Beyond the wineries - Sonoma vacation information, advice and Tips!

[swift]

There is so much to do and see in Sonoma County beyond the wineries especially if you enjoy the outdoors. I am in the process of putting together a list of things to do, places to see and links to access information for Sonoma County. For now I wanted to give you guys a heads up for a special pricing discount for the Gravenstein Apple Fair. If anyone is going to be around in August this is a lot of fun.

http://travel.sonomacounty.com/1390_attraction-tickets_a802.html

 

[fillde]

Thanks Swifty. Heading to Windsor next week. Give me some ideas other than wineries. I have an 18 year old. We will go to Bodega Bay. Any other hiking or sightseeing in the area.

 

[Liz Wolf-Spada]

Therese, do people still canoe the Russian River from Healdsburg to Guerneville? That would be something I would put in the recommendations. Also, Armstrong Woods for the redwoods.
Liz

 

[swift]

Therese, do people still canoe the Russian River from Healdsburg to Guerneville? That would be something I would put in the recommendations. Also, Armstrong Woods for the redwoods.
Liz

Yes, canoeing is a great idea. -- http://www.riversedgekayakandcanoe.com/index.htm

Thanks Swifty. Heading to Windsor next week. Give me some ideas other than wineries. I have an 18 year old. We will go to Bodega Bay. Any other hiking or sightseeing in the area.

So is Kayaking in Bodega -- http://www.bodegabaykayak.com/

More Kayaking - Kayaking in Point Reyes, Tomales Bay, the Petaluma River,and the San Francisco Bay
http://www.clavey.com/index.php?cPath=2_191

If you are in Bodega on a Friday between the hours of 2 - 4pm you can tour the Bodega Marine Laboratory
http://www.bml.ucdavis.edu/index.html

Go horseback riding along the coast.
http://www.chanslortrailrides.com/Horse_N_Around_Trail_Rides.html

On a clear day you can see San Francisco on your hike of Hood Mountain.
http://www.sonoma-county.org/parks/p_trails.htm
http://www.parks.sonoma.net/sugarlf.html

Stay a little later and go to the Robert Ferguson Observatory
http://www.sonoma-county.org/points/misc_ferguson_observatory.htm
http://www.rfo.org/

Foothill and Shilo are some easy local hikes.
Another hike I enjoy in Sonoma is Jack London
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=478

Of course you can't miss Armstrong Woods
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=450
http://www.redwoodhorses.com/

For more hiking and group outdoor activities check out this site. You can also click on "Favorite Hikes" and it will give you info on hikes such as miles and difficulty levels.
http://www.northbayhikes.com/

Zip along the top of forest with a Canopy Tour
http://www.sonomacanopytours.com/index.php

Visit some of the many farms on the Sonoma County Farm Trail
http://www.farmtrails.org/
http://www.kozlowskifarms.com/visitfarm
http://sebastopolberryfarm.blogspot.com/

Have some pie at Mom's Apple Pie
http://www.momsapplepieusa.com/

Eat at the French Garden Restaurant and Bistro
http://www.frenchgardenrestaurant.com/index.html
or Zazu Restaurant
http://www.zazurestaurant.com/

Have a picnic and taste some cheese at The Cheese Factory
http://www.marinfrenchcheese.com/ComeVisit/Overview.aspx

Have a lunch, play some pool and enjoy a beer at McNears then walk the local shops and the river front in Petaluma
http://www.mcnears.com/
http://www.visitpetaluma.com/Default.asp

Guided bus tours are offered throught the Petaluma KOA campground. Visitors do not have to be staying at the campground to sign up. Call for information and reservations 707-763-1492 or 800-992-2267

For the young ones or those that are into scrapbooking take a tour of Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Factory and come home with a bag full of stickers.
http://www.mrsgrossmans.com/

Treat yourself to a Cedar Enzyme Bath
http://www.osmosis.com/cedar-enzyme-bath/

NASCAR fans ---15 miles East of Petaluma is the Infineon Raceway (formerly Sears Point)
http://www.infineonraceway.com/

Enjoy the Windsor Town Green evening events on Tuesday and Thursday nights and the Farmers Market on Sunday mornings. Have a cup of Joe at Cafe Noto's while you are there.
http://www.ci.windsor.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=338

There is always an event going on somewhere. This is a link to the local paper where they are often listed.
http://events.pressdemocrat.com/

Catch a play or go to a concert at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts.
http://wellsfargocenterarts.org/
or in the summer catch them at SRJC
http://www.summerrep.com/contact.html
or during the school year catch a performance at Sonoma State University
http://www.sonoma.edu/performingarts/index.shtml

Visit the local planetarium.
http://www.santarosa.edu/planetarium/index.html

Check out our local Safari at Safari West
http://www.safariwest.com/

Besides wine tasting we also have Olive Oil tasting.
http://drycreekolivecompany.com/tasting-room/
http://www.mcevoyranch.com/html/ranch.html

If you are here at the right time in June go to the Sonoma Lavender Festival. It is a real treat.
http://www.sonomalavender.com/festival.html

This may sound a little odd but it can be quite fun. A little North of Windsor is the small town of Hopland. Up there you can visit the Solar Living Institute. You can go on a little tour of the place, have a picnic lunch and shop some interesting items in their store.
http://www.solarliving.org/display.asp?catid=50&pageid=35
This should get you started.


P.S. Out of San Francisco or Sausalito you can go whale watching - http://www.oceanicsociety.org/whale-watching-farallon-islands

 

[Liz Wolf-Spada]

I love your list. Hopefully we will get a week in Windsor sometime and do these things. How about all the great junk sculptures in downtown Sebastapol? I thought they were amazing!
Liz

 

[DaveNV]

How about a bit of sightseeing at the house that was the schoolhouse in the movie "The Birds?" It's right in Bodega.

That was where schoolteacher Suzanne Pleshette bought it on the front steps. Creepy movie still bugs me when I see a wild flock of seagulls milling around...

Dave

 

[fillde]

Thank you Theresa and others. I will report back in 2 weeks.

 

[Hawaiibarb]

What great resources!

I was about to ask for suggestions when I saw the sticky.....thank you so much! I just got confirmation for the Worldmark Wine Country for September, and I will put your suggestions to very good use!

Barb

 

[fillde]

Replying Late

Bodega Bay was excellent. Still have memories of the views of the Pacific. I remember a nice restraunt in town called the Tides. Great views and fresh fish. Bring a jacket, the weather is much cooler than Sonoma.

We hiked Jack Londen and saw the tall redwoods in Armstong Woods. Mom's apple pie was delicious.

Went to many wineries. One that stands out was B R Cohn winery in Sonoma. Excellent wine and olive oil and memorbilia from the Doobie Brothers. B R Cohn was the manager of the brothers many years ago.

Sonoma was very relaxing and the Worldmark is a great place to stay.

 

[swift]

Took a 10 mile canoe trip along the Russian River on Fathers Day weekend using Burks Canoes. Had a great trip. Highly recommend it.

 

[swift]

Unfortunately due to State budget cuts some of the parks have been closed. One of my favorites was the Jack London State Park. How ever, it has been reopened to use its unique beauty and setting for outdoor plays. If you are here between July and September I recommend planing an evening outing here.

http://www.transcendencetheatre.org/event-info.html#Wonderful

 

[presley]

This stickied thread is 5 years old. Does anyone have an recent information? I am assuming a lot has changed in 5 years.