West Sonoma County Guide
When most people think of Sonoma County, they think of chic vineyards and restaurants and charming towns like Healdsburg or Glen Ellen.
What they do not think about is the breathtaking cliffs of the Pacific Ocean, the majesty of redwood forests, the nourishment of expansive farmland dotted with furry, happy dairy cows that graze in peace.
In West Sonoma County you can have it all. It’s the less touristy, more nature-y, more cool (in my humble opinion) part of Sonoma Country that beckons your attention.
I have been coming up to this part of California for many years now. I have a dear friend who opens her home to me on an almost unconditional basis. Her property is on 40 acres of redwood forest. (She’s Zepporah of Sonoma Squash Soup in Meal and a Spiel: How to Be a Badass in the Kitchen.)
I visit to deepen my connection to nature, to write from a quiet space, to play in the kitchen with the fabulous local produce, to get pampered at my favorite spa ever, and to relax deeply into myself.
The following travel guide contains the best, most charming, and most integrated choices of West County Sonoma so you can have an authentic stay in this magical part of the world.
The towns. In one sentence.
Occidental: Quiet, red-wood-laden old mining town with a fabulous farmer’s market, plus apparently Tom Waits lives, here which says a lot.
Freestone: This heavenly “town” is basically beautiful farmland with a Japanese spa, artisan cheese shop and wood-oven bakery.
Bodega: Practically a ghost town on the way to the ocean, it is here that Hitchcock filmed the birds, all of which makes it pretty much one of the coolest places ever.
Skies so gorgeous and blue.
Guerneville (20 min from the other 3)- Redwoods lumberjack-y vibe meets hip-San-Franciscan-weekenders meets gay-Sonoma meets innovative-culinary-scene.
Places to Stay
Occidental
The Inn at Occidental
https://www.innatoccidental.com/
Charming inn with 16 rooms and suites. Romantic and cozy. 4-star luxury, but not the Four Seasons. Walk right to Occidental center and just a few minutes from Osmosis Spa and Wild Flour Bread in Freestone.
Wouldn’t you want to stay here? So cute.
Guerneville
Autocamp
https://autocamp.com/guides/location/russian-river/
For those looking for some glamping or a chance to spend the night in an airstream in the woods, this is your place. It’s woody chic with firepits. Easy walk or bike ride to Guerneville.
Food and Drink
Occidental
My favorite restaurant in the area...It’s small, run by a couple named after Grandma Hazel, and you can taste the love. Much of the food is cooked in a wood-burning oven. I love sitting at the bar so I can watch the cooking happen. The food feels like it was made in a home.
I’m not sending you here because the food will blow your mind, but it’s an institution and institutions must be honored. They have classic breakfast, like waffles, and lots of healthy options too. If you like old school, you’ll love Howards.
Bodega
This one-time casino is now a dive bar and grill, but on the weekends the kitchen is taken over by local chef Mark Malicki who uses local fare to make delicious meals. Dinner served from 5 pm until about 8, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays or until the food runs out. Call in advance to be certain. You can bring wine for a small corkage fee.
The gorgeous bread at Wild Flour.
Freestone
You must come here, get a scone (they have some GF ones too) or buy a loaf of bread, get a coffee or tea and walk into their edible garden to enjoy your goods in a dearly charming and beautiful spot.
Monte Rio
Located at Creekside Skatepark right outside Monte Rio
The newest edition to West Sonoma County is this absolutely adorable and absolutely delicious cafe opened by a young married Israeli couple from Jerusalem, Gal and Ori. Go for the Shakshuka. Go for the Laffa (housemade flatbread filled with eggplant, egg and tahini). Go for the bagel sandwich filled with avocado. Stay for the love-filled energy in every bite.
Guernville
Boon Eat and Drink, Brot and El Barrio- THREE PLACES
All owned by the same visionary Crista Luedtke (also of Boon Hotel + Spa) these three spots comprise her culinary and mixology mecca of Guerneville. Boon Eat and Drink is a small, adorable crowded farm-to-table bistro serving California inspired Cuisine. Brot is new to the strip and has a menu based in German cuisine made with California ingredients that locals rave about. El Barrio is a cool and cute bar with curated cocktails with a bit of an East Village local hang out vibe.
Places to Shop (for Food)
There’s nothing like cooking with the fabulous produce of Sonoma County. And since you may be staying at an Airbnb, you might need snacks to have on hand or ingredients to make fabulous meals. (By the way, these two Airbnb’s are owned by my friends in Occidental and in Bodega Bay- tell them I sent you!)
Occidental Farmer’s Market
One of the best health food markets I have ever encountered, with fabulous local produce is the Community Market in Sebastopol, which I always stop at on the way from the airport to Occidental. In Occidental itself, you can pick up necessary supplies at the old-school Bohemian Market. And don’t miss out on the fabulous farmer’s market in Occidental every Friday, as well as a new top notch butcher called Panizzera Meat Co. with local meats. As mentioned above Wild Flour Bread has the best bread, open weekends only in Freestone and if you want some local artisan cheese to eat with your bread, go to Freestone Cheese Shop located in an adorable converted craftsman house. They will let you taste cheeses.
Places to Spa
In Freestone. This place is worth the whole trip. You will enter what looks like a restored miner’s tavern, and then find yourself in a Japanese garden. The facilities are a little old school, but that’s the charm. And the treatments are all incredible, with massage therapists that truly feel like healers. The signature treatment is the Japanese enzyme bath in which you crawl into a huge tub filled with wood shavings and sweat all your toxins out and sleep like a baby that night. The meditation garden is my favorite meditation garden in the world.