| The Sonoma Valley region is world-renown for its vast vineyards but there is a hidden wealth of things to do and see that will enhance your Great Adventure! For a truly great time, just add good friends, good food and good wine; mix well and have memorable experiences that will last a lifetime. Here are some of our experiences below. |
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| On our Wine Country Adventure, everyone caught a few winks on the red-eye from Honolulu to San Francisco. We had a quick breakfast at Jimmy Bean’s in Berkeley and headed north. A fun stop was the free factory tour of the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield. Don’t forget to stop at the sampling bar in the snack area to try the latest concoctions. The Budweiser facility is close by and a free tour is available at the top of the hour. For some really great tasting chicken, check out Jollibee, a fast food chain that originated in the Philippines in Vallejo. Their specialties, in addition to the crispy chicken is their spaghetti and halo halo desserts. |
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| Lodging can be quite costly in this area – Napa being the priciest and then scaling down to less expensive accommodations in Sonoma. We suggest that you consider renting a vacation home to use as a base as you foray into the countryside. Houses accommodate from 4 to 8 people and have full kitchens where you can cook your own meals. We had a wonderful time looking for fresh seafood, produce and fruits in the countryside, and had lusty meals accompanied by some great wine. |
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| We were so lucky to find and rent a home from a woman with Hawaii connections that was located just a block from Sonoma Square, Long’s Drugs and Safeway. Her vacation home had wonderful island touches and great amenities including, a grill on the deck, a fireplace for the chilly evenings, and each bedroom with its own private bath. |
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| We planned our outings that would incorporate several worthwhile attractions in one day. The New Carpati Farm, located in Sebastopol, features fresh grown oyster and shiitake mushrooms that can be purchased by the pound. The owner, Steve Schwartz gave us an extensive lecture about mushroom growing and allowed our group to pick our purchases. How cool is that? Another unusual stop was the Beekind Honey Shoppe & Aviary with everything you could imagine about bees and honey. |
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