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County in California, United States
Photo: Simon Davison, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Sonoma County, located in the North Bay of California's San Francisco Bay Area, is about 45 minutes north of San Francisco. As such, it suffers from what could be dubbed the "Middle Child Syndrome": its main cities of Petaluma and Santa Rosa are smaller and provincial when compared to San Francisco; yet the area is not the untamed wilderness of California's North Coast. Sonoma County. Nor is it as well-known or touristy as the neighboring Napa Valley, which takes most of the credit for driving California's wine industry.
Diner in Duncans Mills offers innovative and surprising meals in a range of styles from down-home to nouvelle cuisine.
Downstream in Duncans Mills, is a good bar and eatery that features live music outdoors on weekend afternoons in the summer.
By car
Russian River is about one hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge on Highway 101. For most resorts, exit 101 at River Road, the first exit after Santa Rosa and head west (left).
By bus
Golden Gate Transit routes #101 and 172 via Rohnert Park, Novato, Petaluma, San Rafael; and Greyhound (via San Rafael & Oakland) bring passengers from San Francisco.
By train
Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, or SMART, connects Windsor, Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, and Petaluma with Novato, San Rafael, and Larkspur in Marin County.
Sonoma County Transit offers limited shuttle runs between Guerneville, Monte Rio and other points. Hitchhiking is still socially acceptable in this area, but exercise caution and good judgment.
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Santa Rosa · Regional · STS
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