The next day we explored Russian River Wine region. I loved it since i was laid back and most of the Wineries were family run. See itinerary at bottom to see all the ones we went to. Dinner was in Healdsburg at Willie's Wine Bar.
Day 3 was all about the redwoods and Bodega Bay. Walking in Armstrong Redwood Park was something I will always remember. It is amazing how tall these trees are, and that some are 1200 years old. It was also so quiet and peaceful. After spending 2-3 hours there we headed to the coast. Just like in Big Sur Route 1 up here was amazing. We pulled over many times. We stopped at Goat Rock Beach where the final scene from Goonies were, and Bodega Bay. My favorite beach was Schooolhouse Beach. I could spend hours there. There were little coves, big waves, and the whole beach was pebbles and rocks with jade stones. It was beautiful.
The next day was all wineries in Sonoma. See itinerary. We splurged the last 2 nights and stayed at the Renaissance Sonoma Lodge and Spa. It was amazing. The room was huge and had a fireplace, jacuzzi tub, and a balcony looking at the mountains. If you can splurge a little, I recomend this hotel. It is 5 minutes to downtown Sonoma.
Day 5 was Napa valley and our foodie day. We went to many wineries but our 2 favorite in Napa were Hendry for the 2 hour very personal tour, and Silverado Vineyards for the view and the $90 Solo Cabernet I fell in love with--buttery smooth. Lunch was at Michael Chiarello Botegga and dinner was at Marimoto's Sushi.
Our last day we woke up early to see the Golden Gate bridge at sunrise. Im so glad it wasnt covered in fog like most mornings. We went to Fisherman's Wharf and ate breakfast at Boudin Bakery. Very good bread. The quickly went to Chinatown to get me some pashminas. Then it was time to go home. Wine country was great. There were so many wineries we would of wanted to go to and so many restaurants, but there are just too many. Some tips if you are driving. We shared most of our tastings. It saved $$ but also allowed us to try more wines. Also keep 2 Styrofoam coolers. One for bottled water to hydrate, and one for the wine. You dont want to spend good $$ on wine and it get spoiled in the sun. I am looking forward to going back probably in a few years. It was such a great experience.
Itinerary and reviews
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Benziger- Nice tour on a tram of the organic vineyards
Day 5
Hendry- 2 hours and 12 tastings later we were hooked. It was a very informational tour that took you from the grapes(we tried grapes still on the vine), to the press, to the bottling.
St Helena Olive oil- Nice place to taste some olive oil, and get cool wine related gifts. I bought a candle holder made from a wine barrel.
Dinner at Marimoto for Sushi Bar- Very nice decor and good softshell crab roll.
Day 6
Stop to see Golden Gate bridge at Southern Vista
Chinatown