Sonoma County

Sonoma County[1], located in California's North Coast in the San Francisco Bay Area, is about 45 minutes north of San Francisco. As such, it suffers from what could be dubbed the "Middle Child Syndrome:" Its main cities of Petaluma and Santa Rosa are small and provincial when compared to San Francisco; yet the area is not the untamed wilderness of California's North Coast. Sonoma County is not as well-known or touristy as the neighboring Napa Valley, which takes most of the credit for driving California's wine industry, nor as cosmopolitan as nearby San Francisco. It would be a mistake, however, to pass up an opportunity to visit Sonoma. The area has the same post-60s flavor of Marin County, and the same sophisticated oenophilia as Napa to the East. Its coastal region is beautiful and rugged, and the agricultural pastureland is some of the most quintessentially beautiful to be found in California. As the crowds of tourists clog the roads of Napa Valley, Sonoma's appeal grows. Cities Bodega Bay Boyes Hot Springs Cazadero Cloverdale Cotati El Verano Eldridge Forestville Geyserville Glen Ellen Graton Guerneville Healdsburg Jenner Monte Rio Occidental Petaluma Rohnert Park Santa Rosa Sebastopol Sonoma Windsor Other destinations Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve Sea Ranch Sugarloaf Ridge State Park Russian River Understand Talk Get in Get around See Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park, 3325 Adobe Road , Petaluma CA, ☎ 707-762-4871, [2]. Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park was the main residence of Rancho Petaluma, the agricultural empire that General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo one of the most powerful men in the Mexican Province of California from 1834 to 1846.  edit The Sonoma Valley Chorale, Perform at Veterans Memorial Building, 126 1st St. , Sonoma CA, ☎ 707-935-1576, [3]. The Sonoma Valley Chorale is a 110-voice community chorus offering three annual concerts. Music for its programs includes classical, folk, pop, gospel, Broadway show tunes and more.  edit 6th Street Playhouse, 52 West 6th Street , Santa Rosa CA, ☎ 707-523-4185, [4]. This newly renovated live theatre located inside a 100 year old brick warehouse in Historic Railroad Square, is home to the two longest running theatre companies in Sonoma County--Actors Theare and Santa Rosa Players.  edit Do Up & Away Ballooning, Windsor CA, ☎ 707-836-0171, [5]. You will experience a professional, yet fun and adventurous ballooning excursion that cannot be matched.  edit West County Museum, 261 S. Main St. , Sebastopol CA, ☎ 707-829-6711, [6]. The West County Museum opened in this building in 1993 with an exhibit on the Railroad. The Depot was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1996.  edit Retreat Resort & Spa, 14711 Armstrong Woods Rd , Guerneville CA, ☎ 707-869-2706, [7].  edit Eat Sonoma County has some of the best restaurants in Northern California, catering to all budgets. You can easily find restaurants ranging from budget to upscale, with cuisines running the gamut from Vietnamese to Italian to Turkish to Oaxacan. It is a food-lover's paradise. Farmer's markets abound in the summer and are not to be missed. Likewise, small, artisan food producers are featured along Sonoma Counties "Farm Trails." Be sure to try the local olive oil, honey, bread, and outstanding cheeses. For a very local experience that is light on the pocketbook, try any local Taqueria. The Mexican seafood in area is particularly delicious. For upscale cuisine, head to downtown Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, or Sonoma. There are dozens of picks, many of which are award-winning. Drink Sonoma's 250-plus wineries are one main attraction. Main wine varieties produced include zinfandel, pinot noir, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc (also called "fume blanc"), cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah. 3 world class Brewpubs, Third Street AleWorks & Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, Bear Republic in Healsdburg and Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastopol. Stay safe Get out This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!