How many days in Sonoma?? help please!
Feb 16th, 2006, 04:40 PM
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Hi zialot, having no idea how long you have for your trip and where you are coming from and where else you want to go that is a hard question to answer.
If you stay two nights you will have one full day without either arriving or departing which is always nice. If you stay three nights you will have two full days without either arriving or departing. And of course if you just stay one night you will arrive one day and depart the next which does not give a lot of time for what you would like to do. Do enjoy your time in this beautiful area of Northern California!
If you stay two nights you will have one full day without either arriving or departing which is always nice. If you stay three nights you will have two full days without either arriving or departing. And of course if you just stay one night you will arrive one day and depart the next which does not give a lot of time for what you would like to do. Do enjoy your time in this beautiful area of Northern California!
Feb 17th, 2006, 05:48 AM
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Some specifics would help, however, if you want to splurge try the Ledson Inn downtown on the Square. Owned the winery of the same name (also worth a trip). We typically stay 3 or 4 nights & stay over on the Coast near Jenner or Mendocino. I will be happy to offer other winery suggestions + there is a great/unusual spa, take a look at www.osmosis.com.
Feb 17th, 2006, 02:47 PM
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Sorry for the vague post - we are going to try 8 days and do Carmel/Sonoma/San Fran or Sonoma/Yosemite/San Fran. I want to have enough time in Sonoma to visit wineries, do some shopping and relax, and I've read other posts where people say that 3 days is too long, which surprised me.
WE were looking at the Inn at Sonoma or a place in Healdsburg.
Thanks!
WE were looking at the Inn at Sonoma or a place in Healdsburg.
Thanks!
Feb 17th, 2006, 06:11 PM
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You won't be sorry if you stay in Sonoma for two days, not counting your arrival and departure times.
I am a native of the town. Of course it has changed a lot since I lived there, but it, to me, is still a wonderful place. I think you will find it charming.
The Inn at Sonoma is new to me, but I have seen its website and it impresses me. First of all, it is only a couple of blocks from the Plaza, which is an 11-acre space from the Mexican days, with many of the original adobe buildings, including barracks and hotels, still standing.
I would suggest a trip to the Buena Vista Winery, a small one a mile or so from town. This is where a Hungarian count, whose name is spelled something like "Haraszthy" brought the first European wine grapes to California. The last time I was there, an elderly gentleman gave a short, but really interesting historical tour. It is in a lovely location, so if the weather is warm, pick up some picnic supplies at the Cheese Factory on the plaza (which is an architectural anomoly) and enjoy a picnic on one of the tables outside the winery.
If you are interested in history, find the Depot museum, a block north of the Plaza. It is charming. The adobes around the north side of the Plaza also have historical information and interesting things to buy.
Then there is Lachryma Montis, (tears fot the mountain....there is a spring here), General Vallejo's estate. It is a state historic parek. Drive west down Spain Street until you find the gate. Just past the gate is the restaurant The General's Daughter, in the house which the General built for, yes, his daughter.
In Glen Ellen is Jack London State Park, where you can view the remains of his Wolf House, which burned just before it was finished, and visit a small museum.
Right near here is the Benziger Winery, which gives an excellent tour. And, if you drive north on Hwy 12 towards Santa Rosa you will encounter many wineries. One of my favoites is Kunde Estates, where they have a tunnel carved into the limestone hill, for storing and curing the wine. It was built by the same technology as the Chunnel between England and France, and ends in a dining room with a stained glass (lighted) window.
I would definitely choose Sonoma over Healdsburg...which is a very interesting town, granted, and has some nice wineries around it, but lacks the depth, I think.
There are many restaurants in Sonoma with good reputations. Another is the Girl and the Fig.
Shopping...around the Plaza, unlike when I was growing up there and we had shoemakers. pharmacies, grocery stores, department stores, etc....are some really interesting stores.
Enough, enough.
You get my pitch, I think. Enjoy
I am a native of the town. Of course it has changed a lot since I lived there, but it, to me, is still a wonderful place. I think you will find it charming.
The Inn at Sonoma is new to me, but I have seen its website and it impresses me. First of all, it is only a couple of blocks from the Plaza, which is an 11-acre space from the Mexican days, with many of the original adobe buildings, including barracks and hotels, still standing.
I would suggest a trip to the Buena Vista Winery, a small one a mile or so from town. This is where a Hungarian count, whose name is spelled something like "Haraszthy" brought the first European wine grapes to California. The last time I was there, an elderly gentleman gave a short, but really interesting historical tour. It is in a lovely location, so if the weather is warm, pick up some picnic supplies at the Cheese Factory on the plaza (which is an architectural anomoly) and enjoy a picnic on one of the tables outside the winery.
If you are interested in history, find the Depot museum, a block north of the Plaza. It is charming. The adobes around the north side of the Plaza also have historical information and interesting things to buy.
Then there is Lachryma Montis, (tears fot the mountain....there is a spring here), General Vallejo's estate. It is a state historic parek. Drive west down Spain Street until you find the gate. Just past the gate is the restaurant The General's Daughter, in the house which the General built for, yes, his daughter.
In Glen Ellen is Jack London State Park, where you can view the remains of his Wolf House, which burned just before it was finished, and visit a small museum.
Right near here is the Benziger Winery, which gives an excellent tour. And, if you drive north on Hwy 12 towards Santa Rosa you will encounter many wineries. One of my favoites is Kunde Estates, where they have a tunnel carved into the limestone hill, for storing and curing the wine. It was built by the same technology as the Chunnel between England and France, and ends in a dining room with a stained glass (lighted) window.
I would definitely choose Sonoma over Healdsburg...which is a very interesting town, granted, and has some nice wineries around it, but lacks the depth, I think.
There are many restaurants in Sonoma with good reputations. Another is the Girl and the Fig.
Shopping...around the Plaza, unlike when I was growing up there and we had shoemakers. pharmacies, grocery stores, department stores, etc....are some really interesting stores.
Enough, enough.
You get my pitch, I think. Enjoy
Feb 17th, 2006, 06:52 PM
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There are over 200 bonded wineries in Sonoma County.
After you have visited three or four wineries and sampled their offerings, I'm certain you will be able to "hit" a lot more wineries, especially if you travel in a zigzag pattern. (Just kidding!
)
How much time to spend in Sonoma County? Two days at a minimum and a lifetime may not be enough at a maximum.
There are three major valleys: Russian River, Alexander, and Dry Creek, and also some "lesser" valleys, like the Valley of the Moon which form the "Sonoma County Wine Region". Check out wineroad.com for a great deal of information on the Sonoma Wine Country.
It's difficult to suggest which wineries to visit as everyone's tastes differ. You've gotten some excellent suggestions. I'd add Ferrari-Carano and Sovereign for great buildings and grounds; Roshambo for modern art; Armida and Raymond Burr for lovely "smaller" vineyards with fantastic views; Iron Horse for great view and good champagne; J for incomparable pairings of their wine with food; Hop Kiln for a funky place and terrific olive oil - well, I'd better stop.
Oh, one more thing - if you can make it: go to Sonoma the first weekend of March for what I consider the best barrel-tasting event in California!
Welcome to our bountiful state! Where, BTW, 80% of the US tree nuts is produced, including almost all the almonds, pistachios, and walnuts; where 1/2 of the US fruit acreage is located; where an unbelievable amount of fresh vegetables is also produced - so when you get tired of sampling wine, you can migrate your tastebuds to other products - Enjoy!
After you have visited three or four wineries and sampled their offerings, I'm certain you will be able to "hit" a lot more wineries, especially if you travel in a zigzag pattern. (Just kidding!
)How much time to spend in Sonoma County? Two days at a minimum and a lifetime may not be enough at a maximum.
There are three major valleys: Russian River, Alexander, and Dry Creek, and also some "lesser" valleys, like the Valley of the Moon which form the "Sonoma County Wine Region". Check out wineroad.com for a great deal of information on the Sonoma Wine Country.
It's difficult to suggest which wineries to visit as everyone's tastes differ. You've gotten some excellent suggestions. I'd add Ferrari-Carano and Sovereign for great buildings and grounds; Roshambo for modern art; Armida and Raymond Burr for lovely "smaller" vineyards with fantastic views; Iron Horse for great view and good champagne; J for incomparable pairings of their wine with food; Hop Kiln for a funky place and terrific olive oil - well, I'd better stop.
Oh, one more thing - if you can make it: go to Sonoma the first weekend of March for what I consider the best barrel-tasting event in California!
Welcome to our bountiful state! Where, BTW, 80% of the US tree nuts is produced, including almost all the almonds, pistachios, and walnuts; where 1/2 of the US fruit acreage is located; where an unbelievable amount of fresh vegetables is also produced - so when you get tired of sampling wine, you can migrate your tastebuds to other products - Enjoy!
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