Great food, fine wine, gorgeous views, golf, spas, and hundreds of fun
activities are all within easy reach of Villa Zinfandel.
Here some of our suggestions, from A to Z:
Here some of our suggestions, from A to Z:
A
Antiquing: Antique Society - Sonoma County's largest antiques collective, with over 20,000 square feet of floor space and 125+ dealers. Located in Sebastopol, about 35 minutes away.
Amusement Parks: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is just 40 minutes away to the south.
Art Galleries: A comprehensive list of many of Sonoma County's art galleries.
B
Balloon Tours: Wine Country Balloons - Up, up, and away! For a bird's-eye view of the beautiful Sonoma Valley, this is a fun way to start the day.
Beer: Not a wine connoisseur...yet? Try some of Sonoma County's great microbreweries and brewpubs!
3rd Street Aleworks Brewpub - They have an outdoor beer garden and have been voted Best Brewpub and Microbrewery in the area.
Bicycle Tours and Bike Rentals - Goodtime Touring - Sonoma, CA
Biplane Rides: Vintage Aircraft Company - 23982 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, CA
C
Canoes: Burke's Canoe Trips - A ten mile self-guided canoe trip through the Redwoods with return shuttle included. Picnic, swim, and sunbathe at beaches along this magnificent stretch of the river. View wildlife such as: otter, Great Blue Heron, osprey, turtles, egret, and more. Canoeing at Burke's is a true Russian River Tradition.
Chocolate Tasting: Wine Country Chocolates - A heavenly experience, located in the Jack London Village at 14301 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen. Conveniently next door to Olive Oil Tasting and Wine Tasting, too!
Culinary Field Trips - From Farm to Table, offers a close up look at the area's finest artisan fare, and the local farmers and producers who handcraft it. They will craft a culinary adventure in a day or over a weekend that includes gourmet picnic lunches, private chef-led dinners, and a behind-the-scenes look at the best of Sonoma's seasonal fare.
D
Dining - There are a million and one restaurants in the area! Click here to discover some of our favorites, some within walking distance of the house. For a more comprehensive list of Sonoma's best restaurants, click here.
E
Events - see our links for local events calendars at the top of the page.
Heart of Sonoma Valley Calendar - This calendar covers the area closest to our location, and features the neighborhood wineries.
Sonoma Events Calendar
Napa Events Calendar
F
Fishing/Crabbing/Whale Watching - Bodega Bay on the coast is just 45 minutes away. For seafood that's been caught the same day, you can't miss it. We keep a large crab pot (netted trap), bait box, and instructions at the house, and you’re welcome to try your luck at trapping Dungeness crabs! Even if you don’t catch the legal size for taking, it’s fun for the kids. When crabbing from a man-made pier, you don’t even need a fishing license.
G
Gambling - River Rock Casino - 3250 Hwy. 128, Geyserville, CA 95441 (707) 857-2777
Golf - see our webpage for a listing of golf courses.
Groceries/Markets:
Kenwood Market & Deli: 8910 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood. This market is the closest to our location; about four blocks away to the north. They carry all of the necessities and have wonderful produce, meats, and wines. Their deli is excellent, and the perfect place to stock up for a picnic.
The Glen Ellen Village Market: 13751 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen. This is a wonderful store full of natural and organic foods, with many products suitable for those with food allergies. They also have a wonderful selection of prepared foods, including a large salad bar and juice bar.
Safeway -100 Calistoga Road, Santa Rosa. Safeway is just over 7 miles to the north of us off Hwy. 12, but they will deliver your groceries right to our kitchen if you order ahead online!
Gardens:
Cornerstone Place - 22 gallery-style gardens created by leading landscape architects, plus one-of-a-kind shops, a fascinating architectural salvage store, a wonderful deli, wine-tasting, chocolate tasting, and so much more! This is really an interesting stop on your way into Sonoma from San Francisco and the East Bay.
Quarry Hill Botanical Garden - 12841 Sonoma Hwy., Glen Ellen, just minutes down Hwy. 12 to the south. This is a 20-acre garden, and is one of the finest examples of Asian garden design in the country. The gardens specialize in rare and endangered species from China and Japan.
Gifts: The Kenwood Farmhouse, just a block and a half down the street, is full of great gifts - jewelry, candles, adorable kids' clothes, art, furniture... they have a little of everything!
H
History of Sonoma and Historical Sites around Sonoma Plaza.
Horseback Riding: Triple Creek Horseback offers tours through Kunde Winery's vineyards, just a couple of minutes down the road from us off Hwy. 12.
I
Infineon Raceway -Now Sonoma Raceway, it's located just 30 minutes south.
J Jazz: The Sonoma Jazz Festival is typically held in May and features some of the world's top perfomers over a full weekend.
K
Kayaking Tours: Getaway Adventures runs kayaking and biking tours from the Alexander Valley Campground as well as Healdsburg.
L
Limo Wine Tours: Beau Wine Tours & Limo Service will create a custom itinerary as well as a gourmet picnic lunch on request. Phone: 800-387-2328.
M
Museums:
Charles M. Schulz Museum - Home of "Everything Peanuts and Snoopy." Hands-on activities and classes for the kids.
N
Nascar: Sonoma Raceway is just 30 minutes south.
Nature Walks, Birdwatching & Wildlife Hikes at Bouverie Preserve - this is just two minutes South on Hwy. 12.
O
Olive Oil Tastings at Figone's, just a couple blocks' away - wonderful olive oils, some infused with Meyer lemon, lime, or tangerine.
Old Faithful Geyser - about every 30 minutes, visitors are treated to an eruption of water and steam spraying 60-100 feet in the air. On the geyser's grounds, there is a gift shop, exhibit hall, snack bar, and picnic area. They also showcase the famous Tennessee Fainting Goats, Jacob's Four-Horn Sheep, and Guard Llamas in a petting-zoo environment. This is located in Calistoga, about 40 minutes from our location, and is a fun place to visit if you decide to hop over to the Napa side of the Valley.
P
Parks: There are SO many; too many to list here, but here are a few of our favorites:
Jack London State Historic Park: The remains of Jack London's dream house, The Wolf House, are located in this park which offers picnic areas, hiking, horseback riding, and museum. $6/car.
Kenwood Plaza Park: This pretty 5-acre park contains picnic tables and play structures, and is the hub of Kenwood, directly South on Warm Springs Road.
Howarth Park: This is an incredible 152-acre park with a beautiful lake, fishing, train, carousel, pony rides, boathouse, tennis and softball areas, picnic areas, trails, play structures, and beautiful views. The legendary summer camp, Camp
Wa-Tam is held here, and has been a tradition in the area for over 50 years. 630 Summerfield Road in Santa Rosa, about 20 minutes north of our location, and worth it!
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park: Gorgeous, scenic, and perfect for hikes, picnics, and horseback riding. Deer, gray foxes, the occasional bobcat and coyote can be seen in the park, which is located at 2605 Adobe Canyon Road, just .7 miles north up Hwy. 12 (turn right on Adobe Canyon Road and travel 3.8 miles to the park).
Petrified Forest: Geologists call this attraction in Calistoga one of the finest examples of a pliocene fossil forest in the world. The park itself is privately owned and has been since its first proprietor started excavating the large petrified trees in 1871. This is about 45 minutes away. Click here for more Petrified Forest information.
Pizza: Want to try your hand at cooking on our Italian Wood-Fired Pizza oven? If so, we have directions.
Pools/Swimming: Morton's Warm Springs Resort: historic site for swimming, BBQ, picnics, sports & recreation. Warm mineral swimming pools; public welcome, day & group rates. Also, the Kenwood Inn & Spa has a gorgeous pool -- see the next entry under "spas."
S
Spas:
The Spa at the Kenwood Inn - Five minutes away, but you'll feel like you're in another world. Luxury Spa magazine rates their spa SIXTH out of the top 50 spas in the WORLD. If you book a spa treatment, they'll let you spend the day enjoying their pool (no children allowed), and will bring lunch or drinks to you poolside. It's a lovely way to spend an afternoon, and makes the choice between an on-site massage at Villa Zinfandel vs. a massage at the Spa a very difficult one!
Segway Tours: Sonoma Segway - Tours leave at 10:00am (meet behind the Sonoma Cheese Factory on First Street in Sonoma), run for approximately 2.5 hours, and are $99 per person. Fun!
Skydiving: Your freefall adventure begins here! Skydive San Francisco (operates in Cloverdale, just north of Santa Rosa) will provide you with a view of Sonoma and an adrenaline rush like you'd never believe! They offer tandem, static line, and accelerated free-fall programs.
T
Taxi Service: Vern's Taxi Service, Sonoma (707) 938-8885 ...
Theaters:
Sonoma Cinemas, 200 Siesta Way, Sonoma (just south of Boyes Blvd. in the Fiesta Shopping Center).
(707) 935-1234
Sebastiani Theater: 476 First St E., Sonoma (on the square). Built in 1933, this historic theater offers both movies and live performances.
Trains:
Sonoma TrainTown: the most well-developed scale railroad in the Americas! TrainTown is located at 20264 Broadway, Highway 12, in Sonoma. Touring over 10 heavily wooded acres over bridges and trestles, through tunnels and past waterfalls, to the town of Lakeville with buildings scaled at one-half size.
V
Vineyard Tours: Sonoma County Vineyard Adventures provides information about guided, as well as self-guided, tours at several Sonoma County wineries. Directions, level of difficulty, and other information about the winery and hours of operation are provided.
W
Wineries: There are hundreds within a ten mile radius! Click here, and we'll tell you about our favorites!
Winery Discounts: There's an App for that! Click here to download an app for your iPhone which will help you find tasting passes to our local wineries. We have many more complimentary passes in our guest book at the villa, along with tips for finding our favorite wineries. Here is another link to winery discounts and coupons.
Y
Yoga: Sonoma Bodyworks will bring the Yoga class right to you - a great way to celebrate the beauty of Wine Country with a private class right on the property.
Yoga Community - A beautiful yoga studio at the Sonoma Plaza and boutique selling clothing, organic teas, candles, and all kinds of goodies.
Z
Zebras! (And cheetahs, giraffes, wildebeest and cape buffalo too!) Safari West Wildlife Preserve and African Tent Camp. Enjoy an adventurous wild activity - a safari vehicle drive, a sip of chardonnay, and even a safari ranch meal, at this wildlife preserve located on 400 acres.
Ziplines: So much fun! Sonoma Canopy Tours is located in Occidental, about 45 minutes away. . Discover the world-famous California Coastal Redwoods in a way you never imagined, with over 800 feet of ziplines and sky bridges. It's an amazing way to spend an afternoon.
Antiquing: Antique Society - Sonoma County's largest antiques collective, with over 20,000 square feet of floor space and 125+ dealers. Located in Sebastopol, about 35 minutes away.
Amusement Parks: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is just 40 minutes away to the south.
Art Galleries: A comprehensive list of many of Sonoma County's art galleries.
B
Balloon Tours: Wine Country Balloons - Up, up, and away! For a bird's-eye view of the beautiful Sonoma Valley, this is a fun way to start the day.
Beer: Not a wine connoisseur...yet? Try some of Sonoma County's great microbreweries and brewpubs!
3rd Street Aleworks Brewpub - They have an outdoor beer garden and have been voted Best Brewpub and Microbrewery in the area.
Bicycle Tours and Bike Rentals - Goodtime Touring - Sonoma, CA
Biplane Rides: Vintage Aircraft Company - 23982 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, CA
C
Canoes: Burke's Canoe Trips - A ten mile self-guided canoe trip through the Redwoods with return shuttle included. Picnic, swim, and sunbathe at beaches along this magnificent stretch of the river. View wildlife such as: otter, Great Blue Heron, osprey, turtles, egret, and more. Canoeing at Burke's is a true Russian River Tradition.
Chocolate Tasting: Wine Country Chocolates - A heavenly experience, located in the Jack London Village at 14301 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen. Conveniently next door to Olive Oil Tasting and Wine Tasting, too!
Culinary Field Trips - From Farm to Table, offers a close up look at the area's finest artisan fare, and the local farmers and producers who handcraft it. They will craft a culinary adventure in a day or over a weekend that includes gourmet picnic lunches, private chef-led dinners, and a behind-the-scenes look at the best of Sonoma's seasonal fare.
D
Dining - There are a million and one restaurants in the area! Click here to discover some of our favorites, some within walking distance of the house. For a more comprehensive list of Sonoma's best restaurants, click here.
E
Events - see our links for local events calendars at the top of the page.
Heart of Sonoma Valley Calendar - This calendar covers the area closest to our location, and features the neighborhood wineries.
Sonoma Events Calendar
Napa Events Calendar
F
Fishing/Crabbing/Whale Watching - Bodega Bay on the coast is just 45 minutes away. For seafood that's been caught the same day, you can't miss it. We keep a large crab pot (netted trap), bait box, and instructions at the house, and you’re welcome to try your luck at trapping Dungeness crabs! Even if you don’t catch the legal size for taking, it’s fun for the kids. When crabbing from a man-made pier, you don’t even need a fishing license.
G
Gambling - River Rock Casino - 3250 Hwy. 128, Geyserville, CA 95441 (707) 857-2777
Golf - see our webpage for a listing of golf courses.
Groceries/Markets:
Kenwood Market & Deli: 8910 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood. This market is the closest to our location; about four blocks away to the north. They carry all of the necessities and have wonderful produce, meats, and wines. Their deli is excellent, and the perfect place to stock up for a picnic.
The Glen Ellen Village Market: 13751 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen. This is a wonderful store full of natural and organic foods, with many products suitable for those with food allergies. They also have a wonderful selection of prepared foods, including a large salad bar and juice bar.
Safeway -100 Calistoga Road, Santa Rosa. Safeway is just over 7 miles to the north of us off Hwy. 12, but they will deliver your groceries right to our kitchen if you order ahead online!
Gardens:
Cornerstone Place - 22 gallery-style gardens created by leading landscape architects, plus one-of-a-kind shops, a fascinating architectural salvage store, a wonderful deli, wine-tasting, chocolate tasting, and so much more! This is really an interesting stop on your way into Sonoma from San Francisco and the East Bay.
Quarry Hill Botanical Garden - 12841 Sonoma Hwy., Glen Ellen, just minutes down Hwy. 12 to the south. This is a 20-acre garden, and is one of the finest examples of Asian garden design in the country. The gardens specialize in rare and endangered species from China and Japan.
Gifts: The Kenwood Farmhouse, just a block and a half down the street, is full of great gifts - jewelry, candles, adorable kids' clothes, art, furniture... they have a little of everything!
H
History of Sonoma and Historical Sites around Sonoma Plaza.
Horseback Riding: Triple Creek Horseback offers tours through Kunde Winery's vineyards, just a couple of minutes down the road from us off Hwy. 12.
I
Infineon Raceway -Now Sonoma Raceway, it's located just 30 minutes south.
J Jazz: The Sonoma Jazz Festival is typically held in May and features some of the world's top perfomers over a full weekend.
K
Kayaking Tours: Getaway Adventures runs kayaking and biking tours from the Alexander Valley Campground as well as Healdsburg.
L
Limo Wine Tours: Beau Wine Tours & Limo Service will create a custom itinerary as well as a gourmet picnic lunch on request. Phone: 800-387-2328.
M
Museums:
Charles M. Schulz Museum - Home of "Everything Peanuts and Snoopy." Hands-on activities and classes for the kids.
N
Nascar: Sonoma Raceway is just 30 minutes south.
Nature Walks, Birdwatching & Wildlife Hikes at Bouverie Preserve - this is just two minutes South on Hwy. 12.
O
Olive Oil Tastings at Figone's, just a couple blocks' away - wonderful olive oils, some infused with Meyer lemon, lime, or tangerine.
Old Faithful Geyser - about every 30 minutes, visitors are treated to an eruption of water and steam spraying 60-100 feet in the air. On the geyser's grounds, there is a gift shop, exhibit hall, snack bar, and picnic area. They also showcase the famous Tennessee Fainting Goats, Jacob's Four-Horn Sheep, and Guard Llamas in a petting-zoo environment. This is located in Calistoga, about 40 minutes from our location, and is a fun place to visit if you decide to hop over to the Napa side of the Valley.
P
Parks: There are SO many; too many to list here, but here are a few of our favorites:
Jack London State Historic Park: The remains of Jack London's dream house, The Wolf House, are located in this park which offers picnic areas, hiking, horseback riding, and museum. $6/car.
Kenwood Plaza Park: This pretty 5-acre park contains picnic tables and play structures, and is the hub of Kenwood, directly South on Warm Springs Road.
Howarth Park: This is an incredible 152-acre park with a beautiful lake, fishing, train, carousel, pony rides, boathouse, tennis and softball areas, picnic areas, trails, play structures, and beautiful views. The legendary summer camp, Camp
Wa-Tam is held here, and has been a tradition in the area for over 50 years. 630 Summerfield Road in Santa Rosa, about 20 minutes north of our location, and worth it!
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park: Gorgeous, scenic, and perfect for hikes, picnics, and horseback riding. Deer, gray foxes, the occasional bobcat and coyote can be seen in the park, which is located at 2605 Adobe Canyon Road, just .7 miles north up Hwy. 12 (turn right on Adobe Canyon Road and travel 3.8 miles to the park).
Petrified Forest: Geologists call this attraction in Calistoga one of the finest examples of a pliocene fossil forest in the world. The park itself is privately owned and has been since its first proprietor started excavating the large petrified trees in 1871. This is about 45 minutes away. Click here for more Petrified Forest information.
Pizza: Want to try your hand at cooking on our Italian Wood-Fired Pizza oven? If so, we have directions.
Pools/Swimming: Morton's Warm Springs Resort: historic site for swimming, BBQ, picnics, sports & recreation. Warm mineral swimming pools; public welcome, day & group rates. Also, the Kenwood Inn & Spa has a gorgeous pool -- see the next entry under "spas."
S
Spas:
The Spa at the Kenwood Inn - Five minutes away, but you'll feel like you're in another world. Luxury Spa magazine rates their spa SIXTH out of the top 50 spas in the WORLD. If you book a spa treatment, they'll let you spend the day enjoying their pool (no children allowed), and will bring lunch or drinks to you poolside. It's a lovely way to spend an afternoon, and makes the choice between an on-site massage at Villa Zinfandel vs. a massage at the Spa a very difficult one!
Segway Tours: Sonoma Segway - Tours leave at 10:00am (meet behind the Sonoma Cheese Factory on First Street in Sonoma), run for approximately 2.5 hours, and are $99 per person. Fun!
Skydiving: Your freefall adventure begins here! Skydive San Francisco (operates in Cloverdale, just north of Santa Rosa) will provide you with a view of Sonoma and an adrenaline rush like you'd never believe! They offer tandem, static line, and accelerated free-fall programs.
T
Taxi Service: Vern's Taxi Service, Sonoma (707) 938-8885 ...
Theaters:
Sonoma Cinemas, 200 Siesta Way, Sonoma (just south of Boyes Blvd. in the Fiesta Shopping Center).
(707) 935-1234
Sebastiani Theater: 476 First St E., Sonoma (on the square). Built in 1933, this historic theater offers both movies and live performances.
Trains:
Sonoma TrainTown: the most well-developed scale railroad in the Americas! TrainTown is located at 20264 Broadway, Highway 12, in Sonoma. Touring over 10 heavily wooded acres over bridges and trestles, through tunnels and past waterfalls, to the town of Lakeville with buildings scaled at one-half size.
V
Vineyard Tours: Sonoma County Vineyard Adventures provides information about guided, as well as self-guided, tours at several Sonoma County wineries. Directions, level of difficulty, and other information about the winery and hours of operation are provided.
W
Wineries: There are hundreds within a ten mile radius! Click here, and we'll tell you about our favorites!
Winery Discounts: There's an App for that! Click here to download an app for your iPhone which will help you find tasting passes to our local wineries. We have many more complimentary passes in our guest book at the villa, along with tips for finding our favorite wineries. Here is another link to winery discounts and coupons.
Y
Yoga: Sonoma Bodyworks will bring the Yoga class right to you - a great way to celebrate the beauty of Wine Country with a private class right on the property.
Yoga Community - A beautiful yoga studio at the Sonoma Plaza and boutique selling clothing, organic teas, candles, and all kinds of goodies.
Z
Zebras! (And cheetahs, giraffes, wildebeest and cape buffalo too!) Safari West Wildlife Preserve and African Tent Camp. Enjoy an adventurous wild activity - a safari vehicle drive, a sip of chardonnay, and even a safari ranch meal, at this wildlife preserve located on 400 acres.
Ziplines: So much fun! Sonoma Canopy Tours is located in Occidental, about 45 minutes away. . Discover the world-famous California Coastal Redwoods in a way you never imagined, with over 800 feet of ziplines and sky bridges. It's an amazing way to spend an afternoon.