Kenwood is a small town in Sonoma County. Between Santa Rosa and Sonoma on CA-12, Kenwood is in California's wine country, and it developed during the late 19th century during a period when the name of the town was changed multiple times.
Understand
[edit]Kenwood has no "downtown"; it's a series of (mostly) wineries and vineyards along California Route 12, with a few restaurants and miscellaneous retail.
Get in
[edit]Bus service from Santa Rosa is provided by Sonoma County Transit route 30.
Get around
[edit]Highway 12 isn't designed for walking, at least in the Kenwood area, nor (particularly) for biking. This is automobile country, mostly.
See
[edit]
- 1 Trione-Annadel State Park, 6201 Channel Drive, Santa Rosa (east of Santa Rosa and south of Highway 12 on Channel Drive via Montgomery Drive), ☏ +1 707-539-3911. 8AM-sunset. On the northern side of Sonoma Valley, just south of Santa Rosa, this state park (formerly just "Annadel") is a 5,092-acre state owned property. Former residence to the Wappo and Pomo people, the park has geological and biological importance. The world's finest example of northern oak woodlands is located here, and wildflowers bring out quite the crowd in the spring. The park surrounds Lake Ilsanjo, which also offers fishing for bass and bluegill. Varies.
- 2 Hood Mountain Regional Park, 3000 Los Alamos Rd, ☏ +1 707-539-8092. 8AM-dusk. A park surrounding Mount Hood (aka Hood Mountain), a mountain that stands 2,733 feet above Sonoma Valley. The park offers hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. When the weather is clear, you can see Golden Gate Bridge from Gunsight Rock. $7.
- 3 Sugarloaf Ridge State Park (http://www.sugarloafpark.org/), 2605 Adobe Canyon Rd, Kenwood, ☏ +1 707-833-5712. 6AM-8PM. State park in the Mayacamas Mountains that comprises of Bald Mountain (2,729 feet) and Sonoma Creek which has a lovely 25-foot-tall seasonal waterfall. The park has beautiful views. It also has overnight camping. A highlight is the Robert Ferguson Observatory, the largest publicly accessible observatory in the western United States. $8 regular, $7 senior.
Do
[edit]- Dog hikes at the Kunde Family Winery, 9825 Sonoma Hwy, ☏ +1 707-833-5501, events@kunde.com. Hike begins at 9AM; select Saturdays. Reservations required; lunch included. There is an estate hike of similar length (four hours) that is less expensive but does not include length, on a different day. $90 per person.
Buy
[edit]- Mayacamas Home, 9255 Sonoma Hwy, ☏ +1 415-317-4136, sehdesigns@earthlink.net. Th-Su 11AM-5PM (varies seasonally). In a small shopping center, interior designer Shawn Hall offers "modern vintage goods": a wide selection of ceramics, tableware, and up-cycled household items.
Eat
[edit]- Golden Bear Station, 8445 Sonoma Hwy, ☏ +1 707-282-9148. W-Sa 4:30-9PM, Su 4:30-8:30PM. Upscale woodfired pizzas, housemade pastas, and Asian-accented entrées
- 1 La Cucina at VJB Vineyard & Cellars, 60 Shaw Ave, Kenwood, ☏ +1 707-833-2300, info@vjbcellars.com. Open daily at 10AM. Grab freshly made Italian panini, salad, meats, cheeses, and sides from this winery takeout spot. Many of the foods are family recipes. You can eat them at the onsite, sunny courtyard or take them to go. There is also an onsite pizza place with takeout and a gelato shop.
- Mayo Family Winery Reserve Room, 9200 Sonoma Hwy, ☏ +1 707-833-5504. Th-M 10:30AM-6:30PM. The food and wine pairing features seven unusual artisanal bites paired with seven interesting wines.
- Salt and Stone, 9900 Sonoma Hwy, ☏ +1 707-833-6326. Dinner daily 5-9PM; lunch Th-Tu 11AM-2:30PM; brunch Sa Su 10AM-2:30PM. A full menu of salads, seafood and steaks, and lovely outdoor seating with umbrellas and a bubbling fishpond and fountain.
Drink
[edit]- Amapola Creek Winery, 9380 Sonoma Hwy, ☏ +1 707-938-3783, amapolacreek@bwisevineyards.com. Daily 10:30AM-5PM. Taste from a lineup of high-end Rhone blends and Cabernets from Moon Mountain, with live music on some weekend afternoons.
- Chateau St. Jean, 8555 Sonoma Hwy, ☏ +1 707-257-5784. Daily 10AM-5PM (last seating at 3:30PM). Offering a wide variety of tasting and food options, in a hundred-year-old French-inspired estate home, with formal rose gardens
- 1 Landmark Winery, 101 Adobe Canyon Rd, ☏ +1 707-833-0218. 10AM-5PM. A beautiful and classy property, Landmark has indoor and outdoor tasting options of their estate wines. The property also has a bocce ball court and picnic area. From the winery, you can see Sugarloaf Ridge.
- Palooza Brewery and Gastropub, 8910 Sonoma Hwy, ☏ +1 707-833-4000. M-Th 11:30AM-8PM, F 11:30AM-8:30PM, Sa 11AM-8:30PM, Su 11AM-8PM. Gourmet pub grub, wine & beer served in a mellow tavern with ping-pong tournaments and outdoor seats. Live music and comedy nights.
- Vaughn Duffy Wines, 8910 Sonoma Highway, ☏ +1 707-282-9156. Th-M noon-5PM. While the main focus of the tasting room is pinot noirs, there are other varietals; overall, a super-friendly tasting room Wine tasting $20; "wine and bites" $30.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Kenwood Inn and Spa, 10400 Sonoma Hwy, toll-free: +1-800-353-6966.
Go next
[edit]| Routes through Kenwood |
| Sebastopol ← Santa Rosa ← | W  E |
→ Glen Ellen → Sonoma |