10 Things To Do on a Guys Getaway in Sonoma County

It’s not just the girls who like relaxing and enjoying time with friends. Whether your group craves action or a chance to chill, Sonoma Wine Country offers a wide variety of options for a guys’ getaway. Here’s a quick list of 10 must-do Sonoma County experiences. (For bachelor-party inspiration, check out this Local’s Guide to the Ultimate Bachelor Party in Sonoma County.)

1. Wine Yourself Up 

Wine tasting doesn’t have to be sedentary. At Francis Ford Coppola Winery, you can swim in the huge courtyard pool after taking a complimentary hike across the 88-acre wine estate and maybe even catch a glimpse of the famous movie director himself. 

Check out Sonoma County’s free vineyard walking tours. This is your handy guide to all the free, no-appointment, self-guided vineyard tours at top wineries like Matanzas Creek Winery, with photo-worthy lavender fields and St. Francis Winery & Vineyards set on scenic grounds. 

Find more options with this Sonoma County wineries map.

2. Escape into Nature 

Find the sandy side of life on the Kortum Trail in Jenner, which follows the breathtaking Sonoma Coast from Wright’s Beach to Blind Beach for about four miles. Continue on to Bodega Head in Bodega Bay for an easy-to-hike bluff-top loop that’s popular for seasonal sightings of gray whales.

Jack London State Historic Park is a jewel with wilderness trails that take you past the famed author’s historic cottage and burned-out castle ruins, and into the high mountains, thick with redwoods and sunny meadows.

Hood Mountain Regional Park boasts tall peaks in the Mayacamas Mountain Range and trails lined with creeks and meadows. Explore 1,750 acres of wilderness and, if you’re in good shape, trek to the top, where, on a clear day, you can see the Golden Gate Bridge.

3. Dive into Extreme Adventure

Fly through the forest at Sonoma Zipline Adventures, where you zip through a redwood wonderland, over a ravine 300 feet below, and along a creek. For another challenge, scale yourself across a 175-foot-long sky bridge. 

Zoom around Sonoma Raceway when you book an exhilarating driving experience in 125-cc racing karts to a Formula 3-derived race car with professional instructors and gear.

Explore the seas on a Bodega Bay charter boat. Your crew can enjoy the thrill of wrangling rock cod, salmon, albacore, halibut, Dungeness crab, and even giant squid on the Sonoma Coast.

Perhaps running is your thing. Enjoy the ultra-marathon experience, gourmet food, and fine wine with professional guides from Healdsburg Running Company.  

Scenic Sonoma County boasts a wide range of excellent adventures — here are a few more:

• Kayak and canoe in Sonoma County
• Cycle through Sonoma County
• Hot air ballooning in Sonoma Wine Country
• Sonoma County Camping 

4. Check Out a Local Sports Bar

Enjoy the boisterous, fun atmosphere of Healdsburg Bar & Grill. Sit at the big bar, peruse the TVs, and dig into eats like crispy or spicy Buffalo wings and bacon chips lightly breaded for dunking in chipotle aioli.

Pub Republic in Petaluma is another popular spot. This cheerful sports bar and upscale eatery woos with uncommon plates like Brussel sprout tacos, potato nachos, and truffle burgers. Sit at the bar for the best TV views.

For more inspiration, check out these Top Sports Bars and Pubs in Sonoma County.

5. Settle In

Setting up a base of operations gives you a place to kick back with the gang between activities. On the Sonoma Coast, The Lodge at Bodega Bay offers views of the Pacific Ocean. Facilities include an ocean-view pool and whirlpool spa, a fitness center and sauna, and free Wi-Fi and daily wine reception. There’s also a nearby golf course, Links at Bodega Harbour. 

The Geyserville Inn is located minutes away from the region’s most celebrated wineries and the River Rock Casino. Amenities include a pool and hot tub, Wi-Fi, fireplaces in the rooms, and an onsite restaurant.

Or your gang can rent a great Sonoma County vacation home to use as the headquarters for your getaway.  

6. Enjoy Fine Dining 

Santé Restaurant at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn is bright and modern, serving gourmet dishes with plenty of flair. Wrap your lucky taste buds around plates like luxurious seared scallops and crispy veal sweetbreads or sweet butter-poached lobster with globe artichokes.

The foodies in your group will also love the Drakes Sonoma Coast restaurant inside The Lodge at Bodega Bay. The chef serves seasonally changing specials as riveting as the views across the water, with dishes like Dungeness crab cakes with tomato ginger chutney, braised California lamb shank with polenta, and grilled Pacific swordfish with ricotta gnocchi. 

John Ash & Co. is a fine-dining destination in Santa Rosa’s Vintners Resort, legendary for Sonoma Wine Country cuisine. Start with buttermilk-fried quail with corn, baby squash, and bean salad, then move on to sesame-nori encrusted ahi with tempura prawn.

7. Try a Good Steak

Enjoy a giant, juicy slab of beef at Stark’s Steakhouse in Santa Rosa. Wood décor, check. Stiff martinis, check. A full pound, bacon-wrapped rib-eye topped with roasted bone marrow, check.

At Seared Steak and Seafood in Petaluma, the beef beckons from the window, gracefully aging and waiting to be grilled. The darkly lit, wood-and-brick ambiance is the perfect setting for oversized plates of prime rib and filet mignon with blue cheese butter and demi-glace, creamed spinach, and crispy potatoes.

One of the oldest roadhouses in the West, established in 1854, Stormy’s Spirits & Supper in Petaluma charms with a cottage mood, then wallops with serious beef like bone-in rib-eye, prime rib, and New York steak with crunchy onion rings. All suppers include clam chowder, garden salad with house-made creamy Italian, potato, fresh vegetable, and French bread.

8. Grab a Beer 

Sonoma County is known for its breweries, which produce craft beers with local ingredients. Start your trail of suds with some famous brew houses like Lagunitas Brewing Co. in Petaluma and Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa and Windsor (home of the uproariously popular Pliny the Younger).

More Sonoma County craft beer destinations include:

• Seismic Brewing Company and Crooked Goat Brewing at The Barlow in Sebastopol
• Parliament and Old Caz in Rohnert Park
• Shady Oak Barrel House and Fogbelt Brewing Company in Santa Rosa

Plan your brewery visits with the Sonoma County beer map.

9. Chill Out With Something Sweet 

The Guerneville Bank Club is a historic 1921 bank reborn as an ice cream emporium. The groovy-retro space is home to Nimble & Finn’s ice cream, where you may find treats like Bulleit Bourbon ice cream with chocolate-covered pretzels or milkshakes blended with a piece of pie.

Get custom-made gelato at Cravin’s Candy Emporium in Windsor, with unique flavors like Chocolate Covered Banana and Hot Tamales. Then, explore this amazing candy store where you’re sure to find your favorite candy from childhood.

Screamin’ Mimi’s in Sebastopol draws on more than 300 creative recipes for a daily line-up of delights, such as Mimi’s Mud with espresso ice cream, handmade fudge, chocolate chips, and chocolate cookies.

10. Find the Dogs

Roy’s Chicago Dogs at the Yard, a sports memorabilia-decorated diner, offers thousands of delicious variations of Vienna Beef hot dogs, Polish sausage, fried Polish Fire Dogs, and a specialty sausage of the week. Toppings are plentiful, such as Sriracha, Hellfire sauce, homemade pineapple mustard, shaved pastrami, chili, onion rings, and bleu cheese.

Purple Pachyderm in Sebastopol is another must-visit, as it’s known not only for its owner, Les Claypool of the band Primus, and its incredible wines, but also for the weiner truck you can find onsite, Whamola Weiners, which serves up gourmet, high-end concoctions created by Les himself.

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Written by Sonoma County Insider Carey Sweet