Ideas for a Romantic Coast Getaway

For a romantic winter getaway, you may not immediately think of the Sonoma Coast, but it’s actually a secret treasure to be explored. The thundering crash of the waves. The velvet gray clouds, sparked with brilliant shards of gold as the sun streams through.

Oh, the invigorating nip of the air, fragrant with sea salt – it all inspires cuddling, and stolen time with your sweetie.

The Sonoma Coast is magical in the colder months, and beckons with seasonal activities like exhilarating seaside hikes, and amenities like lower prices on beautiful lodges and inns. Keep in mind, too, during the winter, this stretch of the Northern California coast is often very mild and temperate – surprisingly sunny and warm even when more inland areas might be chilly. Here are some things to do with your honey.

Indulge with The Spa Gourmet

Husband-and-wife team Cindy Scott-Fuchs and Trip Fuchs take spa style on the road. First, they coordinate a location, such as a private, luxury rental home on Doran Beach overlooking the ocean. Then they set up a complete spa on-site – often favoring outdoor settings like a mountainside meadow or oceanfront plateau.

Cindy customizes treatments, like Thai massage with hot stone therapy, warm foot wrap, and a mini facial of lavender infused steam, herbal cleanser, Indian clay mask and coconut oil massage. Next, Trip, a private chef, cooks a feast, ranging from hors d’oeuvres to a full supper. It’s pure relaxation as the couple or small to mid-size groups enjoy a night in their vacation home, with breakfast the next morning.

Take in the Gallery Scene

Bodega Bay brims with beautiful art salons and shops, from local talent capturing the dramatic landscapes in paint, sculpture, glass, and even whimsical kites. Stop in the shops in the tiny town of Bodega on your way to the coast, and then again in the central town by the bay, and browse to your heart’s content for everything from early California impressionistic portraits, to photography, to turned wood, and frothy, colorful scarves. 

Artisan’s Co-Op gallery, in Bodega, showcases local art and craft: water-color paintings, photography, apparel and accessories, fused glass, jewelry, hand-woven rugs, hand-spun yarn, greeting cards from local artists, and much more. The Historic Town of Bodega Art Gallery is located in the original blacksmith shop from the 1850s and has been an art gallery since the 1960s. Pacific Bay Gallery in Bodega Bay features local and worldwide artists with a large variety of unique and beautiful two and three dimensional works of art.

Take a Hike 

Bond over the beauty of the easy Bodega Head hiking trail that edges three miles around the headlands, or a one-mile path to-and-from the overlook. You’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, Bodega Harbor, and the town itself.  To get there: Take coastal Highway 1, just past the town of Bodega Bay. Turn left on Eastshore Road, then right on Bay Flat Road. Go around the harbor and turn right at Campbell Cove, then head uphill, bearing right at the fork for the free parking lot on the cliff top.

Doran Regional Park is another stunning spot, boasting a two-mile stretch of sandy beach that’s quiet, secluded, and dog friendly (leashed, please, for the abundant wildlife). Protected by the bay, the water is calm, perfect for dipping toes, and there’s a rock jetty at the harbor mouth for fishing and crabbing under gentle wind-scudded clouds dancing across the sky. Bring your picnic basket, your camping gear, and even your boat.

You’ll also adore Goat Rock Beach, a highlight of spectacular Jenner just north of Bodega Bay. As one of the most easily accessible sandy beaches tucked amid the towering bluffs and crashing waves, the partial cove is also a superb area for watching marine wildlife, where the Russian River meets the sea. Hike the trails around the high surrounding cliffs to watch migrating gray whales, or claim a prime perch on the beach, which is home to a colony of frolicking harbor seals.

Fine Dine

The Tides Wharf was made famous in the early 1960s as the backdrop for scenes of Alfred Hitchcock’s film classic, ‘The Birds.’ But locals flock to this Bodega Bay-front restaurant tucked in the lovely Inn at the Tides resort for its delicious seafood, like shrimp, oysters, calamari, salmon, and Pacific red snapper. One specialty is crab cioppino, stocked with prawns, scallops, clams and mussels, too, in a zesty Italian sauce with garlic bread for dunking. 

Drakes Sonoma Coast restaurant in Bodega Bay is ultra local as well, offering seasonal dishes like crab cakes slathered in tomato-ginger chutney, and Madras curry-dusted local petrale sole. For hidden gems, meanwhile, Terrapin Creek Café in Bodega Bay offers artfully arranged cold crab salad with the seafood plucked straight from the sea outside.

Stay the Night

Enjoy a luxury room at the Inn at the Tides, or another favorite hideaway is the Bodega Bay Lodge, romantic and serene on its seaside perch. As the only AAA Four Diamond hotel on the Sonoma Coast, the lodge offers a luxury escape, in rooms outfitted with real fireplaces, warm, snuggly down comforters, and private balconies for stargazing. And sign up for couple’s massage, with spa suites overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Sonoma coastline, offering a signature warm shell massage with tiger clam seashells.

You’ll also love Timber Cove Resort of Jenner. Sure, the drive is an exhilarating one, hugging Highway 1 on the edge of the cliffs soaring above the crashing waves and jagged rocks of the Sonoma Coast. But just a bit north of Fort Ross and Jenner awaits a miniature town with a very big reason to visit: this secluded resort and its Coast Kitchen restaurant.

Recently renovated, this mid-century modern gem offers rooms with ocean or forest views. Most have fireplaces or skylights, and all include a record player, eco-friendly Lather bath amenities, a tea kettle with pour-over Russian River Roasters coffee, and the drama of ancient wood trim against crisp white bedding.

The restaurant features seasonal, locally sourced wine country coastal cuisine and dynamic wines from the region. The dining room is celebrated for its rustic luxury charm and extraordinary ocean views from floor-to-ceiling windows. Indeed, guests travel from all over for a spectacular cliffside meal, relaxing before a roaring fire in the huge stone fireplace in The Great Room, then taking a brisk, post-dinner stroll in the crisp Pacific air. 

River’s End Restaurant & Inn showcases Jenner’s amazing beauty as well, particularly at sunset. 

What a delicious combination: breathtaking views and mouthwatering Cal-cuisine at this locals’ favorite restaurant perched on a bluff overlooking the mouth of the Russian River where it enters the Pacific Ocean. It’s a hidden favorite, and during the migrating season, people in the know flock here to watch seals and whales on their annual journey. The seasonal menu is enticingly eclectic, with offerings like wasabi tobiko-topped oysters, Petaluma duck confit egg rolls, sea bass with pomegranates and beets, and applewood smoked filet mignon slathered in Pt. Reyes bleu cheese.

Get Your Heart Pounding 

Many Sonoma County stores sell fish so fresh it may have been swimming that morning. For even fresher, you can buy right off the boat, at the Bodega Bay marina. Still, for the freshest of the fresh, charter boats go out onto the great blue, hunting for rock cod, 25-pound-plus salmon, albacore, halibut, and even Humboldt giant squid.

You can be part of the crew with Bodega Bay Sports Fishing Center, Fish On Charters, or North Bay Charters. Take breaks between smooching with your sweetie to reel in your catch. Save your queasiness for the sometimes pounding waves, by the way – the crew will kill, clean, and bag your fish for easy cooking. Because what’s more romantic than a meal you’ve lovingly prepared for your special someone?