Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This is the refreshingly unfussy side of Wine Country, and makes a good-value base for
exploring the area.
Hwy 116 splits downtown; southbound traffic uses Main St, northbound traffic
Petaluma Ave. North of town, it's called Gravenstein Hwy N and continues toward
Guerneville; south of downtown, it's Gravenstein Hwy S, which heads toward Hwy 101
and Sonoma.
Sights
Around Sebastopol, look for family-friendly farms, gardens, animal sanctuaries and pick-
your-own orchards. For a countywide list, check out the
Sonoma County Farm Trails
Guide
(
www.farmtrails.org
)
.
The Barlow
MARKET
The Barlow occupies a former apple processing plant, covering 12 acres, re-purposed into
a village of food producers, artists, winemakers, coffee roasters, spirits distillers and indie
restaurateurs, who showcase West County's culinary and artistic diversity. Wander shed to
shed, sample everything from house-brewed beer to nitrogen flash-frozen ice cream, and
meet artisanal producers in their workshops. Thursdays 4pm to 8pm, mid-June to mid-
October, the Barlow hosts a 'street fair,' with live music and local vendors.
Spirit Works Distillery
DISTILLERY
Barlow; tasting $5, tour $15; 11am-4pm Thu-Sun)
A bracing alternative to wine-tasting, Spirit Works crafts superb small-batch spirits -
vodka, gin, sloe gin and (soon) whiskey - of organic California red-winter wheat. Sample
and buy in the warehouse. Tours (by reservation) happen Friday to Sunday at 4pm. Bottles
are $27 to $36.
California Carnivores
GARDENS
(
707-824-0433;
www.californiacarnivores.com
; 2833 Old Gravenstein Hwy S;
10am-4pm Thu-
Mon)
