Little did you know that a weekend spent in wine country could keep even the hardest to please teenagers in the family happy. Looking in, around and beyond the vineyards, you’ll find plenty of ideas to keep it copacetic with a trip to Sonoma County.
Day 1 -
Begin your visit with an exploration of what the vineyards are all about with a trip to Benziger Family Winery in the Sonoma Valley. Their Biodynamic Vineyard Tram Tour takes you through the vines, explaining the Biodynamic winemaking method, to the fermentation facility, the crush pad and finishes with a walk through the barrel caves. The grounds are stunning and a great place for the quintessential winery picnic.
If you’ve enjoyed a little wine tasting at Benziger, why not follow it with a little chocolate tasting for the whole family down the road at Wine Country Chocolates? Located in Glen Ellen’s Jack London Village, Wine Country Chocolates offers tastings of their delectable truffle fillings and you can sample chocolate blends from light to dark. Should your teenagers be up for it, you can also sample cheese at Raymond & Co. and olive oil at Figone’s just next door.
After all of that wine education and chocolate indulgence, it might be time to burn some energy. Head up Sonoma Valley to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, where you can choose from hiking trails through the gorge, along the meadows or really go for it and climb to the top of 2,729 foot high Bald Mountain. On clear days, you can see San Francisco from the summit.
Day 2 -
Keep up the variety for your teenager by changing tack on your second day and heading out to the river and the coast. From vineyards to big trees and the Pacific Ocean, Sonoma County leaves no room for boredom.
Start with an awe-inspiring walk among the giants at Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve. A gentle stroll through the grove takes in the reserve’s tallest tree, 310 feet high, and oldest tree, over 1,400 years old.
Then, try another perspective with a canoe trip down the Russian River. Burke’s Canoe Trips offers a ten mile self-guided canoe trip through the redwoods, including a return shuttle. You can swim and picnic your way along, while spotting all sorts of wildlife from otters to Great Blue Herons.
Head out to the beach to see where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean at Goat Rock beach. The rugged coastline is beautiful and you’ll find a sandy beach to walk along. This beach is home to a colony of harbor seals.
