Sidewalk Dining at Big Bottom Market in Downtown Guerneville
Sonoma County is one of the biggest pieces of real estate in California, and its treasures span a geographic landscape stretching from the Russian River Valley to coastal communities and beyond. Best bet for you and your tail-wagger, especially in winter: pick a region and settle in for a few days.
A good choice, if you crave cabin or cottage accommodations, is the Healdsburg/Guerneville area that both opens directly onto Russian River wine country and is just a short hop from the coast. You and your pup will appreciate both the hospitality and the relative seclusion that come with a stay in a cabin at
Creekside Inn & Resort, just a 5-minute walk from the center of Guerneville, where the two of you can enjoy wine-tasting or a tasty meal at any number of restaurants with dog-friendly patios (stop on the way to enjoy the view from a bridge over the Russian River).
Not far away, you’ll find the Guerneville outpost of the growing
AutoCamp empire, featuring a compound of smartly revamped Airstream trailers (a few of them dog-friendly. Tent cabins, however, are not). Another cottage option:
Cottages on River Road, a collection of cozy cottages centered around a garden lawn with fire pit where guests (including dogs) love to gather in the evenings.
Fern Grove Cottages welcomes well behaved dogs in several of its cottages; this is an intimate getaway destination snugged among redwoods and offering everything from studio units to two-bedroom, two-bath cottages with full kitchens.