76 South Bay Accent
BOURNE PHOTO STUDIO (2); OPP0SITE: LEIGH WACHTER
MANSION KING
ROOM AT HOTEL
LES MARS
and fine dining, including local celebrity chef Charlie Palmer’s Dry
Creek Kitchen in the heralded Hotel Healdsburg (hotelhealdsburg.
com), and Valette (valettehealdsburg.com) restaurant from local rock
star chef Dustin Valette. Don’t overlook Willie Seafood & Raw
Bar (starkrestaurants.com/stark-restaurant/willis-seafood-raw-bar) or
Guiso Latin Fusion (opentable.com/guiso-latin-fusion)—both fun,
flavorful and inventive.
WINE AND WHEELS
Hotel Les Mars, Healdsburg
and electric Bolo Bikes
Get a freewheeling taste of joie de vivre bicycling
through the vines in Healdsburg.
About 90 minutes directly north of San Francisco,
the gentrified town of Healdsburg, once a funky
rural enclave, now offers a twist on standard Sonoma
and Napa itineraries. Roughly a decade ago,
Healdsburg beckoned upscale hoteliers and trendy
boutique restaurant owners to avail themselves of
growing tourist traffic. Today, with a population
of a little over 11,000, it has become a foodie/
wine aficionado destination with luxury lodgings
to match discerning tastes.
One is the moderately priced H2 Hotel (h2hotel
.com, 219 Healdsburg Ave.), eco-friendly, with large
airy rooms, natural material décor, and superior
service. Another is the lavish Hotel Les Mars
(hotellesmars.com; 27 North Street Healdsburg), a
more pricey, decadent retreat. Its 16 rooms are
opulently appointed, with a focus on bringing the allure of French
living to Northern California. Traditional 17th and 18th century
antiques complement the Parisian-inspired charm throughout
the hotel and the grounds are modeled after the landscape of a
historic chateau.
Located just one block from Healdsburg’s historic town square,
the hotel is an ideal base for exploring nearby winetasting, shopping
SEE PEZZI KING WINERY IN DRY
CREEK VALLEY WITH BOLO’S BIKES
ELECTRIC BIKE WINE TOURS
