In our last look at the town of Sonoma we focused on the historic Sonoma Plaza, picnicing, and places to pick up lunch supplies. The Plaza itself is surrounded by the historic remains of the old Mexican town of Sonoma, which dates back to the founding of Mission San Francisco Solano by Father José Altamira in the 1820s. Sites include the mission itself, the remains of General Mariano Vallejo's Casa Grande, the Sonoma Barracks, the Blue Wing Inn, the Toscano Hotel, and Lachryma Montis, Vallejo's Victorian home, which is located a short distance from the Plaza.
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One of our favorite family outings is to the town of Sonoma. This small town is a fantastic wine country destination for either a day trip or a weekend “staycation” (which of course is all the rage in this era $4.50-a-gallon gas). Sonoma is about a half-hour’s drive from northern Marin, via Highways 37 and 121. Not as busy or as up-to-the-moment trendy as the Napa Valley, its Wine Country neighbor to the east, Sonoma manages to be both quaint and sophisticated, with a clear sense of tradition and history. Above all, it’s a great place for families, since the Wine Country isn’t necessarily all about wine.

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One of the benefits of living in Northern California is that you can go on a hike or other outdoor activity pretty much any time you want to, even in the dead of winter. In fact, winter is really one of the nicest times to be outdoors, with crisp, clean air, bright green grass, fewer crowds and tourists, and even the first of the wildflowers showing up. This is all provided it's not raining, of course. One of our favorite outdoors spots, and a great place to take a hike with the family, is Jack London State Historic Park, located in the small Sonoma Valley town of Glen Ellen, about a 45-minute drive north from Marin.

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For dads with a streak of daring we’ve found the perfect Father’s Day gift: a ride in a historic airplane over the Sonoma Wine Country! The Vintage Aircraft Company, located a short distance from Marin at Sonoma Valley Airport (also known as the Schellville Aerodrome), offers rides in restored World War II-era PT-17 Stearman biplanes and a World War II AT-6/SNJ Texan warbird.

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Last week I took my kids to Cornerstone Festival of Gardens in Sonoma and I was surprised how cool and unique this place really was.  I went when they first opened and they didn’t have all the gardens completed, but now it’s complete and the gardens are fun and amazing, and the kids really loved them. I was a little surprised that we were the only ones there to enjoy them, with the exception of one other family. Cornerstone Festival Gardens comprises 20 different gardens, each with a different theme, and each designed by a world-famous landscape architect.
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The whole family, or at least the ones that like tomatoes, will enjoy this special event at Cornerstone Festival of Gardens near Sonoma this weekend, April 14-15. Tomatomania will include a huge heirloom tomato seedling sale, with colorful varieties like Green Zebras, Cherokee Purples, Black Krims, and Dixie Golden Giants. Children can learn about all the varieties of tomatoes and how to maintain a wonderful vegetable garden. Some of the free activities for children will include crafts, making vegetable garden markers, and making a scarecrow for the organic vegetable garden.
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...But there are plenty of train-related activities for toddlers and preschoolers within a short drive from anywhere in Marin. One of our favorites is Train Town in Sonoma. About a half-hour away from northern Marin, Train Town is a Sonoma Valley landmark that's been in operation since the early 1950s, and has that old-fashioned roadside attraction kind of charm associated with that era. It's literally right on Broadway as you head into town, so it's tough to miss. Right now they're open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but from June to Labor Day they're open every day (same times apply). Tickets are a ridiculously inexpensive $1.75, and you can knock a bit off of that if you buy a book of 8 for $10.

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