the blog of Feb. 23, 2006

the heart of Sonoma

We left Santa Rosa via Route 12, which apparently is one of the major wine roads of Sonoma. Since I kept on seeing signs about the Valley of the Moon, I'm tempted to wonder if this valley is a geographic feature and not just a winery. I just don't know Sonoma County well enough, which was the underlying impetus for this trip. We passed many wineries, including the Blackstone tasting room in Kenwood, which I had heard so much about in Gonzales. We didn't stop though until we got to the city of Sonoma. It exceeded my expectations. I had read about the central square, but I didn't realize how big it was, and how many shops and restaurants there both along the square and down every side street. We bought sandwiches at the Basque Bakery -- which was so crowded I thought I was in New York City -- and ate them in the square, which is essentially a big park. Then we left. There simply wasn't enough time. But having tasted the heart of the Sonoma experience, I look forward to returning for further exploration.