Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
building that isn't all that noisy, and move to $149 for a room with a terrific river
view where the water is flat and soothing. It's in quite good shape, overall, and adver-
tises itself as a “place of inclusiveness,” which means gay folks are more than wel-
come—the place doesn't judge its guests' romantic proclivities.
$$$-$$$$
The perfectly adorable
Les Petites Maisons
555
(1190 E. Napa St.,
Sonoma;
%
800/291-8962 or 707/933-0340; www.thegirlandthefig.com; AE, MC,
V)
were once grubby workmen's cottages for field hands. But the people who run
the girl & the fig restaurant waved a magic wand over them, turning them into
terrific mini-homes for tourists, candy colored and sweet, with equipped kitchens,
living rooms, big bathrooms, wide wood floors, outdoor seating areas, and a secu-
rity gate for the parking area. Their location, 2 miles east of Sonoma, makes for
an ideal home base to explore both counties. Rates start at $175 in winter and
peak at $250 per night when it's a weekend in harvest, but for that money,
you get enough space for a family of four to six, and the maintenance standards
couldn't be higher. Weekly rates are just above $1,000 most times of year.
$$$
Perhaps a good choice for visitors from San Francisco who won't have much
time to drive deep into the counties, the
Vineyard Inn
(23000 Arnold Dr./
Carneros Hwy., Sonoma;
%
800/359-4667 or 707/938-2350; www.sonoma
vineyardinn.com; AE, MC, V),
located at the south of Sonoma County, is a cute,
good-value lodging based in a renovated 1950s motor court. Some rooms are
tiled, some carpeted, and the often-outdated decor lets you make no mistake that
this is a family-run place in the farmland, but there's also no denying it's private,
cozy, and well-located near the road that zips into Napa. The continental break-
fast is generous (including local fruits), and, although the bathrooms are shower-
only, there are granite touches instead of cheap counters. Rates start at around
$159 weeknights/$179 weekends for a queen-size bed, which is a little high, but
the owners can be talked down during slow periods.
$$$-$$$$
A brief mention of three of the least expensive rentals around: At $190
a night, is
Acorn House
5
(
%
707/833-2134; www.acornhouse.org; cash or
check only),
which sounds like a rehab center but is actually is an unpretentious
cottage on a little country lane in Kenwood. The house is packed with useful
extras such as movies and books, a continental basket breakfast, and a free bottle
of local wine; plus, there's a little hot tub. It's in an area that's particularly full of
fun wineries, so you won't have to drive a lot if you don't want to. Just a one-bed-
room cottage off Sonoma's restaurant-lined plaza,
Andrea's Hidden Cottage
5
(138 E. Spain St.;
%
707/939-7070; www.andreashiddencottage.com; cash or
check only)
is cute and well-equipped with a kitchen, utensils, a barbecue, and a
private patio. It's situated in a small private vineyard, and when you check in,
you—yup—get a free bottle of wine. Summer rates are $127 weeknights/$155
weekends; winter, $110 weeknights/$125 weekends. Also close to Sonoma Plaza,
Lisa's Garden Cottage
5
(
%
707/933-8804; www.lisasgardencottage.com),
too,
leaves a bottle of wine for guests, and it's simple and sweet, but its calling card is
its lush, private, enclosed garden and the ability to walk down to a little creek at
the back. It's $160 weekdays/$185 weekends, per night.
