Our family is a big fan of Sonoma County. I have already published a couple of itineraries about Sonoma: Family Friendly Wineries in Sonoma and Sonoma Family Adventures – cheese, oysters, beer and the giants of the sea. We are especially in love with Northern part of the County, (North of the Russian River), which I have not covered yet on this blog. There are many reasons to go to that part of Sonoma: gorgeous coastline, majestic forests, peace and tranquility. But also for us, being Russian, this territory has an important historic significance – it was a Russian colony for about 30 years from 1812 to 1841. In a way it always feels like coming home and I want to share this beautiful land with you.
Day 1. A good way to start your trip is from the Russian River which slowly winds through Sonoma County to the Pacific Ocean. You can explore the River in different ways, depending on the season. In summer you can kayak or tube. The river flow is slow and gentle so kayaking is great even for small kids (we like double kayaks so that each of our kids sit with an adult).
In October-November a scenic drive along the Russian River Road from HW 101 to HW 1 is a must if you love fall colors. You will see all the splendor of fall in red, orange yellow and brown due to variety of trees, bushes and the abundance of vineyards (grape leaves have a variety of colors in fall from yellow to almost purple, depending on the type of grape)
The area where Russian River meets the ocean is beautiful any time of year. There are several places in Jenner, CA along HW 1 where you can stop and enjoy the scenic views of the River.
And when you are hungry, stop by the Russian House #1 overlooking the Russian River. It is a restaurant and a community center all in one. It is based on a very unique concept: no set menu (items change every day), hearty homemade food and no set prices. You pay from you consciousness or from your heart, whatever it feels like this meal was worth to you. There are typically 6-7 dishes served buffet style: when we stopped by a couple of times there was always soup, salad, 1 or 2 meat dishes and a couple of garnishes like potatoes, porridge, a vegetable casserole, bread and tea. The menu is a combination of Russian and Californian dishes (and sometimes it is Russian dish with a California twist or the other way around). But whatever they serve is always yummy and healthy and kids approved.
When you turn North from Russian River on HW 1 and drive 30 minutes or so you will arrive at Fort Ross – the former heart and soul of the Russian territory and now a State Historic Park. I already talked about it in detail in my Mendocino County road trip itinerary. It is definitely worth a stop, it would be both fund and educational for kids and adults and I would allocate at least a couple of hours of exploration here.
Day 2.
All the area North from Fort Ross to the boarder with Mendocino county is full of beautiful coves, beaches and hiking opportunities. Some of them are located on the territory of Sea Ranch community. The beaches are public but access trails through some of the trails may be for Sea Ranch residents only. If you rent a house at Sea Ranch you will have a privilege of hiking all private trails.
There is an air of something whimsical about Sea Ranch. There are trails that lead you through areas that look like enchanted forest.
There is whimsical architecture around – check out Sea Ranch Chapel, for instance. It is a non-denominational chapel for prayer and meditation that looks like fairy tale cottage inside and out. Access to the Chapel is free for all, regardless where you are staying.
When you are in Sea Ranch there won’t be many people around, it is very quiet, so most of the time you will feel one-on-one with nature.
The most famous area for hiking in Northern Sonoma County, however, is Salt Point State Park. The park has many hiking trails along the beach and in the forested area. Our favorite trail is a Salt Point Trail. It is easy on your legs (level surface, just about 2 miles round trip, great for kids) but is huge on natural wonders. It goes along the coast full of interesting rock formations made from sandstone. In places the whole landscape looks like from another planet. Our kids loved exploring every nook, every cove and stone in this Park.
In spring you can also see a lot of wild flowers on this trail too.
You can definitely spend more than two days in Northern Sonoma County even though this itinerary is for a quick weekend getaway. Here are some add-on things you can do in the area if you have more than 2 days:
- Visit the Arts Center in Gualala, a small town on the border of Sonoma and Mendocino counties. It has unique sculptures in the garden around it and it holds arts exhibitions and interesting events. If you are visiting on Thanksgiving weekend, don’t miss their Festival of Trees which is a true delight (typically, on Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving).
2. Downtown Gualala has some nice restaurants and cafes and if you are visiting on Thanksgiving weekend that’s where they will have their Christmas Lighted Trucks parade (typically, on Saturday after Thanksgiving), which kids will love. Plus, they get to meet Santa who gives all children a candy cane.
3. Take a 8 miles detour from HW 1 at Sea Ranch to Annapolis winery. It’s a small and cute family-run winery. The tasting is FREE and all the wines we tried were of excellent quality. We went back home with a Barbera and a Zinfandel. If you are new to wine tasting, I suggest reading my earlier post summarizing all you need to know about winery visits and wine tasting. It will make you experience much more pleasant.
While adults do the tasting inside, kids can play a game on the lawn outside. I also guarantee that you will love their breathtaking views – the winery sits on top of a hill at 1000 ft elevation.
Additional tips:
- Where to stay: you can either rent a house in Sea Ranch through VRBO or stay at a hotel in Gualala. We liked both our stays, at Sea Ranch and Gualala County Inn.
2. December-March is a grey whales migration season in Northern California. All the coastal areas described in this itinerary are good for whale watching.
3. In addition to grey whales, this area is famous for deer and wild turkeys sightings.
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RESOURCES YOU WILL FIND USEFUL ON THIS TRIP:
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For a great wine tasting card to take with you for tasting (wineries don’t usually provide any ), please, visit my SHOP page. I have designed this handy card so that it is easy to use for both experienced wine lovers and beginners alike. You will receive a PDF file which you can re-use as many times as you like.
