I recently visited Northern California for a weekend and let me tell you it was absolutely dreamy! My time in California is usually spent in Los Angeles (which I love equally) but the vibe in NorCal is completely different. Much more fresh and relaxed. Here’s a look at a few of my favorite places!
First of all, I flew in San Francisco and my friends at Mazda let me drive the 2018 Mazda 6 Signature for the weekend. It was fabulous!! Such a beautiful car, the inside was fully loaded and I loved all the tech! I drove up in the Mazda 6 to start my weekend in Petaluma at my friend’s farmhouse.
On Saturday, we toured the farm and fruit orchard, relaxed in the hot tub, and enjoyed a 15 course (!!) farm to fork dinner. Then Sunday, we cruised up the highway again to explore some food options.
Wild Flour Bread
I loved this cute (not-so) little bakery on the side of the highway in Freestone, California. The line was out the door and we tried one of absolutely everything. My favorite was the apricot scones, sticky buns and French bread. You can’t go wrong with anything off their menu. Grab a cup of coffee and you’re all set!
And then the best part, they have a GARDEN! It was so beautiful and so big! You go through a maze of flowers and vines and arrive at an area full of picnic tables. Check out my Instagram Story highlight for more!
Freestone Artisan Cheese
Just a little bit up the highway from Wild Flour. They have SO MANY cheeses and lots of syrup, honey and fun kombucha flavors.
Hog Island Oyster Farm
This stop was an adventure for me. I’ve never tried oysters and we got raw and BBQ. Both were good but I think I preferred the BBQ — it had a bit more flavor. The view is just stunning and of course it’s always busy. After about a 45-minute wait, we got a standing table (barrel) and enjoyed our oysters. You must, must get the sweet potato and rice salad at Hog Island Oyster Co, it was DELISH.
Have you been to Petaluma / Freestone / Sonoma? Favorite places to recommend? Don’t forget to check out my Instagram Story Highlight for more about my weekend in Sonoma! And big thanks to the team at Mazda for letting me drive the all, new Mazda 6 Signature! #DriveMazda