Great historical park in the Sonoma square behind the visitor center. Free admission and…read moreknowledgeable docents. Worth a stop

My husband, our baby, and I visited this historical park today and were having a wonderful family…read moreday. Unfortunately, our experience at the small gift shop was very disappointing because of one employee's behavior. When we walked into the gift shop, the older woman working there immediately looked us up and down and continued watching us throughout the entire time we were inside. We were polite and respectful from the moment we walked in until the moment we left. As we were leaving, the younger employee standing next to her kindly said, "Thank you." We thanked the younger employee, and completely out of nowhere, the older woman said, "No hablo español." Nobody had spoken Spanish. Nobody had asked her a question in Spanish. Nobody had mentioned Spanish, language, or anything related to it. There was absolutely no context for that comment. As a Hispanic family, we found the comment extremely offensive and racist. The way we were looked at from the moment we entered, followed by an unsolicited "No hablo español" as we were leaving, made us feel singled out because we were the only Hispanic. Whether that was her intention or not, that is how her behavior came across to us. Thankfully, this interaction did not ruin our day. We still had an amazing time and made wonderful memories with our baby. However, that does not excuse the way we were treated. I hope management addresses this kind of behavior because every family deserves to feel welcomed and treated with basic respect, regardless of their ethnicity. We came to enjoy the park, just like everyone else, and we deserved the same courtesy.

We stopped by Buena Vista Winery for a glass of wine on a Saturday afternoon and enjoyed sitting…read moreoutside in the beautiful courtyard. The property is lovely, and the historic Champagne Cellars are definitely worth exploring. What really stood out, though, was the exceptional customer service. I accidentally left my jacket behind--a simple jacket, but one with tremendous sentimental value. KC More-Johnson from Guest Services responded within the hour, worked with the tasting room team to locate it, and even arranged to have it shipped back to me so I wouldn't have to drive back to Sonoma. KC went above and beyond to help. Her kindness, prompt communication, and genuine care meant so much to me. We'll definitely be back!

09/10/26 UPDATE ~ No one has attempted to contacted me. I can only assume this is how the winery…read moremakes themselves look like they are proactive on Yelp!!! I went with high expectations for an amazing and beautiful experience. I seen the winery on the segment for Sonoma on Channel 2. I was sadly disappointed with everything except the grounds. Which were beautiful and very welcoming. Our server was a young lady that had not much of a personality and lack of enthusiasm for the wine or the winery. The wine was ok. We did notice that unlike other wineries, there was no talk of joining their membership. Not sure that was their policy or the server's lack of participation. No need to go back! I strongly suggest that you find another spot.

This is a beautiful stop in Sonoma County. It features easy walks that allow you to learn about…read moreJack London and explore his homes, including the House of Happy Walls Museum and the ruins of his Wolf House. The trails are well-maintained and shaded by trees, with some minor uphill and downhill sections, making it a great outdoor activity for all ages. There is a vehicle entry fee to get into the park, but it is covered if you have a California State Parks pass. Highly recommend checking it out if you are in the area or need a break from wine tasting.

Jack London is such a beautiful state park! We came for the first time this spring and were…read moreabsolutely amazed by all of the beauty this state park has to offer! We started in the museum which was very informative and educational. We then started a hike towards the old redwood tree. The trails are very clean and spacious. There is a good variety in terms of incline. We were excited to see the lake (which was unfortunately dry) but hope to come back sometime when there is water. Parking is very easy and I love that there is a lot of variety in both the trails and things to do. I definitely recommend checking it out!

The Maysonnave House belongs to the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation. It was built in 1910…read more While the house itself has been beautifully preserved, it's mainly an events venue&office space. Don't expect to see anything about life back in 1910 Sonoma. When you drop in, it feels awkwardly like walking into someone's private home. People use it for events- and that makes sense. It's an events space rather than a historic one. The people are friendly. It's historic, but not impressive. Its nearby cottage, also built in 1910, has been up for debate, and was nearly demolished back in December- http://www.sonomanews.com/opinion/5362964-181/editorial-maysonnave-cottage-raises-question Will the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation preserve and restore its companion?

Absolutely wonderful. We attended an event here for the Sonoma International Film Festival,…read moresponsored by Yelp, and it was fabulous! The employees (not sure if they work for Maysonnave, or if they were hired for the event) were so helpful and attentive! Would love to come again.

General Vallejo's House is located in Sonoma, CA, in the Sonoma State Historic Park…read more The grounds (including trails) and visitor center was free to walk about. Parking was free as well, they had a nice size parking lot. To view the inside of the house, it's $3. The visitor center was the carriage house nicknamed the Swiss Chalet. It was built in 1852. The timber came from Europe. It's now the museum with history information boards about the General Vallejo and his family. So you may ask, who is General Vallejo? What's the hubbub? Mariano Guadalupe Vallejwas born in Monterey, California, in 1807 as a subject of Spain. He served in the California military which was under Spain. He served as commander of various presidios and establishing them and the controversial workforce. His last command was the Sonoma presidio. The house is furnished and staged as it was in the mid to late 1800s. It was built in 1852, Vallejo lived there until his passing in 1890. The architecture is Victorian Carpenter Gothic. It was prefabricated back East and shipped around Cape Horn (pre railroad). The rooms are viewable through the barred doors. The fireplaces are made of imported marble. The kitchen was another building behind the house. The family cook lived onsite in a room adjoining the kitchen. Behind the kitchen is a body of water, a water reservoir. Back in the day, it was a natural spring. The General sold water to the town and folks by transporting the water in redwood pipes. It proved a steady income. He even tried his hand at winemaking. But suffered severe losses in the 1870s blight and didn't get his winemaking business off the ground. He never fully recovered to his previous economic heyday, living out the rest of his years modestly than before.

Great introduction by the park ranger! Enjoyed how they sell plant bulbs and fruit from the…read moregrounds ! I bought a delicious grapefruit! Plenty of signage regarding rattlesnakes.

Located on the Sonoma Plaza, this monument depicts General Vallejo sitting on a park bench. He is…read moreentirely approachable and if you wanted to, you could get a nice selfie sitting with the man. In 1833, Vallejo was dispatched north by the newly appointed Governor José Figueroa to visit Fort Ross and choose a suitable site for a presidio north of the Bay of San Francisco. The ten-year-old Mission San Francisco de Solano site in Sonoma was the location of Vallejo's approved military camp. Later, Vallejo was named military commander of all of California north of the Bay, director of colonization of the Northern Frontier, and administrator of the secularization of the Mission at Sonoma. Governor Figueroa sent an order to Lieutenant Vallejo on June 24, 1835, instructing him to found the Pueblo de Sonoma. He quickly designed Sonoma's main streets and started construction of a barracks to the west of the mission. Vallejo supported the successful proposal to outlaw slavery in California as well as the Californio proposal to maintain separate property rights for women. With this monument is a large plaque thanking the committee members, the major donors and this statement, "The General Vallejo Monument Committee dedicates this monument as a gift to the Citizens of Sonoma on Pueblo Day, June 24, 2017, which date is the 182nd anniversary of the founding of the Pueblo de Sonoma by then Lieutenant Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. A special thanks to the City of Sonoma for the allocation of this site on the Sonoma Plaza and for its support in helping make this project a reality." [Review 21009 overall - 526 in California - 1994 of 2023.]

Super welcoming and a lively atmosphere. Beautiful setting and facilities…read more The outdoor bar guy was extremely welcoming and sold us two glasses of wine. A dry gewurztraminer and a rose. Both very decent. The glass of wine pours were a good 6 ounces not like some other wineries selling skimpola pours wbtg. We were told if we walk up the hilltop there are some shaded picnic table with nice views. They didn't lie. Very nice indeed. Definitely worth a stop if in the area. Thank you!

Overall this winery was a beautiful place. The scenery is gorgeous and they make it accessible with…read morea nice "trail" and many picnic benches to enjoy a glass/meal overlooking the vineyard. Our actual tasting was the let down... the sommelier came across as super unprofessional and just rushing through the whole thing. When he brought out the pours there was not an accompanying explanation/short anything. He couldn't really answer any questions either. Our 90 minute wine tasting ended up being 30 minutes. He kept bringing glasses before we even finished the previous pourS yes multiple glasses still untouched and he was just coming the surrounding tables weren't experiencing this so I'm sure other sommeliers were more courteous but unfortunately it really affected my thoughts on the experience.

*Halloween themed review. Boooo!*…read more Stumbled onto this beautiful cemetery as it is right next to the Sonoma Overlook Trail. After hiking that trail down by the staging area where the cars are parked, I noticed an open gate leading to the cemetery which is in the same hills. I don't find cemeteries scary or creepy but rather reverent and humbling. Ive visited many cemeteries whether a family involvement or just to pass through and observe. And I have found that all are different, some are more interesting than others. I like ones with more landscape features such as hills, more plant life/trees, well laid out/organized. I don't care for one's next to modern commercial buildings or when there are more dirt or concrete than plant life. That is just a personal aesthetic preference. This Mountain Cemetery fits its name, as well as my eye and senses. It is beautiful just to stroll around if you are not scared of the nature and essence of death. Every culture handles it in its own ways and i can respect them all. It's how we honor and remember those who pass and gave is what's more important to me. The older headstones most with birthdates from the 1800s seemed to be higher up in the hills. The more recent ones seem to be lower. But I loved all the oak and cedar trees, lots of shade. There was even a thick patch of prickly pear cactus. There's also a veterans cemetery right below this public one. That one is very manicured and succinct. There are trails that weave through all this. To hike these hills, you will not only get a great dose of fresh air and exercise, but you may also get a moment to thank those that have lived and contributed; and more importantly to me, to appreciate those who are still currently here. A very humanizing experience.

One of the best "hiking" and historical cemeteries I have been to! Noticed the more older plots are…read morelocated higher up and meanders along the hillside. Beautiful walk, views and discoveries of families, years and stone styles. It is an active cemetery, so be respectful of the environment. There is a parking lot and it is connected to a bunch of trails. In fact there is a street sign in the middle of the cemetery guiding you to the main forest trail. By the parking lot, there is also a Veterans memorial and an open-field park. Peaceful and beautiful.

Awesome downtown to walk around. Tons of shops around the outside of the plaza and the middle has…read morelots of shade and trees around the historic building in the middle. Great place to spend a morning or afternoon exploring.

I'm so glad I was able to come here and experience this park. I loved Sonoma more than Napa because…read moreit had some much heart and felt so lush with life. There's a great big open park with lots of parking around and food to explore.

Lots of details about this interesting corner of the Bay Area provided by our guide Dan G. He was a…read morewealth of information, pretty funny and as a local was able to share a lot of perspective on the islands changes. Great day trip and I wish we had more time to poke around.

Wonderful tour led by Jim. History + nature! A great morning spent on the island…read more For people who are looking to visit the Naval Museum on the island, it is no longer open, but this tour is operative and you get to see the naval chapel and walk around the area. I was originally looking for information about the museum and arrived at this page: https://www.mihpf.org/tours. I hope this will help you find their tour options and dates! All digitalized, no fuss. And it turns out I was the only who signed up for today's tour, and they did not cancel on me because of that. I really really appreciated it. One last thing, the money you spend on the tour goes into helping this foundation : ) Yay!