What to do in Sonoma County While Staying Safe and Healthy in 2020

This year has been crazy and Covid-19 has canceled just about all travel plans. However, there are still some safe activities you can enjoy while following the CDC guidelines!

If you live in or around Sonoma County, I have compiled a list of fun activities that are safe for the whole family. 

Glamping

What’s more fun than a camping trip? How about a camping trip with a queen size bed!

Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to stay at Wildhaven Sonoma, an elevated camping experience situated in the heart of Alexander Valley. I have only been camping a few times in my life and now I never want to camp again unless it includes a queen size bed. Wildhaven Sonoma has gorgeous tents set up for either 2 or 4 guests with everything you could possibly need, even outlets to charge your cameras to capture all the amazing memories you’ll make.

I also loved that Wildhaven’s property has a private beach on the Russian River. While we were there we decided to simply tie our tubes up to a tree and relax on the water, but they also had the option to float down further to a rope swing.

After the river, we were able to rinse off in their hot showers that are cleaned multiple times a day and abide by all CDC guidelines. Then we cooked dinner over our personal fire pit and played card games late into the night. When it was time for bed I was shocked by how quiet and comfortable I was. After a long day in the sun, my friends and I sank into our beds and got a great night’s sleep.

I will definitely be visiting again and would recommend this spot to anyone looking for a fun and unique experience in Sonoma County!

Wine and Food Pairings

As you can probably tell from my blog title, I am an avid wine taster. So I was thrilled when Sonoma County allowed wineries to open back out for outdoor wine tastings! While there are hundreds of wineries in Sonoma County, I’m going to highlight two that I had exceptional experiences recently. 

Capo Creek Ranch

Capo Creek Ranch is a beautiful winery situated in the heart of Dry Creek Valley. The owner Mary, had kindly reached out to one of my friends, Christina, who is also a wine and travel blogger and invited us to come to experience their Ultimate Food and Wine Pairing. When we pulled in to the property I was taken aback by the luscious gardens and breathtaking views of Dry Creek Valley.

We were the only guests for the afternoon and Mary had prepared for us a six-course food and wine pairing. Each course she brought out was truly more impressive than the last and accompanied each wine so well. She also shared with us how Capo Creek Ranch came to be, her passions for food and wine, and fun stories from the property. I would strongly recommend this experience to any wine and food lover! 

 

 

Jordan Winery

Another amazing wine experience I had recently was at Jordan Winery. Jordan is located in Alexander Valley and I used to pass by their front gates on my way to work every day for months, always wanting to visit. When I was finally able to I was speechless at how far back their property goes and felt like I had been transported to France. 

Jordan Winery is family owned and operated and only produces two wines, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The owners purchased the property back in the ’70s and built a beautiful Chateau reflective of those in France. While there, we were able to explore some of the vineyards, learn about the winery’s history, and taste some incredible wines all while overlooking more gorgeous views. I can’t speak more highly of this winery as well and can’t wait to go back to try even more of their wines!

 

 

There are so many other amazing wineries in Sonoma County that are still open and practicing social distance tastings in their outdoor areas as well. Here are a few more of my favorite wineries I’ve been to recently: Taft Winery, Ironhorse, Martin Ray, Bella Wine Caves, Brioculer and Paradise Ridge. If you’re new to wine tasting check out my other blog post on why first-time visitors should visit Sonoma County over Napa Valley. 

Water Sports 

I love that Sonoma County isn’t just a place to taste amazing wine. There are tons of outdoor activities you can participate in and for the first time this summer I was able to do two of those, paddleboarding and surfing. 

Paddleboarding

My friend’s father runs this incredible paddleboarding business where you can either rent the boards and paddles for the day or he can take you on a tour around the river. Since this was my first time ever paddleboarding I was a little nervous, but John was so patient and explained how to maneuver the boards simply. I was able to comfortably sit or stand on the board while paddling and enjoyed the gorgeous views of the Russian River. This is a perfect socially distanced activity and John only allows one renter per lifevest, board, and paddles a day so he can properly clean in between. I will definitely be doing this again!

 

 

Surfing

Another reason I love Sonoma County is how close we are to the ocean. I’ve frequently visited Bodega Bay and the many small beaches this part of the coast has to offer but had never thought about going surfing before this summer. However, when I learned you could rent a wet suit and surfboard for less than $40 a day at Bodega Bay Surf Shack, I decided it was worth a try. This water sport is definitely a bit more intense than paddleboarding, but I had so much fun attempting to surf. I was only able to get up on my knees once, but will be trying again soon!

 

 

Sonoma County is full of activities and I only touched on the surface of what you can do here while staying safe and healthy. If you have any other suggestions on CDC friendly activities around near here please let me know in the comments below.