anniversary getaway to Sonoma Valley.

lifestyletravel

May 11

Written By

last week, we took a trip an hour north to the beautiful Sonoma Valley for a short getaway for our anniversary! we knew this weekend would be busy {we have friends in town for the Taylor Swift concert!}, so we celebrated a bit early with a laid back staycation to Wine Country. robbie and i seriously had THE best time exploring Sonoma with their tourism board!most of you know we don't drink, so when Sonoma Valley first reached out about a trip, i wasn't exactly sure what that would include in Wine Country. however, there's so many amazing options that are family friendly and don't include drinking! if you're looking for more of an alternative trip to Wine Country that doesn't involve wine or alcohol, we've got you covered. this was our second time to Sonoma {last year we went to the Sonoma Film Festival around this same time of the year}, and we love how peaceful, beautiful, and quiet it is. it's such a nice change from city life, and yet we enjoyed every activity, we were able to relax, and the food options were so delicious. keep scrolling for all our recommendations and a photo diary from our trip! plus, i have a discount code for booking a guided tour at Safari West! xxps: all outfits linked at the bottom of the post!where to staywe stayed two nights at The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa, which is an absolutely stunning property and just a few minutes from Sonoma Plaza. our room was a suite in the main lodge overlooking the pool! as you can see below, the pool is incredible. upon arrival, there's fresh cookies at check-in, which won me over immediately. the staff was all so kind and friendly, too. they even sent a little anniversary plate to us when we arrived to our room!we just couldn't get over how relaxing the overall ambiance was-- we definitely needed a little R&R after our crazy travel schedule the past few months! we ordered room service several times, laid by the pool, went to the the Raindance Spa on the property, and overall just enjoyed our time together. there's a complimentary shuttle to Sonoma Plaza, which makes it so easy to get to local restaurants and shops. where to eatLaSalette: located at the Sonoma Plaza, LaSalette is 'New Portuguese Cuisine!' i don't think i've ever eaten Portuguese before and it was all soooo delicious! it's always fun to try new dishes and both robbie & i enjoyed our meals. every recipe combines European ingredients and fresh California produce. this was definitely a yummy spot for us to try!Sunflower Caffé: so many of my followers recommended this cafe as soon as they saw we were in Sonoma and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! so much so that we even went back a second time before we left Sonoma our last day. it's casual fine dining, has the best back patio for enjoying a delicious meal outside, and we seriously wanted to try everything on the menu. i kid you not that i ate the best avocado toast i've ever had... and it had hot pink pickled eggs on it. do yourself a favor and drop in for brunch or lunch the next time you're in Sonoma! you're taste bud will thank you. anddd i couldn't resist matching the decor a bit!girl & the fig: i've had food from girl & the fig previously at events, but we've never gone to the actual restaurant before. this is a must eat if you're in Sonoma! make reservations, come hungry, and enjoy a relaxing evening eating the best cheeses, homemade chocolate chip cookies, and quite frankly everything else on their menu {and definitely get the virgin Pimm's and a charcuterie board}. even better, i was able to meet the founder and owner of girl & the fig, Sondra Bernstein. her story is so cool and it's amazing to see the brand and community she's built! definitely a #girlboss.what to dogo on a safari at Safari West: i had zero idea there was a conservation safari located right here in the Bay Area until a few months ago. back in the 80's a man named Peter Lang purchased 400 acres in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains. he relocated his small collection of exotic animals and worked with the San Francisco Zoo, where he met his future wife Nancy Lang. together they turned the foothills into the world class wildlife preserve it is known for today. in 1993, Safari West opened its doors to the public with it's mission of conserving and educating!Safari West provides guided tours for schools and visitors alike. with over 1,000 animals, we had just a blast learning about all Safari West has to offer. robbie and i were given a private tour, and we loved asking questions and taking our time learning. this was seriously such a cool experience for us and we couldn't recommend it enough. we just did a day tour, but you can even glamp on site, too. we saw everything from flamingos and monkeys to giraffes and rhinos.use code 'sassy' for 10% off your booking price here!olive oil tasting at Figone Olive Oil Company: i have obviously heard of wine tasting, but have you ever heard of olive oil tasting?! the perfect solution for those of us who don't drink and still want to try enjoy something local from Wine Country! robbie and i spent some time at the family-owned Figone Olive Oil Company with Frank and his family. it was such unique experience! the family produces specialty olive oil and balsamic, and we loved trying so many different types. Frank's great-grandfather did the same thing in Italy years ago, so it's definitely as authentic as it gets! robbie and i kept saying we'd love to bring our parents back one day. highly recommend!