Top Five Autumn Experiences in Sonoma Valley

Top Five Autumn Experiences in Sonoma Valley

1) Carneros Wine Flight

Bird watching and wine tasting pair beautifully when the Pacific Flyway is in close proximity to Sonoma Valley wineries. Sip wines and see the wildlife from the patios at Ram’s Gate and Viansa, both overlooking a large wetland that’s a popular stopover for birds of all feathers.

2) Ghost for It

In the early 1900s, famed author Jack London lived in the heart of Sonoma Valley. His dream home, the Wolf House, was nearly complete when it mysteriously burned to the ground. Walk out to the massive ruins and to London’s gravesite.

3) Go to a Star Party

Once a month, usually on a Saturday, Robert Ferguson Observatory in Sugarloaf State Park hosts a star party—a truly enlightening evening giving visitors access to the celestial viewing via some seriously powerful telescopes.

4) Pedal or Segway to the Wineries

You don’t need a car to explore Sonoma Valley’s wineries. Rent a bike in town or do a Segway tour to wineries like Ravenswood and Buena Vista—the birthplace of the California wine industry. Or stroll the plaza and check out over a dozen wine tasting lounges (you can bring your bottle to the picnic-perfect lawn at the plaza).

5) Eat Outdoors

Sonoma Valley’s charming northern neighborhood, The Springs, is home to some of the tastiest Mexican restaurants on the planet, and food trucks galore. Eat your enchiladas on a patio, then get some homemade ice cream at La Michoacana.

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    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

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    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

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  3. Hike the Rainbow

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  4. Hike Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve

    Purisima Charisma

    Hundred-foot redwoods, a shaded canyon, and views overlooking Half Moon Bay. This 10-mile loop hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a roller-coaster of uphill and downhill along with easygoing stretches through some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful landscape.

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    Saddle Up with Central Coast Trailrides

    Untouched and sweeping, the mountainous scenery and deep valleys of Santa Margarita near Paso Robles are just begging to be explored. So saddle up for a scenic adventure with Central Coast Trailrides (CCT) at the 14,000-acre Santa Margarita Ranch.

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    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

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