Seeing Stars

Recently, according to the thoughtful and colorful emails in our inbox, there was some sort of hub-bub about stars and angels in these fair parts.

Because Inside Sonoma is not affiliated with any government (wait – is zinfandel a government? No? Okay then that statement stands) we were blissfully unaware of what exactly had transpired. But from the tenor of the tender missives sent our way (wow – have some of you folks been brushing up on your Emily Post! Those were some good letters!) we gather that you want to find out where to find stars and angels in Sonoma County. Not to worry! We have a list.

Of course we do…

Stars, Celestial Bodies, and Other Things That Doth Illumine the Firmament:

Robert Ferguson Observatory
If you want to see stars, start here. This is a community observatory located in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, near Kenwood in Sonoma Valley. Public solar day viewing, lunar night viewing, night classes and camping are all available for nominal fees. Public evening events make a fun-filled night, with docent led presentations on astronomy, reviews on what you’ll see in the evening sky, and amateur’s trying out their own telescopes. The observatory’s telescope takes beautiful photos of galaxies, and it’s easy to see amazing star alignments because there’s no street lights.

Wells Fargo Center for the Arts
Andy Williams. Brian Setzer Orchestra. Lisa Lampanelli. Oh yeah, those are stars. Sweater-wearin’, swing-boppin’, foul-mouthed stars, respectively, and they are all at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. A favorite of music fans and HBO producers because its intimate seating means everyone is close to the stage, you are guaranteed to see some stars here.

Wine Stars
The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission recognizes and supports the wineries and restaurants that put “Sonoma County” on their wine labels or feature Sonoma County wines on their wine lists. You can see the whole list of 2009 Wine Stars at their website, or if you are a restaurant or a winery, view the criteria and download the form for 2010.  In addition to local places, restaurants in New York, Las Vegas and Washington DC are featured.

Windsor
Starr Road in Windsor runs across the western section of this cute lil’ town known for good restaurants and access to the Russian River Valley. It’s a favorite of cyclists coming down from Healdsburg and on their way out to the river. Cycling star Levi Leipheimer and Lance Armstrong were once spotted by Inside Sonoma coming down Starr Road. We even have a blurry cell phone photo of our thumb to prove it.

The BoHos
Because of mix-ups at the post office, we have yet to receive our invite to the Bohemian Grove, the annual encampment of the rich, the powerful and Jimmy Buffet. But, if what we hear is true, then there are tons of stars to be spotted at the Bohemian Grove in July.

Seraphim, Cherubim and other Angels:

Mission San Francisco de Solano
Often referred to as “the mission” or the the “Sonoma mission” the real name of the small church-turned-museum on the north side of the Sonoma Plaza is San Francisco de Solano. The physical northern end of the Spanish empire in California, the quaint church is now a place of quiet reflection and a good spot to rest from the mid-day sun on hot summer days. As for angels – it’s a church. Look around. You’re bound to see something.

Copperfield’s Books
A quick scan of local book store chain Copperfield’s reveals over 100 books with the word title in it. Of course, for all you blue stockings, that means somewhere between Angels in the Wilderness and Glitter Tattoo Angels is the celebrated work of Nobel-Prize winning author Dan Brown, Angels and Demons. Keeping with his tradition of mixing Hardy Boys-type suspense with an internet-ethos of adhering to sanity, Brown truly shows his mastery of the paperback. (Wait – this thing came out in hardcover? On purpose?) For more illuminating (ha!) thoughts, be sure to check out the unbiased reviews on Amazon, including the one that begins,

“My first introduction to Dan Brown was through his incredible thriller, ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and figured that I had missed out on his previous works, so I picked up ‘Angels & Demons’ the day after I finished TDVC. This is in every way it’s equal. Every bit as compelling. Every bit as entertaining. Every bit as FUN. If you enjoy solving puzzles — especially REAL ones, than Dan Brown is an author you NEED to get to know and F-A-S-T.”

Patisserie Angelica
A bakery in Sebastopol (town motto: “A nuclear-free, hate-free, Dan Brown-free zone”) that offers some awesome looking treats, it even has angels in the middle of its name! Plus, they make wedding cakes, and what can be more angelic than a wedding cake? Aside from an angel-food wedding cake. Made by angels.

St. Helena Angels
Wine Country Baseball, found by local vintner and baseball fan Howard Leonhardt, will have a team called the St. Helena Angels. We know – St. Helena isn’t Inside Sonoma. It’s Over There In Napa. But we’re ecumenical here at I-S, and so we’ll claim them. Besides, we can’t wait until the Sonoma Crushers meet the St. Helena Angels, and then the sports writer for the Sonoma Index Tribune can come up with an apropos headline.

Well, that’s an impartial list. We suppose there are a lot of places locally to see stars and angels.

Merry Christmas, all. Happy New Year.

- Inside Sonoma