Global travel booking website Skyscanner has named its top five destinations for solo travel this winter, and a Northern California favorite — the Sonoma Coast — made the list.
“The Sonoma Coast invites a different kind of stillness,” the guide notes, praising the rugged shoreline as an antidote to crowded itineraries and overplanned escapes.
The roundup also includes Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas, Tangier Island in Virginia, Olympic National Park in Washington and Red River Gorge in Kentucky.
These destinations are, the guide says, “the kinds of places that offer something solo travelers rarely get: space to think, rest and reset on your own terms.”
The Sonoma Coast is Calling
Locals in Sonoma County hardly need convincing — the Sonoma Coast is a gift at the edge of the continent. Still, a reminder to take advantage never hurts. Here are a few favorite stops to make a well-deserved coastal escape feel effortless. For visitors, consider this your insider’s guide to the coast.
Bodega Head
Just when you think the sweeping views at Bodega Head (Westshore Road) can’t get any better, a gray whale or two surfaces ashore. From January through May, volunteer docents with Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods are on hand from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends to help visitors spot the annual migration. For those inclined to wander, the Bodega Head Trail offers an easy way to log a few contemplative miles along the bluffs.
If the sea air stirs an appetite, join the line at Spud Point Crab Company. (1910 Westshore Road). The chowder is worth the wait and the queue moves briskly. For dessert, there’s Patrick’s of Bodega Bay (915 Highway 1), its pink-and-white facade as cheerful as the saltwater taffy inside.
Jenner
Approaching the coast along Highway 116, travelers arrive in Jenner, where the Russian River meets the Pacific. At Café Aquatica (10439 Highway 1), harbor seals and river otters often provide the morning’s entertainment, best observed over a cup of coffee and a housemade scone or biscotti.
The coastline here is threaded with gorgeous hiking trails. At Jenner Headlands Preserve (12001 Highway 1), the views begin in the parking lot and extend across a network of routes ranging from half-mile strolls to 18-mile out-and-backs. Dogs on leash are welcome.
A short drive inland leads to Fort Ross Vineyard (5725 Meyers Grade Road), where ocean-facing panoramas accompany a seasonal tasting menu paired with four wines, offered Friday through Tuesday. (The winery is closed Wednesdays and Thursdays.)
The Sea Ranch
Farther north, the Sea Ranch rewards spontaneity — sometimes the best hike happens on a spur of the moment when you decide to pull over. Sonoma County Regional Parks manages six public access trails here, including The Bluff Top Trail, a 6-mile round-trip trail that traces the headlands from Walk On Beach to Gualala Point Regional Park. Shorter options, like the Walk On Beach and Stengel Beach trails, offer briefer but still rewarding encounters with wind and surf. (Trails start at several free parking areas along Highway 1.)
Before setting out, pick up provisions at Twofish Baking inside Stewarts Point Store (32000 Highway 1). Along with sticky buns and breakfast burritos, there’s an impressive lineup of sandwiches and calzones. (You’ll need extra napkins for the latter.) Open Wednesday through Sunday.
Stay the Night
If a day trip feels fleeting, linger on the coast.
Overlooking the Russian River, Madeira House (10625 Highway 1) is a new 11-room boutique property, which began as a fisherman’s cabin over a century ago. Nearly every room frames the coast in wide, cinematic views.
Set on a bluff overlooking the Pacific, Timber Cove Resort (21780 Highway 1) offers 46 guest rooms and midcentury-style design, plus a striking 93-foot-tall obelisk created by sculptor Beniamino Bufano in the 1960s.
At The Sea Ranch Lodge (60 Sea Walk Drive), no two rooms are the same, though all 17 look out onto wind-swept meadows and the restless Pacific. Book a room with a cozy window seat, and you may find the coast persuading you to stay a while longer.
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