Photo courtesy of Gateway Adventures
By Maryann Hammers
Though the wine is more than fine in Northern California’s Sonoma County, the area has much more going for it than good grapes. The scenery is gorgeous, the restaurants are renowned, and the small towns are charming. The area welcomes military members with discounts, too.
Will pedal (or paddle) for pinot
The best way to explore — and truly — experience Sonoma County is on a bike. You’ll pedal along winding country roads, taking breaks at scenic stops. Your guides are experienced bicyclists, ready to assist with bike issues or just lead the way while offering insight about the area’s history and heritage. Feel like wine tasting? Your guides will direct you to the most interesting, hospitable wineries, with tastings included. All that biking will give you an appetite, so it’s good to know that a picnic feast also is part of the tour. These outfitters/guides offer military discounts: Wine Country Bikes (phone (866) 922-4537) offers military members a 10-percent discount off bike tours and bike rentals. Getaway Adventures (phone (800) 499-2453) offers military members $25 off any bike or kayak tours, which range from flat and easy to hardcore — plus paddle trips on the Russian River, beer-tasting tours, and even van tours.
Cheers to beer
If beer is your beverage of choice, where better to sample it than Wine Country? Brew Brothers Brewery Tours offers a $30 discount on guided tours of Sonoma County craft breweries to military members and anyone over age 60. (Regular prices start at $85, so your price is as low as $55.) You’ll stop at three breweries, with tastings included. Some tours include lunch. Use promo code AMERICA15. Call (707) 206-7468.
Eat, walk, yum
Wine Country Walking Tours takes visitors on a creative, delectable stroll through the perfect little hamlet of Healdsburg. Active duty and retired servicemembers and their spouses get a 25-percent discount on four-hour guided walking tours, during which you’ll mingle with locals, visit boutique tasting rooms, meet winemakers, learn to pair food and wine, and sample artisanal chocolate, premium teas, ice cream, breads, and olive oil. “Our families have served in the military for years,” says Kirsten Jones, who owns the company with her husband, Harold. To get the discount, call (707) 758-4725 and mention code USAVET.
Stay a while
Wine Country accommodations tend to be pricey, with discounts tough to come by. But Dry Creek Inn , a Best Western hotel in Healdsburg, is a great value. Tip: Ask for a room in the hotel’s Italian-themed Villa Toscana building, where you’ll enjoy luxuries such as an in-room fireplace, oversized jetted tub, and robes. The outside courtyard is a great place to enjoy your complimentary breakfast, surrounded by fire pits and fountains. Servicemembers get a 10-percent discount. Call (707) 433-1129.