The Ferrari Carano vineyard is a winery in the hills north of Santa Rosa, California. It's worth visiting as much for the surroundings as the wine - a beautiful Italian house surrounded by gardens. Stay nearby in the friendly town of Healdsburg.
Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery
8761 Dry Creek Road
Healdsburg, CA 95448
www.ferrari-carano.com/
Whether you were a fan of Peanuts or not, the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California, is a must. I am not a huge fan myself yet really thought the museum was impressive. Who knows, I might start appreciating the strips a bit more after my visit! It covers the history all of Schulz’ works, and you get to see some of the original strips as well as works by other artists that have used Schulz as a model. I thought it was especially interesting to see the development of the Peanuts characters as Schulz gives them life.
The rooms are wide and spacious so even if there’s a big group visiting at the same time you never feel it’s too crowded.
There’s a garden/labyrinth outside the main entrance as well and an ice-rink just across the road (Snoopy’s Home Ice). There are also tables and benches for guests to have a picnic and many statues of Snoopy, Woodstock, Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang. Favourites for people of all ages to have photos taken with.
You can get $1.00 off each ticket if you either a) go to the Visitors’ Bureau in Santa Rosa (Historic Railroad Square) and say you’d like to visit the museum. In this case they’ll give you a ‘California Welcome Center’ sticker per person you can then show at the entrance.
Or b) you can collect a discount card from your hotel or any visitors’ bureau in Sonoma county.
Because Charles M. Schulz lived in Santa Rosa, the city has a special celebration each year in which they exhibit statues of one of his Peanuts characters. It was Charlie Brown in 2005 and Woodstock in 2006. This year, starting in May, they’ll display statues of Joe Cool. These statues are all for sale and businesses around town buy them and then display them on their own premises. The ones that are not sold are left on display around the streets of Santa Rosa. At the Visitors’ Bureau they’ll give you a map showing where the statues have been placed.
The museum: www.schulzmuseum.org
2301 Hardies Lane
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Phone: (707) 579-4452
The ice-rink: www.snoopyshomeice.com
Every time we go to Santa Rosa we always dine at LoCoco’s. The reason? Simple: it’s the best Italian restaurant we’ve been to outside Italy. They offer fresh pasta, fish and meat dishes cooked in a traditional way. The fettucine al cinghiale (wild boar fettucine) is superb. Linguine alle vongole (clam linguine); pasta shells stuffed with spinach and ricotta; penne con salsiccia are but a few of their dishes. But before you can enjoy a trip to culinary Italy, you’re brought a breadbasket with several slices of gorgeous bread and a little bowl of either olive oil or green olive tapenade. So whilst you’re looking at the menu and trying to decide what to indulge yourself with, you can start dipping those thick slices into a bit of Italy.
The service is also unbeatable and all the waiters are charming in the Italian way. They’ll give you a list of special dishes of the day and will help you make your choice if you’re a bit stuck or overwhelmed.
Try to leave a bit of room in your stomach, for the desserts at LoCoco’s are a must. The tiramisù is a favourite, but they’ve also got cannoli and profiterol just to name a couple.
The only drawback at LoCoco’s, we find, is that it fills very fast and it’s usually packed. So we suggest booking in advance and, if possible, early in the week or at mid-week, but try to avoid Friday or Saturday evenings as the staff are so busy that you may have to wait a bit too long for your food.
NB: There are other LoCoco’s in the US but they are not related to LoCoco’s Cucina Rustica, Santa Rosa.
LoCoco’s Cucina Rustica
Historic Railroad Square
117 Fourth Street
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Phone: (707) 523 2227
Fax: (707) 523 2902
Both times we’ve visited Santa Rosa, in the Sonoma Valley, California, we’ve stayed at the Hotel La Rose. It is situated in the old Railroad Square, surrounded by bars, restaurants and cafes and only five minutes away from the town centre. It’s also within easy reach of Hwy101 from SF.
The current building dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. Its interior has been designed and decorated to show a sense of cosiness and tradition that soon make you feel at home. The rooms are clean, spacious and have got comfortable beds with pillows of all sizes, both to sleep on and as decoration.
Of special note are some of the rooms on the fourth floor in the main building as they have a slanted roof and windows.
The service at the Hotel La Rose is professional and friendly. Unlike most hotels in the area they offer continental breakfast, the best buffet breakfast we’ve ever had. This consists of fresh fruit, a variety of cereals, different kinds of bread and pastries, smoked salmon, smoked ham, cheese, and the usual drinks: orange juice, coffee, tea, hot chocolate etc.
The hotel has an adjacent car park for guests.
If it's comfort and good, affordable prices you're looking for after your wine tasting trips in the valley, this is the perfect place to book.
www.hotellarose.com/
Hotel La Rose, 308 Wilson St.
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Tel: 800 527 6738 (LaRose-8)
Fax: 707-579-3247
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