Hi, about 8 of my girlfriends and I are planning a trip to go to either Sonoma or Napa for our 30 year old B-days. Any recommendations? We are from Southern California and most of us have not been up there before.

First, check out the cheap flights on Horizon Air from LAX to Sonoma County Airport. Rent cars at the airport. You can get a map showing all the wineries at the airport or on line. If you want a great spa experience, stay at the Sonoma Mission Inn in Boyes Springs west of the town of Sonoma. It's a nice central location for shopping as well as touring local wineries. Both Healdsburg and the town of Sonoma have great shopping around their plazas as well as numerous places to eat. Have fun and happy birthday!

I'll second the Sonoma Mission Inn recommendation. It's a gorgeous resort with a great spa and outstanding service. In Healdsburg, the Hotel Healdsburg is a very contemporary hotel which also has a small spa. Either one of these places would be very nice! Have fun! ***kim***

Thank you so much for the info. Are there any wineries in particular that you would recommend?

We love MacArthur Place in Sonoma www.macarthurplace.com Suggest you do a search on this site for wineries in Sonoma or Napa since the subject comes up very frequently.

There are so many great wineries in this area. A few we love include:

Gundlach-Bundschu
Kenwood
BR Cohn
Imagery
Sebastiani
Kunde
Ledson
Blackstone
Valley of the Moon

Ask your concierge where you are staying for complimentary tasting passes, the Sonoma Mission Inn concierge have us several! ***kim***

I'll "third" the Sonoma Mission Inn - we stayed there over New Year's Eve and it was great (this was our fourth stay there). Had a "Mission Suite" room. The spa is incredible as well and my SO was there all day while I was in the gym. As for wineries, there are several off the beaten path but worth going to - most require appoinments but Robert Hunter is nice; VJB on Highway 12; Little Vineyards (which is brand new and just opened); Deerfield Ranch which is way off the beaten path; Hanzell - pricey to get in and get an appointment but worth it if you're a real wine person... Hope this helps - enjoy your 30th birthday(s)!

Since you will be a large group of women, you might want to call the various wineries you want to visit and make sure that they take groups on the day you want to arrive. Even tho I always push Healdsburg, I think I'll have to second the opinion that you consider staying at the Sonoma Mission Inn.

I had to send this to you because you and your girls should book this guy's limo! You will have a blast! We used him last March and he was fantastic. John Vandermark owns his own car and is not part of a company. $50-$60 per hour - gas and tip included! He doesn't advertise - just referrals. He went over the top when it came to making my mom's 74th birthday special. A bottle of free champagne, birthday decorations inside the limo, fresh roses, Dove chocolates - all in her favorite color. His suit vest and tie even matched. He drives a white stretch that seats about 8. We had packed a picnic lunch and he found us a spot at a winery that had a table & chairs - he put out a cloth tablecloth, napkins, chair cushions and then brought a vase of roses and placed it in the center. He even took two pictures of our group and then printed them out for us on a printer in his limo. WOW! is all that I can say. All of us look forward to using John again in the future – I highly recommend him. 707-337-4321

Happy Birthday to you all!

Just a note on the Sonoma Mission Inn: I just received an e-mail from them, if you are in the President's Club (anyone can join) they are offering room for $179/night mid-week through March. This is an excellent rate, we have stayed in the rooms in the Heritage section and they are very nice. Our first time we had a view of the mineral water pool and our room last year overlooked the gorgeous fountain and grounds in the front of the property. ***kim***