Food & Wine Pairings with Coyote Sonoma

There are lots of great reasons to plan a Sonoma County getaway at our Healdsburg inn and we’ve just added another! One of the newest things to indulge in when you visit Healdsburg is Coyote Sonoma’s Food and Wine Pairings. Casual and fun these parings are the perfect spot to start your Wilson Artisan Wines journey. Walking distance from the Inn, our Coyote Sonoma wine tasting room offers a lovely outside patio, and enjoy a flight of wine paired is an exclusive wine and food paring event with Williamson Wines!

If wine is not your thing, check out all of the wonderful local beer on tap at Coyote Sonoma!

Explore Riverfront Regional Park

Looking to get out and do a little communing with nature? Riverfront Regional Park, a Sonoma County public park on the banks of the Russian River, offers hiking, biking, paddling, and more.

Best of all, it’s just minutes from our Healdsburg bed and breakfast, Camellia Inn!

There are lots of lovely areas in Sonoma County to get out into nature. One of the more popular ones here in Healdsburg is Riverfront Regional Park.

Riverfront Regional Park is around 300 acres of reclaimed river lands along the Russian River, just west of Windsor, CA.

What was once scarred with gravel pits now features a lovely redwood grove and two beautiful lakes surrounded by classic Wine Country scenery.

Hiking, Biking, Fishing, Boating & More

Riverfront Regional Park is a beautiful park and excellent for dogs, kids, or just yourself!

One of the first things you’ll see at the park is a redwood grove at the park entrance. This graceful stand of lovely trees is home to a wonderful picnic area with tables, a large barbecue, volleyball, and a horseshoe pit. Nearby facilities include flush toilets and a drinking fountain.

The park’s main attractions Lake Benoist and Lake Wilson; two former gravel pits now reclaimed as lakes. Both are popular for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing. Swimming is prohibited.

The park also offers two nature trails.

Lake Trail (2.18 mile / 3.5km) leads from the parking lot, past Lake Wilson, to loop around Lake Benoist. This trail also features a short spur to a small gravel beach on the Russian River. Horseback riding is allowed on the Lake Trail, which includes equestrian parking and hitching posts.

Redwood Hill Trail (.5 mile / .805km) passes through the redwood grove near the parking lot. It then leads up over a forested ridge to connect to the Lake Trail.

Both walking trails are unpaved but mostly flat and easy to traverse. During wetter weather, a northwest section of the Lake Trail may become impassable.

View a map of the park and trails here.

Riverfront Regional Park

7821 Eastside Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Open daily, 7am to Sunset.

Visit the park website for more information. You can also find the park on Facebook.

The park is an easy 10 minute drive south on Eastside Road from our Healdsburg inn. The drive is usually free of traffic and features lots of scenic vineyard vistas, including J Vineyards, Rodney Strong, and Foppiano Vineyards.

In fact, you could (should!) even pick up some wine from one of them for your picnic. Yum!

Things To Do In Healdsburg

Healdsburg, California is well known for its tasting rooms and vineyards but you would be mistaken to think that sipping wine is all there is to do here. Far from it. In fact, there are so many fun things to do in Healdsburg it may be hard to choose what to do first!

Once upon a time, Healdsburg was just a sleepy little town on the Russian River in north Sonoma County – but those days are long gone. While we still exude small town warmth and friendliness, our location has us at the center of over 100 different wineries, many of them award-winning.

With the wine came fame, growth, and fun. Now Healdsburg is continually named one of America’s top 10 small towns – and not just because of the wineries.

So Many Things To Do In Healdsburg

Lucky for you, the location of our Healdsburg inn puts you within easy walking distance of Zagat and Michelin-rated restaurants, fine antique stores, art galleries, chic boutiques, and more.

Historic Healdsburg Town Plaza is just two blocks away and a downtown nexus of excellent shops, galleries, and dining opportunities. The lawn at the center of the plaza includes benches, a gazebo, and is the site of summer events and festivals. The Healdsburg plaza is both a window-shoppers paradise and a lovely place to simply relax and people-watch.

Shopping

Speaking of shopping, Healdsburg is filled with little boutiques, independent bookstores, local art galleries, and antique stores. If you’re the kind who can spend the whole day shopping, rest assured that Healdsburg can keep up with you – and then some.

A few standouts include the sleek Gallery Lulo for high end housewares and jewelry, Ereloom menswear boutique, Antique Harvest, Healdsburg’s oldest merchant, and Copperfield’s unbelievable bookstore. And much more.

Museums and Galleries

History buffs interested in the area will enjoy a visit to the Healdsburg Museum. You’ll also want to stop by the very unique Healdsburg Hand Fan Museum. How unique? It’s the only museum of its kind in the country!

Healdsburg is home a numerous fine art galleries, too. Art enthusiasts should be sure to stop by the Paul Mahder Gallery, the Father/Son Harris Gallery, and Erickson Fine Art Gallery, just to start.

Outdoor Recreation

Looking to get out into all that fresh air and sunshine? Great idea! Healdsburg offers plenty for the outdoor enthusiast, including many parks to explore and enjoy.

Biking – We have some of the best cycling terrain in the world. It is also home to plenty of bike rentals, like Wine Country Bikes and Spoke Folk Cyclery.

Hiking – The Healdsburg area isn’t exactly hikeable but there are some nice opportunities all around us. If window shopping and wine tours aren’t enough, try the nearby trails at Riverfront Regional Park and the Healdsburg Ridge Open Space Preserve.

Paddling and Rafting – Get another view of Sonoma County Wine Country with a paddling trip down the friendly waters of the Russian River. There are a number of outfitters offering boat rentals nearby our Healdsburg bed and breakfast.

Tours and Experiences

You’re in wine country, so a wine tour of some kind is most likely on your schedule. Lucky for you they come in such a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

There are your expected winery and vineyard tours and the not so expected ones, like hot air balloon winery tours.

Wine Country Walking Tours offers a variety of walking tours (natch) and the aforementioned Wine Country Bikes is just one of many outfitters offering wine country bike tours along with rentals.

And That’s Just For Starters

We could go on. And on. There are just so many great and worthy things to do in Healdsburg that we couldn’t possibly list them all. If there’s something special you’d like to do during your stay at Camellia Inn, or are looking for suggestions, just let us know. We’ll do what we can to help make your Sonoma Wine Country vacation the very best it can be.

See you soon!

Get Out On the Water with a Russian River Rafting Trip

Take a ride on the easy waters of the Russian River through the heart of Sonoma County Wine Country with a Russian River rafting trip! Floating down the Russian River in a kayak, canoe, SUP, or inflatable is one of Sonoma County’s most popular summer activities for both visitors and locals alike.

There’s nothing quite like getting out on the river. Soaking up the beauty of the Russian River Valley from the perspective of the water is an experience everyone will enjoy. The peace and quiet, the gentle flow of the waters carrying you along, and so much wildlife! Osprey, heron, kingfisher, egrets, turtles, bass, pike, deer, even eagles and the occasional otter.

Between April and October – boating season – there is little rain and the Russian River becomes amiably gentle. No white water, just a few currents here and there. Perfect conditions for a relaxing paddle, no matter your level of boating experience.

Canoes and kayaks are the boats of choice, though SUP (stand-up paddleboards) are becoming more and more popular. Inner tubes and other inflatables are another fun and common option.

Best of all, you don’t have to bring your own craft along to join in the fun. Sonoma County is home to many outfitters offering a variety of ways to get out onto the water. Below is a short-list of those nearest to our Healdsburg bed and breakfast, Camellia Inn.

Russian River Rafting

Russian River Adventures –
Locally operated Russian River Adventures is currently offering self-guided day trips. 9 miles down the river from Memorial Beach to Wohler Bridge, in SOAR Inflatable canoes. The trip takes between 3.5 to 6 hours, depending on your pace. Enjoy gentle paddling, swimming holes, beaches, swimming, wildlife, and a picnic stop. You can even bring your dog! Visit russianriveradventures.com for more information.

River’s Edge Kayak and Canoe Trips –
River’s Edge, also located in Healdsburg, has a popular 3 to 5 hour “Rio” Trip down a quaint section of a five-mile stretch of the river, starting north of Healdsburg. Choose a canoe or kayak for your self-guided tour – and don’t forget to bring picnic supplies! Learn more at riversedgekayakandcanoe.com.

Rubicon Adventures –
Rubicon, in Forestville CA, offers a variety of paddleboard trips and tours on the Russian River. They also offer clinics and SUP yoga. Their certified instructors will help you learn the ins and outs of SUP (if needed) and get you out on the water for some real fun. Go to rubiconadventures.com for more info.

Burke’s Canoe Trips –
Burke’s Canoe Trips, also located about 30 minutes away in Forestville, offers a ten mile, self-guided canoe trip through redwoods. Pack a picnic lunch, slip on your swimsuit and river shoes, and get ready for up to 5 hours of fun on the water. Collect more details at burkescanoetrips.com.

So Much To Do In Sonoma Wine Country

There is no end to the fun that can be had in the Healdsburg area. Wineries, shopping, art galleries, hiking, biking, touring, and so much more. Just let us know what activities interest you and we’ll be more than happy to get you pointed in the right direction. So go ahead, come explore Sonoma Wine Country – book your stay at Camellia Inn today!

Discover Healdsburg Wineries – Tasting Rooms and Tours

Healdsburg, CA is in the center of three, diverse Sonoma County wine regions and home to well over 100 different wineries. With so many Healdsburg wineries at your fingertips, it can be hard to decide which to visit …

The small town of Healdsburg is surprisingly down to earth, given its many charms and reputation as a superior wine tasting destination. Our charming town remains friendly and walkable, with excellent shops, galleries, restaurants, and – of course! – wine tasting rooms to visit.

With so many in the area, it’s easy enough to follow your own nose when it comes to visiting Healdsburg wineries. If you’re looking for some direction, however, you cannot go wrong by starting out at any one of the popular wineries listed below.

Popular Healdsburg Wineries

Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves – 9711 W Dry Creek Rd
Bella Vineyards is an off the beaten path winery specializing in old vine Zinfandels with a major focus on sustainability. Enjoy a tasting in their wine cave or out on the lawn. For even more fun, sign up for one of their entertaining vineyard tours.

Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery – 8761 Dry Creek Rd
Ferrari-Carano’s Dry Creek Valley estate is one of the most beautiful in all of California wine country. Not only does the winery produce a delicious gamut of wines, it’s also home to 5 acres of European-style gardens you can peruse while sampling their wines. Stunning!

Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery – 10701 Westside Rd
Gary Farrell Vineyards was one of the early Russian River Valley pioneers. The winery has stayed small, focusing on vineyard-driven pinot noir and chardonnay. Visit them for indoor and outdoor lounges with restaurant-style service, food pairings, and gorgeous views of rolling vineyards.

Jordan Vineyard & Winery – 1474 Alexander Valley Rd
Jordan’s must see Alexander Valley winery offers multiple tasting and touring experiences at their sprawling, European style vineyard. Come take in the tastes, views, and hospitality of one of the area’s most popular wineries.

Williamson Wines – 134 Matheson St
Williamson is home to award-winning wines, excellent food, friendly, knowledgeable staff – and free wine tastings in downtown Healdsburg. They also offer Helicopter Tastings, which includes a wine-paired dinner at the winery after a scenic helicopter ride over Healdsburg. Wow!

And That’s Not All …

The wineries listed above are just a start for your explorations. There are many, many more Healdsburg wineries worth your attention and lots of different ways to visit them – walking tours, driving tours, and more.

Best of all, our Healdsburg bed and breakfast, Camellia Inn, is within easy distance of many of the area’s best wineries. Healdsburg Plaza, home to 35 wineries, boutique shopping, and both Zagat and Michelin rated restaurants, is only two short blocks away.

Further, we’ve developed connections that allow us to arrange private, by-appointment-only, wine tasting and other special experiences for our guests. Reserve your room at Camellia Inn today!