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

Healdsburg dining
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

Things to do in Healdsburg
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.

Things to do in HealdsburgWine 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!

Up, Up, and Away on a Sonoma Hot Air Balloon Wine Tour

Sonoma Hot Air Balloon Wine TourThere are many ways to explore wine country – walking tours, driving tours, van tours, biking tours, and more. For a truly unique, bucket-list worthy experience, however, it’s hard to beat a Sonoma hot air balloon wine tour!

If you think Sonoma County wine country is gorgeous from the ground, wait until you see it from the air. There’s nothing like floating high and gentle as a bird above above the unfolding landscape in a big, beautiful, hot air balloon.

Unlike a plane, balloon flight is nearly silent. It’s just you, your companions, and pilot securely suspended in a large, sturdy, open air basket. Below and all around you the world stretches in all directions, as far as the eye can see. Your pilot operates the balloon, your job is to simply take it all in.

The Ballooning Experience

Your ballooning experience may vary, depending upon the operator and type of tour you choose. Some tours may only include the balloon flight, while others are more extensive. You may need to drive to the launch area or you may be taken there by shuttle.

Outside of the tour details, however, most balloon launches, flights, and landings will be similar.

Sonoma Hot Air Balloon Wine TourMost hot air balloon launches take place early in the day and your tour may include watching the inflation process. They’ll unpack and stretch out the balloon so they can begin filling it with air. Hot air balloons are first inflated with fans, then with a propane burner for loft.

You may be shocked to realize just how huge one of these balloons really is, once you’ve seen it laid out like that!

Taking off might sound a little scary but may just surprise you in a different direction. Balloon flight is so stable that many don’t realize they’ve left the ground until well after the fact!

Landing can be a little more exciting and bumpy but not to worry. There are plenty of safety-measures in place and your pilot will make sure everyone has a safe and fun experience.

Sonoma Hot Air Balloon Wine Tours

Sonoma Hot Air Balloon Wine TourThere are a number of companies in the area offering Sonoma hot air balloon tours. Listed below are just some of the more popular, local companies offering this service.

Up & Away Hot Air Ballooning
Serving Sonoma County for over 20 years with a variety of tours taking off from Sonoma County Airport. – 707 329-4167

Wine Country Balloons
Wine Country Balloons offers a variety of tours and extras that kick off with a yummy start at Kaffe Mocha & Grill in Santa Rosa. – 707 538-7359

Wine Country Walking Tours
Wine Country Walking Tours provides all manner of vineyard and winery tours. Their Sonoma hot air balloon wine tour is loaded with a full day of fun extras! – 707 758-4287

There’s just so much to do and see in Healdsburg – and Camellia Inn is here to help. Just let us know where your interests lie and we’ll help to aim you in the right direction. See you soon!