Nothing is more relaxing and rejuvenating than a spa day,so luckily Sonoma County has more than 40 fabulous spas and wellness centers where you can find treatments, massages and ultimate relaxation. You can also find cute shops, restaurants and tasting rooms around the town square. Sonoma with its historic town plaza, is anchored by a Franciscan mission, a remnant of the town’s Mexican colonial past, and has several historic monuments (it was here where Californians declared their independence from Mexico after the Bear Flag Revolt), including the Mission San Francisco Solan, the last Spanish-Mexican mission built in California, and Buena Vista Winery, California’s oldest winery. If you are in need of a break from all the wine tastings, make sure to stop at the Sonoma Cider Company’s new tap room for a flight of their innovative artisanal cider creations. Healdsburg is a quaint little town in the middle of wine country, offering art, sculptures, shopping in little boutique shops, and more world-class dining then you can fit into a quick getaway (see Where To Eat).
Here you can find the largest concentration of LGBT-owned or LGBT-friendly hotels, nightlife and bars, and several LGBT events take place here every year (see below). The former lumber town has turned into one of the most popular gay hotspots on the West Coast, so it is the town where most LGBT travelers base themselves on a trip to Sonoma County.
Guerneville is the heart of gay and lesbian Sonoma County, worth a visit not only for the nearby Redwoods and the Russian River beaches, but also its charming Main Street and the many gay-friendly establishments. Here you will find a number of small shops selling books, jewelry, and antiques, as well as art galleries, and restaurants. The above mentioned Paradise Ridge Winery, which I found worth visiting for the Sculpture Garden alone, and the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens are beautiful, and the Railroad Square Historic District is well worth a stroll. Start with not-so-small Santa Rosa, the largest city (pop 174,000) and capital of Sonoma County, where you find the excellent Sonoma County Art Museum, with its rotating art exhibits and exhibits on local history and culture, and if you are a fan of the Peanuts comics, you can’t miss the Charles M Schultz Museum. Sonoma County is home to a number of small towns worth exploring:
Of course you can’t go to Sonoma Wine Country and not drink wine! There are over 250 wineries in Sonoma County, many of them producing award winning bottles. This region of Northern California is primarily known for its many vineyards and wine tastings, but there’s a lot more to Sonoma County than just that: the Pacific Coast Highway, Redwood forests, river adventures, quaint little towns and beautiful beaches.