Weekend in Boonville

Every holiday season, my family gets together for a weekend getaway. It was a decision we made five years ago to forego gift giving and instead use those resources to experience something new together. As adults, my siblings and I have spread out across Northern California, so a weekend together gives us the opportunity to reconnect and for the cousins to play together (probably the highlight of the trips for me is seeing the kids reunite). Whether it's a weekend away, or something easier like taking a family hike or playing tourist closer to home, I have found that creating memories together has been far more rewarding than gifts.

This year we landed on the small town of Boonville, nestled in the Anderson Valley and a short drive from the coastal town of Mendocino. Our home for the weekend was the beautiful Toll House Inn. I could probably devote an entire post to this amazing property alone. The Inn is made up of two rental properties (The Toll House and the Bunkhouse) that are adjoined by a common breezeway, but are otherwise completely separate. We stayed in the Toll House, which is a historic Boonville Landmark, built in 1912, and beautifully restored to accommodate large groups. There are 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms (horray for that!) as well as a chef's kitchen and an inviting common room with a wood burning fireplace. The Inn sits on 650 acres of open space that includes hiking trails and a pond and could easily provide enough entertainment if you chose to forego the local wineries and state parks.

Every square inch of the home was perfectly styled while still being extremely inviting.

 
As tempting as it was to spend our entire visit snuggled up next to the fireplace, we did venture out on Saturday morning to take advantage of the break in the rain. Our first planned stop of the day was Hendy Woods State Park, which much to my dismay ended up being closed for the season due to construction. The other nearby state park, Navarro River Redwoods, was also closed due to flooding on the highway that provided access to the park. Luckily, the entrance to Hendy Woods was directly next to the Philo Apple Farm, which had peaked my interest during my research for the trip.

Although apple picking season was over and the farm was clearly in it's off-season, there was a small farmstand full of fresh fruit and apple juice as well as a nice assortment of jams, jellies, chutneys and wine, among other tasty treats. The kids enthusiastically pounded a glass of their fresh apple juice and then we took a short walk down to the Navarro river that runs along the edge of the farm. The apple farm is definitely a place I would like to return to in the fall.

Since the nearby parks were either closed or inaccessible, we opted to start the wine tasting portion of the day a little earlier than intended. Our first stop was Navarro Vineyards, which in addition to a nice range of award winning wines, also offers a very popular non-alcoholic grape juice. The grounds were pristine and although the tasting room was relatively small and not ideal for 4 toddlers, the outdoor space was perfect to let the kids run free. We alternated between wine tasting and playing on the grass lawn that ran next to the rows of grapevines. This would definitely make for an ideal spot to grab a bottle and have a picnic.

Just down the road was our second stop of the day, Scharffenberger Cellars, which specializes in sparkling wines. I really enjoyed our tasting at Scharffenberger. Not only were the sparkling wines extremely good (and a bargain at $20), the woman helping us was very kind and not at all phased by our large group or energetic toddlers. The tasting menu made sure to note that they were a kid-friendly venue and offered both crayons to color with and juice to keep the children entertained. I'm always a bit uneasy when wine tasting with toddlers, but their warm welcome immediately put me at ease. An added bonus is the selection of scharffenberger chocolates that you can purchase and enjoy later immediately.

View from the front patio of the tasting room

Boonville's main street is about a block long, and there are a handful of charming shops clustered around the Boonville Hotel. If you are looking for a sweet treat, then Paysanne's is worth a stop to pick up some cookies and a pint of Three Twins ice cream (have you had their Lemon Cookie flavor? soooo good!). For lunch, we wanted an easy to-go option that we could take with us to our last stop of the day, Anderson Valley Brewing. We settled on sandwiches from The Boonville General Store. I had a difficult time finding something on the menu that would appeal to our kids and the sandwich we got was good, but not memorable. I will probably give somewhere like Lauren's a chance the next time we are in the area.

With lunch in hand, we trekked on down the road to Anderson Valley Brewing Company. I always seem to favor a good brewery over a winery when traveling with kids. The vibe is typically very relaxed and in the case of Anderson Valley Brewing, there is a large outdoor area for the kids to enjoy as well as a small herd of goats. We enjoyed a pint of their Blood Orange Gose and an experimental Cherry Gose, both categorized as sour wheat beers and both VERY tasty. The kids enjoyed trying to get the attention of the goats and walking around the frisbee golf course.

We returned home just as the clouds opened up and the rain began to fall. The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent by the fireplace watching the kids chase one another around, followed by a delicious home cooked meal and Christmas presents for the kids.

The rain continued throughout the night and peaked in the morning hours. This meant, unfortunately, that we did not have the chance to explore any of the hiking trails on the property. We did enjoy a leisurely breakfast and managed to get a photo of all four cousins!

What are some of your holiday traditions? Would you prefer an experience over gifts?

Details: Boonville is about 2.5 hours from Berkeley. The Tollhouse can be rented by the room, or you can rent the entire home. I think renting by the room would be ideal for a childless vacation (or if your kids are exceptionally well behaved). The bunkhouse is another option if you have a large family, but don't require the entire home.  Tastings at Navarro Vineyards were free and most bottles were $20-$30. Tastings at Scharffenberger were $3 and waived with the purchase of a bottle, which was around $20. Pints at Anderson Valley Brewing were $4.50. Anderson Valley Brewing also offers a daily tour of their brewing facility, which you can inquire about in the tasting room.

Redwood trees, Wine and Beer, Oh My!!

Tackling wine country with kids can seem intimidating, but when planned properly, it can be really fun for the entire family. We have taken several trips to Sonoma County this past year, some included wine or beer tastings, while others just took advantage of the amazing food and parks. All of them were really enjoyable, relaxing and memorable outings that have left me wanting to explore more of the area. 

Our most recent trip started with a visit to Armstrong Redwoods park in Sonoma County. We had a more adult oriented afternoon of beer and wine tasting planned, so we wanted to give the kids a chance to run free for a little bit. We arrived a little after 9 in the morning and easily found a spot in the parking lot next to the visitors center. After a quick look at the map, we planned out a nice loop and headed on our way!

I'm not sure how long this stage will last for our kids, but they are wonderfully entertained by adventures like this. We set out in search of the largest tree in the park, frequently stopping to walk on fallen trees, pick up sticks and give out a few hugs to particularly large trees. With the exception of a handful of other groups, we had the trail to ourselves, which was a treat since our kids aren't exactly quiet observers of nature.

There are several options for easy hikes and we settled on a 1 mile loop that took us by both the tallest and oldest trees in the park. The trails are wide and level, with small barriers along the perimeter to keep you on the path. There is also a road that winds through the park which had very light car traffic and looked perfect for riding bikes. I was definitely envious of the families I saw exploring the park on bike - what a peaceful ride that must be!

After our hike in the Redwoods we packed up and headed down the road to Sebastapol, where we met up with my husband's parents at The Barlow. How I didn't come across this place when researching our first trip to the area is beyond me. Formerly an apple cannery, the area has been re-purposed into a collection of local retailers, restaurants and tasting rooms. I am in love with this concept and very much appreciate the ability to experience the local flavors and products without having to drive to a dozen venues with kids in tow. The Barlow reminded me a lot of the Swift Street Courtyard in Santa Cruz (a re-purposed brussel sprout packing plant), but on a larger scale.

I can't say enough about the charm of The Barlow. All of the shops and restaurants had such a beautiful and cohesive aesthetic. Most of the storefronts had industrial garage doors or sliding glass panels that allowed the venues to open up to private dining patios or the sidewalk, resulting in very inviting spaces. A perfect example of this open concept was Vignette Pizzeria, where we settled in for a delicious lunch. The kids were able to transition from our table to running around the neighboring plaza, making for a very enjoyable and relaxed meal!

After lunch we went around the corner to Subzero Ice Cream, which makes ice cream from scratch with the help of liquid nitrogen. The kids enjoy the "magic" of watching the ice cream emerge from a cloud of liquid nitrogen and I have to say that it tastes pretty darn good too!

Next on the list was wine and beer tasting! This is where I cross my fingers and hope that the ice cream somehow results in extra good behavior. Our first stop was MacPhail Family Wines, where you can buy wine by the glass or experience one of their tasting flights. I opted for a glass of wine and enjoyed it on the outdoor patio with the kids. The venue was kid-friendly (there were multiple families with young kids sitting on the outdoor patio) and overall very enjoyable.

After wine tasting, we made the short walk down to Woodfour Brewing for some beer tasting. We were able to snag an outdoor table and quickly settled in for some beer flights. One thing that I particularly appreciated was that in addition to their reasonably priced beer flights, they offered both 8oz and 16oz pours, a perfect compromise if you aren't up for a full tasting.

Although our visit to The Barlow was several hours long, there is still so much more I want to see on our next trip. Circle of Hands toy store was a favorite for the kids and coffee at Taylor Maid Farms and pastries from Ultra Crepes are just a couple of places that will likely be a part of our next visit. Whether you are looking for a full day of entertainment or just a quick pit-stop, I highly recommend making The Barlow part of your Sonoma County itinerary.

What are your favorite spots in Sonoma County?

Here are a few other ideas if you are spending time in the area;

A lovely day in Sonoma

Sonoma County Brewery Tour

Cornerstone Gardens

Jack London State Park

The details: Armstrong Redwood State Natural Reserve is about an hour and a half from Berkeley  (Sebastapol is a bit closer at about an hour from Berkeley). Parking along the street and in the lot by the visitors center is free, but you will want to arrive before 10am for best parking availability. If you choose to enter the park gates with your vehicle, there is an $8 fee per car. Pizza at Vignette Pizzeria ranged from $13-$19. A kids scoop at Subzero was $3.75 (and it's a generous scoop). Tastings at MacPhail Winery start at $20, with glasses ranging from $8-$14. Beer flights at Woodfour were $8/5 beers, or $5 for a pint, $3.50 for a half pint.

Sutter Creek and Hope Valley

When I think of road trips with kids my mind automatically jumps to scenes of kids screaming "are we there yet?" while kicking the back of your seat for 4 hours straight. Not exactly a winning campaign message for family road trips. I remember a particular trip with our first child when she was 8 months old that involved a 4 hour drive to visit her new cousin. It was horrible. She cried for the majority of the way there and back. I think our biggest mistake was thinking we could make a 4 hour drive without stopping, and then thinking we could make the drive back home on that very same day (looking back it seems like an obvious mistake...what were we thinking?). Thankfully, we have come a long way since that first trip. So far in fact, that our drives to and from our destinations are turning out to be just as much fun as the destination itself!

Mother's Day in Sonoma

Ever since our first trip with the kids to Sonoma County, I have been itching for an excuse to go back. We had so much fun exploring Jack London State Park and the Cornerstone Gardens, and the trip gave me the confidence to try and tackle the somewhat daunting idea of wine tasting with the kids. While the desire for another trip was there, it wasn't until a family dinner when my father-in-law offered me a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, that ideas for our next adventure starting coming together. I usually favor red wines, so when offered a glass of white, I asked for "just a little sip". That little sip quickly turned into a glass of the best white wine I have EVER had and me enthusiastically pointing out that the winery was only an hour away in Sebastapol! After a little research into the area, a day trip was promptly planned for Mother's Day.