Erin Lane Blog

One of our favorite places to visit is Sonoma, CA. Not only are they home to world renowned makers of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, & Chardonnay they have some of the best restaurants, wineries, antique stores, and hiking trails. When I think of Sonoma I think of a magical place. Carlos and I started visiting Sonoma about 14 years ago. We would go hiking at Jack London State Park in Glen Ellen, wine taste at Chateau St. Jean, and peruse the shops at the Sonoma Square. Many businesses have changed over the years in Sonoma but the magic has stayed the same.

Our first stop in Sonoma was at Cornerstone Sonoma. This place was created for people who love gardens, art , and good food. Its an ever-changing series of walk through gardens, art installations and is home to two of my favorite antique shops Artefact Design & Salvage and Chateau Sonoma. If you go to Artefact make sure you say hello to Axel the bulldog, he's super friendly.  This is a perfect place to bring the kids and stay for hours.

This installation at Cornerstone Sonoma was created by the owner of Artefact with a nod to California's desperate need of rain. If you need inspiration this is the place to come.

Our favorite place to dine in Sonoma is Cafe Citti in Kenwood. Hands down the best calamari sandwich & chicken caesar salad on the planet. They smoke the chicken for the salad. Its cozy, delicious, affordable, and they have great Sonoma wines.

If your thirsty for some grape juice one of our favorite wineries is Chateau St. Jean & Bartholomew Park.

After all that eating, drinking, and shopping heading to Jack London State Park is a perfect way to burn off some calories and drink in the beauty. Its really hard to leave this place. Rico the Frenchie had a blast too. I love this park because you can tour some of the homes of Jack London as well as visit the ruins of his hard work. I love hearing about his exotic travels, accomplishments, and dramatic exploits. You can walk, hike, bike, horseback ride, take photos, paint, relax, and enjoy the magic.

There is no way you can visit everything Sonoma has to offer in one day. This is a 3 part series. Check back for Day 2 in Sonoma. Cheers!