Sonoma, California

Back in November, Dustin and I escaped to Sonoma, California for a few days. It was incredibly refreshing to bask in the sunshine, sip on wine and eat the most delicious foods all weekend long. Below are the top 5 highlights from our trip.

1) Dinner at The Girl and the Fig - Country food with a french passion, served under picturesque string lights on a heated patio, drool! You must order a cheese board and the roasted chicken thighs, perfectly crisp and served with a golden raisin gastrique, pure heaven.

2) Exploring Healdsburg - On our second morning, we woke up early and drove to the The Shed to meet up with our hot air balloon group for coffee and freshly-baked pastries! After our morning ride with Up & Away Ballooning, we went back to The Shed and enjoyed the coziest brunch outside on their back patio. A few highlights include homemade granola yogurt parfaits and a farm-to-table vegetable quiche. After our brunch, we browsed the cutest shops with Flying Goat iced coffees in hand. In the early afternoon, we drove out to Bella Vineyards to explore their vineyard and wine caves. Once hunger set in and we stopped at Dry Creek General Store for sandwiches and ate outside on their rocking chairs. Quite possibly, it was the best Turkey and Chutney sandwich I've ever had.

3) The Fremont Diner - On our third day, we slept in and enjoyed a slow morning at our AirBnB. Our plan was to start our day with coffee and biscuits at The Fremont Diner before heading to Napa for a day of wine tasting. The Fremont Cafe was everything I thought it would be, charming, rustic and served with a bucket of biscuits!

4) Oenotri - Amazing Italian food, located in the heart of Napa. Think wood-fired pizzas and salumi platters, need I say more?

5) Redwood Forest  - We spent the final day of out trip hiking around the Redwood Forest. 6 miles later, we completed the East Ridge Trail. I wasn't expecting to hike nearly as long as we did, but I was immediately mesmerized by the beautiful scenery and fresh air. It felt great to MOVE after days of eating and drinking.

Below are a few links where Dustin and I drew inspiration for our weekend getaway!

The Every Girl
Goop
Local Wanderer

Lastly, a few tips on our end - we were able to save money by staying in an AirBnB and by flying into San Jose, CA vs. San Francisco, CA. By going this route, we were able to save almost half of our predicted trip costs!

Enjoy!
MM