I know it’s been a while since I made a little travel guide, and I apologize! Just been so so busy… but that means I have some great ones coming up for you guys!
Most recently, I took my mom and I on a mini weekend getaway to Healdsburg, California - it’s a quaint little town in Sonoma County, among the lush wine country vineyards. My friend owns a beautiful hotel up there and invited us to stay for the weekend, and we had the most lovely time - really what I needed after a super hectic few months abroad.
Where To Stay: We stayed at my friend’s hotel, The Madrona. It’s the most gorgeous 1800’s mansion turned boutique hotel and cottages. There are 24 rooms total, and they’re all completely unique (the main house, carriage house, cottages etc. all have different vibes as well). I’ve always loved vintage architecture and design, so the details here were so dreamy. The custom mirrors, original fireplaces, staircases, and that main living room area, OMG. I literally wanted to move in! They have all of my favorite body products from Flamingo Estate in the bathrooms, and a gorgeous bar and restaurant. I also spent an afternoon exploring the property and checking out the pool and the gardens (where they harvest fresh produce for the restaurant). This hotel just has such a rich history and I loved that it felt peaceful, romantic, luxurious and classic all at the same time.
What To See: Healdsburg is a pretty laid back, small town. The main thing to do in wine country is well, drink wine! Tons of wineries in the area that make a perfect day drinking excursion. There are several wine tasting rooms in the town as well. We mainly just walked around the town square and visited a bunch of very cute shops- Russian River Tea Co. for some delish local teas and chocolates to take home, Copperfield’s Books to pick up something to read on the front porch of The Madrona, and Forager for STUNNING home goods. Also loved Oakville Grocery - the coolest country wine mart/deli/coffee bar vibe with a ton of local products for sale.
Where To Eat: Honestly we had almost every meal at The Madrona. Their restaurant is headed by a Michelin star chef and it shows. The entire menu is divine - some of our favorite things we tried throughout our stay were the smoked trout with housemade bread, the fried chicken, the black cod, and the deviled eggs! We also had one dinner at Spoonbar in town, which was also fantastic. The portions are great and it was a very popular dinner spot. Also have to mention Quail & Condor Bakery for all the freshest pastries and Black Oak Coffee Roasters for my favorite iced latte I had on this trip. Truly can’t wait to make it back up to Healdsburg soon - I think a summer girls trip for wine tasting is like the ideal way to spend a weekend here!
