A day with your Dog in Sonoma County
Planning a getaway when you have a pet can be challenging; finding a dog friendly hotel is one thing but finding a day or weekend of activity where your trusted four legged companion can be welcomed with you wherever you go can take a lot of planning. Being a dog owner myself, I understand the anxiety that comes with pet travel or the guilt you have when you need to leave your dog locked in a hotel room while you indulge yourself in the local surroundings.
Fortunately if you are planning a trip to Sonoma, there is no shortage of adventure for you and your dog to explore together. With Santa Rosa as your home base there is an abundance of activities within a 30 minute drive to keep your days packed with adventure: from parks for hiking, dog friendly wineries and breweries for tasting, restaurants to refuel and miles of oceanfront beaches, you will find your dog welcome in many of these settings when you visit.
After that morning walk and breakfast start your day with a visit to Landmark Vineyards, located just 10 minutes outside Santa Rosa off Hwy 12, this dog friendly winery is Rory's favorite (my Yorkie) with a great signature selection of small production Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs served in a gorgeous garden setting overlooking the vineyards where you can sip and explore with your dog. If you have the time they have a bocce ball court for you to use while visiting and can even prepare a light picnic basket with a selection of cheeses, meat, spreads and crackers for you to savor at a picnic table. Next up is Kunde winery, just a few short minutes back up the road, sit on the outside patio and take in the views on the valley while tasting through their lineup, if you pick the right weekend in the summer (3 select Saturdays) they even offer a dog hike through the vineyards while learning all about their sustainable winemaking practices that concludes with a tasting and wine country lunch.
Back in your car, you can give your dog a brief rest and you make your way back through Santa Rosa and take the 15 minute drive to Sebastopol for lunch at the Barlow, a 12-acre dog-friendly outdoor market district featuring local food, wine, beer, spirits and crafts made onsite by Sonoma County artisans. An additional option just before you get to the Barlow is to stop at the Laguna de Santa Rosa trail for some fresh air with a 1.8 mile walk through the wetlands overlooking the vineyards, this is a perfect stop before lunch. Just a few minutes up the road you will find the Barlow, here you can explore the local markets, take in the work of local artisans or simply order lunch from one of the many local eateries and enjoy or take your lunch and find a table on the patio at the Macphail tasting room and pair your lunch with one of their many luscious Pinots. My favorite thing to do here is to head to the tap room at Crooked Goat brewing, choose from one of their many unique and refreshing West County beers and order lunch from a diverse menu that features dishes from many of the local neighboring restaurants and food producers. After lunch grab a coffee to go at Taylor Lane organic coffee before you continue your journey to Doran beach at Bodega Bay.
A 20 minute drive through the picturesque Russian River Valley will lead you to Bodega Bay and the beautiful Doran Beach. This dog friendly beach offers amazing views of the Pacific where you can sit back relax and watch the surfers or stroll the 2 miles of beach and surrounding area with your best friend by your side. The perfect way to end a perfect day in Sonoma with your dog!
Hotel e will be the perfect home for your Sonoma getaway with your trusted companion: from our custom wine barrel dog beds and welcome amenity for Fido, we will pamper your dog like the VIP they are and if you select our Woof, Wine and Wag package we will even have a nice bottle of Pinot Noir waiting for you upon arrival!
See you soon!
