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| For Golf, Wine, Cycling, Spas: It’s all in the Livermore Valley | ||
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By Dick Hackenberg, RBH Consulting |
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If you’re looking for “California in a nutshell,” one of the best destinations is a place many Californians and most tourists have yet to visit—the Livermore Valley. It’s one of California’s best kept secrets just 18 miles east of Oakland and an easy 35 miles from San Francisco. And it’s just 20 minutes away from Steelwedge Software offices in Pleasanton.
For golf, it may not be Pebble Beach or Torrey Pines, but there are eight courses including some of the best golf in northern California at three championship courses in every price range from Las Positas, perhaps the busiest public course in the Bay Area, to the affordable 27-hole Poppy Ridge, to The Course at Wente Vineyards designed by Greg Norman. For wine, there are 29 vineyards offering a complete spectrum of vintages from tiny mom-and-pop operations like Chouinard Vineyards (Zinfandel), Retzlaff ( Cabernet Sauvignon) to bigger producers like Concannon (Petite Syrah), Tamas (Pinot Grigio and Barbera) and Wente Brothers (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon), with several new boutique wineries like White Crane (Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay). For cyclists, the tour of the Livermore Valley includes the charming towns of Pleasanton and Livermore, the peaceful open countryside between and around them, and the fine wineries dotting the countryside. Beginning in central Pleasanton, with its historic Kottinger's Barn and Pleasanton Hotel, the route leads to Livermore on a bike lane along busy Stanley Boulevard. Once on the outskirts of Livermore, a paved trail takes you through scenic residential areas and past some of the many vineyards of the Livermore Valley. For lodging there are lots of the usual options nearby, but just a few really unique places in the valley. Consider the Purple Orchid Inn Resort and Spa, which is the only bed and breakfast set in the vineyards of Livermore. A rustic yet elegant 9,000-square foot log structure, it claims to be the largest residential Lincoln Log structure in the world. Or try the Evergreen Inn, a four-room B&B, in nearby Pleasanton about 20 minutes away. For dining, the Wente Vineyards Restaurant is pricey, but worth it for brunch, lunch on the patio or dinner. The Trio Restaurant at Stony Ridge Winery is the best lunch deal in town, with a taste of Italy in the form of antipasti, soups and sandwiches in the $3-$7 range. So for great golf, cycling, wine, food and lodging, the odds are high that you’ll like what you find in the Livermore Valley. If you’re planning to come to the Livermore Valley: GETTING THERE: From SF, take the Bay Bridge east to Interstate 580 east. Exit at North L Street, which turns into South Livermore Avenue and then becomes Tesla Road, which is Livermore's version of Napa's Highway 29 and Sonoma's Highway 12. WHERE TO STAY: Purple Orchid Inn and Spa, 4549 Cross Road, Livermore, CA 94550; phone: (925) 606-8855; Web: www.purpleorchid.com. Ten unique rooms, including two large new patio suites, all with Jacuzzi tubs and VCRs. $150- $360 weeknights, $170-$380 weekends, including full breakfast and wine-and- cheese hour, not including taxes. Evergreen Bed and Breakfast, 9014 Longview Drive, Pleasanton, CA ; (925) 426-0901; www.evergreen-inn.com. Four rooms starting at $155. a night, including full breakfast, not including taxes. WHERE TO EAT: Wente Vineyards Restaurant, 5050 Arroyo Road, Livermore; (925) 456-2450; www.wentevineyards.com. Brunch $8.50 and up, luncheon entrees start at $10.50, dinner entrees $$21.95 and up. Trio at Stony Ridge, 4948 Tesla Road, Livermore; (925) 449-0660; www.stonyridgewinery.com. Soups, sandwiches salads, antipasti, $3-$7. Strizzis on 649 Main Street in downtown Pleasanton - Italian cooking with a distinct California twist for lunch and dinner; (925) 484 9600; www.strizzis.com. WINE and GOLF: For an updated list of wineries and tasting hours, contact the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, (925) 447-9463; www.livermorewine.com. Las Positas Golf Course, 917 Clubhouse Drive, Livermore; (925) 443-3122. Green fees start at $28, not including cart, for a nonresident on a weekday. Poppy Ridge Golf Course, 4280 Greenville Road; (925) 455-2020; www.ncga.org. Green fees start at $35, not including cart, for NCGA members on a weekday. The Course at Wente Vineyards, 5050 Arroyo Road, Livermore; (925) 456-2475; www.wentegolf.com. Green fees start at $85, including cart and range balls. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tri-Valley Convention & Visitor's Bureau, 260 Main St. , Pleasanton, CA 94566; (925) 846-8910; www.trivalleycvb.com.
About the Author
A veteran marketing strategist and team leader, Dick Hackenberg established RBH Consulting to assist Internet companies with marketing and communications programs. He has held senior account management, and corporate marketing management positions at Saatchi/LA, Mileage Plus, Inc., Chiat/Day Advertising and GeoCities. Current clients are Steelwedge Software, Goldstar Events, and BIGWORDS. |
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