A brief guide of Sonoma: California’s wine country.
Most travelers think of California and immediately want to visit San Francisco and Los Angeles. These cities are great, but unfortunately most people overlook the hidden gems on the outskirts of these attractions. Here is a brief guide of Sonoma County for Californian weekend travelers and international travelers alike.
1. Wine Country
Sonoma County is world famous for hosting some of the top wineries, such as Stryker Sonoma, located in Alexander Valley and Kenwood. Not only do the some seventy-five vineyards that can be found here create an amazing corduroy landscape, but they also offer a great opportunity to take a tour and taste at a variety of locally owned and elite wineries.
2. Beer
To briefly stay on this fermented theme, Sonoma County also hosts some of the best breweries. Russian River Brewing Company located in downtown Santa Rosa is world renowned for brewing “Pliny the Younger.” This beer has been ranked number one in the world according to BeerAdvocate®. Lagunitas Brewing Company, located in the city of Petaluma, is also a huge attraction. The patio of the constantly expanding brewery draws tourists from all over to come sample some of their finest brews and see first hand how the selected hops are transformed into the delicious liquid that invigorates their taste buds.
3. Surf & Cinema
Bodega Bay is not only home to some great surf, it also makes its claim to fame as being the location which Alfred Hitchcock filmed his movie “The Birds.” For those familiar with the movie, the School House still remains in the same condition, while the restaurant, now called the Tides, has transformed into a huge bayside restaurant and tourist attraction. Although it’s a great place to eat, I personally prefer to hit some of the smaller local spots along the highway for some calamari and chips.
4. History
California was founded here in Sonoma County in what is currently the City of Sonoma. A small group of unhappy settlers went to General Vallejo’s home and demanded the end of the Mexican rule. General Vallejo, aware of the inability of Mexico to continue to rule California, handed California over with ease. And, for a brief period it was the California Republic, independent of the United States. General Vallejo’s adobe home still stands and is open to all historically-interested tourists out there.
For a weekend full of relaxation and a belly full of world-ranked beer and wine, come venture a quick forty-five minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge and join us in California’s Wine Country.
