Explore Sonoma County’s history, with a trip to the town of Sonoma. Sonoma is home to the last Spanish-Mexican mission built in California, the location of California’s oldest winery: Buena Vista Winery, and the state’s oldest, continually operating family winery: Gundlach Bundschu. Sonoma State Historic Park preserves the Sonoma Mission and the Sonoma Barracks, as well as the nearby historic home of General Vallejo. Shops, tasting rooms, restaurants, bakeries, and a historic theater line the streets around the Sonoma Plaza — an eight-acre town square, the largest in California.

Downtown Anchorage is small, easy to get around, and a good starting point for just about anything you’re planning in the city. You’ll find coffee shops, local restaurants, souvenir stores, and a handful of bars. If you’re gearing up for an adventure, there are outfitters and bike rentals nearby, too. Plus, it’s home to the Anchorage Museum, the start of the Coastal Trail, and Ship Creek, where you can fish for salmon or just watch the action.

Palais Longchamp is an extraordinary, majestic building right in the middle of the city that throws you years back in time with its ornamental staircases and large fountains. The building houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Natural History Museum.