On a toasty summer day at Wild Diamond Vineyards, a winery about a 2.5-hour drive north of San Francisco, a friend and I clinked glasses and sipped a top-notch cabernet. From the new hilltop tasting village at 2,200 feet, we had stunning views of the surrounding vineyard, Mount Saint Helena, Mount Cobb and — if we squinted — Lake Berryessa. We had no view north, but up that way was Clear Lake, the small towns surrounding it and a whole lot of farmland.

As they say in these parts, “Clear Lake puts the country in wine country.”

When you tell San Franciscans you’re taking a trip to Clear Lake, they sometimes look at you funny. But here’s a secret: Many of the high-quality grapes from around here ultimately land in cases with Napa labels. The cabernets and sauvignon blancs from seven appellations around the lake are superior, yet tastings and bottles cost a fraction of what they do in neighboring, fancy-pants Napa. Also, reservations are easy to come by, and unlike in Napa, most of the vineyards remain owned and operated by the families who started them. 

There’s something undeniably appealing about an off-the-radar wine country, and from what people had told me, Clear Lake had more to offer than just wine. They were right. 

If you’re going to visit Clear Lake in the middle of July, be prepared for the heat. When we arrived at our lodgings, the new glamping resort Huttopia, the temperature had climbed above 100 degrees. Huttopia has more than 60 resorts across Europe, China and North America, and its recent opening on Six Sigma’s property, a 4,300-acre ranch and vineyard south of the lake, had been big news in these small towns. The luxury tent cabins are equipped with solar power, fully stocked kitchens, nice bathrooms and relaxing decks. But the walk from the parking lot to the tent cabins is long, and the cabins don’t have air conditioning.

“I’m so sorry,” I told my friend as we stripped down to our bathing suits, sweating and laughing deliriously. After dropping off our stuff, we made a beeline over the dusty path to the resort pool, which was a godsend. Although we had hoped to sample the wine at Six Sigma’s tasting room and mountain bike on the property’s trails that afternoon, we opted to remain submerged until the evening, when the heat finally relented. Back at the cabin, we agreed Huttopia would be an ideal family getaway in mild weather, and the beds were ridiculously comfortable.

Early the next morning, we headed out for some kayaking up Cache Creek. The takeoff point was Clear Lake Campground, a quaint, shaded complex on the creek that’s been around since the 1950s. Owner Lisa Wilson moved from New York City in 2011 to take it over from her parents, and in addition to hosting tent, RV and boat campers, she rents kayaks and canoes for adventuring on the creek.

Our journey began alongside Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, a marshland set aside to protect artifacts of the Pomo people, who have inhabited the region for nearly 12,000 years. Water birds glided past us as we paddled, including ospreys, mallards, herons and grebes, which build floating nests here in the early summer. The creek was thick with algae, which Wilson pointed out is healthy for the ecosystem despite the unpleasant smell. Of the 130 species of algae that live in the area, five can be dangerous to swimmers, dogs or anyone who drinks the water, and during harmful blooms, the county issues warnings that travelers should heed.

After about an hour of paddling, we reached Clear Lake, the oldest lake in North America and the biggest natural freshwater lake in California (Tahoe is bigger, but part of it lies in Nevada). There are a number of ways to enjoy the lake, including boating, Jet-Skiing, waterskiing, fishing and hiking along the shore, but kayaking there and back is definitely the most strenuous. 

We rewarded ourselves with a wine tasting and charcuterie at Brassfield Estate, a Tuscan-style village with magnificent gardens set in the unique High Valley appellation on the east side of the lake. In the afternoon, we drove up to Nice (pronounced like the town in France) to check out Clarkes Collectibles Lunchbox Museum, a former firehouse containing more than 700 vintage lunchboxes, along with old toys, dolls, carnival items and other memorabilia. Co-owner Debbie Clarke showed us around and talked excitedly about the collection, which she’s been building since 1985. 

“I like anything rare and weird,” Clarke said. “And I love meeting people who come in here. Everybody has a story about their lunchbox.”

We rose early again the next day for a hike in Clear Lake State Park, which sprawls across 590 acres on the west side of the lake. The park is a popular spot for camping, hiking, swimming and fishing, and there’s a visitor center and museum that opens on weekends. Signs along the trails warned of rattlesnakes and urged visitors to refrain from poaching Clear Lake hitch, a large, threatened minnow that once thrived in the lake. The recent, drastic decline in hitch numbers has locals arguing over the cause and calling for emergency measures, particularly because of the fish’s significance to Native American tribes.

We spent the remainder of the morning browsing the gardens at Peace & Plenty Farm, North America’s largest producer of saffron. Owners Melinda Price and Simon Avery moved to Kelseyville from San Francisco about four years ago to start the farm, which also grows flowers and lavender and hosts overnight guests in a vintage Airstream, a studio cottage and a tiny house — all of which are adorable. The couple is hard at work much of the time, especially during the labor-intensive saffron harvest, but visitors can pick up saffron lemonade and other products at the farm stand, where payment is on the honor system. The farm also hosts occasional dinners, bringing in chefs from the Bay Area to create saffron-heavy menus.

When the day started to heat up, we headed north to The Lodge at the Blue Lakes and rented an electric boat. Neither of us had ever driven one before, and we had a blast cruising around and cooling off in the deep, spring-fed lake. For dinner, we popped over to North Lake’s elegant Tallman Hotel, which was hosting its yearly distiller’s dinner on the veranda of Blue Wing Saloon, the hotel restaurant. Each tasty course arrived with a spirit; for instance, a spinach and goat cheese salad was paired with straight bourbon.

Our drive home was shorter that night, as we had relocated to Suites on Main. In downtown Kelseyville, the collection of modern, tastefully adorned apartments all offer air conditioning.

A visit to Clear Lake is incomplete without a hike up Mount Konocti, and this should be done first thing in the morning. I was keen on summiting Wright Peak, the volcano’s highest point, which required a 3-mile jaunt along a fire road with some intriguing stops along the way. Although much of the trail is exposed, it also cuts through an enchanting oak forest before arriving at the early-1900s cabin of Mary Downen, a widow who isolated herself for years and used a mirror to signal from the volcano to her family in Lakeport that she was fine.

The trail also passes the site of a 1970s plane crash, where wreckage can still be seen, and then arrives at the summit, where there’s a fire tower, along with some astounding views of the lake and surrounding agricultural lands. When I walked out on some boulders to take a photo, I ended up startling a rattlesnake, who had apparently forgotten how to use the rattle.

With exercise out of the way, the rest of the day was dedicated to wine and revelry. At Wild Diamond, the director of hospitality Dylan Blumberg showed us the fabulous new tasting room (air-conditioned!), drove us around the vineyard and plucked some “moon tears” (a semi-precious quartz) from the volcanic red soil. At Boatique Winery, we checked out the owner’s prized collection of antique wooden boats (which had recently been sold to someone in Las Vegas) and sampled wine from Red Hills AVA, which is unique for its mountain climate, volcanic soil and lack of pesticides. Then we stopped in at the Shannon Mercantile, a buzzy new tasting room with 12 wines on tap, plus a “sip and pick” zinnia garden. Our tastings concluded at Fore Family Vineyards Wine Room in downtown Kelseyville, and then we stumbled down the street to dinner at the Saw Shop Public House.

That night, Main Street was blocked off for a party called Kickin’ in the Country Street Dance, and we had every intention of going. Instead, we admitted that our adventures in Clear Lake had thoroughly exhausted us and went to bed. We headed out first thing in the morning, and while I was glad to be escaping the 100-degree weather, I had to admit it: I missed Clear Lake already.