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For many people, Portland is fondly associated with food trucks, craft beer, and the hilarious antics of Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen. (Oh, and that recent head-scratching occupation by ICE agents.) It’s an eclectic, artistic city with no shortage of fermented pickles and IPAs. To peg Portland as just a fun and funky place, however, would be to miss out on the high level of finesse and intention operating there on multiple levels.

Beautiful things are happening this week. Witness the return of Flower Piano and gawk at floral displays in a Filoli exhibit inspired by The Gilded Age; give back at volunteer events at Sunset Dunes and in the Embarcadero; and get inspired all around town with shows and performances in SoMa, Dogpatch, Oakland, and the Presidio. Jump ahead to this week's top events: Be the main character at Filoli's "Fleurs de Villes." Have a good one.

High above Wine Country, an Italianate villa crowns the Mayacamas Mountains. On one side, the Tuscan-style estate faces a small, private vineyard bound by a broad green lawn where deer graze in the twilight hours. On the other, the patio of a large pool with a sunken hot tub is lined with swooping loungers; a dreamy, vine-strung pergola hangs over a massive dining table next to a bocce ball court. Villa Nel Bosco(Courtesy of BeautifulPlaces) Villa Nel Bosco isn’t a hotel.

Snoopy and the Peanuts gang are the stars of the show at events in both NYC and Santa Rosa. Plus, get your glow on at Jones Road Beauty’s new Palo Alto store, ready your totes for San Anselmo’s chicest flea market, and hit up a fashion show featuring pre-loved looks in Hayes Valley. Who knew Snoopy was bicoastal? Peanuts fans, clear your calendars. (Courtesy of Snoopy in Style NYC) Everybody’s favorite beagle has a very dapper date with New York Fashion Week.

Most people, including us, didn’t even realize there were hotel rooms here. It was a roadhouse, known more for its long history, hearty food, and fun times. But it fit our budget and the proximity to Santa Cruz, where we had to be super early the next day to sling caffeine from the coffee shop we just opened on Mission Street a couple months before. Almost exactly fifteen years later, a lot has changed.

Fuel up with a visit to the new Cinderella Bakery and Café and lunch specials at MKT and on Santana Row. Get inspired at a mini film festival of SF local history, a reimagined The Girl of the Golden West opera, and the World Arts West Dance Festival in the Presidio. Getting out for Labor Day? Stroll through dahlia blooms in Mendo or feast on a seafood buffet on the Sonoma Coast. Jump ahead to this week's top events: Check out the OMCA for an after hours First Friday party. Stroll the Castro Art Walk.

Llisa Demetrios, chief curator of the institute and the granddaughter of Charles and his first wife, says all kinds of people sign up to walk through the collection—some superfans and some who have barely heard of the signature Eames chairs. Education, she says, starts right away with an image on the wall. The new Welcome Center at the Eames Institute “There are some people who come on the tour and think that Ray and Charles are brothers,” Demetrios says.

During the annual event’s 11th anniversary this September 10th through 20th, 12 pianos will be spread out across the plant collections spanning the garden’s 55 acres. Each will host a wide range of scheduled professional and community partner performances, along with time for open play, when anyone is invited to sit down at the keys. “Flower Piano is a gift to all of us. There is no other event quite like it,” says Dean Mermell, who co-founded the event with Mauro ffortissimo.

#FloatTrip means a party on the water for you and all your friends, your swan and rainbow rafts all tied together so everyone can reach the cooler. Time to pack those White Claws and crowd your feed with the last of your #summertime selfies. (Courtesy of @bmastagram) Your float. Decide if you want to rent or buy a tube (keep reading for recommendations on local shops to hit up for gear). We strongly recommend one with a mesh bottom, headrest, and cup holder for maximum relaxation.

Five years after the discovery of gold in the Sierra foothills, the patina of Gold Rush fever had worn thin. Prices were bottoming out, banks were failing, and prospectors and the businesses that preyed on them were declaring bankruptcy left and right. Disillusioned by the quickly fading California dream, a group of men gathered with the goal of making a positive contribution to the struggling city.