Kicking Off Two Weeks on the Road With an Overnight Stay in Peaceful Healdsburg
Syd’s Story... For Kids!
“I have visited Healdsburg two times. The first time I went with my family in the fall of 2016. We went back to Healdsburg in June of 2017 as the first stop on our summer road trip.
I had so much fun the first time I went to Healdsburg that I was excited to go back. I got to see my friends Diego and Brooke. They live in Healdsburg and their family has a winery. We stayed in a hotel and it had a great swimming pool that we swam in. My brother and I are on a swim team, so we practiced our backstroke. In the morning, we went to Flying Goat. I would recommend going there because they have great muffins and hot chocolate.
I really loved Healdsburg and I think you should visit there sometime soon!”
Mom’s Notes and Practical Tips
...a #laterblog by Mom
In the summer of 2017, I decided it was time to introduce Sydney and her brother to the trials and triumphs that only a true road trip can provide. Looking back at my own childhood, our family road trips are some of my fondest memories. Although truth be told, a long trip in the car with young children might possibly be like childbirth in that we eventually only remember the good parts.
My son had been enthusiastically singing "This Land is Your Land" throughout the school year and was adamant that we see "The Redwood Forest," so we stuck a pin in the map (literally, I put a map on top of cork board and had him help me with it) and began plotting out our route.
It was easy to select our first destination on our way to the tallest of trees. Healdsburg, California holds a special place in our hearts as some of our dearest friends live there and we love the town's charming and welcoming vibe. Just a short drive north of San Francisco, Healdsburg holds its own in Wine Country among giants like Napa and Sonoma.
On a previous trip, we booked a small cottage through VRBO and enjoyed an amazing behind-the-scenes afternoon of wine making and tasting at Martorana Family Winery. This time around, we decided to stay at Hotel Healdsburg, a beautiful family-friendly hotel with rooms overlooking Healdsburg Plaza, the center of town. The kids enjoyed swimming in the hotel pool, splurging on decadent room service in their jammies, and fueling up for our drive the following morning at the hotel's exquisite buffet breakfast.
After checking into the hotel and exploring the shops around the plaza, we stopped in at our favorite Healdsburg coffee shop, Flying Goat Coffee. They make a delicious hot chocolate and I can personally vouch for their lattes. Their food menu is limited, but they have enough selections available to satisfy your hunger for a quick breakfast or afternoon pit stop.
Just a few doors down from "The Goat," we wandered into Levin & Co., a cozy little bookstore on the plaza with a great selection of children's books for readers of all ages. We each selected a book to take along on our journey and then we headed into the plaza to meet up with our friends and burn off some energy in anticipation of the long leg of driving we had scheduled for the next day.
Leaping from park bench to park bench, racing around trees, and performing impromptu dance routines under the gazebo were highlights for the kids and had them all tuckered out as the sun set on the first of our fourteen days on the road.
Once back at the hotel, we browsed the room service menu and were delighted to discover that we could have dinner delivered to our room directly from the downstairs restaurant, Dry Creek Kitchen. The ahi tartare was delicious and satisfying - a far cry from the basic (and often heartburn-inducing) menu items found on most hotel room service menus.
We only spent one day in Healdsburg this time around, but we managed to make the most of our quick 24-hour visit and it was a great place to kick off our first family road trip.
THINGS TO DO:
Wine tasting, shopping, strolling through the tree-lined streets of town, and playing in the plaza.