The last section of our west coast adventure transitioned us away from nature and the great outdoors back into the hustle and bustle of city life, first stopping in Sonoma Valley, and ending in Berkeley.
We said our goodbyes to Trinidad and its quiet vibe, hopped on the 101, and headed southward.
On our way, we saw signs for Avenue of the Giants – what turned out to be a beautifully, scenic 30 mile drive through Humboldt Redwoods State park. We stopped along the route, stretching our legs a bit, and enjoying yet another walk through the giants.
Sonoma Valley
Unlike our time in Mt Hood, Crater Lake, and the Redwoods, where our plans mainly revolved around being in the outdoors, we had no such plans for Sonoma Valley, likely fueled by our naive understanding of what there is to do there.
After all, with SO MANY vineyards spread over more than 1500 sq. miles, what else does one need?
Yet, there’s only so many wine tastings one can enjoy. And, we wanted to lean into our spontaneity a bit.
Our things-to-do list began with a recommendation from our friends, Melanie and Paul, of the Landmark Vineyards and the Fig Cafe, in the Kenwood/Glen Ellen area. In our further research, we spied yet another Redwood grove/forest – nearby Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. That went on the list. We’re familiar with Korbel champagne, their vineyard and tasting room was near to Armstrong redwoods outside of Guerneville, so that went on the list.
We started exploring though first grabbing some groceries at a near by in Petaluma, then stopped for a bite at a recently-opened The Grove, bar & grill – catching the tail end of happy hour. While there, we picked up a brochure on Sonoma Art Trails – what we learned was a free, county-wide open studios tour showcasing 155 local, juried artists in 2025 – the 41st annual event invites art lovers to step inside artist studios.
Our AirBnB was set in the Penngrove foothills overlooking Santa Rosa and offering amazing views.
And the purple Mexican Sage attracted an amazing number of hummingbirds – certainly far more than we’ve ever seen in one place!
Our first full day in Sonoma, we visited Sebastopol to explore The Barlow Market (leaning into our enjoyment of local markets). While not quite the sort of “local” markets we had in mind, we nonetheless enjoyed the wonderful weather, coffee and pastries at a local shop, and did a bit of shopping.
Our afternoon adventure took us to Landmark Vineyards for our first tasting – and a bit of a shock that tastings are usually reserved in advance and the price ($50+ per person!). That said, we sat in the moment, enjoyed the view and the surroundings, and sipped on our glass of red. We capped off the afternoon with an early dinner at the Poppy in Glen Ellen.
Our second full day, we planned our day around a few stops on the Sonoma Art Trails – what a great way to combine Art and some outdoor time!
Our first art stop was at Penny Burn’s studio – Nantucket Lightship Baskets. We enjoyed learning about the baskets and how they’re made, and they certainly enjoyed hearing we were from Cape Cod!
From there, we stopped briefly at a Glass artist – Valerie Adams – who specializes in fused glass pieces, such as tableware, lawn art, and other whimsical items.
From there, we set out for the Armstrong Redwoods, to again enjoy their beauty and majesty via a short walk through the woods.
The Korbel vineyards was our next stop. Not far from the redwoods park, Korbel offered taskings of their many champagne offerings at (what we thought were) very reasonable prices.
Ok, maybe the inflatable champagne bottle was a bit corny, the champagne varieties were enjoyable and the outdoor deck was relaxing.
From there, we sought a vineyard specializing in reds – and seemed to strike out, or nearly so, with them closed for special events, or reservations only. We finally found Merry Edwards winery, and stopped in to enjoy a glass.
With it nearly 5pm, closing time for the artist studios and just before our reservations at the Fern Bar back at The Barlow market, we made one last quick stop at a woodworking studio – Jim Deis who specializes in Lathe turned hardwood bowls and charcuterie boards.
What a surprise! We got to talking to him, his daughter and son-in-law (SIL), and quickly became fast friends – SIL had been stationed at Otis AFB on Cape Cod, and is now an amateur award-winning wine-maker. He brought out a carafe which we all enjoyed over some great conversation.
Berkeley
On our way toward our last stop in Berkeley from our stay in Sonoma Valley, we opted for a drive near the coast – along shoreline highway, which hugged the eastern shore of Tomales Bay/Point Reyes State Park, stopping at a seafood place called Nick’s Cove, on recommendation from our new friends in Sonoma.
Nothing fancy, but good chowder and some wonderful views on a beautiful Sunday morning.
Underlying our choice of the west coast was a visit to some family in Berkeley, CA.
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