Vallejo's Home

Sonoma

　　A half-mile northwest of the plaza, this lovely historical estate, also known as Lachryma Montis (Latin for ‘Tears of the Mountain’), was built in the 1850s for General Vallejo and named for the on-site spring, which the Vallejo family made good money from by piping water to town. The Gothic-style...

Cornerstone Sonoma

Sonoma

　　This roadside Wine Country marketplace showcases 25 walk-through (in some cases edible) gardens, along with a bunch of innovative and adorable shops, wine-tasting parlors and on-site Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau. There's a good, if pricey, cafe, and an outdoor 'test kitchen.' Look for the enormous orange Adirondack chair at road’s...

Sonoma Plaza

Sonoma

　　This is the largest plaza in California, and the veritable center for politics, love and community in the Sonoma Valley. Smack in the center of the plaza, the Mission Revival–style city hall, built 1906–08, has identical facades on four sides, reportedly because plaza businesses all demanded City Hall face their...

Graziano Family of Wines

Sonoma

　　The Italian Graziano family is one of the oldest grape-growing families in Mendocino County and specializes in ‘Cal-Ital’ wines – including Primitivo, Dolcetto, Barbera and Sangiovese – at some fantastic prices. Wine tasting is complimentary. ...

Cesar E Chavez National Monument

Sonoma

　　This newly designated national monument, Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz, is the national headquarters of the United Farmworkers of America and was the home of civil rights leader César Chávez from 1971 until his death in 1993. On view are exhibits on Chávez's work, his office and grave. Keene...

Earthquake Fault

Sonoma

　　Mammoth Mountain is the product of millions of years of volcanic activity, so it should be no surprise that the region surrounding it is full of geological intrigues. One of the most easiest to see up close is Earthquake Fault, a half mile long tear in the earth likely formed...

Willow Creek China Flat Museum

Sonoma

　　Pop over to this museum to take in its persuasive Bigfoot collection. Footprints, handprints, hair…it has all kinds of goodies to substantiate the ole boy’s existence. In fact, the namesake Bigfoot Scenic Byway (Hwy 96) starts here and heads north, winding through breathtaking mountain and river country. ...

John Muir National Historic Site

Sonoma

　　Naturalist John Muir's former residence sits in a pastoral patch of farmland in bustling, modern Martinez. Though Muir wrote of sauntering the Sierra Nevada with a sack of tea and bread, it may be a shock for those familiar with the iconic Sierra Club founder’s ascetic weather-beaten appearance that this...

Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve

Sonoma

　　Two miles west of Orr Hot Springs, this 2743-acre reserve protects some of the best old-growth redwood groves within a day’s drive from San Francisco. A 2-mile loop trail, starting near the picnic tables and toilets, crosses the creek, winding through the serene forest. It’s out of the way, so...

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Sonoma

　　The largest state park in California, Anza-Borrego comprises a staggering 640,000 acres of land punctuated with hiking trails, canyons, palm groves and viewpoints. Pick up information on trails and road conditions at the visitor center in lonely and wind-buffeted Borrego Springs, the park's commercial hub. ...

Shasta Dam

Sonoma

　　On scale with the enormous natural features of the area, this colossal, 15-million-ton concrete dam is second only in size to Grand Coolie Dam in Washington state and second in height only to Hoover Dam in Nevada. The dam is located at the south end of the lake on Shasta...

Wild Horse Sanctuary

Sonoma

　　Since 1978 the Wild Horse Sanctuary has been sheltering horses and burros that would otherwise have been destroyed. You can visit its humble visitors center on Wednesdays and Saturdays to see these lovely animals or even volunteer for a day, with advance arrangement. To see them on the open plains,...

Patrick Amiot Junk Art

Sonoma

　　Prepare to gawk and giggle at the wacky Patrick Amiot sculptures gracing front yards along Florence Ave. Fashioned from recycled materials, a hot-rodding rat, a hectic waitress and a witch in midflight are a few of the oversized and demented lawn ornaments parading along the street. Keep an eye out...

Point Reyes Lighthouse

Sonoma

　　With wild terrain and ferocious winds, this spot feels like the end of the earth and offers the best whale-watching along the coast. The lighthouse sits below the headlands; to reach it you need to descend more than 300 stairs. ...

French Laundry

Sonoma

　　The pinnacle of California dining, Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-star rated French Laundry is epic, a high-wattage culinary experience on par with the world’s best. Book one month ahead on the online app Tock, where tickets are released in groupings. This is the meal you can brag about the rest of your...

Manzanar National Historic Site

Sonoma

　　A stark wooden guard tower alerts drivers to one of US history's darkest chapters, which unfolded on a barren, windy sweep of land some 5 miles south of Independence. Little remains of the infamous war concentration camp, a dusty square mile where more than 10,000 people of Japanese ancestry were...

CIA at Copia

Sonoma

　　The former food museum beside Napa's famous Oxbow Public Market has been revived as a center of all things edible by the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. In its new life as Copia, the 80,000-sq-ft campus offers wine tastings, interactive cooking demos, an innovative restaurant, a massive fork statue (composed...

Jade Cove

Sonoma

　　In the waters of Jade Cove in 1971, local divers recovered a 9000lb jade boulder that measured 8ft long and was valued at $180,000. People still comb the beach today. Jade is black or blue-green and looks dull until you dip it in water; the best time to find it...

Point Sur State Historic Park

Sonoma

　　A little over 6 miles south of Bixby Bridge, Point Sur rises like a velvety green fortress out of the sea. It looks like an island, but is actually connected to land by a sandbar. Atop the volcanic rock sits an 1889 stone light station, which was staffed until 1974....

Point Bonita Lighthouse

Sonoma

　　This historical lighthouse is a breathtaking half-mile walk from Field Rd parking area. From the tip of Point Bonita, you can see the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline. Harbor seals haul out seasonally on nearby rocks. It's worth coming out here even when the lighthouse is closed...

Redwood National Park

Sonoma

　　This park is the southernmost of a patchwork of state and federally administered lands under the umbrella of Redwood National & State Parks. After picking up a map at the visitor center, you’ll have a suite of choices for hiking. A few miles north along Hwy 101, a trip inland...

Museum of Western Film History

Sonoma

　　More than 400 movies, not to mention numerous commercials (mostly for rugged SUVs and Jeeps), have been shot in the area. This fascinating museum contains paraphernalia from locally set films, not just Westerns (as the name of the museum suggests). One of the most fascinating pieces in the collection is...

Hearst Castle

Sonoma

　　Perched high on a hill, Hearst Castle is a wondrous, historic, over-the-top homage to material excess. From the 1920s into the '40s, Hearst and Marion Davies, his longtime mistress (Hearst’s wife refused to grant him a divorce), entertained a steady stream of the era’s biggest movers and shakers. Invitations were highly...

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Sonoma

　　This rotating cable car climbs nearly 6000ft vertically and covers five different vegetation zones, from the Sonoran desert floor to pine-scented Mt San Jacinto State Park, in 10 minutes during its 2.5-mile journey. From the mountain station (8561ft), which is 30°F to 40°F (up to 22°C) cooler than the desert...

Monarch Grove Sanctuary

Sonoma

　　Between November and February, over 25,000 migratory monarch butterflies cluster in this thicket of tall eucalyptus trees, secreted inland. During peak season, volunteer guides answer all of your questions between noon and 3pm, weather permitting. ...