Seeing as how we are in the midst of a quarter, we can afford no more than a weekend (three days if you are lucky), and it has to be within a reasonable driving distance. But if it’s done right, a mini-vacation can be just as luxurious, indulgent and rejuvenating as a regular vacation. A few mini-vacation spots that come to mind are Mendocino, Tahoe, Monterey and the wine country. All offer beautiful surroundings and luxuriant options for dining, pampering, and relaxing. My wife Lucky and I recently used the excuse of her birthday to plan a mini-vacation in Sonoma Valley.
Sonoma Valley is often overshadowed by its better known sibling, Napa Valley. This, however, presents quite an opportunity as there are wonderful overlooked gems to be discovered here. In fact, it has become one of our favorite local destinations over the years. With over 40 wineries along its 17-mile stretch, one can spend a week here and still not try all the varieties of pinots, syrahs and merlots. It may come as a surprise to many that it is, in fact, the birthplace of the California wine industry. In addition to wineries, it is home to a burgeoning olive oil industry. Olive oil tasting rooms, while not as numerous, have been popping up all over. A couple notable places are the Olive Press and Figone Olive Oil Company.
Those who want to forego the viticultural delights of the valley may be interested in the therapeutic spa treatments courtesy of two thermal springs in the area: Fetters Hot Springs and Boyes Hot Springs. There are a handful of day spas and resorts that offer spa treatments, but the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa is one of the few that has its own thermal spas. Still others may want to take advantage of the beautiful display that nature offers in one of three state parks within the vicinity: Annadel State Park, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, and Jack London State Historic Park. This time of year is especially beautiful with the wild mustard flowers dotting the hillsides as well as the dormant vineyards.
And for those who are looking for a culinary focused getaway, Sonoma Valley is a great destination. Several restaurants that have earned rave reviews in the San Francisco Chronicle and the ever-popular Zagat Guide as well as garnered coveted Michelin stars are located in the area or within a respectable driving distance: Dry Creek Kitchen, Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant, La Toque and most notably Cyrus, which arguably offers the best dining experience in the Bay Area.
In order to be in the middle of it all, we decided to stay in Glen Ellen, a quite small town in the heart of Sonoma Valley. We spent the night at the Gaige House Inn, with all the comfort and intimacy of a bed and breakfast but the lavish style and amenities of a hotel. The main building is a Victorian in the Queen Anne-Italianate design which houses 12 rooms, a dining room where breakfast is served, and a sitting room. But if you’re looking for something special, the cottage suites behind the main house are where it’s really at. We stayed in the Creekside Suite, a spacious stand-alone cottage on the back part of the three-acre grounds, with a private deck overlooking the Calabasas Creek.
The suite itself was a large space which included a dining table, a seating area complete with a flat screen TV, and king-sized bed. Decorated with furniture and works of art with distinct Asian accents, the suite felt as though we were off on a vacation in the Pacific Islands. And if that wasn’t enough to melt away the stress, the Jacuzzi in the spacious bathroom surely did the trick.
Getting back to the comforts of a bed and breakfast, in the main house, free homemade cookies, a variety of tea selections from Mighty Leaf Tea®, and soft drinks are available at any time of the day in the living room. But if wine and cheese are more your speed, they have a daily social hour where you can chat with your neighbors over local fare. We didn’t partake of these since we had dinner reservations at an amazing restaurant in Healdsburg. Also available in the living room was a library of DVDs that could be borrowed for personal viewing and copies of various newspapers including the New York Times and the Chronicle.
Yes, the Sonoma Valley was the perfect place for a mini-vacation, and Gaige House Inn was just the start of it…
Originally printed: http://www.ucsf.edu/synapse/articles/2008/Mar/6/sonoma.html
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