Forestville

Forestville is one of Sonoma County's small gems.  In some ways a sleepy town on Highway 116 it is a coveted quiet place to live. The little village features fine dining and good grub. There is one of my favorite bakeries, Nightingale Breads which makes wholesome breads absolutely delicious. The area streches from the town main street north and west to the Russian River and there are some lovely river getaways there.  To the south and east it opens to rolling hills with apples and grapes. 

Some of the best fresh produce and foods come from the Forestville area  On 116 you can find the Sebastopol Berry Farm and Kozlowski's Farms with all kinds  of jams and fruit products. For a small village there is a lot of convenience with a gas station, bar, grocery stores, convenience markets, a pharmacy,a post office, a volunteer fire station, a volunteer-run Youth Park, and more. The annual Forestville Youth Park Parade is held each June as a fund-raising event, and culminates in two days of music, carnival rides, food and handicrafts booths provided by local vendors and non-profit organizations.

The Russian River area is a recreation favorite and there are many beaches, swimming holes, places to kayak and canoe and cool off on hot summer days under the redwoods.  

Forestville began in 1834 when Captain Juan Bautista Rogers Cooper bought a land grant from his brother-in-law, General Vallejo. Despite all the redwood forests, it is actually named after A.J.Forrester who owned a saloon there.

Forestville is located in central Sonoma County, and is about 60 miles (97 km) north of San Francisco. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²), all of it land. Near Forestville is the confluence of the Laguna de Santa Rosa and Mark West Creek with the Russian River.