Glen Ellen Sneaks In the Chronicle's 'Must-See Small Towns' List

Wine and tulips may have helped the editors choose Healdsburg among SFGate's list of best small-town escapes published earlier this month.

But their readers know Glen Ellen deserves a nod, too. It was tabbed in the follow-up article, Reader picks: 20 must-see small towns.

Surely Jack London State Park was factored in. Possibly the several fine restaurants, including The Yeti Restaurant, Olive and Vine, the Fig Cafe & Wine Bar, and the new Glen Ellen Star.

Maybe the comprehensive and friendly Glen Ellen Market counts, too. Plus the annual Glen Ellen Fair, of course.

Rumor has it there are several wineries nearby, too, including one with possibly the best winery tours in the North Bay, at Benziger.

The Reader Picks article listed 19 more must-see small towns. They loved the vibe all across Sonoma County, and Bodega Bay, Guerneville and Sebastopol all were named in readers' picksGlen Ellen.

The kudos came on the "Get Lost" travel blog, which highlighted cute towns within a couple hours drive of San Francisco that are worth a weekend visit. It was written in response to Smithsonian magazine publishing its list of the 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2013, a list that placed Sausalito among Bay Area towns.

Other towns to make the list, published in the online version of the San Francisco Chronicle, included Monterey Bay gems Aptos and Carmel, coastal Half Moon Bay, wine country destination St. Helena, Sierra foothills charmers Nevada City and Placerville, and Marin County favorites Bolinas, Mill Valley and of course Sausalito.

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