Healdsburg

Healdsburg is a city of 12,000 people (2019) in Sonoma County in the Bay Area of California. It's lovely, quaint town that used to be an agricultural outpost. The three main areas of interest are the town plaza, around which you'll find boutiques, restaurants, and lodging; the Russian River; and the wineries along Westside Road and Dry Creek Road. The Healdsburg/Alexander Valley area is famous for its Zins, though you can't go wrong with goodies like sparkling wine from J Winery, Pinot Noir from Porter Creek, and the famous Petite Sirah at Foppiano's.

Get in
The best way to get to Healdsburg is to drive. Located about one hour and 15 minutes north of San Francisco, it's an easy get-away into the wine country. Take 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge; there are three different exits into Healdsburg.

If you don't want to drive, Sonoma County Transit bus 60 goes to Healdsburg from Santa Rosa.

Some San Francisco companies specialize in wine country limo rides and buses, but you're likely not to have much time to just walk around Healdsburg if you go this way.

If you want to reduce your driving, you can fly to Charles M. Schulz Airport directly from Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Phoenix, or (seasonably) Minneapolis or Las Vegas, then rent a car at the airport. From the airport, it's about a 20-minute drive to Healdsburg.

Get around
If you're into wine tasting, you can drive or bike to various wineries, most of which are located on either Dry Creek Road or Westside Road. There are also bike and touring companies that offer various ways to visit the wine country, from limo rides to gourmet, speed-racing bike trips.

If you're just visiting the area, you can easily park on or near the Healdsburg Plaza and walk to most places in downtown Healdsburg.

See


In a category between "See" and "Buy" are the numerous art galleries around or within a block of the Healdsburg Plaza:

Do
Eat, drink, look - these are the classic Healdsburg options:


 * Wine tasting - Three wine appellations (growing regions) converge in Healdsburg: Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, and the Russian River Valley. The scenery is beautiful and the vibe is laid back. If you know nothing about wine, people will remain friendly and in many cases go out of their way to educate you ... if you want. A fair amount of the wineries in the region are boutiques and produce small quantities of a given vintage; many times you can meet the actual winemaker or the winery owner. More conveniently (and conventionally), there are numerous wine tasting rooms in the center of Healdsburg, clustering around the Healdsburg Plaza.
 * Eat gourmet food - As much as Healdsburg is a "wine town", it is just as much a foodie town. Madrona Manor, Zin Restaurant and Wine Bar, and celebrity chef Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen are just a few of the top restaurants in town. There is a wonderful farmers' market on Saturday mornings (May through November) and Wednesday afternoons (June through October), as well as some incredible bakeries.
 * Stroll along the Healdsburg Plaza. Surrounded by boutique stores, two bookstores, coffee shops, wine tasting venues, and lots of restaurants, the Plaza offers an excellent way to spend an afternoon; nearby streets have more attractions.

There are more active options, of course:



Finally, do be respectful of locals. Many if not most residents have been born and raised in the town. Thus, they have seen its transformation in the past few decades from a quiet village to a yuppie destination full of tourists. Do not block the sidewalks, do not double park, do not honk your horn, and please do not jaywalk.

Buy
Most of the unique stores are located on or near the Healdsburg Plaza. You'll find an array of clothing, books, handbags and paperies.


 * Gourmet food: There are several fancy food shops on the plaza including Oakville Grocery and the cooperative next door to the Healdsburg Inn.
 * Books: There are two independent book stores in Healdsburg, both on the main plaza, Copperfield's (on the south side) and Levin & Co. (on the east side). Levin & Co. has a broad selection of first editions, as well as more recent books, plus an artist's co-op gallery (Upstairs Art Gallery; see above).

Eat




Drink
There are a couple of watering holes in Healdsburg proper, but the best drinks often come close to where the vines are. Here are just a few of the dozens of excellent wineries in the area.



Go next
From Healdsburg, you can easily take trips to the ocean, to other river communities like Guerneville, or over to Calistoga or other Napa Valley towns. Just 30-45 minutes in just about any direction takes you to another stunningly beautiful part of Northern California.

Day trips include:
 * Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve in Guerneville. This is a great place to hike off the calories from eating and drinking.
 * Geyserville, farther north, if you want to take a short country drive.
 * Bodega Bay, along the ocean, for beachcombing and checking out seals.