Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(usually daily 10am-5pm, though they close earlier in winter if no one shows up).
They are:
u
The
Mission
(
%
707/938-0560),
which was built in 1823 as part of a net-
work that stretched up and down the coast; this was the northernmost.
u
The adobe-built
Barracks
(
%
707/939-9420),
also on the north side of the
main square in Sonoma, which dates to 1840. It garrisoned soldiers in the
Mexican General Vallejo's ongoing attempt to put the local Native
Americans underfoot. (There's a small museum in both, but truth to tell, it's
tough to keep all the names, religions, and national affiliations straight, so
you may not want to linger for more than 20 min. or so.)
u
A 3-minute drive away,
Vallejo's Home, a.k.a. Lachryma Montis
(
%
707/
938-9559)
is the pretty two-story house that the famous general lived in, and it's
almost exactly as it was when he was there. There's a case of archaeological finds
from the mid-1800s—pipe bits, as usual, plus an 1840 half-dollar, a loss that
must have pained its original owner.
A ticket to one of the above three museums will get you into the others on the
same day; if I had to pick one, I'd probably go with Vallejo's Home, which, with
its many old furnishings, seems to come alive a little more, but maybe that's real-
estate envy; the drive along the tree-lined driveway helps a visitor get a sense of
why these old-timers chose this green, pleasant region. Try to come on weekends
around lunchtime; that's when the docent-led tours tend to occur.
The 805-acre
Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve
555
(
%
707/869-2015;
www.parks.ca.gov; 8am to 1 hr. after sunset; $6/vehicle),
2 miles north of Guerne-
ville, is a place of peace, silence, and very big redwood trees—some of them are
more than 300 feet tall and at least 1,400 years old. The moistness of the air means
that, when the sunlight does manage to break through the density of the eco-
system, it can draw steam off the bark of the mighty trees, creating a seriously beau-
tiful environment. This is one of the places in Wine County that I most dream
about after I return home. Save the entrance fee by parking at the visitor center and
walking in. There are a few trails, but overall, it's not busy, so it's often pin-drop
quiet, putting it ahead of the larger Muir Woods in my book.
The famous writer's ashes are buried at
Jack London State Historic Park
(2400
London Ranch Rd., Glen Ellen;
%
707/938-5216; www.parks.sonoma.net/JLPark.
html; Mon-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat-Sun noon-4pm; $6/vehicle),
where he spent his
final years and his wife stayed on afterward. London's study, in the cottage, con-
tains some artwork from his stories and stuff he picked up on his travels, and else-
where on the property is a ruin of a magnificent house he tried to build—it burned
down before it was done. There's an easy half-mile trail through the bucolic sur-
roundings. On weekends, docents show up at 11am or 1pm to give tours. Between
this and the shrine to Robert Louis Stevenson over in Napa, this one has more to
offer, and the town of Glen Ellen is adorable.
Jack London isn't the only writer to have escaped to this corner of the world.
Scotsman Robert Louis Stevenson spent most of his life trying to get away from
people and maintain his poor health; in 1879, he wound up here and stayed
briefly, when this area was empty. He and his wife honeymooned at Stevenson
House at
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park
(Rte. 29, 8 miles north of Calistoga;
