Alternatives to Wine in Sonoma County

So you're not much of a wino, or someone in your group travelling to Sonoma County couldn't care less. What to do?

 

A beach on the Sonoma County coast

 

Outdoors

There is a lot of nature to be found in Sonoma County and in nearby areas. The Pacific Ocean, redwoods, the Russian River area, and many hiking and biking opportunities. Start with the county's regional park system. There are dozens of regional parks, some small, some huge and rugged. There are also eleven state parks.

image from schulzmuseum.org

 

Indoors

There are museums in several towns, with the biggest being the Sonoma County Museum in Santa Rosa. For more active ideas, Santa Rosa has the Vertex Climbing Center and Epicenter. In Rohnert Park, there's Cal Skate and Rebounderz. The Green Music Center in Rohnert Park and the Luther Burbank Center in Santa Rosa offer performing arts. Santa Rosa has the Charles Schulz Peanuts Museum and the Snoopy Ice Rink next door. And there's always a spa day.

 

The line for the annual Pliny the Younger release

Beer

There are a couple dozen breweries, the best known being Russian River Brewing and Lagunitas. There are many others, sometimes tucked away in business parks, waiting for you to find your new favorite IPA.

Mercy Wellness Lounge, Cotati
image from pressdemocrat.com

Cannabis

It's legal in the state and there are stores everywhere, about 20 just in Santa Rosa. There's a cannabis lounge just opened in the small town of Cotati allowing smoking onsite. The first person in the door at the grand opening in March 2025 was interviewed by the Press Democrat while she was relaxing and called it, "the best place ever."