The Best of Sonoma County

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. Each space is different and evokes a unique feeling or experience, but all contribute to the sense of creativity of Cornerstone Gardens. You can easily spend a couple of hours here, first walking through each of the garden installations and then checking out the unique shops and tasting wine. There is an outdoor sculpture garden as well. Cornerstone Sonoma is open daily 10:00-5:00, but the gardens close at 4:00. Admission and parking are free. It is located just a few minutes south of Sonoma and about 15 minutes west of Napa Valley.

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 blends. Ravenswood Winery is a really great spot in Sonoma with a laid back staff that loves nothing better than sharing their stories, their history and their knowledge. It is a great group activity as well and at the end of the day, you get to take home your own custom bottle of your very own creation.

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 Paloma Hermosa cocktail (Tres Agaves Blanco Tequila, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, fresh lime and grapefruit juices, agave nectar, and Del Maguey Vida Mezcal). The dinner menu is also intriguing.

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 the hills incline ever upward. Once nearing the meadows topping these beautiful coastal hills the incline slows and the views increase. The Russian River, the town of Jenner, and the great Pacific Ocean can be seen. Depending on the challenge and length of Hike you want there are three options available: 1. You can hike to the top enjoy the views and return down as you came, 2. You can hike up and over to Shell beach where you have parked a second car to end your hike, 3. You can make a loop from Pomo Canyon to Shell Beach and back again--possibly taking the Red Hill path on the way back. To reach Pomo Canyon Trail drive 2.5 miles up Willow Creek Road, if the Campsites are open you may park closer to the trail head, if they are closed you must park outside of the gate and walk into the camping area where the trail starts. Willow Creek Road is a small bumpy road off of Hwy 1 on the South side of the Bridge that crosses the Russian River near where Hwy 116 meets Hwy 1. This is defiantly a good challenging hike so be prepared with your hiking shoes, water, a few trail snacks, and be prepared for a shift in sun and wind. I love this trail! I always feel accomplished at having hiked it and blessed to live so close to it’s natural beauty

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 doors earlier at 2:30 or 3:00 depending on the day. If your in the area Howard’s Station Cafe is worth a visit.

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 casual, and you can bring your own picnic supplies (we stopped at Cowgirl Creamery and bought a hunk of nutty Challerhocker cheese). Order raw oysters, BBQ oysters, and oysters Rockefeller. Grab an outdoor picnic table, add in a glass of Sancerre, and the world looks pretty good.

It always feels like a different world anywhere in the beautiful Point Reyes National Seashore area, and an evening at the hidden Nick’s Cove in Marshall, will have you in love with Tomales Bay. The property was recently overhauled by a group of silent investors that purchased the cottages and the restaurant and they’ve made some phenomenal improvements. Austin Perkins is the new head chef and the genius behind the BBQ oysters. After you’ve been checked in and escorted to your cottage, a delivery of complimentary oysters arrive at your doorstep. I kept hoping the staff at reception would change so that I could check in again. The rooms are cozy and spacious and the fireplace will always be a hit on the foggy and cool evenings. Be sure to either have dinner in the restaurant/bar, or ask for take out and have the meal delivered at the end of the pier, in the famous Boathouse. I’d also recommend making arrangements to start the next morning off right, with a paddle in Tomales Bay in a kayak. Local outfitter Blue Waters Kayaking will literally meet you on the deck of your cottage (if you’re lucky enough to secure one of the rooms on the water) and show you the magic of the area, the true way it needs to be seen. You’ll need to save up (and reserve far in advance) for a room at Nick’s Cove, but the experience is worth the pretty penny.

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 variety. I love walking their stalls and getting lost in items from the past.

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 mile canoe rental through Burke’s. Yes, she survived and was rewarded to a gourmet picnic packed by her daughter and some celebratory bubbles for good measure at Korbel to finish the day. You’ll find Burke’s a mile north of tiny Forestville, CA and it’s about an hour and a half drive from San Francisco. Be sure to have brought directions with you in hand, since your phone will most likely not have a signal the deeper you get into Redwood country. The cost is $65 per canoe and you can call ahead, reserve on line or just do it when you arrive. They’ll set you up with life jackets and paddles and explain where the ‘put out’ is, where you’ll finish up and find their shuttle bus that will get you back to where you’d parked. The joy of this self guided expedition lies in the timing being entirely up to you. Picnic, swim, sunbathe at beaches along the stretch of this beautiful river. You’ll be able to view wildlife such as otter, Great Blue Heron, osprey, turtles, egret, and more. Make a canoe trip on the Russian River a part of your next California wine country adventure, you’ll love it! Pack that sunscreen and plenty of water.

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 State. There is some epic cycling in and around this fabulous bakery and it’s where we began a dear friend’s 60 mile ‘birthday bakery ride’. This means we also had the chance to come back to Wildflour at the end of the ride and yes, the delicious delights were even better the second time around. Wildflour is cozy and a great place for coffee and something made from flour. They’re only open Friday through Monday and the hours are 8:30 am to 6 pm each of those days. Thank you Tom Petty for letting me borrow your song for my title (and the slight adjustment I had to make to it).

The Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area represents more than 15,000 acres of tidal sloughs, baylands, and wetland habitats that serve as resting points for migrating birds and are home to hundreds of waterfowl and other creatures on the edge of San Pablo Bay. Because of its vast size, there are many spots from which to experience the area. Some of the more popular portions are the Napa River, Huichica Creek, and White Slough down by American Canyon. The best way to explore the marshes is by kayak or boat; the public boat ramp at Cuttings Wharf south of Napa is the most accessible place to launch.

Point Reyes is a special location with hiking trails, historic farms, and the small towns of Inverness and Point Reyes Station with lovely local food finds and little shops. To get to the lighthouse just follow the road signs from Inverness, and walk the trail from the parking lot. The day this photo was taken was one of those misty foggy days with bright patches of sun. On the walk to the light house we saw deer grazing, wild flowers blooming, and mist dripping from the trees. Once we reached the point we were in a bright sunny patch all to the right we saw a blanket of fog below us laying on the water, to the left was bright blue waters and sunny skies, and to our great surprise whales in the water!! Whales swim pass the area from march to early may and if you want to take the chance you may get a glimpse of them. The whale sighting was the highlight to our already beautiful day.