How to Re-create a Childhood Trip to Sonoma County as an Adult

Sonoma County makes it easy to re-create childhood road trips since so much of the scenic and historic landscape remains beautifully unchanged. You may no longer have a family wagon, but you can still gather your kids, significant other, siblings, or parents to take a classic summer family road trip in Sonoma County.

Take another look at the rolling vineyards and farms — and sample the famous wines you didn’t experience as a kid.

Hop on Westside Road and wind your way past the rolling hills, orchards, and forests of the Russian River Valley.

Take Dry Creek Valley Road from Healdsburg to Lake Sonoma to see the landscape unfold like a quilt of greens, or follow Highways 128 and 101 through the Alexander Valley between Healdsburg and Geyserville. On all these routes, you’ll pass lauded wineries and weather-worn barns that may have been around when you were a kid and long before.

Explore the river and redwoods of Sonoma County by cruising the scenic 10 miles of the Bohemian Highway ​​.

Here, giant trees still reach for the sky at Armstrong Woods, summer revelers still flock to Monte Rio Community Beach, and there’s plenty of peace, quiet, and space to be found.

Miss the magnificent Pacific Ocean? Head to the Sonoma Coast and the sprawling Sonoma Coast State Park.

Travel as far south as Bodega Bay, or way up the Northern California coast to stunning spots like Jenner, The Sea Ranch, and Gualala.

Find shells and driftwood at Salt Point State Park, watch sea lions frolic at Goat Rock Beach, and if the season is right, watch for whales way out in the waves — just like when you were a child.

If your favorite family trips were spent camping in Sonoma County, why not revisit the magic of grilling, playing, and sleeping under the stars? Whether in an RV, tent, cabin, or rustic-chic glamping — there are fond memories to be rediscovered in beautiful campgrounds throughout Sonoma Wine Country.

Immerse yourself in Russian River life at two sites that have been open since the 1960s, Duncans Mills Camping Club and Casini Ranch Family Campground. Both feature full RV hookups, private river access (as well as canoes and kayaks), and plenty of games and outdoor space.

At Duncans Mills, you can participate in planned cookouts with your neighbors or soak in the 16-person hot tub. At Casini Ranch, you can opt for activities like hayrides, movies, and beach bonfires.

Two family-owned KOA Campgrounds lie at opposite ends of the county, offering tent sites, cabins, full RV hookups, and a chance to relive your camping glory days. At the northern end, the Cloverdale Wine Country KOA Camping Resort is perched on a ridge overlooking the Alexander Valley wine region, with a hillside pool, nature trail, fishing pond, paddleboats, and a playground.

At the southern end, amenities at San Francisco North/Petaluma KOA Campground include a pool and hot tub, horseshoe pits, a petting farm, and bocce ball.

Various camping sites along the 17-mile-long Sonoma Coast State Park let you stay near the beach and ocean, such as Wright’s Beach and Bodega Dunes.

If mountains were more your thing, head to the 4,000-acre Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, which has tent and RV sites, flush toilets, and well-trod trails to the peak of Bald Mountain.

If you’re more excited about the memory of a camping trip rather than camping itself, consider stepping up the comfort level. Stay in a retrofitted Airstream trailer surrounded by redwoods at AutoCamp in Guerneville, or luxuriate in safari-style tent cabins at Wildhaven Sonoma in Healdsburg, which features bathroom and shower facilities.

Rather sleep entirely indoors? Sonoma County is home to many hotels and inns you just might have stayed in as a kid. Some have been around so long, it’s even possible your parents stayed there with their parents.

Along the Russian River, rustic-chic treasures like the Highland Dell Lodge and Boho Manor have been popular summer getaways since 1906.

Hotel Petaluma has graced downtown Petaluma since 1912 and now features the added perks of an oyster bar and winery tasting room.

Since 1907, Hotel La Rose has anchored Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square and still retains its Old World elegance. Both of these relatively high-rise properties, provide an opportunity to live out those Eloise dreams of your youth.

If you want to revisit the mid-century golden age, two Santa Rosa spots will steer you in the right direction. The Astro Motel was built in 1963 in the heyday of the American motor lodge, but in 2017 was remodeled into a 34-room motel with original mid-century modern furnishings.

The iconic 170-room Flamingo Resort, originally built in 1957, has been fully renovated but retains its cool mid-century vibe — including its glamorous central pool.

Dozens of restaurants in Sonoma County have been operating for at least 30 years, and some have been around for more than a century — which means that eateries you loved on your family trips here may still be open for business.

Many of the classic Italian restaurants you may have dined in as a kid are still serving pasta, pizza, and more. In Petaluma, one of them is Volpi’s Ristorante & Bar, which has specialized in family-style Italian since 1925.

In Occidental, Union Hotel Restaurant has been cooking Italian meals since 1879.

Across the Bohemian Highway, Negri’s Italian Dinners & Joe’s Bar has been open for business since 1942.

In Santa Rosa, several hotspots of the 1970s are alive and well. In Historic Railroad Square, you can still tuck into a hearty breakfast at Omelette Express or linger over a fine French meal at La Gare French Restaurant.

Along Sonoma Highway, you can bite into the crunchy bliss of Betty’s Fish and Chips.

Many of Sonoma County’s most beloved attractions from the past have been lovingly preserved or restored, inviting you to come back for those carefree, unhurried days of exploration and wonder.

Though cartoonist and Sonoma County resident Charles M. Schulz passed away in 2000, your inner child can still visit the Peanuts in Santa Rosa. In Schulz’s honor, there are statues of  Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and other beloved Peanuts characters all over town, including at the Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport (STS). 

Find the world’s largest collection of Peanuts cartoons at the 8,000-square-foot Charles M. Schulz Museum, where exhibitions are constantly changing, to focus on different seasons and fun themes.

Also in Santa Rosa, you’ll still find Luther Burbank Home & Gardens, where Burbank, the “Wizard of Horticulture” himself, lived from 1884 to 1906, developing hundreds of entirely new plants, many of which can be found in his greenhouse and onsite garden.

Explore Petaluma, one of the state’s oldest cities, formally founded in 1851. Filled with beautiful Victorian homes and impressive iron-front commercial buildings, the downtown area is on the National Register of Historic Places. Experience great shopping and dining here, too!

Far to the west, the tiny town of Duncans Mills will likely be just as you remembered it. Demolished in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, it was faithfully restored in the 1960s and ’70s to the charming shopping and dining village it is today, complete with a vintage train car and museum.

Overlooking Sonoma County’s northern coast, Fort Ross State Historic Park commemorates history as tsarist Russia’s southernmost outpost in North America from 1812 to 1841. Faithfully reconstructed buildings recall a once-thriving colony, including a Russian chapel, barracks, a cemetery, a windmill, and a historic orchard that still contains fruit trees from the Russian era.

Head east on California Highway 12 to the town of Sonoma, and you’ll find a trove of spots that remain much as they’ve always been.

Sprawling Jack London State Historic Park was once the ranch and home of famous adventurer and best-selling writer Jack London.

Mission San Francisco Solano is the northernmost and last built (1823) of California’s 21 missions.

The Depot Park Museum features a windfall of area historical photos.

For many of us, family photos taken on childhood vacations to Sonoma County are some of our most treasured souvenirs. So why not keep those memories alive by recreating your favorites?

Get your siblings involved and reenact the poses and outfits of photos from your youth against Sonoma County backdrops that are likely just as they were. Get your kids, parents, and everyone in on the fun.

We’d love to see the photos you and your crew re-create together here in Sonoma County. When you post them on your social media accounts, be sure to tag #SonomaCounty on Instagram @sonomacounty and Facebook @sonomacountyca!