Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sonoma & Around
Fancy boutiques may lately be replacing hardware stores, but Sonoma still retains an old-
fashioned charm, thanks to the plaza - California's largest town square - and its surround-
ing frozen-in-time historic buildings. You can legally drink on the plaza - a rarity in Cali-
fornia parks - but only between 11:30am and sunset.
Sonoma has rich history. In 1846 it was the site of a second American revolution, this
time against Mexico, when General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo deported all foreigners
from California, prompting outraged frontiersmen to occupy the Sonoma Presidio and de-
clare independence. They dubbed California the Bear Flag Republic after the battle flag
they'd fashioned.
The republic was short-lived. The Mexican-American War broke out a month later, and
California was annexed by the US. The revolt gave California its flag, which remains em-
blazoned with the words 'California Republic' beneath a muscular brown bear. Vallejo was
initially imprisoned, but ultimately returned to Sonoma and played a major role in its devel-
opment.
Sonoma Hwy (Hwy 12) runs through town. Sonoma Plaza, laid out by Vallejo in 1834, is
the heart of downtown, lined with hotels, restaurants, tasting rooms and shops. The visitors
bureau has a walking-tour brochure. Immediately north along Hwy 12, expect a brief sub-
urban landscape before the valley's pastoral gorgeousness begins.
