Ed and I just completed a four-day bike trip meandering around eastern Sonoma County. We carried a few overnight items on our road bikes and stayed at local inns.

Setting off from Healdsburg, we rode along the east side of the Russian River Valley, past vineyards and old apple orchards, and returned on the west side of the River. (Warning for fellow bicyclists: The 10% grades on Harrison Grade Road between Healdsburg and Occidental make the Old La Honda climb seem gradual.)

Beautiful Scenery Abounds

We couldn’t ask for a more beautiful route. The variety in vegetation was extraordinary. Prolific poppies graced the sides of the road.

Lush vineyards created vistas of trellised pinot noir, cabernet, and chardonnay grapes (among other varietals.) Artisanal wineries dotted the landscapes.

Lush Redwood Groves engulfed the road with “Nature’s Cathedral.” During these stretches, it became quite dark, and we were glad to have our blinking headlights and red rear lights so that cars could see us. Luckily, the traffic was light, and drivers were courteous. 

The weather cooperated as well — the temperature was in the high 70’s — perfect for biking!

Cute Small Towns

The route through Sonoma County took us to some charming tiny towns, including Graton, where we enjoyed lunch at the Willow Wood Market Cafe.

We spent our nights at charming inns (which were much better than the double-wide we stayed in on our last overnight bike trip in rural Idaho. )

Tourism is Starting to Pick Up in Occidental and Guerneville

Small businesses are finding ways to creatively serve customers while staying safe and conscious of pandemic protocols. At Hazel, a delicious restaurant in Occidental, they’ve closed inside seating and have expanded into the parking lot.

Instead of china and silverware, they use take out containers and serve picnic style. And, they serve wine in cans — red, white or pink!

At the B&B, instead of a family-style breakfast, all items are served in pre-portioned paper containers, so that people can pick up what they want and then dine outside or in the socially distanced dining room. This worked really well. Even the bacon (served in a bag) was delicious!

Occidental is known for family-style Italian dining. Jan went there with her family and Grandma in the ‘50’s and ‘60s. Now the two main restaurants are only open on the weekend during the pandemic and serve picnic-style as well.

Relics of the Past

The Russian River has been a vacation playground for many years. Many artifacts remain along the route, harking back to some of its glory days.

Who knew that Paul Bunyan would be able to wave to us as we rode by?

Unfortunately, the Pink Elephant was closed, so we couldn’t stop in for a morning Bloody Mary.

This Rexall Drug looks just as it did in the past.

Some of the relics we saw are–or were–mobile including this 1960 Studebaker Lark.

Many older farm buildings dot the landscape.

Some of the older bridges are still carrying traffic, in this case pedestrians and bikes.

The Russian River is unfortunately quite low. California’s drought is evident, even in early Spring.

A Touch of Guerneville History

Guerneville celebrated its 150th birthday in 2020. Founded in 1870, tourists (including Jan’s grandparents) used to ride the train from San Francisco to Guerneville and Monte Rio for sun and fun along the Russian River. Jan found this photo of her mother at the Russian River in 1927. Virginia (Grandma Ginny) is in the middle, with her sister Helen and her father, Leslie Gardner. He is our daughter Leslie’s namesake!  (You can see more early pictures of Virginia in Northern California here.)

The Russian River Historical Society offers photos of the very early days when the train came through Monte Rio. Good thing our bikes didn’t have this type of traffic!

Today, the welcoming overhead sign in Monte Rio greets guests as they arrive and depart.

We pedaled back to Healdsburg and were happy to celebrate the area’s history, along with its beauty and endless culinary delights. Sonoma County is truly “foodie heaven.” We calculated that we ate at 10 restaurants on our journey, and each one was delicious!  Here’s just one of the many delicious salads we enjoyed — this one was complete with fresh flowers and homemade cheese.

Can’t wait to return to this vacation paradise. We might want to do some hill repeats next time to get ready to climb the Harrison Grade!