Sonoma Part IV: boon, Redwoods, and the Sonoma Coast
Our third day in wine country once again began late. We requested a much-needed late check-out the night before (noon instead of 11am), which gave Andreas and I some time to sleep in. And sleep well we did, especially after our fantastic dinner at Barndiva.
Orange chairs at boon eat + drink
We decided to return to Guerneville for lunch, particularly to eat at boon eat + drink. The orange seats were out in the front along with several lounging dogs waiting for their owners to finish their lunches. boon did not disappoint. We were seated promptly by a friendly server in the outdoor front patio area. It was nice to see a healthy mix of gay and straight people in the restaurant. Andreas ordered the organic mixed salad with grilled chicken, which he thought, “very fresh and good.” I opted for the grilled organic chicken, mozzarella, wild arugula, red pepper, and pesto mayo panini, which came with homemade lightly salted chips. The ingredients danced together beautifully. Many of the dishes at boon are priced very reasonably, with most being under $15 and with many others priced under $10. For the quality of the food offered, boon’s name describes it very well.
Beautiful redwoods at the Armstrong Redwood State Reserve
About ten minutes north of Guerneville, following Anderson Road to its end, is the awe-inspiring Armstrong Redwood State Reserve. We didn’t quite know whether we should take our car into the park, so we asked the friendly park ranger at the gate her recommendation. “What is it you want to see?” the ranger asked. “Big redwood trees,” I answered. “It’s better if you walked the trail,” she said, looking at me like I had just said something so obvious. And with that, she directed us to the visitor parking lot next to the park’s entrance. Once on the trail, I immediately realized how weird my answer to the ranger must have sounded since all around us stood gigantic old growth redwoods. Andreas and I were floored. We walked a little over a mile of the trail, stopping often to absorb the splendor of the trees that towered above us. The trail is very easy, as we saw all sorts of people there: older folks, children, and everything in between. Being among the redwoods, many more than 1000 years old, really calls attention to the need of better environmental practices by all of us as well as our continued support of state and national parks.
Mountain clouds taken on Fort Ross Road
After our lovely stroll, we got back on the road to check out the Sonoma coast. We decided to take the Cazadero Highway from River Road (Highway 116), a highway that passes through thick wooded areas and the sleepy interior town of Cazadero. From the Cazadero Highway, we got onto Fort Ross Road that led us high into the mountains. Fort Ross Road winds up the mountains on a road that often looks wide enough to fit just one lane. What we thought was a 10 mile trip to the coast, lasted over half an hour mostly due to the curves and turns Andreas carefully navigated. The views of the drop-offs on the passenger side would have sent most people who feared heights into an uncomfortable place – my hands were quite clammy throughout the whole ride up. But once at the top, the views of the valley were gorgeous, and the weather shifted from warm to cool, blanketing us with clouds in an instance.
Sonoma coast near Jenner
We finally got onto Highway 1 near Timber Cove. Highway 1 offers drivers fantastic views of the coastline, with precipitous cliffs and many gulches to drive by. Again, those fearful of heights might feel their hearts racing a bit faster, but the views are breathtaking. Our last stop was a pit stop in the coastal town of Jenner to stretch and pee (the Russian River flows into the Pacific at Jenner). By the time we reached Jenner, we were pooped and ready to drive back home via the Bodega Bay Highway, Highway 12, and ultimately back on Highway 128, which brought us home to Davis.
Our three-day adventure in Sonoma wine country has been a treat for Andreas and I. While three days is hardly enough time to scratch the surface, our fantastic food and drink experiences have inspired serious consideration for our next visit. Perhaps we’ll even venture into Napa next time. I can’t wait!
Sonoma Part II: Wine Tastings, Guerneville, and More
Healdsburg plaza
Our day started somewhat late for our second day in wine country, thanks in part to the very plush bed in our hotel room. We found ourselves back in Healdsburg, hoping that something good would be open – it was the 4th of July afterall. We stumbled onto the Healdsburg Bar and Grill (HGB), which offers standard pub fare with many dishes priced under $15, after noticing its lovely outdoor seating complete with red umbrellas and mist machine cooling off the packed lunch crowd. It looked like a good sign. We opted for indoor seating, wanting to bask in air conditioning that we later realized wasn’t quite working. Right off the bat, I had a particularly bad feeling as we were seated right next to the entrance. I hate being seated so close to the ruckus of patrons entering and waiting for their tables. The place was loud but not loud enough to drown out the constant sniffling of the front of the house woman standing next to our table. I was deeply disturbed, especially after seeing her rub her nose repeatedly while she handled the menus. Allergy, cold, or whatever, she should have been sent home; a sick staff member should not be the first thing patrons experience. In terms of food, I had a very cheesey almost soupy mac-n-cheese served in a pathetically small portion, and Andreas had the falafel dish that was overly dry. As we departed, a woman waiting nudged me and asked: “So how’s the food?” “Just ok,” I said. “Does that mean, mediocre?” she asked. “Yes,” I said as I exited. And so with that, we happily departed HGB for a delightful frozen yogurt at the organic yogurt shop Snowbunny next to the plaza.
J Vineyards & Winery
J Vineyards & Winery was our first wine tasting. Andreas had read only good things about the winery in our guides, and the Web site pictured a chic and modern space for the tasting. We were greeted by extremely friendly staff that took the time to chat us up and answer our all our questions (and the Japanese couple’s next to us) enthusiastically. Twenty dollars got has five wines to taste, which Andreas and I shared. We really wanted to like the wines we tasted (2 Pinots, 1 Pinotage, 1 Chardonnay, and a sparkling wine), especially after the fantastic experience we had with Janae, our wine guide, but Andreas and I walked away liking only the J Brut Russian River Valley (surprising since I don’t usually care for sparkling wine).
Taking the very scenic Eastside and Westside Roads towards Guerneville, we made a wine-tasting stop at Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery, which sits atop a lovely hill overlooking vineyards in the Russian River Valley. Our wine guide led us through 6 very nice wines for $15. We liked most of Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs we tried, and we especially loved the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc and bought a bottle for $25. The level of attention by our wine guide at our tasting was noticeable lacking, especially compared to the attention he placed on the other tasters beside us who looked like they had just walked out of a J. Crew catalog or a polo match. I guess Andreas and I need to work on our snobbery some more.
Relaxing dogs in Guerneville
We made our way to Guerneville after our tasting. I was excited to experience what our guide called “Groinville” for the number of gay and lesbians who continue to retreat there year after year. We took River Road, which had the occasional views of the Russian River and the many holiday goers basking in the afternoon sun in their inflatables or cannoes, onto Main Street in Guerneville. Main Street is a very short walk that is bordered by cute shops and eateries. The sidewalks were full of weekenders for the 4th of July festival in town. I spotted the contemporary façade and orange waiting chairs of boon eat + drink immediately, as it stood out against the historic boomtown aesthetics of its neighbors. I made a mental note for lunch the next day. We found our way to Coffee Bazaar on Anderson Road, as did other vacationers needing to cool off by the café’s mist machine with their cold beverages. Coffee Bazaar had friendly staff and attracted a nice mix of straight families with children and gay couples.
A snooze was definitely in order after our tastings and excursion to Guerneville. Back in the hotel room we made our dinner reservations to Barndiva, a recommendation that Janae at J Winery had suggested to us. Little did we know what were about to experience.
My thoughts on the exceptional food of Barndiva next.
