Runs Summary:

For NASSAM 2027 we offer six runs, plus three winery only runs

We have about 150 miles of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) covered in three runs (PCH North, PCH South and the middle section is part of the Armstrong Redwood run).

One run will visit the Clear Lake area, one run will visit Calistoga and the Napa Valley and lastly, one run to visit the Jack London State Park, the town of Sonoma and the Buena Vista Winery.

In the descriptions that follow we’ve provided links to Google Maps to help you decide which runs appeal to you.  However, the official maps are for Garmin, so please be aware that the Google map may not exactly match, especially since Google often attempts to reroute.  Garmin maps will be provided upon request to nassam2027@outlook.com and may be updated just prior to the event, so please check for updates upon your arrival at the event.

Click on the name of each run to open the google map

If you would like turn-by-turn directions, please click on the name of the run which will take you to the Google Maps version of the trip (or morning/afternoon below the name if there are two google maps). From there you can send directions to your phone, or click on the link for “DETAILS” which will provide you with the turn-by-turn directions for printing.

Garmin Maps

• Garmin maps are available upon request. E-mail us at Nassam2027@outlook.com.

• Garmin maps are less than perfect and all devices do not read them the same way. You may have to restart your route along the way to clear waypoints that the device thinks you missed.

Mileages and durations shown are approximate. Durations are provided as a drive time and total time. Drive time is actual behind the wheel driving while total time includes stops for sightseeing, lunch (for some outings) and restroom breaks.

Please be in the parking lot approximately 15 minutes before the start of each run for a pre-departure briefing. Our volunteers will be available to help you get in line. Key things to have:

• A full tank of gas.

• Two-way radio.

• A bottle of water (or two).

• Snacks.

• Sunscreen.

• Sense of Adventure!

SIGN UP FORM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RUNS PAGE

PCH NORTH

PCH North Morning

PCH North Afternoon

Mileage:  210 Miles Departure Time: 7:30 AM Return Time: 3:45 PM

Drive Time:  5 hours, 15 mins         Total Time:  8 hours, 45 mins

There is no restaurant lunch stop during this run.  You may bring some snacks or purchase them along the way.  Duncans Mills and the Elk General Store both have drinks, sandwiches and snacks for purchase.  Lunch will be an informal picnic-style at the Elk General Store.

Highlights include stops at Duncans Mills, the Arena Lighthouse, the Elk General Store (as an informal lunch stop) and lastly, a visit to the Navarro Vinyards and Winery.

If you came to see the beautiful northern California coast, this is the run for you.  This trip is along some winding roads, but the driving is scenic rather than spirited.  Take your time to enjoy some of the most beautiful costal views you’ll find anywhere.

The first stop is Duncans Mills.  For a lengthier visit you’ll want to go on the Armstrong Redwoods run, for this stop it will be earlier than most shops are open.  Stop at the General Store to pick up snacks or a sandwich because lunch will be picnic of sorts at Elk later in the day.

Our next stop along the way is a vista point for car photos and a view of the crashing waves of the pacific.  And then we’ll be off to the Point Arena Lighthouse.

The Lighthouse began operation on September 15, 1908, nearly 29 months after an earthquake destroyed the original structure.  It stands 115 feet tall, and featured a 1st Order Fresnel Lens, seven feet in diameter and weighing 4,700 pounds. The lens is made up of 258 hand-ground glass prisms all focused toward three sets of double bulls’ eyes, and may be viewed in the museum.  The entrance fee is $5.00 per person.  If you’d like to climb to the top of the lighthouse (144 steps), there is an additional fee of $5.00.

The stop at the Elk General Store will be for a lunch break, but also walk across the street for some spectacular views of the Pacific.

Lastly, there we’ll be stopping at the Navarro Vinyards and Winery.  The fee is $10.00 for some wine samples which will be waived if you make a purchase.  The family-owned business has been growing grapes, making wine and producing non-alcoholic grape juices in the Anderson Valley in coastal Mendocino since 1974. Since they are small, you probably will not find their wine in your local store, the majority of production is sold directly out of their tasting room and through phone and web orders

Clear Lake

Mileage:  165 Miles Departure Time: 8:15 AM Return Time: 3:00 PM

Drive Time:  3 hours, 45 mins              Total Time:  6 hours, 15 mins

This drive takes you up to the Clear Lake area.  The morning portion of the drive includes some twisties up and over the pass along CA-29.  Then it is off to drive around Clear Lake with some wonderful lake vistas along the way.

Lunch is at Park Place Restaurant right on the lake.  We’ll provide about 90 minutes for lunch and a walk to find gelato about a block away.  A walk down to the water is also very nice.

After lunch it is back out on to the road for some more twisties away from the lake to US-101 and a run back to the hotel.

Sonoma

Mileage:  60 Miles Departure Time: 9:15 AM Return Time: 2:30 PM

Drive Time:  1 hour, 45 mins             Total Time:  5 hours, 15 mins

This tour will take you on a picturesque, and somewhat twisty, journey from the Sonoma Valley over to the Napa Valley with a stop at the Jack London State Historic Park.  The park was occupied by a winery called Kohler & Frohling.  Jack London purchased the property when it was abandoned in 1905 with hopes of becoming a rancher. He named it Beauty Ranch.  While London was there, he expanded the small cottage to 3,000 square feet (279 square meters) and converted the stone house next to it into a study where London would write his works.  Take some time to visit the museum as well as the cottage Jack occupied while living near Sonoma.  We’ll provide an hour for your visit.  The cost is $15.00 for each car.  Please bring cash to make the process a bit easier at the entry gate.

Then it is on to Sonoma.  Sonoma is a historic city at the heart of the renowned Sonoma Valley winemaking region.  It's known for its art galleries and the colonial-era Sonoma Plaza.  Surrounding this plaza are significant 19th-century adobe buildings including Mission San Francisco Solano and the Sonoma Barracks, once used by the Mexican military.  Here you’ll have about 90 minutes to visit the historic plaza, do some shopping and perhaps stop in at one of the restaurants for a bit of lunch.

Next, you’ll visit the Buena Vista Winery & Chateau Buena Vista.  Before there were vineyards in every valley north of San Francisco, before Napa and Sonoma were household names before there was a California wine world at all, there was Buena Vista.  Founded in 1857, and spanning from Sonoma and into Napa, Buena Vista is California’s first premium winery, and its history is as colorful as it is proud. Today, the legend has been re-born under the vision of Jean-Charles Boisset. Buena Vista. Our future is our past… our vivacious, colorful, and pioneering past!  From the parking lot you’ll walk an enchanting 0.2 mile up to the winery.  Along the path you’ll find signage describing the history of the winery.

armstrong redwoods

Armstrong redwoods Morning Route

armstrong redwoods Afternoon route

Mileage:  80 Miles Departure Time: 9:30 AM Return Time: 3:00 PM

Drive Time:  2 hours, 45 mins              Total Time:  5 hours, 30 mins

One of the reasons to visit California is the giant redwood forests.  The serene, majestic beauty of the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve Grove is a living reminder of the magnificent primeval redwood forest that covered much of this area before logging operations began during the 19th century.  The visit will take you on a short drive through the redwoods for a short stop as an opportunity to stretch legs and use the restroom.

The next stop is Duncans Mills.  Savor the beautiful drive to “Sonoma County’s great Little getaway”. Come visit the many shops and restaurants.  Enjoy the gardens and wine shop, discover the one-of-a-kind treasures you will find in the exciting and varied stores in this quaint village.  Follow the winding paths and discover the flower shop.  Stop at the General Store to pick up snacks or a sandwich because lunch will be picnic of sorts at the next stop.

Next, you’ll head out to the Goat Rock (Sundowner Lookout) for your first views of the coastline.  This will be a stop as an opportunity to have your snacks or sandwich as there is no other lunch planned.

The drive continues with some additional majestic views, this time of the California coastline along CA-1.  Along the way you’ll be able to make several stops for photos.

Notes:

• There is no lunch stop, per se, on this run.  The idea is to buy snacks or a sandwich at the Duncans Mills General Store and have a picnic of sorts at the Goat Rock viewpoint.

Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve

• The entry fee is $9 for over 62 and $10 for others.  The fee may be paid at a kiosk at the gate on the road, or at a kiosk in the visitor center parking lot.

• The visitor center is a small store, not missing much if you can’t find parking.

• The road through the grove is two ways, but narrow be careful of oncoming traffic.

• If the visitor center parking lot is full, head through the gate and follow the road about ¾ mile to the parking lot on the left.  Restrooms are all of the way to the end of the parking lot which loops back around to the road that led you in.

Duncans Mills

• The General Store, shops and one set of restrooms is on the right on the road.

• The bakery/coffee shop is on the left side of the road.  The bakery has restrooms for customers behind the shop.

• Deli sandwiches may be ordered in the General Store.  Chips, cookies, drinks, etc. are also available at the store.

• To find restrooms follow the boardwalk next to the restaurant around to the back past the antiques shop…or ask a local.

Goat Rock

• The spot on the maps is approximate and has picnic tables, as you come up to the map waypoint keep an eye to the left for the picnic tables next to the parking lot.

• The pit toilets are in the parking area before on the left before you get to the parking area with the picnic tables.

Bodega Bay

• You may park at either Patrick’s Saltwater Taffy or next door at the visitor center.

• The visitor center has a restroom.

VIP Winery runs:

For NASSAM 2027 we offer three runs specifically devoted to visiting wineries, with very special run captains!  Please note: that the separate PCH North and Sonoma runs also stop at one winery each which may be enough to satisfy some participants.

Each run will initially be offered only once, but if there is demand additional runs may be accommodated.

As of the posting of the NASSAM 2027 website, we have yet to complete all of the detailed planning for the winery runs.  Please be patient as our volunteers are quite busy.  We hope to have this information no later than January 1, 2027.

In the meantime, please sign up for the runs that interest you.  We will accommodate changes later if the final details do not meet your needs.

Brinkley American Winery Run

Overview

This run is initially offered on Tuesday only.  The run will visit wineries that feature an American flair.

Cost:

Cost for wine is highly variable; you are encouraged to visit the winery website shops for that information.  As a part of NASSAM 2027, costs for wine tasting (with web links) will be provided when they become available:

Scott Winery Run

Overview

This run is initially offered on Wednesday only.  The run will visit four wineries in the Sonoma Valley.

Cost:

Cost for wine is highly variable; you are encouraged to visit the winery website shops for that information.  As a part of NASSAM 2027, costs for wine tasting (with web links) are as follows:

• Francis Ford Coppola Winery

  • Cost – TBD

  • Link – https://www.francisfordcoppolawinery.com/

• Soda Rock Winery – Healdsburg, CA location

  • Cost – TBD

  • Link – https://sodarockwinery.com/

• Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards

  • Cost – TBD

  • Link – https://www.chalkhill.com/

• Roth Estate Winery

  • Cost – TBD

  • Link – https://www.rothwinery.com/

Map Link

·         https://maps.app.goo.gl/sYRByM1YLxw93jzL8

Timeline

·         Total Driving Distance:  65 Miles

·         Departure Time:  10:15 AM

·         Francis Ford Coppola Winery – 11:00 to Noon (Opens at 11:00 AM daily)

·         Soda Rock Winery – 12:15 PM to 1:15 PM

·         Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards – 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM

·         Roth Estate Winery – 2:45 PM to 3:45 PM

·         Return Time:  4:15 PM

Brinkley European Winery Run

Overview

This run is initially offered on Thursday only.  The run will visit wineries that feature a European flavor.

Cost:

Cost for wine is highly variable; you are encouraged to visit the winery website shops for that information.  As a part of NASSAM 2027, costs for wine tasting (with web links) will be provided when they become available:

events:

SONOMA RACEWAY EVENING EVENT:

More to come, early 2027, in regard to a potential Sonoma Raceway event/Autocross event. This will be on Wednesday evening (after runs and the days events) Times, sign-ups and more information will be coming as soon as we get an updated 2027 schedule. Don’t hold off registering for other runs, as we will accommodate any adjustments when we publish the additional information. We don’t want you to miss out on any of the other great runs the organizers have built for you!

run sign-up: