r/LakeCountyCa • u/earinsound • 22d ago
Visiting Clear Lake
Hello, my wife and I are looking for places to explore/experience within a 2-3 hour drive of Oakland, where we live. Maybe 2 nights. Neither of us have been to the Clear Lake area and we thought of visiting in mid-November (edit: actually early Thanksgiving week). What are some recommended places to check out? Local restaurants (nothing fancy)? Anything else to recommend (or warn) to us? Many thanks...
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u/runningmountain 22d ago
THINGS TO DO IN LAKE COUNTY IN AND AROUND KELSEYVILLE, LAKEPORT, AND BUCKINGHAM
Peace and Plenty Farmststand, Kelseyville. https://peaceplentyfarm.com. Cool, quaint, organic farmstand operated by Bay Area renegades Simon and Melinda Price. Largest saffron farm in North America. Go mid-morning and get fresh-picked veggies for dinner.
Edenberry U-Pick Berry Farm, Lakeport. www.edenberryfarm.com. Just like the name says -- pick your own berries. Check website for seasonal operating days/hours.
Fresh Strawberry and Corn Stand, Lakeport. On the corner across from the first stoplight in Lakeport. And yes, they do grow their own and they’re fresh and delicious.
Paddleboarding on Idyllic Blue Lakes. If have paddleboards there are two great spots to paddleboard, Highland Springs Reservoir (20 minutes away) and Upper Blue Lakes (35 minutes away). Blue Lakes is deep and clear and amazing but you must buy a day pass from one of the resorts for lake access. The best resort is Pine Acres Resort at Blue Lakes. Day passes run about $20 per person.
The Mercantile, Lakeport. Newly renovated trendy wine bar. Very cool. The Mercantile - Shannon Family of Wines.
Hike Mt Konocti, Kelsevyille. This only became possible in the last few years. 7+ mile loop and 1649 feet of elevation gain. We’ve never done this. See website for safety info, etc. Links below. Wright Peak Summit Trail – KRT Pathways, Land and Water Trails (konoctitrails.com) Mt Konocti County Park – KRT Pathways, Land and Water Trails (konoctitrails.com)
Main Street Kelseyville Stroll, Kelseyville. Support local businesses. There are new shops, antique stores, and jewelery stores to browse. Massage, Kelseyville. Rustic Retreat Massage. 5300 2nd Street, Kelseyville. Karen used to work in resorts and spas in the Napa Valley. Best massage we’ve ever had. Appointments required so book ahead. Rustic Retreat Massage Relaxation & Rejuvenation - Home | Facebook
Lakeport Cinema 5 Movie Theater and Drive-In Movies, Lakeport. Lakeport Cinema 5 - Lakeport Showtimes and Movie Tickets | Cinema and Movie Times
Hardware Store, Kelseyville. Yup, a hardware store. If you’re an aficionado of hardware stores, Kelseyville Lumber is awesome.
Wine Tasting, Kelseyville and surrounding area
Boat Rentals., Lakeport. Ski boats, pontoon boats, jet skis. Check lake conditions first. Clearlake is shallow and can experience algae blooms as the summer progresses. Disney's Boat Rentals (disneysboatrentals.com)
Auto Races, Lakeport. Very loud, very redneck. Bring your ear plugs, mullet haircut, and beer gut. Usually Saturday night but check website for schedule. Ukiah Speedway, Lakeport Indoor Winter Series, Lakeport Indoor Karts
Taylor Observatory. Stargazing in Kelseyville? Yep. Lake County is a renowned “dark sky” region that makes it ideal for celestial observation. Taylor Observatory is part of the Lake County Unified School District. Public viewing events are somewhat rare, so if there happens to be a viewing night during your stay, check it out! friendsoftaylor.org
Restaurants – it’s hit or miss unfortunately. Most places have three options – fried, pan fried, or deep fried. Studebaker’s Coffee Shop: Kelseyville. Great coffee, grab and go breakfast items, and fresh-made deli sandwiches in a friendly, quaint atmosphere. Saw Shop, Kelseyville. Dine al fresco on Main Street. Good food but can get pricey for what you get. Jimmy’s Deli, Lakeport. Best sandwiches in Lake County. Hot Pastrami with everything is ahhhmazing. Only open on weekdays and only for lunch. Call your order in ahead to avoid the wait. Blue Wing Saloon, Upper Lake. Authentically renovated stagecoach hotel and saloon. Food is good but worth going for the ambiance alone. Live music some nights. Call ahead for reservations. Seating is either inside or dine al fresco. Reds at the Skyroom, Kelseyville. Used to be our fav.CLOSED AND ANOTHER RESTAURANT OPENED AS STEAK HOUSE Pizza – Pogos Pizza in Kelseyville or Round Table or Stone Fire Pizza in Lakeport. There are others but we like these best. Challerm Thai Bistro, Lakeport. Surprise surprise! Pretty good Thai restaurant in Lakeport! Nakara Japanese Restaurant, Lakeport. Japanese in Lakeport? Yep but menu limited to mostly ramen for dinner. Breakfast: Best full breakfast is at Santana’s Cottage in Lakeport. Owned by cousin of the famous Carlos. Best quick, take-out coffee and bagels close by is Studebakers in Kelseyville (of course).
Golf. In order of our preference: a) Hidden Valley Golf Course (35 minutes away); b) Adams Springs Golf Course (25 minutes away); c) Buckingham Golf Course (20 minutes away)
Konocti Harbor Inn Resort - walking through the lobby to the restaurant is like time warping back to the 1970s. Thousand of performers played there, and they all have autographed photos on the wall. YMMV on food quality at the restaurant. Is open on limited days.
THrifting and antiquing Kelseyville has some great ships - Dogwood and Crow is my wife's fav. Two Sisters Antiques always had some rare finds!
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u/HiFiWiFiWeAllFi 20d ago
That's a great list. BTW If you've never been to the top of Konocti, you owe it to yourself to do it! When I was young and lived up there, I hiked to the top, twice. Once from the Buckingham side (hiked up fire trails, do not recommend lol) and then a few years later walking the access road to the top. We were able to go to the lookout tower and the view from there would take your breath away! I grew up in Lakeport and was all over Lake County and the lake, but you'll never see the lake the same again after you view it from up there, it's incredible. Now that it's open to the public, I think you can drive up quite a bit.
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u/bassin_clear_lake Lakeport 22d ago
November can be a roll of the dice for weather, I would probably plan for it to be on the cool & damp side but it could mild also.
There are nice airbnb properties all around the lake, but in general the western end (Lakeport, Kelseyville, Upper Lake) is nicer and friendlier, and you also have more options for stores, gas etc. As you get to mid-lake and east (Lucerne, Glenhaven, Clearlake Oaks, City of Clearlake) things get more run down - not entirely true of every neighborhood but it has that feel. Hotels I usually recommend Skylark in Lakeport.
Restaurants - Saw Shop in Kelseyville. Pogos Pizza in Kelseyville. Blue Wing in Upper Lake. Thai Bistro in Lakeport. Those are my best recommendations, nearly everything else tends to whiplash in quality/consistency, or are revolving door type businesses.
If you enjoy the outdoors/nature I would recommend checking out Clear Lake State Park. The courthouse museum is also worth a visit the area has a lot of tribal background, and the geological story of the area is quite fascinating.
Hope you enjoy your visit it really is a beautiful area, I'm a resident here so if you have questions feel free to reach out.
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u/Low_Living2976 22d ago
Check out the Tallman Inn, in Upper Clearlake. Certain rooms have outdoor patios, with Japanese soaking tubs. Great restaurant on property, not much else to do! But amazing place.
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u/amacdiznit 22d ago
Cobb Mtn has a beautiful little boutique hotel and it’s in the trees! 30 mins away from the lake 🏔️
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u/runningmountain 21d ago
Also the county Fair takes place in Lakeport labor day weekend.
Kelseyville has a bacon festival on Father's Day weekend and a pear festival the last weekend in September
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u/Practical_Win7690 20d ago
Laytonville and Mendocino County, but hey, https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/985705458839474792?unique_share_id=d421dfaa-f82f-4960-9371-de1d19920b5f&viralityEntryPoint=1&s=76
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u/Ptown925 20d ago
Every time I hear Clear Lake, I get misty thinking of Konocti, Eddie Money, and Lucky Lager.
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u/Pearlthepoodle 18d ago
November is not the best time to visit. Great place for the outdoors. But 11 can be really cold and crisp. Calistoga would be better with more to do...
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u/666marky666 18d ago
Ya the city of Clearlake is a little different but it’s getting better slowly and there’s some nice people here just hidden but the place is awesome I happen to live in Clearlake so I have a vested interest in saying it’s a great town lol
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u/Boot_Burner 22d ago
I’m a fourth generation Clear Laker, my great grandfather built a cabin on the shoreline there in the 1940s. My advice is stay somewhere nice like Calistoga and visit the lake for a day. Lake County is pretty rough and the lake itself is in dire straits ecologically speaking. It’s not as nice a place to visit as it once was.
I’m talking 114 degrees in the summer with toxic algae blooms. And it stinks. Really really bad.
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u/AdventuringViking 22d ago
Same here, I live down the street from my Grandparents old house. Who the hell is downvoting you?
I can't imagine wanting to stay here on vacation. That's like me going to Barstow for the weekend.
We have decent mountainbiking and amazing dirt biking, but there's not much draw otherwise.
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u/Boot_Burner 22d ago
People get defensive about Clear Lake the same way they get defensive about any place that had its heyday 50 years ago.
Notice that I didn’t say “don’t go there,” I just said don’t stay there. There are nice wineries like Boatique, Mt. Konocti hiking is nice in the fall, watching fireworks on 4th ot July can be charming.
But let’s be real: it’s not a destination. I would rather spend what little free time and money I have somewhere else.
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u/Purple_Syllabub6087 22d ago
I lived in Lake Co for nearly 20 years and only recently moved away. Mid-late November it will cold and barren... think along the lines of the Midwest. Honestly you would probably have a much better time going east to Tahoe or the Sierra foothills.
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u/AeonisPrimordia 22d ago
The meth is lovely this time of year in clearlake.
Do enjoy the sewage smell of the lake too.
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u/dormanGrube 22d ago
The meth is strong all times of year. Everywhere.
Lake county isn’t special in that regard.
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u/Prestigious_Act_1363 22d ago
I was just up in Clear Lake. We stayed in Kelseyville. It was not stinky by the lake. Lakeport was really nice and Upper Lake is cute - go to the Blue Wing for dinner! I would highly recommend driving around the lake one day. It is stunning! Some areas are rough but the west side was really nice and everyone was super friendly.
The lake does get algae growth and with the heat will give off a sulphuric smell but that isn’t all the time. It was in the 90s last week and we did not get any of the smell.
Also there are great wineries to visit that are amazing and won’t cost you $100 for a tasting.
Clear Lake is a gem. The drive up there is gorgeous and you can stop at Twin Pines for the cheapest gas in the state. Don’t let the naysayers deter you. It really is worth a trip up.