Wine Country Towns
Sebastopol
20 minutes drive West
The Barlow District and Main street are full of restaurants, shops, cafes, and more. Michelin stars are rising here but the town has a wonderfully laid back feel. Walk around The Barlow, stop at REGION wine bar for some tastes, visit the local shops, and have dinner at one of the many great restaurants. Retrograde Roasters is THE place to stop for morning or afternoon coffee. Sebastopol Center for the Arts often has an exhibit open and you can find Sebastopol’s bohemian roots in several of the local shops. Screamin’Mimi’s Ice Cream is the best in Northern California.
Sonoma
30 minutes drive South
You can spend a whole day in this quintessential wine country town. The town square and side streets leave much to explore with many high end wineries, excellent restaurants, galleries, coffee shops and more. Visit the original Williams Sonoma store, and understand a piece of culinary history.
Calistoga
24 minutes drive North East
This Napa Valley town is a wonderful mixture of western outpost feel and wine country posh. Everything from casual to fine dining, wineries close to town, and spas with mud baths and mineral baths abound. Works by Italian artist Carlo Marchiori are displayed at the Ca'toga Galleria D'Arte, right in town. Art galleries, potters, and museums are plenty.
Healdsburg
23 minutes drive North
Like Sonoma, Healdsburg has a charming town square, and a walk around the town will reward you with amazing art galleries, shopping, excellent restaurants, and countless tasting rooms without having to use a car to get from one to another. Noble Folk Ice Cream and Pie Bar is not to be missed, you can make an excuse to go any time of the day. For the culinary obsessed, this is a great town, with Single Thread providing one the best experiences in the country.
Guerneville
30 minutes drive West
This charming town nestled in the mountains along the Russian River is a casual vacation spot in the spring, summer, and fall. Kayaking, tubing, and swimming await you, and several wonderful restaurants are there for lunch or dinner. Armstrong Woods is close to town and one of the best hikes among the redwoods. Korbel winery is close to town, and Books and Letters Bookstore is a wonderful place to stop and browse. Look for their readings by local authors for an evening outing.