Holiday Weekend in Sonoma

Our Local Expert Says:

Best way to celebrate Provence while keeping a locavore footprint

Description:

This quintessentially country French bistro yet manages to be equally quintessentially Sonoma valley, with practically every ingredient listed sourced from the organic farms, artisanal dairies, ranches and orchards that surround the tiny town of Occidental. Partners Michel Augsburger and Cluney Stagg were old friends before they started Bistro des Copains, and have remained friends during their 12-year tenure, and it shows. The atmosphere is so friendly and relaxed, you feel like you stumbled into some local rancher's harvest celebration party. Everything on the menu is divine, but the roast chicken is the dish local chefs come back for again and again.

Description:

Located near Guerneville, California in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley, the Applewood Inn Bed & Breakfast is on a knoll in the shelter of towering redwoods, this romantic inn has two distinct types of accommodations. Those in the original Belden House, where cozy chairs around a river-rock fireplace encourage loitering in the lounge area, are comfortable but modest in scale. The 10 rooms in the newer buildings are larger and airier, decorated in sage green and terra-cotta tones that recall a Mediterranean villa. Guests rave about the accommodating service, soothing atmosphere, and the earthy wine country cuisine served in the cozy restaurant built to recall a French barn. Wine country accommodations don't come any more relaxing or romantic. Applewood is the perfect choice for a honeymoon, anniversary, weekend getaway or extended wine country vacation. Weekend warriors wax poetic about this woodsy retreat tucked away in the Russian River Valley that's worth the drive on a foggy curving highway for superb French-accented California cuisine and wines from a great, very local, very exclusive list served by a knowledgeable, helpful staff; the warm welcoming and ultraromantic setting "make it a fabulous over night destination." - Zagat Survey

Description:

While in Guerneville, a visit to the Korbel Estate is a must. Opt for the 50 minute Champagne Cellar Tour, which familiarizes you with wine-making techniques and includes a visit to the History Museum. After all the activity, you can cater to your gastronomic needs at the Korbel Delicatessen and Market by feasting on some traditional local food, and don't forget to stop by the gift shop to take home some of the rare wines (some of which are available only on the estate), wine accessories and other local souvenirs. You can also tour the Rose Garden, which features 250 varieties of antique roses.

Description:

The Armstrong grove of redwoods has some of most accessible tall trees in northern California, easily accessible by car and short walks through gorgeous stands of old growth trees, surrounded by newer second growth.

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.

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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Our Local Expert Says:

Best way to beat stress and get your mojo back

Description:

Like a magical trip to ancient Kyoto, a visit to Osmosis day spa and sanctuary feels like an escape to another time and place. Oddly located in the tiny town of Freestone, west of Sebastopol, this holistic therapy spa is less about pampering and more like giving yourself the gift of a health-boosting treatment. Despite the name, an "enzyme bath" is more akin to a ritual sauna than a soak. Used by Japanese practitioners as a detoxification procedure, an enzyme bath involves immersing your body into a hot bed of fermenting cedar chips, which raises your internal core temperature and allows your body to sweat out toxins. Osmosis founder Michael Stusser is a serious believer in the importance of alternative healing, and hires only the best massage therapists available. So take advantage of the deep relaxation you'll feel after your bath and indulge in a massage as well, and you'll leave feeling restored, relaxed, and energized beyond what you thought possible.

Description:

Wildwood Farm, located next to Kenwood Inn and Spa on the Sonoma Highway, is a garden and nursery specializing in maples, dogwood, and other ornamental trees and shrubs. It's also a sculpture garden and outdoor gallery, featuring works by West Coast artists designed to be displayed outdoors. There are gigantic cast iron sculptures, stone carvings, ornamental birdbaths, and ceramics. Stop by to make a purchase for your garden, or just to take a stroll through the gorgeous grounds.

Gardeners all over the west know Wildwood Farm, which specializes in exotic varieties of decorative trees and rare plants. Proud of their selection of more than 300 different Japanese maples and 40 types of dogwood, Wildwood Farms has also expanded their stock to include Gingko biloba trees and other hard-to-find trees and shrubs. But that's only one reason to visit. Owners Sara and Ricardo Monte and their son, landscape gardener Joe Monte, also display an en eclectic and adventurous selection of sculpture and garden art by artists of both local and national renown. Stroll among gigantic abstract cast iron structures and insects, or sit and contemplate elegant stone carvings and ceramic sculptures. New in 2009 is an organic vegetable garden and orchard planted by Joe, and a farmstand selling the garden's heirloom produce.

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Keeping up with the family tradition, owner Steve Ledson continues to produce world class wines in Kenwood. The wines are aged in American and French barrels, and have a distinct taste. Most of the varietals are offered either in the winery or in Ledson Hotel's restaurant Harmony. Also, the wine club invites members to special tasting events. If you want to know more about the art of wine-making, take one of the tours.

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.

Description:

A founding member of Fork & Shovel, an alliance of chefs and local farmers, BarnDiva is the ultimate farm-to-table dining experience. The staff proudly explains that scraps from the kitchen feed the chickens, which in turn produce the eggs used in tonight's meal. The used cooking oil is recycled to run the farm's tractors. But none of this is done in hippie fashion; everything looks polish, artistic, upscale. Owners Jil, Geoffrey and Lukka Feldman have backgrounds in architecture, design and photography as well as food and hospitality, so the whole enterprise feels sophisticated and cultivated.

While chef Ryan Fancher is a "name" thanks to his three-year stint at The French Laundry and role in opening New York's Per Se, Barndiva doesn't stand on ceremony. The bar is warm and friendly, the back patio an almost perfect copy of a Provencal garden cafe. The rustic yet elegant interior feels like a country barn cross-pollinated with a downtown loft.  The list of local purveyors on the menu is as long or longer than the list of available dishes; local cheeses, figs, olive oil, heirloom vegetables, and local seafood, free-range chicken, and grass-fed beef are the centerpieces of every meal.

But at BarnDiva, cocktails are treated as goals unto themselves, and concoctions such as the Basque Lolita, A Kiss with a Slap and Maharani of Cooch-Behar now have their own fans who return just to sample the latest creative combination of flavors.