Sonoma County Town Named One of the Best in California

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The town of Sonoma has been named one of the "best small towns in California" by Travel + Leisure magazine. Click through the gallery for a few hidden gems in Sonoma. In this photo, downtown Sonoma seen from the Sonoma Overlook Trail. 

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Inside the immaculate wine caves of Hamel Family Wines is a beautifully appointed private tasting 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 the estate's historic Zinfandel vineyards. (Crista Jeremiason)

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There’s no shortage of great taco trucks and taquerias around the town of Sonoma but we can’t help but love the locals-only vibe at Juanita Juanita where you can grab a cold one and stuff your face with al pastor and carne asada tacos. (If you need a late-night gordita or burrito, hit up La Bamba Taco Truck at the Larbre Automotive Lot in Boyes Hot Springs). (Crista Jeremiason)

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Starling Bar Sonoma is everything a neighborhood bar should be, but with really good cocktails. Their Black Walnut Manhattan is made with their own nocino (a walnut liqueur), along with bourbon, vermouth and a brandied cherry. We also like the Bacon Bourbon Sour with a mix of bacon-infused bourbon, Madeira, maple syrup, fresh citrus juice, cherry, lime and sriracha bacon. (Courtesy photo)

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Tasca Tasca is the more casual little sister to Chef Manuel Azevedo’s La Salette. Portuguese small plates (true tapas) include everything from fried piri piri potatoes with saffron aioli to goat stew, salt cod cakes and Portuguese mac and cheese in nibble-sized portions. The idea is to order between three and seven items at a time, presented on beautiful butcher boards, to share with the table. Or, you can just hog it all for yourself. (Erik Castro)

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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. (Chris Hardy)

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Train Town 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. (Beth Schlanker)

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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. (John Burgess)