The top near-town outdoors destination is 375-acre Bartholomew Park, off Castle Rd, where you can picnic beneath giant oaks and hike 2 miles of trails, with hilltop vistas to San Francisco. The Palladian Villa, at the park’s entrance, is a re-creation of Count Haraszthy’s original Pompeian residence. There's also a good winery, independently operated.
Sadly the wildfires of 2017 affected this park and at the time of research it was closed until further notice.
29.64 MILES
Muir Woods National Monument is located just a few miles north of San Francisco in Marin County, and is a prime peaceful destination for reflection within…
29.77 MILES
This 2079-acre park, up in the hills east of town, is Berkeley’s best. It has nearly 40 miles of hiking and multiuse trails of varying difficulty, from…
10.9 MILES
At the valley’s westernmost edge, where sloping vineyards meet wooded hillsides, Tres Sabores is a portal to old Napa – no fancy tasting room, no snobbery…
John Muir National Historic Site
26.92 MILES
Naturalist John Muir's former residence sits in a pastoral patch of farmland in bustling, modern Martinez. Though Muir wrote of sauntering the Sierra…
29.78 MILES
For its creamy and crisp chardonnays and earthy pinots, along with top-notch service and an elegant tasting room, Macrostie is the talk of Wine Country…
9.46 MILES
The fabulous hillside tasting room, constructed of stone, redwood and teak, resembles a small cathedral – fitting, given the sacred status here bestowed…
2.83 MILES
Art-lovers: don’t miss Hess Collection, whose galleries display mixed-media and large-canvas works, including pieces by Francis Bacon and Robert…
1.91 MILES
California's oldest family-run winery looks like a castle but has a down-to-earth vibe. Founded in 1858 by a Bavarian immigrant, its signatures are…
Formerly Bartholomew Park Winery has transformed into Bartholomew Estate, set to open in its new form in spring 2019, ushering in a change of ownership,…
1.03 MILES
With the slogan 'no wimpy wines,' this buzzing winery pours a full slate of estate Zinfandels. Novices welcome. Tours at 10:30am daily; reservations…
1.91 MILES
California's oldest family-run winery looks like a castle but has a down-to-earth vibe. Founded in 1858 by a Bavarian immigrant, its signatures are…
1.95 MILES
This park in Sonoma is comprised of multiple sites, most side by side. Founded in 1823, Mission San Francisco Solano anchors the plaza, and was the final…
5. Mission San Francisco Solano
1.96 MILES
At Sonoma Plaza’s northeast corner, the mission was built in 1823, partly to forestall Russians at Fort Ross from moving inland. This was the 21st and…
1.96 MILES
At this collective in a converted foundry, you can tour a storefront gallery and meet the artists – sculptor, potter and painters – in their studios.
1.98 MILES
The adobe Sonoma Barracks was built by Vallejo between 1834 and 1841 to house Mexican troops. Today, interpretive displays describe life during the…
2 MILES
Toscano Hotel opened as a store and library in the 1850s, then became a hotel in 1886. Peek into the lobby and, except for the traffic outside, you’d…