Northern California edition
The definitive guide to weekend trips around major cities.
You’ll pay through the nose for the convenience of staying near the plaza, but you won’t have to drive anywhere till it’s time to go home.
If you can’t swing $200+ a night, choose one of town’s four motels, which cost around $120. The top budget choices are the generic Best Western ($$) and the family-owned, budget-friendly L&M Motel ($–$$), a mile south of town on Healdsburg Ave.
No place epitomizes the new face of Healdsburg better than the Hotel Healdsburg & Spa ($$$$), the local outpost of urban chic. The decidedly minimalist, fashion-forward decor blends soft earth tones – fawn-brown, olive-green, khaki and tan – with hard-edged materials like poured concrete, wood and tile. The centerpiece of the uncluttered lobby is a way-cool fireplace, a blazing sculpture of perforated pipes, like something you’d expect at Burning Man, not in Wine Country. Guest rooms have all the requisite high-end amenities: Frette linens, goose-down duvets, feather-light pillows in high-thread-count cases, and plush bathrobes. Bathrooms have enormous concrete vanities, extra-deep soaking tubs, and open-sided, glass-enclosed showers. Alas, the rooms are styled with a lot of hard surfaces; personally I’d prefer heavy-velvet draperies instead of wooden plantation shutters, if only to reduce echo, but the look is definitely sexy, and sometimes sexy looks matter more than practicality, especially when you’re on a shag-away-from-home weekend. (Note: the fridge is unstocked, so bring wine and chocolate to munch on in bed.) A lavish buffet breakfast, prepared by the adjoining Dry Creek Kitchen, is included in the rate and served in the lobby. The bagels are lousy but everything else, especially the house-smoked salmon, is spot-on. (Tip: If the main lobby feels too crowded, snag a table in the adjacent screen porch for more elbow room.) Rates are on the high side, but if you update your shoe collection seasonally and dig the aesthetic of Dwell magazine, it’s totally worth the splurge. Inquire about spa packages.
Madrona Manor ($$$$) is Healdsburg’s crown jewel – you know you’re somewhere special the moment you drive through the gate and up the winding driveway beneath gracefully arcing, century-old trees. At the top of the hill stands a stunning 1881 Victorian mansion, dripping with gingerbread trim and surrounded by eight acres of jaw-droppingly beautiful gardens. Rooms in the main house are chock-a-block full of Victorian antiques; second-floor rooms have higher ceilings and more space, but third-floor rooms are cozier, with fireplaces and gabled windows. There’s nothing unusual about the Victorian decor, but there’s a wonderful feeling here of stepping back in time. There are also rooms in four outlying buildings, which have less Victorian frill, but tend to be more spacious. Breakfasts are okay, nothing great, but you’ll have your own table and won’t have to make small talk with strangers before you’ve had your coffee. Dinners, by contrast, are exceptional – especially in summer when the gardens are in full bloom; book a table on the veranda for maximum romance.
Smack dab on the on the plaza, Healdsburg Inn on the Plaza ($$$$) got a complete renovation in 2005, and everything looks fresh and sparkling. The khaki color scheme is anything but risky, but the look is definitely soothing, with clean lines and visually open spaces. The century-old architectural details – high ceilings, bay windows, crown moldings – lend a simple sophistication to the rooms, and there’s no space-occupying frou-frou to get in your way, just a cute little teddy bear sitting on the bed. Every room gets flooded with natural light and has a comfy sitting area and gas fireplace – alas, building codes didn’t allow them to keep wood-burning fireplaces in the rebuild. Best of all, you can walk everywhere in town. Though technically a B&B, the inn is part of the Four Sisters Inn group; consequently there’s no on-site owner demanding you pet the cat, and you can maintain your anonymity if you want to. Full breakfast is included, as are afternoon wine and hors d’ouevres. If you’re working with an upper-midrange budget but can’t quite swing the Hotel Healdsburg, you’ll get good bang for your buck here.
One of Healdsburg’s original bed-and-breakfast inns, Belle de Jour Inn ($$$$) has a down-to-earth simplicity that you won’t find at town’s newer lodgings. Surrounded by six acres of rolling, landscaped grounds, the inn has only five rooms. They’re in several freestanding cottages surrounding an 1873 farmhouse so there’s plenty of privacy, especially in the rambling gardens – perfect for a stroll with your sweetheart. Rooms are spacious and have a cozy Americana decor, with four-poster beds, wide-plank wood floors, and fireplaces. But it’s the little things that make the place special, most notably the sun-dried bed sheets, fresh flowers, and friendly reception. Alas, there’s only one seating for breakfast, and it’s early – 9am – so if you like to sleep in, plan to eat in town. The inn is two miles north of the plaza.
A ten-minute walk from town, the 1883 Honor Mansion ($$$$) exudes stately charm. Rooms are individually styled with an eclectic mix of fine fabrics and European antiques. The decor tends toward the frilly, with too many pillows on the bed, but it manages not to be overdone (except in the Angel room, with its kitschy cherub mural). Still, the essential details are solidly in place – sumptuous mattresses, high-thread-count-sheets, evening turn-down service, and extras like fireplaces, deep claw-foot tubs, and private balconies in some rooms. In the B&B tradition, breakfast is bountiful and served on fine china, but guests have their own individual tables, a nice touch for couples on romantic weekends. The parlor and reception area could use a bit of sprucing up (ditching the dried-flower arrangements and cutesy clutter would be a big improvement), but the grounds are magnificent: four acres of lush landscaping extend from the back of the house, with a fern-edged koi pond, vast croquet lawns, a putting green, bocce ball, tennis courts, and a 24-hour solar-heated swimming pool (whether it’s warm depends on the cloud cover). Book a poolside massage in one of the cabanas. If you’re looking to don white linen and quietly play Great Gatsby for the weekend, the Honor Mansion may be just the spot, but if you like to get buzzed on zinfandel and whoop it up, choose somewhere else.
I’ve intentionally left out Les Mars Hotel ($$$$+) because its fancy-pants Louis Quinze style is totally out of place in Healdsburg, like wearing white tie and tails to a pot-luck dinner party. Besides, the doormen are haughty and the rates ridiculous. A room with a gas fireplace for $700 a night? Pshaw. If you can afford to spend that much, why waste it on faux French in an ag town in Northern California? Stay at the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris instead and get the real deal. Better yet, put the money toward a fabulous rental house in Healdsburg and participate in the local culture, rather than be insulated from it.
Of Healdsburg’s four motels, the Best Western Dry Creek Inn ($$–$$$) is the top choice for up-to-date furnishings and amenities. Rooms are standard-issue and style-free, but they’re spacious and clean, and all were redecorated this past spring. Service is (way) better here than at the neighboring last-choice Travelodge. A swimming pool (strangely, with salt water), a hot tub, and continental breakfast sweeten the deal. NB: The motel is building a new wing, so be sure to ask about construction noise, and request a quiet room. Just in case, pack ear plugs.
One of Northern California’s most picturesque small towns, Healdsburg is the epicenter of northern Sonoma wine country. Built around a leafy central square called the plaza, the town’s quiet side streets are lined with Victorians and white picket fences—like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. When friends come to visit and want to see Wine Country, I take them to Healdsburg.
For years the biggest annual event was the Future Farmers Parade, with little children riding on flat-bed trucks, proudly holding up newborn lambs, and oddball farmers with muddy boots solemnly carrying the American flag. Times are changing. Some of Healdsburg’s beloved old weirdoes are being driven out as second- and third-home owners arrive in Range Rovers and Hawaiian shirts, come in search of the elusive ‘wine country lifestyle.’ Lately the town feels homogenous, gentrified by the parvenu.
But the news isn’t all bad. Healdsburg has emerged as Sonoma County’s gastronomic capital, with spectacular farmers markets, gourmet food stores, white-tablecloth restaurants, and dozens of top-flight wineries, making it the perfect place for an extended weekend of hedonism. If you’re an old-school boho, fear not: the Future Farmers Parade still happens every year, and there are weirdoes here and there, like at the annual Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament at Roshambo Winery. You just need to know where to look.
Window-shopping the plaza and wine-tasting are the primary activities, but there’s plenty to keep you busy once your teeth have turned purple and you’ve maxed out your credit cards.
Find a winery near Healdsburg to suit your personal taste.
On Tuesday afternoons in summer, the whole town heads to the plaza for the dynamic and wonderful Healdsburg Farmers Market, with food, crafts, and live music. Parking can be tricky, so arrive early. There’s another market on Saturday mornings at North and Vine Sts., but the big fun happens Tuesdays.
Grapes are Sonoma’s new cash crop, but there’s a rich, diverse agricultural tradition beyond winemaking. Pick up a copy of the Sonoma County Farm Trails Guide, which lists everything from u-pick-em organic fruit orchards and flower farms, to cheese makers and beekeepers, all open to the public. Do you love flowers, but suck at arranging them? Bone up on your bouquet-making skills at Dragonfly Farm, using posies grown right outside; the fields explode into color in May, but classes happen all year.
One of the best ways to tour northern Sonoma’s stunningly beautiful landscape is by bicycle or canoe. It’s easier than you may think to pedal between wineries or paddle down the Russian River. Contact Getaway Adventures for top-notch bike and paddle tours, led by savvy guides who love to have fun. If you prefer to go it alone, rent a canoe (or kayak) with River’s Edge Kayak & Canoe Trips and float downriver at your own pace.
If you’re into thrift shopping, you’ll flip out when you see the Healdsburg Salvation Army. Staffed by recovering alcoholics and frequented by an odd mix of hipsters and the down-trodden, the gigantic store stocks some real treasures — if you’re willing to sift. Take the Lytton Springs exit off of Hwy 101, north of town; the store is immediately west of the highway.
Plan the perfect picnic to take winery-hopping: find Healdsburg’s best specialty-food shops here.
There’s no shortage of midrange and high-end options, but the local culinary landscape changes fast. Last year stunning Cyrus ($$$$) burst onto the scene and edged out Madrona Manor ($$$$) for top honors in Sonoma County; no word yet on how Madrona Manor is faring, but I’m planning to dine there this spring—will keep you posted.
Your Zagat guide doesn’t say so yet, but once-great Willi’s Seafood and Raw Bar ($$$–$$$$) has gone downhill, as has Manzanita ($$$). Take heart: Santi ($$–$$$$), that outpost of rustic Italian cooking in neighboring Geyserville, is going strong. Once I’ve had lunch on the patio this fall, I’ll give you the latest, but for now consider it a solid choice.
Two years ago Bovolo ($$) set up shop on the Plaza and instantly became one of my new favorites. The order-at-the-counter café imports the clean, bright flavors of rustic Italian cooking to Healdsburg. Also a new favorite, Ravenette Café ($$) serves up stellar Euro-Cal comfort foods, all sensibly priced. Zin ($$–$$$) is the spot for down-to-earth preparations of American-inspired classics—think pot roast, and pork chops with applesauce—all designed to pair well with the local wineries’ specialty: Zinfandel.
And then there’s Cyrus ($$$$), a high-wattage culinary experience on par with the world’s best. From the ballet-like service to the superb artistry on the plate, this is one meal you’ll remember for a long time.
Read full-length reviews of our current favorite Healdsburg restaurants.
By day, the in-the-know crowd heads directly for Flying Goat Coffee, one of Northern California’s premier coffee roasters. Subscribing to the ‘Third Wave of Coffee’ concept, Flying Goat’s organic fair-trade beans are roasted daily, every cup is ground to order, and all the pastries are made in-house. To get jacked on caffeine with local bon vivants, this is the spot.
When you’re dressed up for a night on the town, head to Cyrus for hand-muddled cocktails and bar food from the restaurant’s magnificent kitchen. If you’re not up for being surrounded by socialites in two-thousand-dollar outfits, head to the boho-fancy Barndiva, which mixes some damn good specialty drinks — but they cost twelve friggin’ dollars. (If you’re on a budget, stick to the $7 well drinks.) Barndiva is the only place in town safe for urbanites who want to get hammered and (loudly) feature their urbane wit.
Unlike at the local dive bars. Of Healdsburg’s two slummin’ joints, pick the B&B Lounge. Everyone will stare when you walk in, but the crowd is ultimately friendly—mostly waiters playing pool after their shifts have ended. Skip the bar that fronts directly on the plaza; locals tell me that bartenders don’t break up fights, even when they’re entirely unfair and unjustified – bad news for a cashmere-clad city slicker.
Read full-length reviews of my current favorite Healdsburg hotels and inns.
I’ve seen nearly every place in town, but have only listed those I like best. Read the complete reviews.
The first-choice Hotel Healdsburg & Spa ($$$$) has a decidedly minimalist, fashion-forward decor that blends soft earth tones with hard-edged industrial materials like poured concrete, wood, and tile. Belle de Jour Inn ($$$$) is one of Healdsburg’s original bed-and-breakfast inns, with six acres of lovely hilltop gardens and hideaway cottages perfect for a lovers’ tryst.
Healdsburg Inn on the Plaza ($$$$) got a complete renovation in 2005: everything looks crisp and fresh, with a soothing khaki color scheme—and it’s right on the plaza. The Honor Mansion ($$$$) dates to 1883 and exudes stately charm. Rooms are individually styled with an eclectic mix of European antiques; outside there’s a fabulous pool and vast croquet lawn.
The crown jewel of Healdsburg inns, Madrona Manor ($$$$) sits atop a high hill – a stunning 1881 Victorian mansion, dripping with gingerbread trim and surrounded by eight acres of jaw-droppingly beautiful gardens. You know you’re somewhere special the moment you drive through the gate and up the winding driveway beneath gracefully arcing, century-old trees.
There’s not much budget lodging in Healdsburg; the Best Western Dry Creek Inn ($$) is the best of town’s four motels. Rooms are standard-issue and style-free, but they’re spacious and clean. All were redecorated this past spring.
Find more hotels in Healdsburg.
Believe it or not, Marin used to be a pro-growth county, willing and eager to be suburbanized. In 1957, then-governor Edmund “Pat” Brown – Jerry’s father – promised to build two hundred miles of freeway in West Marin to connect the coast with the Richmond Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge.
Can you imagine? Rural Highway 1 was to become a four-lane freeway, with one spur slicing over Mount Tam and another down the coast through Stinson Beach into Mill Valley. Eight new cities were planned along the coast, including ‘Marincello’ on the Marin Headlands, with a projected population of 25,000; Stinson Beach, projected population 50,000; and Point Reyes Peninsula, projected population 150,000. Bolinas Lagoon was to be dredged and developed into a marina, all those shallow muddy tidal flats gone forever.
All told, West Marin’s population was to have soared by over 300,000 – the rolling hills and open spaces gone beneath subdivisions, the entire coast mutilated by hideous Southern California-style sprawl. Get this: PG&E even went so far as to start building the world’s largest nuclear reactor in Bodega Bay, smack dab on the San Andreas Fault. (Fortunately they hadn’t bothered to get the necessary permits from the Atomic Energy Commission, which forced them to halt construction. Today you can still see the giant pit that PG&E dug 40 years ago on Bodega Head.)
So what happened? Enter the Audubon Society. Several small chapters, under the leadership of Dr. L. Martin Griffin, began buying up strategic plots of land along Bolinas Lagoon, right in the way of the projected freeway. The first parcel they purchased is now the Audubon Canyon Ranch. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy designated Point Reyes a national seashore, despite vehement objections by prominent locals. But over the years the local Audubon Society grew, joining forces with other chapters, eventually causing a sea change in public opinion.
Today, as you wend your way up Highway 1, look for backward-kneed great blue herons feeding in the muddy flats of Bolinas Lagoon, just as they always have. Drop by the adjacent Audubon Canyon Ranch to see giant snowy egrets nesting in the trees, then pop into the barn to check out the exhibits on how this tiny organization, against all odds, saved the coast.
To learn more, hunt down a copy of Saving the Marin-Sonoma Coast, by Dr. L. Martin Griffin, West Marin’s unsung hero.