The Best of Sonoma County

Scribe winery founded by 2 young brothers is making Sonoma hip. Appointment only tasting under the trees, 20 ft swings, outdoor dinners with some of the best SF chefs, prohibition era hacienda to become the new tasting room, and just pure hipness...

Ramekins Culinary is a great spot located in downtown Sonoma with a wide variety of activities including a cooking school, but it is also a B&B. It has a beautiful terrace for meals outside.

Cornerstone Sonoma is a collection of shops, galleries, and gardens that offers an unusual experience in the Sonoma wine country. The series of walk-through gardens showcase the work of some of the world's best landscape architects and designers....

You can spend days and days drinking wine in Northern California's wine country. But why not try your own hand at blending some of the region's liquid gold? It is a fun way to learn about the properties of wine and your own personal preferences on...

Picture this. You're with your friends. You've gone hiking in the glorious Armstrong Redwoods. Then, you've gone to Sonoma Coast State Beach to watch the sun melt into the horizon for the last time that year. Then you go and eat delicious Indian...

I came across the fig cafe accidentaly. Drove through beautiful Glen Ellen and stopped there for brunch.And I'm so happy that i did!

the fig cafe has all the rightingredients! beautiful location, warm welcoming ambiance and fantastic food.

I had...

After a day spent floating down the Russian River, happy hour at Mateo's hit the spot. We grabbed seats at the colorful bar and ordered tacones stuffed with olive oil guacamole and black bean puree with homemade chorizo. I paired the food with a...

What I love about Sonoma County, California is its dramatic contrasts. That one moment you're sipping on wine in a cozy tasting room on the square in Healdsburg Plaza and the next you're hiking around Lake Sonoma with views like this. The overlook...

There are numerous wonderful wine tasting locations in Healdsburg. It is both possible and enjoyable to spend an afternoon walking around the square meandering from tasting to tasting. A small gem of a tasting room just a block off the square is...

Pomo Canyon Hike goes through redwoods, over wind swept coastal hills. and lands you at ocean waves. The beauty and challenge of this hike is that you must hike up to be rewarded with gorgeous views. The most challenging part is near the start as...

Ragle Ranch is used well be locals as a family friendly park with soccer fields, baseball fields, sand volley ball, tennis courts, playgrounds, and picnic areas. In addition to all this there are local trails. The hikes are neither to long nor...

When I venture in or near the little town of Occidental Howard's Station Cafe is my favorite place to visit. Either to grab a coffee or smoothie for the road or to sit and linger over a great simple local meal. Bring cash and know they close their...

We stopped in to Flying Goat Coffee in Healdsburg to feed our caffeine fix during a day of wine touring. The coffee was terrific, and the highlight was definitely my aztec mocha. It was spicy with just the right amount of chocolatey coffee...

It's no Mt. Hood in Oregon, yet Sonoma's Hood Mountain is one of the area's best hikable mountains because of its views like this across Santa Rosa. The best view being a few miles into the park at Gunsight Rock, which on a clear day, visitors may...

The hike through Jack London State Historic Park to the top of Sonoma Mountain runs through redwood groves, meadows, and vineyards. Vigorous blackberry bushes provide some sustenance -- but bring water, because it gets hot up there in the summer....

North of the little town of Point Reyes Station, the Marshall Store sits on the banks of Tomales Bay. I've been coming here for years after hiking or horseback riding or walking on the beach in Point Reyes National Seashore. The place is super...

Sonoma and Napa counties have hundreds of wineries that have tasting rooms set among the golden hills of the area. It's rare to find a winery where you can enjoy this scenery as much as the wine served in the tasting room. At Chateau St. Jean,...

Last year Copain Winery in Sonoma started hosting guest chef dinners at its tasting room as part of a Supper Club Series. Copain's winemaker, Wells Guthrie, reaches out to some of his favorite chefs and sommeliers, like Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan...

This is another place I immediately return to when I'm in the Bay Area. It's a cheese lover's temple! I loved this salad pictured that I had. It was also my first picture of San Francisco! I must say that the Mount Tam is one of my favourite...

Since I’m still relatively new to San Francisco, I’m still discovering all of the amazing places just outside of the city. Every weekend I try to hop in a car and explore. My latest discovery is Nick’s Cove, a restaurant and cottages located in a...

If you drive south of Sebastopol on highway 116, also known as Gravenstein highway South, you will find a string of Antique stores. While each of them holds their own special finds, the Antique Society is by far the largest and holds the most...

The Russian River Valley in Sonoma County is a wonderful day trip from San Francisco. Pack a picnic and reserve a raft from SOAR Inflatables, and spend a summer day moseying down the river. Go early or late in the season to avoid crowds and have...

What a great way to spend a spring day in the Bay Area. Hog Island in Tamales Bay has very tasty oysters, a fun staff and a very friendly, comfortable environ. It used to be solely shuck it yourself and bring your own beverages. Although that is...

My mother is such a good sport when she visits. She knows I have to be constantly moving outside to feel alive and on this visit, I thought a fun way to be active in the wine country region of the Russian River, would be to take her out on a 10...

Explore the natural beauty of West Marin, with plenty of small towns to explore. At Point Reyes Station, stop at the CowGirl Creamery to grab a picnic lunch while exploring the small shops, or head to Point Reyes National Seashore. Later stop in...

Jack London State Historic Park has two faces--there is the history and homes of Jack London, and then there is the land that drew him here. Beyond the museum and homes there is a full day of hiking through meadows, vineyards, orchards, and...

The Hog Island Oyster Farm website says it's open rain or shine, and they're not kidding. Lucky for us, we arrived at this funky roadside shack on the shores of Tomales Bay minutes before the skies opened up, giving us just enough time to devour...

Sugarloaf Ridge State Park has numerous hiking trails from mellow meadow trails that are great for nature walks with kids, to heavier hikes up to the vistas of Bald Mountain. There are also family friendly camping grounds and an observatory for...

Nothing says fall like apple picking in the sunshine :) Twin Hill is an adorable gem we just found north of the city. After you've filled your bags break out a picnic of breads and cheeses to feast upon (washed down with wine, of course) on the...

The pace is a little slower and the number of wineries hit in a day may not be all that's on the list, but biking around Sonoma wine country is a free-flowing, active way to wind through these Sonoma country roads and wineries. Start at Wine...

This treasure of a bakery is in a town called Freestone (near Sebastopol) and off a road called the Bohemian Highway, meaning that this is already as California as it gets and an absolute must-see for anyone exploring the coast of the Golden...

Make Matanzas Creek Winery a must see destination on your next trip to Sonoma County, especially if you can get there during the month of June when the lavender is in full bloom and the air is rich with the calm hum of friendly honey bees grazing....

Start the day off right in Point Reyes Station with coffee and a scone at the Bovine Bakery. There's loads of bicycle parking in the park to the right of the bakery and cyclists come in from every direction, to fuel up at this same intersection....