3 days in Sonoma

Sonoma Rides Wines and Dines

June 13, 2004- Looking for a short getaway, Stef and I headed north for a 3 day getaway to nearby Sonoma. The area is known for it's rides, wines and dines is not a secret to Bay Area folks. The following is a trip report for those who might want to do a ride based get away. Read on if you are keen for the details. I've included a few relevant links below.

Recommended by other cyclists, we stayed at the FernGrove cottages in Gurneville. The cottages are comfortable and run by a very friendly British couple. Each day Margaret served up fresh scones, fresh fruit and homemade granola. I agree with the reviews that these breakfasts are hard to beat. Unfortunately, this town is a little more run down then I had remembered, still the location is close to ideal for bike rides.

After reading some guide books and reviews from online bike clubs it was easy to find our first day's ride. We headed over to Healdsburg via Westside Road with lunch at the Oakville grocery store. They have a nice outdoor eating area and all these best ingredients to make a sandwich or meal you'll never forget. Our return route took us up Sweetwater Springs road, a one lane road and tough climb that can force cyclists to walk. If you aren't into climbing avoid this route. Still the ride is one of my Sonoma favorites. This last climb took much of our energy so the big portions of home style Italian food a Negris' in Occidental was a good way to end the day.

Next day we did a hike in Armstrong woods. The park compares well to Muir woods but with fewer old growth redwoods. Still impressive though, the biggest tree is over 300 ft high and is 1300 years old! Later that day we played golf at Northwood's golf course. The course is full of tall redwoods and even though it is only 9 holes is worth a visit if you like to swing a golf club.

Our last day, starting from Healdsburg, we pedaled on West Dry Creek returning on Canyon rd. West Dry Creek has rolling hills and a exceptional views overlooking the vineyards. The return route on Canyon isn't anything special. In the past I had returned via Dry Creek but was told this road is too full with traffic. Still a nice loop though. Again we had lunch at the Oakville Grocery before driving home.

This was my 4th trip to Sonoma within the last ten years. Unfortunately it has become more popular each year and so some of the routes I've enjoyed in the past I can no longer recommend. Sadly a massive casino is now up and running in Geyserville. So don't use old out date guide books for finding your ride routes in Sonoma. Still the hills remain unspoiled. Roads like Sweetwater Springs,Willow Creek and Kings Ridge will likely not change soon. If you don't mind steep climbs and a few dirt roads you'll still believe that Sonoma is a secret.

July 19 2004- Just returned from another Sonoma weekend. Stef was in Germany so I was with "da guys" and psyched to ride the Kings Ridge loop. In order to avoid the Lazy Bear festivities at Gurneville, this time I stayed at the Cazsoma Inn. The Inn was built in 1926 and was run by a German couple, Anges and Walter Lenk. In the bar hangs an old Swiss Alpenhorn and old ski photographs, Great stuff ! Unfortunately the new owners can't seem to hire enough staff so don't expect good service with your fees. I wisely skipped the dinner at the Inn , opting for a drive to Occidental for a spaghetti bologanse at the Union Hotel. And even though breakfast was included, I skipped it and drove down to Duncan Mills to fill my tank prior to riding. Bottom line is that I don't recommend Cazsoma Inn until new ownership takes over.

My first ride was solo starting from the Inn, west to coast,then south on 1, up Coleman, back down to Gurneville, then to Hop Kiln, up Sweetwater Springs, down to Armstrong woods, back to Cazsoma Inn. The total loop was 70 miles with under 3000ft. I stopped often and took time knowing that Kings Ridge was to follow on Sunday. Wisely I rode on the coast before 10:30 when the traffic wasn't bad. However I'd avoid this route in during most times of the day. The Coleman Sweetwater Springs climb were beautiful, but with except of these two climbs most of this route is flat.

For the Kings Ridge Loop I was joined by the ILM lunch ride crew- Adam, Aron, Jason and Eric. The loop length is only 50 miles but includes 4600 of climbing. We saw very few cars, experienced challenging climbs, enjoyed great vistas and were pushed home by a a monster tail wind. Now I know why Greg Lemond calls this ride one of his favorites.