.
OCA’s daytime Halloween gathering gives local families a dedicated place to celebrate together, making it a gentler, community-centered counterpart to the previous night’s dance party.
Choose your pace
Begin with a plan, then leave room for a bakery detour, a longer walk, or another glass of wine.
2 days · Couples · first visits
Coffee, old-growth quiet, a long dinner, and enough unscheduled time to actually notice where you are.
Open the plan →2 days · Scenic-drive people
Wood-fired bread, winding roads, blufftop air, and the satisfying feeling of taking the long way.
Open the plan →2 days · Hungry friends
Bakery boxes, butcher paper, a cellar-door pour, and dinner worth planning the day around.
Open the plan →The little black book
Places we return to, recommend to friends, and would send you to first.
Eat & drink →A longstanding breakfast-and-lunch stop at the bend in the Bohemian Highway.
Our takeThe reliable first move for a proper breakfast before the day gets ambitious.
Wood-fired sourdough, giant scones, coffee, and a garden in tiny Freestone.
Our takeThe line is part of the scene. Divide, conquer, then eat something warm in the garden.
A small, publicly accessible old-growth redwood preserve stewarded by LandPaths.
Our takeGo quietly and early. Parking is extremely limited, with no street parking, water, or bathrooms.
Pick a direction
Occidental stays at the center. The rest are very good reasons to take a drive.
See all things to do →Fern shade, old-growth quiet, easy paths
↗02Bohemian Highway to the Pacific
↗03Bluffs, beaches, fog, and wind
↗04Summer beaches and slow water
↗05Food, wine, art, and useful provisions
↗06Small rooms and coastal vineyards
↗07Galleries, classes, and live sets
↗08Cultivated wildness and seasonal food
↗Stay among the orchards
A private four-bedroom retreat seven minutes from Occidental, with an orchard, redwoods, a hot tub, sauna, cold plunge, and room for eight.
Explore the retreat →Occidental · Freestone · River · Coast