Sonoma Valley

Our Wednesday got off to a very pleasant start. We had a lovely breakfast served by a friendly Welshman at the Olema Inn. We never did catch his name but he was certainly a cheerful fella. Breakfast at the Olema Inn is included because it’s… well a Bed and Breakfast in addition to a restaurant. For breakfast we had a huge plate of fresh fruits and cheeses, the best croissants I’ve ever tasted, hot tea and orange juice. After we checked out of the inn we headed northeast into the Sonoma Valley. We made a stop at the Vallejo Adobe and spent a little time touring the grounds. I won’t give youmMariano Vallejo’s complete bio here, he was a Mexican general in charge of the fort and given a land grant by the Mexican government for 66 thousands acres; practically everything in Sonoma Valley bears his name. Then we went into the town of Sonoma and walked around the beautiful historic square, toured the mission and the barracks and watched a 20 minute film on the history of the Sonoma Valley. Then we bought some sandwiches and headed out of town for a little afternoon picnic. We found the perfect picnic site, a huge estate now maintained by a private foundation. We were practically the only people as far as the eye could see over hundreds of acres of vineyards and rolling hills. After our lunch we went next door to the Buena Vista winery for a wine tasting. After the winery we checked into our beautiful hotel, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Hotel and Spa. This place is phenomenal very upscale but laid back and relaxed and because it’s also a spa we spotted several people walking around the lobby in fluffy white robes. John went for a hike and I took a little nap. We went back into downtown Sonoma for dinner at a restaurant called the Girl and the Fig. Our waitress, Heidi was terrific. She waits table a few days a week but makes her living as a professional photographer and only photographs women, her business is called In Her Image. Dinner was terrific, and while I don't remember the food being all that wonderful the atmosphere and the setting was simply perfect, not to mention the wine. I’ll post links to the hotel and Heidi’s website a little later.

http://inherimagephoto.com/

http://www.fairmont.com/sonoma