A Excellent Day Journey Itinerary to Guerneville, California

If you happen to’re on the lookout for the right little Northern California getaway that feels worlds away however continues to be completely doable in a single day, Guerneville is asking your title. This funky, woodsy city tucked into Sonoma County’s Russian River space has all of it: towering redwoods, quirky appeal, and a few critically scrumptious meals. 

Right here’s precisely how I spent the most effective day journey to Guerneville (and sure, it entails mini golf and ice cream!).

Need Fast Particulars? Right here’s a snapshot of an ideal day journey itinerary:

• Seize Sandwiches at Piknik
• Picnic + Hike Amongst Giants at Armstrong Woods
• Play a Spherical at Guerneville Pee Wee Golf
• Store + Stroll Downtown
• Pre-Dinner Cocktail at El Barrio
• Dinner at Trillium
• Ice Cream Dessert at Nimble & Finn’s
• Make it an Overnighter at boon lodge + spa or Highlands Resort

Guerneville Day Journey Itinerary

Seize Sandwiches at Piknik

First cease? Lunch! We popped into Piknik, a gourmand deli that additionally doubles as a boutique for cute dwelling items and native finds. Since we had been heading to Armstrong Woods, it felt like destiny that they’d an Armstrong Woods Sandwich on the menu. It got here stacked with hen salad, currents, cashews, apple, garlic aioli, and greens on hearty whole-grain bread.

Excellent picnic gasoline! (Additionally, I could or could not have been tempted by their Guerneville trucker hat—it’s that cute.)

Picnic + Hike Amongst Giants at Armstrong Woods

Sandwiches in hand, we drove simply a few miles down the street to Armstrong Redwoods State Park. The picnic tables close to the doorway are tucked proper into the redwoods, so we ate lunch actually surrounded by giants—it doesn’t get higher than that.

Afterward, we wandered alongside the Pioneer Nature Path (a simple 1.6-mile loop). Highlights? The Colonel Armstrong Tree, a jaw-dropping 1,400-year-old redwood that’s 308 toes tall, and the Forest Theater, a pure amphitheater the place performs are typically carried out. 

Play a Spherical of Pee Wee Golf

Okay, hear me out: mini golf in Guerneville is an expertise. Pee Wee Golf & Arcade is funky, nostalgic, and delightfully bizarre—in the easiest way potential. Constructed within the late Nineteen Forties and 50s, the course has saved a lot of its retro appeal, however the brand new homeowners (a candy native household) are lovingly restoring it.

Sure, it’s just a little crumbly in spots, however that’s what makes it so enjoyable. Plus, they’ve added extras like ping pong, corn gap, and BBQ areas.

Store + Stroll Downtown

Downtown Guerneville could also be small, nevertheless it’s mighty. Don’t simply stick with the principle avenue—wander down the aspect roads too.

Just a few of my  favorites:

• Books & Letters: A comfy bookstore with an previous neighborhood typewriter the place you possibly can go away just a little message (how charming is that?).
• Fife Creek Antiques & Collectibles: This store is stuffed with every little thing from retro data and classic jewellery to Native American artwork, vintage glass, and quirky backyard décor.

Pre-Dinner Cocktail at El Barrio

Subsequent up: cocktails. El Barrio is a mezcal, tequila, and bourbon-focused cocktail lounge with main model factors. Assume Mexican tiles, colourful decor, moody lighting, and one of many coolest bar loos I’ve ever seen (sure, you learn that proper).

I had the Rosita gin cocktail, which was completely balanced and stuffed with taste. Robust, clean, and precisely what I wished earlier than dinner.

Dinner at Trillium

For dinner, head to Trillium, a comfy spot with an oyster bar and wine bar. Their menu leans into seafood, salads, and artistic small plates, plus a pleasant collection of native wines.

We ordered the Ahi Poke with sesame oil, cucumber, and chili crunch (so recent and flavorful) and the Stuffed Focaccia Pastrami Sandwich, layered with provolone, roasted garlic, sauerkraut, and arugula. I may eat that focaccia each single day of my life.

Observe: One other great spot for dinner is Boon Eat + Drink. You actually can’t go improper with both of those.

Ice Cream Dessert at Nimble & Finn’s

No excellent day journey ends with out ice cream, proper? Nimble & Finn’s, positioned within the superbly restored Guerneville Financial institution Membership, is the place I bought my candy repair.

The flavors are playful and artistic—lavender honeycomb, rose cardamom, passionfruit caramel—alongside classics like chocolate and vanilla. I went for the Peanut Butter Chocolate Damaged Cone and let’s simply say… zero regrets.

Between the classic financial institution setting and the handmade small-batch ice cream, it’s the sweetest strategy to wrap up a day in Guerneville.

Make it an Overnighter

If you happen to resolve to show your Guerneville day journey into an overnighter (which I extremely advocate!), you’ve bought some unimaginable choices that I like to recommend. 

boon lodge + spa is a contemporary, adult-focused boutique retreat tucked among the many redwoods of the Russian River Valley. It’s the type of place that blends inexpensive luxurious with whole leisure—assume lounging by the solar-heated saline pool, sipping native wine whereas taking part in garden video games, or cruising to city on one in all their signature orange bikes. You may even unwind with a therapeutic massage at their on-site spa or simply cozy up in your room with natural linens and a vinyl file spinning within the background.

One other nice alternative is the Highlands Resort, a quiet, adults-only getaway surrounded by towering redwoods. It’s strolling distance from downtown Guerneville and Johnson’s Seashore, nevertheless it seems like a peaceable hideaway. Mornings begin with a do-it-yourself continental breakfast—recent granola, breads, fruit, and native Flying Goat espresso—and the foyer is stocked with native wines and snacks for later.

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