Photo Essay: California's Sonoma County

If you follow me on social media or have spent any time on my blog, then you've probably gathered that I love obsess over Sonoma. It was one of my first West Coast loves, and has become one of those places I can visit over and over again without it getting old. However, beyond my own personal sentiments of Sonoma County, I think it's one of the West Coast's best regions, affording a complete travel experience you can't just have anywhere.

Naturally, most people associate Sonoma County with wine. And it's for good reason, since Sonoma is home to more than 400 wineries. But what I think makes Sonoma such a special place is its confluence of unique experiences, from sampling some of the world's best wines to trying award-winning beers to enjoying dinner at Michelin-starred restaurants to exploring more than 50 miles of dramatic Pacific Ocean coastline. Not to mention that Sonoma is just an hour from one of my favorite cities, San Francisco. Need I say more?

This last month I've been fortunate to spend it house-sitting in Sonoma County. Yes, I realize there are far worse places to spend a month. And the last month has reminded me why Sonoma County is such a special place, from afternoons swinging in my hammock high above Lake Sonoma to wine and food pairings at award-winning wineries (such as Lambert Bridge Winery, a partner of mine, pictured above and a couple times below) to paddling the Sonoma County coastline to simple things like sunset runs above vineyards and having access to one of my favorite beers of all time, Pliny the Elder.

But while I'll be sharing more about Sonoma in the coming days, see a few of my favorite photos of Sonoma County below.