17 Hidden Gems & Secret Spots in Sonoma

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It may be a hole-in-the-wall eatery down a remote country lane. Or a great place to visit, right there in plain sight, yet never before noticed. These hidden things give Sonoma County its texture, its, substance, its je ne sais quoi. They’re what you find if you stay awhile, and allow yourself to sink below the surface. And they’re yours for the seeking. Click through the gallery for our favorite hidden gems and secret spots in Sonoma. (Photo: The Sonoma Raceway, photo by Kent Porter)

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Chardonnay with Biscuits & Gravy, The Fremont Diner:
Oozing Southern decrepitude, a heavy dose of John Deere chic and the irresistible lure of a butter-and pork-soaked menu that would bring a tear to grandpappy’s eye, the Fremont Diner in rural Sonoma is easy to miss, yet shouldn’t be. It’s everything good about, well, roadside diners; this one happens to be surrounded by vineyards. Here, “Praise the Lard” isn’t just a quirky tagline, it’s a mission. Open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday - Wednesday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday - Sunday. And don’t miss the fried pies. 2660 Fremont Drive, Sonoma, 707-938-7370. (Photo by John Burgess)

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Mangia, Mangia, Mamma Tanino’s Ristorante:
Good old spaghetti and meatballs from Gaetano and Kim Patrinostro await in an unlikely location, Mamma Tanino’s Ristorante in the Valley Mart Shopping Center in Sonoma. Chef Gaetano brings his Sicilian flavors to the strip mall, presented in a simple, cozy trattoria with a straightforward menu of classics such as chicken Marsala and linguine in clam sauce. The cheerful spot oozes charm and honest good flavors, and the $15 dinner offered from 5 to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, is an early-bird’s dream bargain. Choices might include prawns, chicken and stuffed pasta, served with salad and homemade bread. 500 W. Napa St., Suite 512, Sonoma, 707-933-8826. (Photo by Jeff Kan Lee)

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Watmaugh Strawberries: In Sonoma, Watmaugh Strawberries sells sweet, just-picked berries that are ripe all the way through and still warm from the sun. Its stand just south of town has become everyone’s favorite stop. Arnold Drive at West Watmaugh Road, Sonoma, 916-207-2870. (Photo by Chris Hardy)

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Wine Whisperers, Hamel Family Wines: Inside the immaculate wine caves of Hamel Family Wines near Glen Ellen is a beautifully appointed private tasting room that looks like it was created as a corporate board room. The ceiling is coffered so that if two people stand at opposite corners of the room, they can whisper sweet nothings and be the only ones to hear them. Better still is the outdoor deck overlooking the Valley of the Moon, within spitting distance of historic Zinfandel vineyards belonging to the estate. 15401 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, 707-996-5800. (Photo by Crista Jeremiason)

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Way Off Broadway, Transcendence Theatre Company: The Great White Way meets the Milky Way when the Transcendence Theatre Company transplants the best of Broadway to an unlikely stage beside the romantic ruins of an old winery. Professional actors who have appeared on Broadway or in the touring companies take the stage in the middle of Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen for a summer of “Broadway Under the Stars.” The remoteness adds to the magic. Gourmet food trucks and local wines make for an unforgettable dinner show. $42 and up. 2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, 877-424-1414. (Courtesy Photo)

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Swimming Pools of Our Youth, Morton’s Warm Springs: Remember the public pools when you were a kid? A big lawn, shrieks and splashes, a wading pool for tots, picnic benches where you ate sandwiches you made yourself? That’s Morton’s Warm Springs, an endearing, old-fashioned swimming pool (actually, there are two) fed by mineral springs and set against a backdrop of forested hills. It’s been keeping people cool since 1946. There is also a baseball field, volleyball court and horseshoe pit. 1651 Warm Springs Road, Glen Ellen, 707-833-5511. (Photo by Beth Schlanker)

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Hear That Whistle Blowin’, Train Town: TrainTown chugs along on the margins of Sonoma, well off the upscale tourist routes. The quarter-scale steam train and track were built by the late Stanley Frank in 1968. Generations of kids have since thrilled to the 20-minute journey through the trees, over bridges and into tunnels, including a short layover in a miniature town complete with petting zoo. Near the station are more kiddie rides, including a Ferris wheel, carousel and dragon coaster. It’s for the kid in all of us. 20264 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-938-3912. (Photo by Beth Schlanker)

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Chasing Waterfalls, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park: After several days of a good, hard winter rain, venture to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Kenwood to view one of Mother Nature’s magnificent seasonal waterfalls, a 25-foot cascade rushing between giant boulders cloaked in green moss. Take the Canyon-Pony Gate Loop and prepare to climb: How better to burn several hundred calories than to ascend 400 feet on the 2-mile loop for what has to be one of the best “selfie” spots in Sonoma. 2605 Adobe Canyon Road, Kenwood, 707-833-5712. (Photo by John Burgess)

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Jack London State Park from Horseback, Triple Creek Horse Outfitters: Triple Creek Horse Outfitters leads trail rides through Jack London State Historic Park that offer the same vantage point author Jack London himself had as he explored the rugged, 1,400 acres of his beloved Beauty Ranch. Erin Ellis, who runs the rides with her husband, Dominic Bettinelli, employs rescue horses and has been riding through Glen Ellen since she was a child. Hour-long rides are $80 for small groups, $120 for a private tour. All rides include a tour of Jack London’s writing cottage, as well as tickets for complimentary tastings at Benziger Family Winery. 2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, 707-887-8700. (Courtesy Photo)

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Off-the-Map Lake, Lake Suttonfield: Peel off the 1.2-mile, paved main path through Sonoma Valley Regional Park and make your way to Glen Ellen’s secret sweet spot. Lake Suttonfield, cradled in the hills surrounding the town, is a wee bit of England’s Lake District hidden in Wine Country. The 2-mile trail ringing the lake offers plenty of spots to lean back against an oak or dip your toes in the water. Because the reservoir is part of Sonoma Developmental Center, it doesn’t appear on maps of the regional park, leaving it largely unexplored except by locals. To get there from the main park path, take the East Sutton Lake Trail, to your left from the parking lot on Highway 12. 13630 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen. (Photo by Crista Jeremiason)

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Lawful Speeding, Sonoma Raceway: Wednesday night is a drag, we know. But this time it’s in a good way. The Wednesday Night Drags at Sonoma Raceway is a safe (and legal) opportunity for teenagers and seniors alike to channel their inner Jeff Gordon and drive their vehicles fast and furious down the raceway’s quarter-mile strip, supervised by Bay Area law enforcement officers. The season runs March through November, 4 to 10 p.m. 29355 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 800-870-7223. (Photo by Kent Porter)

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A Farmer Takes a Stand, Paul’s Produce Farmstand: Paul Wirtz has been quietly growing an array of crops in the Sonoma Valley for nearly a quarter of a century, from tasty padron and shishito peppers to tomatoes and melons. Following organic practices, he farms 10 acres of leased land on the former Romberg Dairy property, nurturing lettuces such as the Little Gem and Red Butter varieties highly prized by local restaurant chefs. His Paul’s Produce Farmstand is open at the Tuesday Farmers' Market on the Plaza 5:30 p.m. to dark and Friday Farmers' Market in Depot Park from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 19655 Arnold Drive, Sonoma. (Photo by Robby Pengelly)

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Hug a Tree, Sonoma Plaza Self-Guided Tour: Native plants may be all the rage, but non-native plants can make for intriguing tree exploration. Imagine redwoods, Douglas firs, Norway spruces and southern magnolias all rooted within a few pristine acres on the Sonoma Plaza. Take naturalist Tom Rusert’s self-guided tour with his tree map and see that this is one time where there’s no such thing as barking up the wrong, er … you know. Sonoma Valley Visitor’s Bureau, 453 First St. E., 707-996-1090. (Photo by Robbi Pengelly)

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Lug a Jug, VJB Cellars: Before Prohibition, it was common for folks to take empty jugs to wineries and have them refilled. Not only did the practice reduce the use of glass, corks and labels, the wine was cheaper by the ounce. After Repeal, jug-filling largely disappeared, but it’s slowly coming back. At VJB Cellars in Kenwood, a 1-liter (33-ounce) logo bottle of Family Blend red wine costs $24. Bring the empty back (clean, of course) and a refill is just $12, about 36 cents per ounce. 60 Shaw Ave., Kenwood, 707-833-2300. (Press Democrat Photo)

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Historical Resting Place, Mountain Cemetery: Local history lives on at the Mountain Cemetery, a short walk north of the Sonoma Plaza, where the likes of Gen. Mariano Vallejo, Ernest Boyes and other town founders were laid to rest. Sonoma historian Fred Allebach’s self-guided Mountain Cemetery Walking Tour brochure, available free at the kiosk in the parking lot, includes a map of one of the oldest cemeteries in California and gives details about 42 gravesites, forever occupied by some of Sonoma’s most memorable characters, among them ranchers, winemakers, bootleggers and murderers. 90 First St. W., Sonoma, 707-933-2217. (Photo by John Burgess)

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Tacos La Bamba: Parked on an auto repair shop lot on Highway 12 in Boyes Hot Springs, Tacos La Bamba usually draws a long line of loyal customers for its lengua (beef tongue) tacos, carne asada burritos and gorditas de chicharron. It’s cheap and addictive, though you may have to wait a little during the late-night rush. 18155 Sonoma Highway 12, Sonoma. (Courtesy Photo)

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A Man of Many Faces, Actor & Historian George Webber: Sonoma’s George Webber isn’t really a defrocked Mexican generalissimo, though he plays one. Webber has for years made appearances at Sonoma events as the famous Gen. Mariano Vallejo, and expanded his “George Webber experience” to the Gen. Vallejo Walking Tour of the Sonoma Plaza. Webber’s got more than a beloved 19th-century land baron up his sleeve. He also brings to life Mark Twain, enologist Professor Vine and Count Agoston Haraszthy. (Photo by Jeff Kan Lee)