U.S. News Insider Tip: Fuel up for your state park explorations at nearby Boat House, where Captain Rick Powers hauls in the freshest seafood via schooner, right from the Sonoma Coast.

The Cheese Trail Map is a great keepsake ... The river winds its way through Sonoma County, meeting the Pacific Ocean alongside the town of Jenner and the Sonoma Coast State Park.

Sonoma County Regional Parks staff shared a photo taken this week that shows a carpet of creatures known as Velella velella littering the beach at Stillwater Cove Regional Park.