Want to publish a book? All you need is a laptop.

But Eric Johnson prefers to do it the old-fashioned way, setting type letter by letter and cranking out pages on a press operated by hand or with a foot pedal. Some writers, poets and graphic artists find it much more expressive and satisfying to print small-edition books, posters and graphic art by hand, and Johnson’s Iota Press in Sebastopol makes it possible.

In an age when computers rule and faster is considered better, advocates of the classic letterpress have become used to being asked why they bother with it.

“I could have 3,000 ‘friends’ on Facebook, Twitter and other online platforms, but it’s the one, two or 10 who take quality time to sit down over tea that matter in the end,” Santa Rosa artist Cheryl Itamura explained. “So why not take the time to handset type, and print 10 copies of a book, or perhaps just one?”

Johnson, a poet who earned his living as a Bay Area construction worker, turned his attention to printing after his retirement 10 years ago, and started Iota five years ago.

“This is not a commercial print shop. We don’t do wedding invitations or business cards,” said Johnson, 71, who has six letterpresses and tray after tray of type in his small shop, some of it dating back to the Civil War.

“I teach workshop classes on the fundamentals of press work almost year-round. After people have taken three courses with me, I’ll let them rent time in the shop. But they have to learn how to use the presses first.

“For a writer, getting your hands into your composition is a real trip. It’s a kind of editing. You think you’ve got something that’s really well-written and then you go to the press and start setting type, and then right in the midst of it, you start rewriting.”

The thing about parks with great views is that hikers often have to endure a heart-pounding climb to reach those heights.

But Sonoma’s newest gem of a park, North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, is different. Sure, you’ll huff and puff on the main trail inside the 820-acre park near Glen Ellen, yet there are options for those less inclined to exert themselves.

The elevation gain on the 4.5-mile main trail has numerous switchbacks through deciduous forests and across grasslands. About 2 miles in, the vista opens up to a breathtaking view of northern Sonoma Valley, the Santa Rosa Plain and several prominent landmarks, including Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Hood Mountain and Mount St. Helena.

The preserve, located about 3 miles up Sonoma Mountain Road from Bennett Valley Road, abuts Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen, offering hikers, runners and equestrians unfettered access to both outdoor settings. Together, the conjoined parks have roughly 25 miles of trails, making it easy to get lost for the day.

Not looking for that kind of adventure? In addition to the preserve’s main trail, there’s a wheelchair-accessible vista point above the park entrance. The Umbrella Tree Trail, which is three-quarters of a mile long and leads to a lone bay tree and picnic spot with views of Santa Rosa and Bennett Valley, is another option. There also are several creekside tables in the redwood grove at the Ridge Trail footbridge.

Healdsburg is abuzz about the new Paul Mahder Gallery, an 8,500-square-foot art space that’s so like a museum that visitors often ask if there is a charge for meandering through the collections. Once Mahder welcomes them, many spend an hour or more absorbing the splendor, with no admission charge.

“This is my sacred space, where people come to be moved and to see something that touches their souls,” Mahder said. “I think artists are today’s prophets. They are the ones speaking to us about what life is supposed to be about.”

Despite its museum-like allure, the gallery sells the works at prices ranging from $350 to — get ready — $280,000. Mahder represents 27 artists from the around the world, including the late abstract expressionist Hans Burkhardt. Most of the work is contemporary and includes Mahder’s own fine-art photography.

His space gives Healdsburg a fresh art-scene cachet. There are 23 galleries to visit, from the talent-filled Upstairs Gallery quaintly tucked above the Levin & Co. bookstore on the plaza, to Mahder’s massive off-plaza, Manhattan-esque space that includes paintings, sculpture, digital images and drawings.

There are two large main galleries and several smaller viewing areas. The space is notable for its soaring black ceilings with skylights, and charcoal-stained floors Mahder spent a month and a half sanding himself, on hands and knees. It’s said to be the largest single-floor gallery in California.

Mahder, who also owns a gallery in San Francisco, has become a good new neighbor to Healdsburg, donating the new space for nonprofit events. The gallery is also available to rent for weddings, meetings and parties. Book it before what’s bound to be a rush.

A new venue is jazzing up Petaluma’s live-music scene, showcasing jazz and blues bands almost every night.

Located across the alley from Speakeasy Bistro (its sister establishment), The Big Easy isn’t, well, easy to spot. Its sign is nearly invisible, and the club’s interior is hidden from the view of passers-by. Even the building’s dungeon façade (it previously housed a fetish shop) is unlikely to attract much attention after dark. It’s all part of the Prohibition-era vibe: low ceilings, dim lighting and a cave-like, underground feel.

The venue features Bay Area brews on tap, local wines and a menu of tapas and small-plate fare from Speakeasy. The club’s main attraction, however, is the music, which ranges from gypsy jazz to blues. Recent acts have included southern soul artist Eric Lindell and jazz organist Wayne De La Cruz.

The club also boasts a 1957 Hammond B-3 organ, a favorite model of jazz musicians. “The only other club I know of locally that has one is the Boom Boom Room in San Francisco,” Big Easy owner Roger Tschann said.

Opening a music venue was a natural step for Tschann; in the early 1990s, he founded Grizzly Studios in Petaluma and has recorded thousands of CDs for North Bay bands.

“I’ve always wanted to have a cool little club like this,” he said, “where local and not-so-local musicians can showcase their talents.”