Heading out of San Fran Central you cross the San Fran- Oakland bridge (the Bay Bridge) and head to the area of Berkley, with the famous University. It has a College town feel and vibe.

Two records stores recommended are:

‘Amoeba’ Berkley- Smaller, but nicely stacked with treats. Some good value stuff with an emphasis on newer albums.

‘Rasputin’ Records- same area and a big site. Lots of CD’s and a great selection of lovely vinyl downstairs.

We saw a store called ‘Hi Fidelity’ but they sell (legally) Cali Green and how pervasive is that smell.

Moving on we headed to Napa, which gave us a large number of great stores to dive into, and all  with enthusiastic staff.  

Napa-

‘Right On Records’ some nice records, but quite small store.

‘Folklore’ great concept with Record store, Bar and Café. Very tasty combo. This is a great concept and a hit with the locals. Great food and wine!

Sacramento-

‘Mid Century Records’ lovely store with friendly owner. Good quality selection.

‘Delta Breeze’- Classic old school. Get your diving gear on.

‘Medium Rare Records’ – Big store with a quality curated range. Expensive but good stock. Staff very enthusiastic!

Petaluma

‘Paradise Found’ Clean and nicely presented with good stock. Very nice staff.

‘Rain Dog’ Big store with good range of varying quality levels. Some excellent value deals to be had.

Santa Rosa-

‘Next Record Store’. Big store, great stock selection and some great pricing. Nice team there and worth definitely worth a visit.

This is just a few of the places we visited and we did return home laden with some amazing finds, both New and Used. More to follow about this soon. 

Restaurant for the foodies:  Don’t forget to book ‘Ad Hoc’ in Yountville, which is a Thomas Keller restaurant. Very scrumptious food and a big wine selection. Immaculate quality and service. The more famous big brother is the ‘The French Laundry’ and this being a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The challenge of booking is more than worth the effort.