After 2017 Fires Sonoma County Sprints Back

After 2017 Fires Sonoma County Sprints Back with Traditional Bucolic Charm

Although devastating fires ripped though Sonoma County in 2017, the area is rebuilding and many of the iconic wineries managed to escape damage. In many ways, the bucolic nature of region remains unscathed and its sheer beauty and tranquility remain a treat for all of the senses.

The Sonoma County region web site is a good place to start for details about the region. The area is less than an hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Website: sonoma.com

More than 500 wineries dot the landscape and the range from the height of sophistication to smallish rustic enterprises. Ferrari-Carana, pictured here, is one of the most beautifully landscaped locations but each winery savors it own unique personality.

Late summer/early fall is grape harvesting time. The city of Healdsburg is a centrally located picturesque town that can serve as a launching pad for exploration. It is chock-a-block with restaurants, hotels, boutiques and art galleries and a place worth visiting in and of itself.

Website: healdsburg.com

Another nearby place of interest is Bodega Bay on the coast. It was the location for many scenes in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” and the town capitalizes on that claim to fame. So do the sea gulls. The ocean scape vistas surrounding the bay are perfect for whale watching or simply wandering through the wind-blown vegetation.

Website: bodegabay.com

If you are headed back to San Francisco, a stop at the Charles Schultz Museum in Santa Rosa is well worth the time, especially for fans of the comic strip “Peanuts”. While the home of the famed cartoonist was destroyed during the fires, the museum was spared. It is easy to spend the better part of the day at the museum.

Website: schulzmuseum.org