Family Fun Sonoma Vacation

Our Local Expert Says:

The region's best family budget hotel with so many perks it feels like a splurge

Description:

The minute you see the tube-shaped tower with the spinning pink neon flamingo, you know you've hit the time-warp jackpot. The Flamingo Resort, with its manicured lawns, enormous pool, colorful lounge chairs and hot tub gazebo has everything the all-American family could ask for to enjoy an old-fashioned summer vacation. Couples can find many reasons to appreciate the retro vibe too; the night I visited there were plenty of lovebirds enjoying well-priced cocktails from the lounge out by the pool under the stars. Centrally located in Santa Rosa, the Flamingo occupies an enormous parklike setting tucked back against the eastern hills, so it has less of a downtown vibe and more the feel of a sixties-era country club. Country club style privileges are part of the fun; guests receive passes to use the Montecito Heights racquet club and spa, which is located on a corner of the grounds.  The spa is a serious value-add; it's much more elegant and restful than you'd expect from its location adjacent to the fitness center and features an oversized jacuzzi, eucalyptus steam room, and sauna. Services include not only standard-issue massages, facials, man-pedis, and body wraps, but sophisticated specialized services such as a Thai hot stone and a rose petal facial, available forValentine's Day and Mother's Day.

Description:

Western Boot Steakhouse is a well known steakhouse in the whole of Healdsburg. The restaurant serves delicious steaks and the cuisine here is basically American. The menu changes seasonally to incorporate the seasons best. To complement the good food, the best of local wines are served along with your meal. Sunday night is a kid's night, wherein the kids eat for free and on Wednesday's the locals get to have a hearty meal, and all for a very cheap price.

Description:

Jack London State Historic Park is a memorial to writer and adventurer Jack London, who made his home at the site from 1905 until his death in 1916. The park was once part of the famous writer's Beauty Ranch. Hike through the ranch, a redwood forest, and see nice views of Sonoma Mountain.

Description:

Collier Falls Vineyards is family-owned and grows vines of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The picturesque estate is apt for picnics, long walks and bocce games. Wines can be tasted at the Family Wineries Tasting Room, a communal tasting room at Timbercrest Farms, where 5 other wineries also pour their wines. The reds and whites are bottled at the estate itself.

Our Local Expert Says:

Best way to see the sea lion pups close up!

Description:

Guided kayaking trips from Forestville to Jenner-By-the-Sea include shuttle service so you don't have to worry about doubling up on cars. A variety of options, from two-hour estuary paddles to 2-day camping adventures, mean there's a trip for every level of skill and enthusiasm.

Our Local Expert Says:

Best seafood and sunset dining on the Sonoma coast

Description:

Everything about River's End is an unexpected delight, from the friendly, unpretentious atmosphere to the thoughtfully organized menu listing one joyfully inventive dish after another.

Named for its breathtakingly romantic location, River's End overlooks the mouth of the Russian River where the placid waters mix with the crashing waves of the Pacific. Repeat guests know to time dinnertime reservations for the sunset hour, and to come early for handcrafted cocktails or "bubbles and oysters," to be savored while toasting the fiery sky from the riverside deck.

This isn't one of those seaside restaurants where the view trumps the food, however; everything we ate was mysteriously delicious enough to have us dissecting the details of dishes from first to last bite. We ate every crispy leaf of the kicking ahi salad, with its zingy Mandarin orange vinaigrette, and had to take multiple photos of the technicolor beet salad, a rainbow tower of farm-fresh beets layered with mascarpone and goat cheeses. The eclectic entrees feature pan-seared duck and roasted elk in addition to more standard fare, but the star of the show is the Dungeness crab tasting menu, which showcases the day's catch in a variety of playful combinations. 

The best restaurants reflect the personalities of their owners; you know instantly upon entering that you couldn't be anywhere else. River's End is such a place; owner Bert Rangel seems to be everywhere, greeting guests personally and conveying his ebullient delight at having landed in this gorgeous location to one and all. River's End is a true family affair; on Sunday nights, Rangel's two young daughters help with hostessing and sauce-tasting duties, and guests couldn't stop smiling at their cheerful enthusiasm.

While dinner at River's End makes the perfect anchor point for a romantic weekend, many people also make the trek up the coast for a sunny lunch or romantic dinner alone. With Goat Rock just one of several spectacular beaches nearby, River's End makes the perfect cap to a day of beachcombing. t

Description:

Romantic hideaways on the coast of Northern California's premier wine country, just 90 minutes north of San Francisco. Jenner is a unique neighborhood, part of a protected natural habitat for seals, otters and hundreds of bird species, where you can explore the sanctuary by kayak or canoe, or watch the show from your deck or hot tub on the shore. We offer accommodations for every taste and budget, from sumptuous suites to rustic log cabins, each a private world of its own; this website features a handful of our favorite rooms. A full vegetarian breakfast is served to all guests in the Lodge. Weddings, receptions, conferences and retreats are all specialties of the Jenner Inn's restaurant. Please visit our website for photos and descriptions of all our rooms and facilities.

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