Itinerary: Discover Hidden Gems in Sonoma County

Find Hidden Treasures in Santa Rosa, Sonoma, and Petaluma

Start your day in Santa Rosa with a bountiful breakfast at one of these three restaurants, all with legions of loyal fans.

At Jeffrey’s Hillside Café, chef/owner Jeffrey Madura — a graduate of California Culinary Academy — uses a bevy of local purveyors to create breakfasts ranging from your favorite omelet to treats such as corned duck hash with roasted pears.

The menu at Dierk’s Parkside Café is chock-full of tasty morning delights, such as Grandma Dierk’s Pull-A-Parts, which are essentially large, shareable, hole-free donuts dusted with cinnamon and sugar. 

Hank’s Creekside Restaurant offers a large, scrumptious menu that includes traditional favorites in addition to blintzes, chicken fried steak, lox and cream cheese, and more.

Once sated, head to the village of Kenwood.

Look for Swede’s Feeds with its colorful outdoor collection of ceramic pots and artisan sculptures. Most items here are unique finds for the home and garden, including hand-crafted, multi-story birdhouses or fountains and garden stakes fashioned from recycled materials. It’s definitely worth a stop.

Continue to the charming town of Sonoma and the historic Plaza.

Discover the Depot Park Museum, in a former railroad depot filled with vivid displays and artifacts centering on California and Sonoma County’s fascinating past. History buffs, this place is for you.

Cruise through the picturesque Carneros wine-growing region. It’s known for cool breezes from the nearby Pacific coast, which help grow renowned Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Syrahs.

Whether you turn right or left, you’ll find dozens of superb wineries. Visit excellent spots like Cline Family Cellars, Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, and Viansa Sonoma.

The particularly stylish Ram’s Gate Winery sits atop a hill overlooking the splendid Carneros wetlands at the southern end of the Carneros wine-growing region. For a delicious experience, book one of their beautiful wine-and-food pairings.

Across the highway is the Sonoma Raceway, which on race days is alive with excitement and the sound of peak-performance engines, which can all be heard from the terrace at the Ram’s Gate winery.

For a walk on the quieter side, stroll the paved trails amongst the wetlands at the nearby San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Next, head to historic downtown Petaluma. Settled in 1851, Petaluma is one of California’s oldest cities, filled with beautiful Victorian homes and impressive Iron Front buildings.

On the National Register of Historic Places, you can follow a map for a self-guided walking tour of Petaluma’s historic homes or check out the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, which offers free walking tours led by costumed docents (most Saturdays, May-October).

Petaluma is also famous as the film location for iconic movies such as American Graffiti, Basic Instinct, and Peggy Sue Got Married (to name just a few). 

You’ll find many local treasures worth checking out as you browse surrounding art galleries and boutiques. Look for something good to read in Copperfield’s Books.

When it’s time for dinner, you’ll find plenty of wonderful restaurants here, like Cucina Paradiso uses the freshest local ingredients to create wonderful Italian dishes and features an extensive list of Italian and Sonoma County wines.

After dining, it’s fun to stroll downtown and bask in the nighttime lights of the beautiful old buildings. Check out a music concert at the Mystic Theatre, sit in Putnam Plaza Park to watch the world go by, or grab a cocktail at the adjacent McNear’s Saloon.

As for lodging, the handsome Sheraton Sonoma Wine Country overlooks the Petaluma River and the marina and has a heated lap pool, a fitness facility, a daily social hour, and an excellent restaurant.

For a taste of Parisian kitsch in the middle of town, check into the Metro Hotel for old-world charm — or ask to stay in a refurbished Airstream trailer.

Situated on 70 beautiful acres just 34 miles from San Francisco, the San Francisco North/Petaluma KOA Campground offers sites for tents and RVs and a large number of cabins in various price ranges.

Discover the Sonoma Coast and the Redwoods

Start your day with a great Petaluma breakfast at Della Fattoria Bakery, housed in a former 1860s bakery. Try absolutely anything in the bakery case, or for a heartier start, tuck into the corned beef hash and eggs or a breakfast sandwich with a poached farm egg, cheddar cheese, ham, and mayo on fresh-made bread.

Head to Valley Ford, a charming country village home to fewer than 150 people and about six miles from the Pacific Ocean. In the mid-19th century, it was a stop on the North Pacific Coast Railroad. Today, its handsome old buildings are home to a handful of shops and restaurants.

In 1976, one of history’s most controversial and famous art installations, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Running  Fence, ran right through Valley Ford on its expansive 24.5-mile display that stretched to Bodega Bay, where it disappeared into the ocean. The white-nylon Fence brought international journalists, environmental protestors, and art lovers to Valley Ford.

While you’re here you can pay a symbolic visit to the Fence at Sonoma County Historic Landmark #24. You’ll find a bronze plaque commemorating the Running Fence and one of the poles used in the installation.

Continue onto the charming town of Bodega, where Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, The Birds, was filmed.

Stroll through town to spot movie landmarks and visit galleries and antique shops. Just off the highway, you’ll see the St. Teresa of Avila Church, made famous by a 1953 Ansel Adams photograph and later glimpsed briefly on film during The Birds. You’ll also find the old Potter School House, the setting for much on-screen running, screaming, and pecking during The Birds.

The two buildings also prettied up the opening credits of Fred Astaire and Petula Clark’s 1968 musical Finian’s Rainbow. Snap as many pictures as you’d like in front of both buildings, but do note that the Potter School House is now a private residence.

Next, check out Bodega Bay and lively Spud Point Marina, where you can find whale-watching cruises, fishing charters, and other open-water adventures.

It’s also home to Spud Point Crab Company, where you can get a generous fresh crab sandwich on sourdough and other seafood goodies and then devour everything outside at a picnic table with a divine, fresh-air view overlooking the fishing boats.

After eating (or take your picnic with you!), drive to the top of the Bodega Head peninsula for stunning bluff-top views, scenic trails, and beach access.

When you’re ready, continue north through some of the world’s most beautiful coastal scenery along the 17-mile-long Sonoma Coast State Park, which runs from Bodega Head to about four miles north of the Russian River. Stop at a beach to take in the gorgeous scenery of crashing waves, go tidepooling, or possibly spot a passing whale during winter months.

Continue to where the Russian River enters the sea. Turn right and enjoy driving through the Russian River Valley. Many award-winning vineyards and wineries — from tiny boutique operations to large commercial producers — are found in this region. 

Stop in at the historic town of Duncans Mills, named for two brothers, Samuel and Alexander Duncan, who established a lumber mill in the early 1870s. Today Duncans Mills boasts a population of fewer than 200 people, and offers a unique mixture of antique and specialty shops, restaurants, and galleries.

It’s also home to the fun, friendly Casini Ranch Family Campground, which offers campsites on the river.

Don’t miss tiny Monte Rio, the setting for the 1942 musical Holiday Inn, which starred Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. With its laid-back atmosphere and sandy beach on a particularly calm portion of the river — not to mention a WWII Quonset hut currently being renovated as a movie theater and community center — Monte Rio has long been a favorite family vacation spot.

Back on the Bohemian Highway to Occidental, you’ll soon arrive at Sonoma Zipline Adventures, where you can experience a thrilling zip line course through an old-growth redwood forest filled with trees over 700 years old.

Then, continue on to the river town of Guerneville, a favorite getaway destination for generations. It’s a small (but not tiny) town, filled with shops and restaurants.

You’ve got to see the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, a living reminder of the magnificent redwood forest that once covered this area. Park outside the entrance and walk into the park, where you can hike trails surrounded by redwood trees.

Check into lodging, grab a quick nap, and head to dinner. Mine + Farm, the Inn at Guerneville, is a fully restored 1906 farmhouse with an organic garden.

For dinner, hit Occidental dinner at the Union Hotel Restaurant.

You’ll find more hearty old-fashioned Italian family-style dining at Negri’s Italian Dinners & Joe’s Bar.