In Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” he ends by sharing how choosing the one less traveled by made all the difference for him.

California’s North Coast has a few of those roads – paths little worn by anyone or anything. Even in those areas where cars, pickups, bicycles and feet beat a well-worn path, they do it along narrow byways otherwise bookmarked by some of the most beautiful scenery in the United States.

The famed Napa and Sonoma wine region is one of those heavily-traveled venues, not just for the tourists, but for those who commute daily to work in places like Napa, Sonoma and points just north of the famed San Francisco Bay.

Logjams of traffic aside, there are a host of areas that can make one take a deep, relaxing breath while taking in a landscape that grows bottled poetry.

After several years of substandard rainfall, the North Coast is alive with grape vines bursting forth with new growth, trees leafing out and wildflowers that carpet the hillsides in spectacular hues of color.

Local wine grape growers attending a viticulture seminar at the University of California’s Hopland Research and Extension Center said they saw about 30 inches of rain in the Mendocino County area this winter – certainly enough to irrigate the springtime growth.