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Fly through the redwoods: Sonoma Zipline Adventures in Occidental is taking the weekend getaway to new heights with its treehouse village and zip line courses. A stay in one of the treehouses includes two zip line rides, a guided hike through the woods and gourmet dining brought to your treehouse. The courses offered include the original Forest Flight Tour, the fast and long Tree Tops Tour or the Night Flight Tour. From $550 per person. Zip line only from $109 per person. 6250 Bohemian Hwy, Occidental, 1-888-494-7868, sonomacanopytours.com. (Courtesy of Sonoma Zipline Adventures)
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In addition to the zip lines, the Sonoma Zipline Adventures course features a spiral staircase to climb down, two sky bridges (suspension bridges) to cross and, at the very end, a rappel from 45 feet off the ground. (Emily Blake photo)
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The new Sonoma Treehouse Adventures experience in Occidental combines chic above-ground accommodations with an exciting, blood-pumping zipline course. (Courtesy of Sonoma Zipline Adventures)
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See African wildlife: At Safari West in Santa Rosa guests can see rhinos, cheetahs, giraffes and other African wildlife during daytime tours or check in for an overnight glamping experience in one of thirty luxury tents, which include ensuite bathrooms. Guests can also enjoy lunch or dinner at the Savannah Café, dishes include BBQ smoked chicken or Tri-Tip, Greek salad, mac n cheese and Moroccan sweet potatoes. Wine and beer available, too. Safari from $93, glamping from $310. 3115 Porter Creek Road, Santa Rosa, 800-616-2695, safariwest.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
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Guests get a close-up view of Waldy, an African White Rhino, at Safari West Wildlife Preserve in Santa Rosa. (Will Bucquoy/for The Press Democrat)
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Sahara, a 12-year old cheetah, enjoys the midday sun at Safari West in Santa Rosa. (Will Bucquoy/for the Press Democrat)
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Imported from Botswana, the tents at Safari West boast beds, a bathroom, polished hardwood floors and private viewing decks. (Charlie Gesell/Sonoma Magazine)
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See and hear the wildlife from your private viewing porch at Safari West in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Safari West)
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Be prepared to stay up late; African wildlife tends to get chatty at night. (Courtesy of Safari West)
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Meet cute farm animals: At Charlie's Acres in Sonoma, rescued farm animals are having the time of their lives. During the pandemic, they have entertained people via virtual tours and even jumped on a few Zoom calls! Now, they are relaxing and playing on the grass and in the mud and meeting visitors during scheduled private tours for private groups of 2 to 10 people. Founded by animal lover, Tracy Vogt, the nonprofit sanctuary is home to 140 animals: pigs, goats, cows, sheep, chickens and more. Private tours are $50 for adults and $25 for children under 13. Schedule tours online. 3201 Napa Road, Sonoma, charliesacres.org. (Courtesy of Charlie's Acres)
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Follow Charlie's Acres on Facebook for fun updates from the farm animal sanctuary: "Espy is one of our goofiest residents. Born without back hooves, she knows the best way to deal with adversity is through humor, so she makes everyone laugh with her goofiness every day!" (Courtesy of Charlie's Acres)
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"With COVID 19 creating a lot of DIY situations, Pinkie and Oreo are demonstrating what giving yourself a proper mud skincare treatment should look like." (Courtesy of Charlie's Acres)
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Charlie's Acres also hosts virtual tours through Airbnb Experiences and Goat 2 Meetings and other corporate events. In this photo, Tracy Vogt introduces a virtual visitor to one of the sanctuary's residents. (Courtesy of Charlie's Acres).
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Hop on the wine trolley: The Sonoma Valley Wine Trolley takes guests on a six-hour wine tour in a hand-built replica of a California Street Cable Car, used in San Francisco from the late 1890s to the early 1930s. The tour starts at the Sonoma Plaza at 10:15 a.m. and includes three winery stops, boxed lunch, bottled water, scenic views and entertaining anecdotes from knowledgeable tour guides. Tours are $99, tasting fees at wineries range from $20 to $30 per person. 707-938-2600, sonomavalleywinetrolley.com. (Courtesy of Sonoma Valley Wine Trolley)
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See Sonoma County from above (level 1): Experience wine country from a whole new perspective with a hot air balloon ride. Up & Away Hot Air Ballooning offers daily flights that take off at sunrise for a beautiful, scenic morning tour high above the ground. Different balloons can hold maximums of 2, 6, 12 or 16 guests, and flights last approximately one hour. Classic flight $275 per person. Private flight for two $2200. 2200 Airport Rd, Santa Rosa, 707-836-0171, up-away.com. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat)
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A hot air balloon ascends over Windsor at dawn. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat)
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Enjoy a scenic flight over Sonoma County with Up & Away Hot Air Ballooning. (Courtesy of Up & Away Hot Air Ballooning)
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See Sonoma County from above (level 2): If you'd like to take things up a notch from a scenic morning balloon ride, book a biplane ride with Coastal Air Tours. The 1926 Travel Air biplane seats two adult guests — in addition to the pilot, captain Bob — and can take a route designed by the guests or by their captain. Existing tours include a 30-minute Napa Wine Country tour ($299), a 60-minute Marin Coastal tour ($499) or a 60-minute San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate tour ($499). 21870 8th St E, Sonoma, 415-609-7273, coastalairtours.com. (Robbi Pengelly/Index-Tribune)
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Captain Bob Berwick rolls his 1926 Travelair biplane out of its hangar in advance of a sightseeing flight. (Robbi Pengelly/Index-Tribune)
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Highway 12 in Boyes as seen from Captain Bob's Travelair biplane. (Robbi Pengelly/Index-Tribune)
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See Sonoma County from above (level 3): If balloon and biplane rides sound a little bit meh to you, here's a way to take things up a few notches — and thousands of feet. NorCal Skydiving allows daredevils to take in wine country views from 12,000 feet, while jumping out of a small plane circling Cloverdale airport. The basic tandem (from 9,000 feet) is $184, the classic tandem (from 12,000 feet) is $184. You'll want to document your adventure: video and pictures are $79-$99. Groups are given discounted prices depending on the group’s size. 220A Airport Road, Cloverdale, 888-667-2259, norcalskydiving.com. (Courtesy of NorCal Skydiving)
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Sebastopol's Hermine Iacobaeus prepares to skydive with NorCal Skydiving in Cloverdale. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat)
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Two skydivers prepare to land at Cloverdale Airport after the first flight of NorCal Skydive.
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Bike and wine: For a fun and active way to explore Sonoma County while still staying on the ground, hop on a bike with Sonoma Valley Bike Tours. The company offers a half-day bike tour ($129/person) that includes your choice of an electric bike or regular bike, two winery stops, water and snacks. A full-day bike tour ($159/person) includes the same choice in bikes, three winery stopes and a picnic lunch. 1254 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-996-2453, sonomavalleybiketours.com. (Courtesy of Sonoma Valley Bike Tours)
