Author Archives{serenabartlett}

Serena Bartlett has authored several GrassRoutes Travel guides - fun loving books with an eye for all things economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. A natural born contrarian, Serena has lived and traveled in more than 25 countries always with an eye for the most authentic cultural experiences. She is an award-winning author and an active spokesperson for lively, inspiring and tasty ways to tread more lightly on the planet.

Ethical journalism and uninhibited travel writing has always been important to Serena, and she is a regular contributor to a number of national and local Bay Area publications, having written stories on everything from shampoo-making with garden ingredients to green business tips to an interview with one of her role models, Riane Eisler. She appears on KRON4 and ABC programs such as Bay Area Backroads as a green travel expert, and has been a featured guest on KPFA and KGO radio. (read less)

Serena revels in creative solutions for becoming more self reliant, like sewing her own sheets and quilts, designing jewelry, making wild forays in the kitchen, and growing her own edible garden (yes, she has grapes). She is a ski bum at heart, and a swimming junkie, equally comfortable on a pack trip with her poodle or as a city slicker.

Nexus Organic Design and Floral

2 years ago in Green.0 Comments

The Revlon Red storefront at the heart of Guerneville is more than just a pretty face. Enter the shop, Nexus Organic Living, and some of Sonoma County’s finest local crafts and bouquets of sweet-smelling flowers will surround you. Each product, work of art, or ingredient in the sumptuous floral arrangements on offer is chosen with care and commitment to sustainability. {…}

Sonoma Cheese Tour Part Deux

2 years ago in Green.0 Comments

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: good dairy is where it’s at in Sonoma County. There are cool ocean breezes to woo the cows, sheep, and goats, and a synergistic relationship between farmers that means one man’s waste is another flock’s food. For instance, the goats on the Pacheco’s farms sup on spent beer grain from a {…}

Sonoma Cheese Tour

2 years ago in Green.0 Comments

Part of Alice Water’s idea for the “slow” food movement is to connect eaters with the process of making food. The farm to table mentality makes sense, especially if we don’t want to hear our children explaining that milk comes from the containers in the supermarket! Sonoma County gets it – and has been a natural part of the shift {…}

Southern Sonoma County Discoveries: Hens and Beehives

2 years ago in Green.0 Comments

Autumn: Time for a lesson about the Birds and the Bees, pumpkin patches, apple pies and curious corn mazes are all part of autumn’s magic, but lets not forget the birds and the bees! Sonoma County is a rich tapestry of diverse agriculture, and two of the most interesting discoveries are certainly the many hens and beehives. Watch as the {…}

Make Sum Time for Organic Pampering

2 years ago in Green.0 Comments

On any given day, there’s always something to sweeten the deal! Pampering Sonoma style is a must whether you are only in town for a weekend, or you’ve lived here all your life. Debra Burns’ Sumbody organic bath products bring out the best this area has to offer – Pacific sea salts to wash away your busy day, nut butters {…}

Wine Country Film Festival

2 years ago in Green.0 Comments

There is no better combination than great local wine and the silver screen to celebrate life in California, after all, those are two pretty darn popular exports from this state. At the Wine Country Film Festival, the 23rd running, choose from over one hundred international, award-winning films, most from independent producers. Watch under the stars with the films al fresco {…}

Birds of a feather

2 years ago in Green.0 Comments

Remember that Red Hot Chili Peppers song about going on a walkabout? It just so happens that there are plenty of people going on just those kinds of foot-y adventures in and around Sonoma County. Whether or not youre a Chili Peppers fan, you will surely appreciate the pedestrian escapades offered by the Madrone Audubon Society. This incredible corner of {…}

One Smokin' Farm Stand – Tierra Vegetables

2 years ago in Green.1 Comment

Winding around the maze of farm and vine-patch-lined country roads, I am taken deep into the heart of Sonoma County. I’ve been known to get lost wondering for days on end, only to return with a basket full of goodies straight from Sonoma soil. This time I ventured only a few blocks off Highway 101 at Windsor, before I had {…}

Great Coffee in a Sleepy Town

2 years ago in Green.0 Comments

Deep within Sonoma County is a quiet little town, shaded by the Armstrong Redwoods and warmed from the inside out by a friendly and inclusive vibe. Guerneville is many things to many people – a place for a romantic getaway, a rural retreat, a fishing hole, and a natural tourist attraction. This town only has a few streets, but the {…}

One Smart Garden

2 years ago in Green.0 Comments

We drive by the colorful flats of begonias and petunias spilling out of every hardware and drug store at this time of year, but other than adding some pizzazz to our lawns, why do we actually garden? The director of Sonoma County’s Daily Acts organization wants to answer this question with every square inch of his own urban garden – {…}