Three Cheers

Good things come in threes when you visit Sonoma. Head out on a short hike right from town, sip and stroll the historic plaza, then take in the magical holiday lights.

The Hike: Enjoy a 2.5-mile (round-trip) sunset hike on Sonoma’s Overlook Trail. Locals have long been enjoying this backyard park that offers an expansive panorama of Sonoma Valley and its cascading green hills and vineyards. There’s no need to drive to this trailhead (though you certainly can): The hike starts and ends just a few blocks off Sonoma’s town square. The trail gently ascends through blue oaks, manzanitas, and madrones. In the spring, it’s decorated with buttercups, mule ears, sky lupine, and royal larkspur. On hot days, oak-shaded benches make a nice break spot.

The Sip and Stroll: There's plenty of cheer to go around with truly unique and independently owned artisan shops (Readers' Books, Woof, and Global Heart to name just a few) and plenty of food and drinks to keep things merry and bright. Enjoy cocktails or mocktails at The Beacon. For wine, you’ll find tasting rooms everywhere, but three we think stand out are: Sojourn Cellars, a boutique tasting room with high-scoring pinots. chardonnay, and cabernets. Its friendly team is happy to pour and chat, and it’s also dog-friendly (for those four-legged furries with discerning taste). Schedule a tasting.

For a tasting steeped in heritage, Bedrock Wine Co. is tucked in a quiet courtyard on the east side of the plaza in the historic Hooker House. You'll need a reservation. Bedrock’s name is as it sounds: rooted in foundational principles for creative winemaking born from historic vineyards across the golden state (its namesake vineyard in Sonoma Valley dates back to 1854, and is the source for the outstanding Heritage Red Blend, mostly Zinfandel). For those who like to combine wine tasting with watching sports, Capo Isetta feels like a modern-day Cheers, but more breezy in its chic yet cozy tasting room that lets your dog come in, too. Reserve a tasting.

The Lights: When the sun goes down the lights go up in Sonoma’s magnificent plaza. Stroll through the park and bask in the glow and get your best selfie in front of the marquee canary palm tree, robed in the golden hue of a thousand lights (okay, we don’t know the exact number, but it’s a lot of lights!).