100 Things to Do in Sonoma County Before You Die

by Yvonne Horn

Overview

Harness up and zip through a redwood canopy, view all 21 California missions in one day, get buried up to your chin in a relaxing bath of hot cedar shavings—with 97 more items to go as you make your way through 100 Things to Do in Sonoma County Before You Die.
From its stunning wave-dashed shoreline to its lush vineyard-quilted valleys, along the way you’ll discover that world-class wine with food to match is just one aspect of what this beautiful and bountiful part of the world has to offer.
Try out a roving cooking class at Relish Culinary Adventures or enjoy an unforgettable meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant in an 1873 farmhouse. Applaud musicals and dramas at the 6th Street Playhouse or explore the great outdoors and watch for whales at Bodega Head. Pedal off through the countryside, paddle a ribbon of river, enjoy a wealth of cultural experiences—all that and more as you turn the pages of 100 Things to Do in Sonoma County Before You Die.
While not a guidebook in the traditional sense, with third-generation resident and acclaimed travel writer Yvonne Michie Horn as “insider” guide, this book invites a nooks-and-crannies exploration of the entire county.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681063133
Publisher:	Reedy press, LLC.
Publication date:	04/01/2021
Series:	100 Things to Do Before You Die
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Travel writer and photographer Yvonne Michie Horn makes her home in Sonoma County, where her family has lived for three generations. She’s written for Bon Appetit, Golf Digest, Quarterly Review of Wines, and metropolitan newspapers across the United States, including the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle. She’s won two Lowell Thomas Awards (considered the “Oscar” of travel writing); is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, Bay Area Travel Writers, and Garden Communicators International; and maintains two websites, WineryWeddingGuide.com and TheTravelingGardener.com.

Table of Contents

Preface xv

Food and Drink

1 Roll Along in a Pinzgauer on a Wine-Tasting Tour at Gundlach Bundschu 2

2 Go Wild Over Baked Goods at Wild Flour Bread 3

3 Be a Happy Outsider at Ramen Gaijin 4

4 Raise a Glass to West County's Apple Heritage at ACE Cider Pub 5

5 Treat Yourself to an Elegant Dining Experience at Madrona Manor 6

6 Tie On an Apron for a Roving Cooking Class at Relish Culinary Adventures 7

7 Embark on a Spirited Vodka Journey at Hanson of Sonoma Distillery 8

8 Tuck into Cucina Povera at Diavola Pizzeria & Salumeria 10

9 Follow the Rolling Hills West of Petaluma to McEvoy Ranch 11

10 Appreciate Authenticity at El Molino Central 12

11 Wait Happily in Line for Clam Chowder at Spud Point Crab Co 13

12 Yell "Yes" to an Ice Cream Cone at Screamin' Mimi's 14

13 Join the Line for Pliny the Younger at Russian River Brewing Company 15

14 Don't Pass Up the Jacks at Vella Cheese Co 16

15 Savor Salumi at Journeyman Meat Co 17

16 Become Acquainted with Small Plates and Wine at Willi's Wine Bar 18

17 Rethink Doughnuts at City Garden Doughnuts & Coffee 20

18 Enjoy a High-End Dining Experience at Farmhouse Inn 21

19 Give High-Tech Wine Tasting a Go at Region 22

20 Be Prepared for an Ultimate Dining Experience at SingleThread 23

21 Eat Your Way Down Main Street on a Guerneville Gourmet Tour 24

Music and Entertainment

22 Expect Stars on Stage and Overhead at Transcendence Theatre Company 28

23 Jump Aboard for a Built-to-Scale Trip on Sonoma TrainTown Railroad 29

24 Catch a Performance at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts 30

25 Overdose on Accordions at the Cotati Accordion Festival 31

26 Play 36 Holes of Golf and More at Scandia Family Fun Center 32

27 Hear the Harmonies of the Occidental Community Choir 33

28 Take In a Broadway-Worthy Season at SRJC's Summer Repertory Theatre Festival 34

29 Listen to Classics New and Old with the Santa Rosa Symphony 35

30 Bring a Picnic and Sit on the Lawn for an Awesome Evening at Green Music Center 36

31 Tap the Beat in Your Cowboy Boots at Twin Oaks Roadhouse 37

32 Head for a Rockin' Time at SOMO Concerts 38

33 Drop By for Music and More at Jamison's Roaring Donkey 39

34 Return to the Instrumental Past at the Valley of the Moon Music Festival 40

35 Enjoy and Reflect on American-Born Jazz at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival 41

36 Sip and Picnic at the Rodney Strong Summer Concert Series 42

37 Applaud Musicals and Dramas at the 6th Street Playhouse 44

Sports and Recreation

38 Tour the "Sonoma's Serengeti" Wild Beast Encampment at Safari West 48

39 Take Yourself Out to a Sonoma Stampers Ball Game 49

40 Let the Good Times Roll at 7Ten Social 50

41 Watch for Whales at Bodega Head 51

42 View the Stars and Walk the Solar System at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park 52

43 Tee Up in the Redwoods at Northwood Golf Club 54

44 Take a Peaceful Paddle with River's Edge Kayak & Canoe Trips 56

45 Have Fun in the Sky and Sand at Doran Regional Park 58

46 Crane Your Neck to See Treetops at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve 60

47 Spend a Theme-Park Day at Francis Ford Coppola Winery 61

48 Play in the Water and Enjoy Scenic Beauty at Lake Sonoma 62

49 Zip through the Redwoods on a Sonoma Canopy Tour 63

50 Bring Your Dog on a Vineyard Hike at Kunde Family Winery 64

51 Whirl Around the Rink at Snoopy's Home Ice 66

52 Join the Locals for a Morning Walk at Spring Lake Regional Park 67

53 Saddle Up for a Guided Tour through the Vines with Sonoma Valley Trial Rides 68

54 Try Out the Track at Sonoma Raceway 70

55 Travel at the Whim of the Wind with Up & Away Ballooning 71

56 Pedal Your Way through the Countryside with Getaway Adventures 72

57 Walk Where Mammoths Once Roamed on the Seaside Kortum Trail 73

58 Catch Your Own Seafood Dinner on a Charter Out of Bodega Bay 74

59 Grab Your Binoculars and Hit the Trail at Shollenberger Park 76

Culture and History

60 Visit 21 California Missions in One Day at Cline Family Cellars 80

61 Tour the Downtown of the "Egg Capital of the World" and Be Amazed 81

62 Look for the Parthenon at Imagery Estate Winery 82

63 Consider the Fallen Giants in the Petrified Forest 83

64 Stroll through an Outdoor Gallery at Paradise Ridge Sculpture Grove 84

65 Return to Californio Mexico at Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park 85

66 Become a Fan of Fans at the Hand Fan Museum 86

67 Experience a Zen Immersion at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary 87

68 Ogle LandfilLto-Landmark Artistry on Sebastopol's Florence Avenue 88

69 Meet the Peanuts Gang and Everyone's Favorite Beagle at the Charles M. Schulz Museum 90

70 Walk a Wild Asian Woodland at Quarryhill Botanical Garden 91

71 Explore a Large Chunk of California History at Fort Ross State Historic Park 92

72 Study Up on Wine at the Sonoma County Wine Library 93

73 Enter the World of Star Wars at Rancho Obi-Wan 94

74 Return to a Time of Horticultural Invention at the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens 95

75 Take Off on a Virtual Flight at the Pacific Coast Air Museum 96

76 Explore the Past and Present at the Museum of Sonoma County 97

77 Follow the Flowers at Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery 98

78 Discover What's Happening Under the Sea at Bodega Marine Laboratory 99

79 Listen to Voices Past and Present at the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center 100

80 Enter the House of Happy Walls at Jack London State Historic Park 102

81 Live like a Sea Rancher at the Sea Ranch 104

82 Step into a Master Potter's Work and Life at Pond Farm 105

83 Walk Paths through the Birthplace of California's Wine Industry at Bartholomew Estate 106

Shopping and Fashion

84 Pamper Your Feet with Boots Made for Gawking at the Apple Cobbler 110

85 Prepare to Walk Out with Your Arms Full at The Toy works 111

86 Shop Sustainably at the Antique Society 112

87 Trim Some Dollars Off Your Wallet at Duncans Mills 113

88 Become a Different You at Disguise the Limit 114

89 Combine One-of-a-Kind Shopping and Garden Wandering at Cornerstone 115

90 Get Fashionably Dressed in Yesteryear at Hot Couture 116

91 Decide on an Artful Haircut at the Gentlemen's Barbershop 117

92 Go Winery Hopping and Shopping at Tasting Room Gift Shops 118

93 Feather Your Nest at Sonoma Nesting Company 120

94 Consider Something for Your Indoor Life at the Gardener 121

95 Choose a Chapeau at the Hattery 122

96 Be the Best You from Your Undies Out with Style by Malia 124

97 Meet Old Japan in Contemporary Couture at Yasuko 125

98 Support Local Booksellers with a Book Buy at Copperfield's Books 126

99 Buy Peanuts Characters in Every Size and Shape at Snoopy's Gallery & Gift Shop 128

100 Explore the Bounty of the County at a Farmers Market 129

Suggested Itineraries 131

Index 139