Healdsburg may be best known for Michelin-rated restaurants and 90-point wines, but there’s another side to this wine country burg! Get there this spring for some hiking, biking, and beachside lounging. Wine and beer tastings included!
Dry Creek Delight
West Dry Creek Road might be the most perfect road for wine country bicycling. If you’re looking for a mellow and scenic bike ride for an hour or two with a pit stop for lunch and a libation, then make this 13-miler a part of your next Healdsburg itinerary. Starting right from Healdsburg, you’ll reach West Dry Creek Road within a mile and a half. Cruise past vintage vineyards like Everett Ridge and Lambert Bridge (which also makes a great place to picnic). Make a right on Lambert Bridge Road and in three quarters of a mile you’ll be at your lunch break: Dry Creek General Store is a popular and eclectic establishment selling everything from hardware and live bait to Italian-style deli sandwiches and ice-cold beer. There’s also a tiny bar in a separate room that’s easily missed—and shouldn’t be! It’s a beer haven, with eight kinds on tap and 22 oz. Pliny the Elder by the bottle. Ride back the way you came. Goes down smooth.
TIP: If you need to rent a bike, Wine Country Bikes has a nice fleet of Treks and friendly staff.
Park in downtown Healdsburg by the plaza. Ride south on Healdsburg Ave. At the 5-way intersection, make a right on Mill St./Westside Rd. Go 0.5 mile to West Dry Creek Rd. and make a right. Continue for 5 miles. Make a right on Lambert Bridge Rd. and go 0.75 mile to reach Dry Creek General Store. You can continue back into Healdsburg by going south on Dry Creek Rd., but there is more traffic on this road. Instead, we recommend returning the way you came.
Activity: Bike
Region: North Bay
Dip & Sip
Rosé and chardonnay aren’t the only ways to cool down in wine country. The Russian River cuts right through Healdsburg. And Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach is the place to go on a warm day. Visit in the summer and this beach is packed. But go in the spring and you’ll most likely have your choice of picnic tables and plenty of pebbled shoreline to call your own. If your idea of swimming is wading into the water, then bring flip-flops. This wide section of the gently flowing river isn’t all that high at the moment (currently you can wade in to the middle and still only be knee-high). Lupine flowers are in full bloom on the banks of the river, adding a swatch of purple in front of the steel bridge leading into Healdsburg.
SURF & SYRAH BONUS: Just over the bridge in Healdsburg, Longboard Vineyard’s laid-back tasting room is another great place to chill out. Surfing décor, including a longboard bar, is on point. The plasma TV shows popular surf videos, best paired with signature Syrahs, which are, well … swell!
Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach, 13839 Old Redwood Hwy. There is a $7 parking fee. Longboard Vineyard, 5 Fitch St. The tasting room is open until 6:00 p.m. Both are dog-friendly!
Activity: Relax ,Dog-friendly
Region: North Bay
Overlook It
Whether you like your wine before your hiking or your hiking before your wine, Healdsburg makes it easy to do either, without feeling rushed. Just a few blocks from Simi Winery on the north side of town, Healdsburg Ridge Open Space Preserve is where locals go for a quick hike with spring-loaded panoramas. This 161-acre park opened just a few years ago and remains relatively unknown, with four beautiful overlooks that can be easily connected by hiking a 2-mile loop. Starting on All-the-Oaks Trail you’ll be under the shade of—you guessed it—oak trees, newly green for spring. In fact, everything is green right now. The first overlook (and the best) comes up within a half-mile; the Russian River Overlook casts views across its namesake river, the oak-dotted rolling hills, and freshly budding vineyards. Continue on the Ridge Trail to Mayacama Overlook, Coyote Hill Overlook, and Nancy’s Hill Overlook to complete the circuit.
Park on the street near the intersection of Arabian Way and Bridle Path in Healdsburg (map). Dog-friendly!
Activity: Hike ,Dog-friendly
Region: North Bay
Cinema in Sonoma
Cannes, Sundance, Tribeca … fancy places for film festivals—but there’s no place like real wine country for a fantastic celebration of cinema and world-class food and wine. Get ready for a screening good time! The 17th Annual Sonoma International Film Festival (April 2–6) will pour on the charm—and the award-winning wine!—with over 90 outstanding films at intimate venues within walking distance of Sonoma’s historic plaza. Pair your movie viewings with tastings from nearby vineyards and local restaurants, meet the filmmakers and the stars, soak up the valley sunshine, and check out panel discussions and special events. Opt for a start-to-finish weekend with the kickoff soirée and the final awards ceremony, or sip and swirl your way through this cinematic weekend while catching a few films in between. World premieres, after-parties, awards ceremonies, strolling by the stars ... just add selfies to your personal documentary of this year’s festival! See the event schedule and get your festival pass today. And … action!
BONUS: If you’re coming from San Francisco the weekend of April 5 & 6, hop on the film festival’s free shuttle.
The Sonoma International Film Festival happens April 2–6. Get your single tickets or full festival passes today!
Script your film fest adventure with #siff14.