Today I want to bring you my guide to spending a weekend in Sonoma County. This part of Northern California is a great place to go wine tasting, explore local towns like Sebastopol, and soak up the scenery on the Russian River. If you have 2 days in Sonoma, you’ll be able to experience everything from the vineyards to the coast. I’m here now and I’m excited to show you around. I’ve included a map, too.
Weekend in Sonoma
A lot of people associate Sonoma County with wine. While there are world-class vineyards here, there’s more to this part of the Golden State than tasting rooms. From redwood forests to historic towns and bolder-studded coastline, this place has something for every visitor.
I know this from personal experience. Having grown up in the Bay Area, I’ve been visiting this region of California my whole life. In doing so I’ve gotten to know Sonoma County from coast to barrel and beyond.
On each trip I discover more to love about it. Whether I visit on a day trip from San Francisco, a weekend getaway, or a 3-day trip to Napa and Sonoma, this part of Northern California always delights.
On this trip I’m spending a weekend in Sonoma with my other half and his dog. We’re excited to visit some of our favorite places in the area and see what new-to-us excitements the county has to show us. Given how much we love traveling to wine country, we know it’s going to be a memorable time.
Saturday in Sonoma
We arrive on a Saturday morning after an hour’s drive from San Francisco, and we start our Sonoma weekend getaway with brunch. We’ve booked a table at a restaurant called Fern Bar at The Barlow in Sebastopol, and we can’t wait to try the food.
This place has a stylish interior complete with lots of greenery, a big bar, and a lounge area that makes me want to stay all day. The menu features everything from smoked trout toast to spam and eggs, not to mention gorgeous cocktails and mocktails.
We settle in for a delicious meal as the restaurant fills up around us. It’s a great way to start the morning, and a fun place to kick off our weekend in Sonoma County.
The Barlow, Sebastopol
After brunch we spend some time walking around The Barlow. This 12-acre outdoor market area in Sebastopol is a converted industrial complex. It has all kinds of hip places offering local food, wine, beer, spirits, and crafts. Much of it is made on-site, and it’s a fun destination for browsing, buying, and grazing.
We can’t help starting at Acorn, a pretty shop selling home goods, kitchen accessories, and gifts. From the pillows and plates to the body lotions and greeting cards, we want to buy everything.
From Acorn we pop into a clothing boutique, walk past a wine tasting room, and stroll by a coffee shop before stumbling upon William Colfield Cheesemakers. We go in to try samples of their British-style cheese and peer into their workshop. After chatting with the friendly staff, we buy a chunk of mature cheddar to take away with us.
Wine Tasting
From The Barlow we hop in the car and continue our Sonoma wine country weekend with a short drive to a place called Littorai. My other half has been here before, and it’s a favorite of some of our friends who are really into wine. We’ve pre-booked a tasting, and I’m excited for the experience.
We’re welcomed by a friendly host who pours us each a sample of Vin Gris. As we sip, he walks us out to the Pivot Vineyard and tells us that the wine we’re trying is made of grapes harvested from its vines. It’s fun to know we’re tasting something that comes from the very spot we’re standing in front of, and it sets a good tone for the experience.
As we walk over to an outdoor table with a view of the vineyard, our host tells us about the West Sonoma Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA) and how the 30 acres of land around us are farmed biodynamically. He also tells us about the winemaker’s background and how he started out in Burgundy before setting up shop in Sonoma County.
Sitting at the table, we sample a range of wines from both the Pivot Vineyard and Littorai’s other vineyards in the region. Most are Pinot Noirs, and it’s fun to try them and compare how the variations in terroir impact their flavors. We can also taste the influence of the winemaker’s time in Burgundy in his restrained style.
At the end of the experience we buy a couple of our favorite wines to take home, thank our host, and hit the road.
Guerneville
The next stop on our itinerary for 2 days in Sonoma is Guerneville. This local town is nestled in the redwoods, and it’s known for its “lumberjack chic” style. Right on the Russian River, it’s a great place to spend a sunny afternoon in Sonoma County.
We pick up some snacks at a shop called Piknik Town Market, settle in at our accommodation, then head down to the river for an afternoon of swimming, sunbathing, and soaking up the scenery. It’s a beautiful day, and we meet everyone from kayakers to rafters and groups of friends hanging out on the banks.
When evening comes, we head into town to have dinner at a restaurant in Guerneville called Road Trip. Headed up by Guerneville chef and restaurateur Crista Luedtke, it has an eclectic menu and a hip rustic atmosphere. We love seeing the classic road trip movies projected onto the back wall, too.
The place is buzzing when we arrive. We settle in at a table in the dining room and order everything from a mouth-watering Mexican street corn salad to coconut green curry and the signature Mac Daddy burger with secret sauce. It’s a delicious meal, and the restaurant is a great addition to Guerneville’s food scene.
We can’t help chasing dinner with ice cream. There’s been a line out the door at Nimble & Finn’s since we arrived, and we’re eager to join it when we’re done with our meal. This place is set in a former bank building, and the colorful mural on the wall makes it as fun as our cones of artisanal mint chip are yummy.
Sunday in Sonoma
The next morning our Sonoma weekend trip continues with another big day of exploring the county. We start with breakfast at a local place called The Farmhand. This gourmet deli and specialty food market is right on the Russian River, and the deck has great views of the water.
Inside, The Farmhand has a long deli counter and a coffee shop at the back. We order espresso drinks and bagels, then settle in at a table in the big rustic dining room. It’s a great place to fuel up for the day.
Wine Tasting
After breakfast we pack up, leave our accommodation, and continue our weekend in Sonoma with a 20-minute drive to Occidental. We’re here to do some wine tasting, and there’s no better place to do it than Boheme. The winery has a cellar door right in the heart of town, and it’s our go-to when we’re in this part of Sonoma County.
We’re welcomed by a friendly host who starts our tasting with a sample of Vin Gris. It’s a great warm-weather wine, and we could sip it all day by the Russian River.
When we’re done we try a Chardonnay, a range of Pinot Noirs, and a Syrah. We’re big fans of winemaker Kurt Beitler’s Pinots, from the English Hill to the Stuller and the Occidental Hills.
Kurt is also a grower, and he farms all his vines by hand. He hosted us here on our first visit, and we’re glad to see his passion and dedication continues to come through in the quality of his wines.
Lunch in Occidental
When we’re done with the tasting, we buy a few bottles to take home before walking down the street to get to lunch. We’re eating at a local place called Howard Station Cafe, which is set in a pretty historic building on the main street.
Known for serving great breakfast and lunch, Howard Station Cafe has a railroad theme. It’s a nice nod to Occidental’s past, in which the town sat on the North Pacific Coast narrow-gauge railroad.
We order at the counter, sit outside at a table on the porch, and tuck into rich chilaquiles and a quinoa bowl with eggs on top. It’s a great way to fuel up for what our weekend in Sonoma has in store for us next.
Freestone
From Occidental our itinerary for a weekend in Sonoma continues with a short drive to Freestone. This tiny town is located at the southern end of the 10-mile Bohemian Highway, and it’s known for its bakery. Wild Flour Bread attracts people from all over who want to try its fluffy loaves and sticky buns.
We join the queue as it snakes around outside the building, then order at the window. Our scones are delivered in seconds, and soon we’re tucking into rhubarb-and-strawberry and jalapeno-cheddar numbers in the lush garden out back.
They’re every bit as delicious as we’d hoped, and we make a mental note to come back for more on our next trip to Sonoma County.
Sonoma Coast
From Freestone we drive for 15 minutes to get out to the Pacific Ocean. The Sonoma Coast is one of my favorite places to get into nature in Northern California, and as we cruise through Bodega Bay and out to Doran Regional Park I can’t wait to get into nature and explore.
We pay the park entry fee at the gate, then head over to the beach. We spend an hour walking along the shore and loving the feeling of the sand beneath our feet. We take in the boulders in the bay and admire the pale yellow lupine as we go.
From Doran Park we drive past The Lodge at Bodega Bay, where I stayed when I spent 48 hours in Sonoma. We then cruise through the town and out to Bodega Head. This rocky promontory sits at the entrance to Bodega Harbor, and it’s famous for its stunning views and great whale watching.
While the cetaceans evade us today, we still love seeing the waves crashing against the cliffs below.
From Bodega Head we wrap up our weekend in Sonoma with a drive south along the coast and into Marin County. We cruise along Tomales Bay and make a quick stop in Point Reyes Station for the famous Double 8 Dairy buffalo milk soft serve at Palace Market. From there we head down past Bolinas and Stinson Beach before stopping in Muir Beach.
We’re here for dinner at a pub called The Pelican Inn. This place feels like it’s straight out of the English countryside, and I can never get enough of its historic interior. There are rooms upstairs, too (it’s one of the most unique places to stay in California).
Weekend in Sonoma
After dinner we drive over the hill on Highway 1 and reach San Francisco by nightfall. We’ve had an amazing weekend in Sonoma County, and we’re already planning our next trip to the area. I hope this blog post has inspired you to visit this part of Northern California, too.
If you want more inspiration, you can take a look at my blog post with all my Sonoma itineraries. It has everything from my guide to taking a day trip to Dry Creek Valley to my itinerary for spending 2 days in Napa and Sonoma and my Sonoma itinerary for 3 days. Whatever you’re looking for, it will help you plan a great Sonoma itinerary of your own.
Sonoma Itinerary Map
As promised, I’ve created an interactive Google map of all the places I visited on my Sonoma weekend getaway. You can find it here. I hope it helps you plan your trip to the area!
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