You
may have heard of the “Six Flags Over Texas”, have you heard of the “Nine Flags
Over Sonoma”?
Sonoma is in a valley just
to the west of Napa Valley in the scenic California Wine Country. At various
times it has been under many flags starting with The Flag of England in 1579 by
Sir Francis Drake to the current US and California flags. In between there have
been flags of the Spanish Empire, the Spanish National Ensign, the Russian-American
Company, Russia, Mexican Empire, Mexican Republic and California Republic.
Sonoma,
as you can see, has a rich history dating as far back to 1579. The town of Sonoma began with the
foundation of Mission San Francisco Solano in 1823 by Father Jose Altimira of
the Franciscan Order. This mission was the farthest north of all 21 California missions,
and was connected to the others by the Camino Real (Royal Road). Mission San
Francisco Solano was the last of the California missions to be established, and
the only one founded after Mexico’s independence from Spain. It was the capital
of the California
Republic.
Today it is the center
of the state’s wine industry for the Sonoma Valley AVA Appellation. Since it is so close to Napa and a lot less
crowded it is a good alternative to Napa for a place to stay. Using Sonoma as a
base you still have the options of Sonoma and Napa Wineries as well as the
Russian River wineries and the north coast of California.
The
city center is built around a big park. Around the park you will find art
galleries, restaurants, wine shops, local cheese shops and historic hotels. You
can spend an entire day walking the perimeter of the park and checking out the
stores. You also have the famous Sebastiani Winery and the Mission to tour
which are both near the center of town. On the edge of town you will find Spas
and resorts such as the Sonoma Mission Inn. Just north of the city are hot
springs and the famous wineries of Sonoma County.
Places to stay: It depends on your
preferences. In the center of town there are a few historic hotels and you will
be in the heart of the city. If you prefer a bed and breakfast there are a lot
to choose from. For a larger resort I would recommend the Sonoma Mission Inn.
It is a large resort with a spa. The only negative is it is on the edge of town
and you will need to drive to get anywhere.
Things to do: Walk the city center. As I have
said you can spend an entire day shopping, tasting cheese and wine, touring the
mission, the historic Sebastiani Winery and dining. If you want to try the hot
springs and a mud bath there are spas just north of town. The Sonoma County
wineries are north of town and that is another full day. A further drive
but not that long is the Russian River and the north coast. If you follow Hwy
12 north through Santa Rosa you will hit Hwy 1 and the coast. Just north of
where you join Hwy 1 is Bodega Bay, where they filmed the Hitchcock movie “The
Birds”, or you can just drive up the coast and enjoy the view. I prefer the
rugged north coast over the Southern California beaches. When in season try the
fresh Dungeness Crab. Also there are some great golf courses in the
area. I won’t list the wineries as there are too many.
Places to eat: In and around Sonoma you will
find a wide variety of places to eat. They range from California cuisine,
American, French, Italian, Mexican to BBQ and fast food. You will find the pace
relaxed so sit back and enjoy a meal with a nice bottle of Sonoma wine.
There are many wine regions
in California everywhere from north to south, coastal, valley and foothills. Every region has something to offer and each specialize
in different varietals. An ultimate vacation would be to visit every region.
Most people think of Napa
when they think of California wine. That is why Napa can get pretty crowded
during the peak season. With Sonoma so close to Napa it will give you a chance
to see both and stay where the pace is a little slower.
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