A day trip or overnighter in Sonoma County is a great getaway for those seeking a brief respite from city life. With less than 500,000 residents in an area totaling 1,768 square miles, Sonoma will give you a break from population density in favor of a plunge into the real beauty of California.
And, oh yes, there is wine. While a few recommendations for vino are offered here, get the ultimate personalized experience by hitting up the free Wine Road Concierge Service. Fill out the online form and let them know what type of wine drinker you are (from newbie to expert) and what types of amenities you’re after (picnic area, food pairings, quirkiness, etc.) and you’ll be served a potential itinerary culled from the Wine Road Association’s 150 wineries and 50 lodgings in Sonoma County.
Read on to find out where to get your own blend of wine, a scoop of juniper ice cream, a plate of crab tater tots, a roll of puffy stickers and more:
Scoop Up Some Pie and Ice Cream
Noble Folk Ice Cream and Pie Bar, also in Healdsburg, is reminiscent of SF’s Humphry Slocombe in terms of adventure, with flavors like juniper honey and blackberry rosemary. Toppings here also tiptoe into unusual territory such as edible flowers and bee pollen. No Secret Breakfast, but there is an obvious send-up here called Cornflake Maple. (See photo above)
Follow the Cheese Trail
If you are feeling like a dairy queen, print out the Marin-Sonoma Cheese Trail map and embark on as much of the self-guided 50-mile driving tour of farms and businesses as your Lactaid supply will allow. The journey will take you from Petaluma to Sonoma to Sebastopol if you follow it all the way through.
Tour a Sticker Factory
Mrs. Grossman’s totally ruled the ’80s, inventing the stickers on a roll that were a must-have for every young lady. Turns out the company is right in Petaluma, and you can tour the factory, which is a lot of fun for both kids and crafty adults since you get a bunch of stickers and an art project to do at the end. Warning: There is a short introductory video that has some weird religious overtones. But you can get puffy stickers later! Do note that the factory is only open Monday through Thursday.
Drink in a 90-Year-Old Watering Hole
Established in 1923, Ernie’s Tin Bar (5100 Lakeville Highway, Petaluma) is a very old bar set inside a structure that was once a gas station. Stop here to really kick-start the feeling of being away from the bustle of the city. With $2.50 drafts and rules against using your cellphone inside (break the rule, you buy the bar a round), it’ll also feel like a few steps back in time.
Find a Park
Sonoma County has more than 50 of them! If you’re going to put in the work of hiking, why not end at a private beach cove or freshwater wetland? The Sonoma Parks Department has a handy map with a breakdown of highlights at a glance from each location.
Discover Themed Tasting Rooms
DeLoach Vineyards is an odd and old place with some of the quirkiest new private tasting rooms around, including a disco-themed one with crazy wigs you can wear and a really weird one with freaky seventeenth-century Marie Antoinette-styled mannequins – and mannequin parts. It’s got a cool customization program called the M.F.S. Blending Experience where you can make and take home your own Pinot Noir blend with a label you design. The kitchen here is quite skilled and you can also just stop in and get a wood-fired pizza and glass of wine for $15.
Drink Wine and Feed Turtles
Grab a glass at Cline Cellars in Sonoma and head outside to the pond, where turtles loll around and carp have been breeding since the nineteenth century. A quarter will buy you a few handfuls of food to feed the big fishies, the little minnows, and the turtles.
Eat Awesome Mexican Food
If you frequent the Primavera food booth at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco, you are already addicted to the chilaquiles, tamales, and other dishes from El Molino Central (11 Central Avenue, Sonoma). It’s time to make the pilgrimage to the source.
Stroll a Botanical Garden
Pretend you’re at a faraway land at the Quarryhill Botanical Garden in Glen Ellen. Established in 1987, the garden is home to one of the largest collections of wild-source Asian plants in North America. There are 25 acres of ponds, waterfalls, trees, and flowers to explore.
Acquire Crab Tater Tots
Chalkboard in Healdsburg is a fairly new spot for playful small plates of beef tartare, pork belly biscuits and – most important – crab tater tots. Henceforth all tater tots shall be Dungeness’d – because you’re not going to want to go back to the ordinary ones. This is a good place to stop for a quick nibble or a more involved spread.
Photos: Quarryhill Botanical Garden photo by Jessica Sarahs/Flickr. Chalkboard, Cline Cellars and DeLoach Vineyards photos by Tamara Palmer Mrs. Grossman’s photo by Molly Stevens/Flickr. Noble Folk photo by Noble Folk. El Molino Central photo by El Molino Central.