Thinking of spending a few days in wine country in late January. We enjoy wine, and will do a tasting or 2. BUT we are also interested in doing other things. Are outdoor activities possible at this time of year? We like to hike and walk and explore, parks, trails etc.

We are thinking of Healdsburg, but are flexible if other towns/areas may offer more outdoor things.

We are not interested in shopping; galleries, food etc are more of our interests.

Your input and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks~

I used to live in Santa Rosa and it rains A LOT there during the winter. I checked on-line and the average rainfall in Healdsburg in January is 7.64 inches.

There's plenty of beautiful places to hike in the area - e.g. Armstrong Woods in Guerneville or Sonoma Coast State Beach - and you might get lucky and be able to hike during that time of year. But I wouldn't plan on it.

If you want to be able to go outdoors, I'd recommend delaying your trip by a few months.

LOL, shanti,I saw your old post about Camellia Inn, that is where we are planning on staying.

We love going to San Francisco in winter, few crowds and lots to do, so this add on will have to work even if the weather isn't perfect. I am hoping La Nina will come through as predicted and maybe we won't have as much rain as we have had during our last few trips.

Debit, it's already been raining here over the last week or so, which is pretty early, and doesn't bode well for a dry winter!

yup, I know it's been raining there [here too] - oh well, I have all my rain gear from the last 3 trips to SF!

We often have a couple of really nice weeks in January, don't know why, but ususally at the end of the month...

We went one winter recently in early February we had some drizzle but also lots of sun. So entirely unpredictable. The problem is, we have lots of people praying for snow so that interferes with those who live in the valley who would like a little more sun.

January is very cold here as well -- it freezes. So really bundle up. We often have guests in January and outdoor activities are not a big draw then, but there are plenty of inviting fireplaces around to lure you in out of the cold (at wineries, restaurants, hotel lobbies, etc...) Of course, in January 2010 we had some 70 degree days, so you never know.

Some people like to go to the hot springs in Calistoga that time of year. The hot pools vs the cold air is quite enjoyable.

Unless it is a bad El Nino winter, there will be periods of nice weather. If you can be flexible you might luck into a dry spell to take advantage of. We have been going to Carmel for a month in late January for the past decade and usually experience nice weather a majority of the time. Of course with that long a stay we have time to take advantage when the weather is good and stay cosy when it is not.

Although it is a relative matter, when it is raining here, it wetter north of SF Bay than south as storms, such as the one we are experiencing right now, tend to move north to south.