Spectacular. A truly lovely retreat for two. Set atop a hill, the cottage enjoys expansive views of the Sonoma Valley to the south and a neighboring vineyard to the west. “Wine country modern chic” would be the design vibe.
While relaxing, meditating, practicing yoga, or dining on the lanai, you’ll notice a lot. A hummingbird visits the lavender. A woodpecker gently taps the redwoods. A pair of birds duels a squirrel on another tree. A bluebird graces the sunrise. Bees visit your lemonade, but depart swiftly. The morning fog burns off the distant hillside vineyard to reveal a spectacular Dry Creek Valley most every day. A copse of redwoods shades a second outdoor seating area. Space, time, weather, setting and just the right amount of space for two lead to connection, great conversations and ease.
Here are our “pro tips” for a fabulous stay at the cottage.
Bicycles - bring them; you can exit and enter the property via the fence gate to the north to access Norton Road (paved). Ride to town for dinner via Kinley Road.
Walking - don your hikers and walk down the drive and across the street, then cross the road into the vineyard and make your way to 32 Winds Wine; check out the 1950’s autos piled in the woods along the creek. Walk further west along Dry Creek Road to Comstock Winery for a lovely tasting.
Coffee - surprise your partner by waking early to make a run to Plank Coffee; order ahead from your phone via the site that pops up on their Google Maps profile.
DoorDash - Kinsmoke, Pizzando and El Farolito are the primary options as of this writing. Be sure to call your Dasher on their way over to coach them something like this, “Turn right off Dry Creek Road after the 45 mph sign, then veer half-right past the ‘no trespassing’ and ‘beware of dog’ signs on your left and a barn on your right, then up a curvy, mostly gravel hill about ⅓ mile, then at the circle stay right up to the building that looks like a freestanding garage.”
WiFi - It’s good enough for two desk-based professionals to work remotely and use Zoom simultaneously. Nez kindly put a new small desk in the bedroom to enable us to work with one of us in the bedroom and one of us at the dining table.
Picnic - take your picnic lunch from Dry Creek General Store and enjoy a picnic table, bocce ball and cornhole at Martorana Family Winery; be sure to walk down to the creek, slip off your flip flops and soak your feet in the cool creek; arrive before 5 pm.
Enjoy!