Things to Do in Santa Rosa
The town of Santa Rosa is at the heart of Sonoma Valley and all the food and wine that the region is known for. It is the largest city in Sonoma County and one of the largest in the Bay Area, with restaurants and tasting rooms intermixed with art galleries, shops, and local haunts. There is plenty to taste and explore here, and Railroad Square in the center of town is a historic area full of outdoor cafes and antique shops.
The town is a great base for exploring the nearly 400 wineries of the Sonoma region. Scenic vineyards alongside the farms and breweries that produce some of the area’s best food and beer complement the many hiking and biking trails here. The scenic valley is home to plenty of wine and farmland, but also contains redwood forests, lakes and rivers. City parks and nearby Sugarloaf Ridge State Park are the best places to experience the outdoors.
With grapes growing on 600 acres in the Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley and the Mayacamas Mountains, Hanna Winery is one of Sonoma County’s top wine producers, especially among fans of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. The family-owned winery was founded in 1985 by Elias Hanna, a cardiac surgeon, and for two decades his daughter Christine has run the operation. The winery has locations accessible from both Healdsburg in the north and Santa Rosa in the south, and the idyllic locations of its tasting rooms make great picnic destinations. Visitors can even order a cheese plate or a box lunch along with their wines.