Nearly 50 years ago, while hitchhiking around California, I fell in love with Sonoma County’s lush, green rolling hills and blooming wildflowers. It reminded me so much of England’s green and pleasant land. Sonoma means “valley of the moon” or “many moons” in the Coast Miwok language. Later, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that another English mariner had a similar nostalgic feeling 450 years before me, in 1579.
Sir Frances Drake, while circumnavigating the world, came ashore on Sonoma’s coast to repair his ship, the Golden Hind. The rocky white headland reminded him of the White Cliffs of Dover. So he nailed a silver sixpence to a metal plate on a post, named the land New Albion (in reference to the ancient name for Great Britain), and claimed it in the name of England’s Queen Elizabeth I. Sir Frances Drake, along with other English privateers and explorers, were known as the Sea Dogs, being granted letters of marque by Queen Elizabeth I to raid England’s enemies, particularly the Spanish, and relieve them of their looted gold and treasures. The Spanish branded him a pirate, El Draque (The Dragon), for his relentless attacks on their ships and property.
Years later, when Mexico gained independence from Spain and took complete control of California, it allowed Spanish Franciscan monk José Altimira to build a mission in San Francisco Solano, the present-day City of Sonoma. With the help of local indigenous people, he successfully planted several thousand grapevines, which proved highly profit able. Four years later, the Mexican government ordered all Spanish males to leave the country and forfeit their property to local Government officials.
Following America’s altercation with Mexico and the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848, California became a territory, and two years later, it became the 31st state. Russian fur trappers who had built Fort Ross in Sonoma County as a base for hunting beaver pelts were also asked to leave when America bought Alaska from the Russians in 1867.
With the crowds of summer gone, now is a perfect time to visit the Luther Burbank Centre for the Arts, where many famous musicians have per formed. Or visit the American cartoonist Charles “Sparky” Schulz’s museum, the creator of the comic strip Peanuts, which features Charlie Brown and Snoopy. For young er explorers, the nearby Sonoma County children’s museum offers hands-on exhibits.
The home and grave of American author Jack London are near Glen Ellen in the State Historic Park of the same name. Or the Potter Schoolhouse, located next to St. Teresa of Avila Church, where Alfred Hitchcock’s first horror movie, The Birds, was filmed. They are worth a visit, as is the church made famous by Ansel Adams’ black and-white photo of it in 1953.
Sonoma offers more than ancient history; for outdoor enthusiasts, it’s the perfect playground. With its breathtaking landscapes, picture-perfect beaches, sailing, surfing, hiking/whale-watching on Bodega Head, tree-top zip lining, walking on sky bridges, and rappelling back to the forest floor, all located deep in the towering Redwood Forest near the Armstrong State Natural Reserve. There are more than 425 vineyards, and it’s possible to cycle through many of them, or take a tour on a replica of a 1890s motorized San Francisco cable car while tasting California’s finest Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Besides all the fantastic wines hidden away on the backcountry roads, there are gourmet delights to die for, such as incredible sour dough breads and scones from Wild Flour Bread, baked in a wood-fired brick oven, handmade farm cheeses, or sweet-scented honey from a roadside stall. The discoveries are endless. Enjoy while you can.