Kevin Jorgeson makes his way up a newly installed route at Session Climbing in Santa Rosa on Thursday, January 27, 2022. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)
Session Climbing is in the homestretch. The 23,500-square-foot climbing and fitness emporium, located a mile south of Santa Rosa’s Courthouse Square, launches this May. And as sunlight streams through the gym’s large windows on a bright afternoon a few weeks before its public debut, another sound is audible over the din of nearby power tools: euphoria.
After nimbly clambering up a challenging intermediate route, Kevin Jorgeson pushes off the climbing wall and into space – his 50-foot fall arrested by his climbing partner of two decades, Mike Shaffer, who is holding the rope and belaying him from below. Jorgeson and Shaffer are the gym’s cofounders: their whoops and laughter fill the building.
Jorgeson, a native of Santa Rosa, is best known for his 2015 first ascent of the Dawn Wall in Yosemite National Park, the hardest big-wall climb in the world. The patience and resilience required for that feat, which took 19 days, have been helpful over the six years that it’s taken Jorgeson and Shaffer to shepherd their passion project to the finish line.
Kevin Jorgeson makes his way up a newly installed route at Session Climbing in Santa Rosa. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)Kevin Jorgeson applies chalk to his hands at Session Climbing in Santa Rosa. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)Kevin Jorgeson is the co-founder of Session Climbing, along with Mike Schaffer. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)
Jorgeson spends as much time growing his sport as he does participating in it. His nonprofit, 1Climb, puts up more modest climbing walls in Boys & Girls Clubs across America. To his delight, interest in Session Climbing has extended far beyond the core community. “Which is the goal—to bring climbing to more people,” he says. In addition to offering an array of climbing and bouldering walls, and classes for local kids, Session features a mezzanine with rooms for yoga, and other fitness equipment, all built around a cafe and gathering area.
As Jorgeson unclips from his rope, he bumps fists with Shaffer, who says, “That felt like a huge moment.”
“It was,” agrees Jorgeson. “It is.”
With their ascents, they’d unofficially christened Session. For Jorgeson, it was like test-driving a car he’d designed himself. “It’s one thing to look at your walls in a rendering, in design, in construction. It’s another thing to be moving over them for the first time, to see how those ideas translate in real life,” he says.
Let the beauty of the North Coast’s landmark redwoods soak into your soul this spring. From a pair of close-to-home excursions to the perfect long weekend away, these three itineraries offer inspiration for the days ahead.
Local Bakeries & Makers
Occidental to Guerneville
Tucked between Sebastopol and the coast, Occidental was founded in 1876 as the last stop on the North Pacific Coast Railroad. Start your day at the oldest building in town, now home to the Altamont General Store. Have a morning mochi doughnut as you browse the store’s local marketplace, loaded with wares — we love the ceramics from Clayfolk.
Life happily revolves at a slower pace for the thousand or so folks who live among the redwoods in this serene pocket of west county. If the 15 mph speed limit along winding Fitzpatrick Lane doesn’t cement that in your psyche, stepping under the wooden archway at the Grove of Old Trees will. Shortly after you enter the grove, take the trail to the left, and in a matter of seconds, you’ll find yourself in the most dramatic slice of the forest, identified on a small wooden sign as Anne’s Circle.
Mochi donuts at The Altamont General Store in Occidental. (Beth Schlanker/Sonoma Magazine)
The Union Hotel in Occidental. (Beth Schlanker/Sonoma Magazine)A cheerful breakfast at Howard Station Cafe in Occidental. (Beth Schlanker/Sonoma Magazine)
Back in town, peruse the candle bar at Boho Bungalow, visit the historic 1879 Union Hotel for giant meatballs and delicious pizza, or drop by the quirky Octopus Shed. Emblazoned with a vibrant orange octopus, the self-serve pottery stand downtown features the whimsical work of ceramists Cindy and James Searles.
“The octopus air planter we make went viral on the internet about six years ago when we moved to Occidental. We did not even know what that meant at the time,” says Cindy Searles. “It changed our work and our lives in a wonderful way.”
Head south of town via the Bohemian Highway to the family-owned (and solar-powered) Marimar Estate Vineyards & Winery. Spring is owner/winemaker Marimar Torres’s favorite time of year. “It’s so exciting and gorgeous when the vines start to come to life,” she says.
“And then when they flower, you walk along the rows, and they have the most subtle and delicious smell.” Snag a seat on the sunny patio for a glass of Albariño paired with house-made tapas inspired by Torres’s native Barcelona.
It’s one thing to hike through a redwood grove — it’s another thing altogether to fly through one at the level of the birds, dozens of feet in the air. Doubling back north along the Bohemian Highway toward Guerneville, take in some of the best redwood views in the county on a trip with Sonoma Zipline Adventures. The company also offers extraordinary overnight stays in yurt-like tree houses, where the trunk of the tree comes up right through the middle of the tree house.
Pass through the “vacation wonderland” of Monte Rio via Highway 116 on your way to Guerneville, where lumberjacks first arrived in the late 1800s. After you park, take the time to do something most don’t — stroll across the Guerneville Bridge and peek at the rolling Russian River below, where steelhead and salmon migrate to spawn in winter and kayakers frolic in summer.
Guerneville is a riot of small shops and galleries, and odds are good you’ll see artists in action at both Oli Gallery and Lifvendahl Gallery, where owner Mark Lifvendahl’s abstract floral paintings convey the joyful feeling of spring all year long. Have an early dinner at Food Network star Crista Luedtke’s eatery Brot (the traditional pork schnitzel is outstanding) or grab a Meyer lemon-curd biscuit to go at Big Bottom Market. While there, look for the occasional basket of day-old biscuits that hides out by the cash register. At a dollar a pop, these fluffy bundles are the best bargain in town.
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in Guerneville. (Mariah Harkey)Mushrooms erupt from the forest floor in spring. (Chad Surmick/Sonoma Magazine)
The short drive to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve barely gives you time to finish your biscuit. Here, you’ll find Sonoma’s largest grove of first-generation redwoods open to the public. In springtime, lush ferns share the forest floor with wildflowers, and the colorful display of blooms in the area surrounding the Redwood Forest Theater gets stellar reviews.
The 2020 Walbridge fire burned sections of the park, closing the area for months. But thanks to the days-long effort of fire crews, the blaze didn’t inflict large-scale lasting damage among the historic groves. Stop, and take a moment to appreciate the countless folks throughout the years who have fought to preserve the beauty surrounding you.
Getting There
The Altamont General Store, 3703 Main St., Occidental. 707-874-6053, altamontgeneralstore.com
Grove of Old Trees, 17599 Fitzpatrick Lane, Occidental. landpaths.org
Running more than 50 miles along the Sonoma Coast, Highway 1 flaunts the beauty of a coastline where colossal redwoods have mastered hiding in plain view. After fueling up at Jenner’s Café Aquatica with a cup of joe, head straight to nearby Pomo Canyon Campground for a hike. A magnificent redwood grove studded with impressive fairy rings (redwoods growing in a circle), ferns, and wildflowers winds through the area near the lower-numbered campsites. The Pomo Canyon-Red Hill loop tops out at views of the river, ocean, and redwoods below.
In Jenner, peek at the harbor seal pups flopping about on the beach just past the visitors center. Then head inland to Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery, where local cheeses and charcuterie pair with hard-to-find Pinotage. Even the hummingbirds seem abuzz over the winery’s patio, with its ocean-facing panoramic views.
A vintage fireplace with a view at Jenner’s Timber Cove Resort. (Courtesy of Timber Cove Resort)
Local seafood and mushrooms at Timber Cove’s Coast Kitchen. (Courtesy of Timber Cove Resort)
Back in the drivers seat, continue back to Highway 1 and head north, keeping an eye out for a 93-foot-tall obelisk visible on the bluffs. When you see it, hang a left into the parking lot of the luxurious Timber Cove Resort and its ocean-view restaurant, Coast Kitchen. You don’t have to be a hotel guest to get a closer look at the sculpture, which was created by Beniamino Bufano in the 1960s and is set inside a 60-foot diameter swath of land named the Bufano Peace Statue Monument.
As you continue along the coast, try not to get lost in the sea of blue — it’s all too easy to miss the turn into Stillwater Cove Regional Park a few miles north. “Most people do not know of the redwood forest here,” says Carson Hunter, a ranger with Sonoma County Regional Parks. “You can find yourself in the trees breathing the clean air or you can perch yourself on a rock overlooking the ocean.” The Canyon Loop winds past 500-year-old redwoods; a short side path leads to the Fort Ross schoolhouse, built in 1885.
lush rhododendrons at Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve. (Chad Surmick/Sonoma Magazine)
The Canyon Trail at Stillwater Cove Regional Park north of Fort Ross. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat)
Just six miles north of Stillwater Cove is Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve, where, beginning in April, clusters of bright rhododendron blossoms compete for attention with redwoods and Douglas firs —the 15-minute loop trail here is an ideal short jaunt.
Ten minutes further north, the calzones at Twofish Baking (inside the Stewarts Point Store) go into the oven well before the sun comes up and are worth waiting in line for. Order a white calzone, stuffed with mozzarella, ricotta, garlic, basil, and olive oil, and a couple of sticky buns to go. Then, takeout in hand, head to Annapolis Winery to pair your calzone with a glass of apple wine or a crisp sparkler.
To reach the winery, head north ten minutes, then turn right on Annapolis Road, winding up into the coastal hills, past the historic Horicon Schoolhouse (the second one-room schoolhouse of the day!) and a grove of organic olive trees. You’ll know you’re there when you see vines and apple trees in spring bloom. Tastings here take place outdoors on a hilltop surrounded by redwood forest, and a flight of four wines is just $10.
Save the day’s last light for a quick stop at the nearby Starcross Monastic Community’s roadside farmstand to stock up on preserves and Sister Julie’s Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The good brothers and sisters of Starcross accept Venmo — a small nod to modernity at a spot where time seems to stand still.
Outside Fort Bragg, electric-boosted railbikes follow the route of the Skunk Train. (Chad Surmick/Sonoma Magazine)
Railbike Adventures & Roadside Attractions
Philo to Eureka
The ultimate redwood road trip leads north, through Mendocino into Humboldt County. A small taste of the gargantuan coast redwoods can be found in the Anderson Valley at Hendy Woods State Park. After stretching your legs in the company of these ancient beauties, set a course for the coast along Highway 128. The road snakes its way west, winding through the thick redwoods along the Navarro River before the Pacific Ocean comes into focus near the town of Albion.
Time for adventure. Railbikes are relative newcomers to the active stretch of railway that’s been used by Fort Bragg’s Skunk Train since 1885. As you roll along, the rhythmic clickety-clack of the wheels are about the only sound you’ll hear as you pedal along the Pudding Creek Estuary through a redwood forest home to trees more than 1,000 years old.
“There is always that notion on a misty day, that around the next corner you just might spot that brontosaurus,” says the railway’s Robert Jason Pinoli. Don’t worry about breaking a sweat along the shady, 7-mile route: the custom-built, two-person beauties boast an electric assist that kicks in with the push of a button.
Head back south along the coast to the town of Mendocino, where you can toast your ride with a beautiful spring-onion tart or a warming bouillabaisse in the garden at the Trillium Cafe, or with vegetarian Southern cuisine from Fog Eater Cafe. Call it a night in the water tower at the town’s luxurious JD House. Tomorrow, you’ll trade the coast for classic roadside kitsch.
Trillium Cafe’s simple, white clapboard exterior. (Chad Surmick/Sonoma Magazine)A spring onion tart topped with arugula and beet greens at Mendocino’s Trillium Cafe. (Chad Surmick/Sonoma Magazine)
In the morning, head north from the town of Mendocino about an hour and a half towards the tiny town of Leggett, where you can snap a selfie at one of Northern California’s three remaining drive-through redwoods, the Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree. Peek inside the Famous (the sign says so) One-Log House, or step inside the Chimney Tree, hollowed out by a fire in 1914. Big-tree tourism is big business in these parts; if you have any doubt, pull into the Legend of Bigfoot before exiting Highway 101 for the famous Avenue of the Giants.
Meandering more than 30 miles through Humboldt Redwoods State Park, the two-lane Avenue of the Giants (also known as Highway 254) is home to the single largest stand of old-growth redwoods in the world. Pristine patches of forest beckon all along the way. Stop at the Founders Grove, where a half-mile trail kicks off with a 346-foot-tall specimen tree, then winds past a toppled-over 1600-year-old redwood affectionately called the Dyerville Giant.
Finish the day at the Samoa Cookhouse, the last surviving lumber-camp style cookhouse in North America. All-you-can-eat, hearty meals the likes of fried chicken and pot roast are served family-style on long tables covered with red checkered plastic tablecloths.
Or, grab an oyster grill kit and fire up a barbecue at Humboldt Bay Social Club, a former WWII blimp base turned chic boutique hotel and eatery. Rooms here come with access to a secluded beach and use of a dreamy outdoor bathhouse ideal for soaking under the stars. In nearby Eureka, Carter House Inns offers rooms (most with fireplaces) spread throughout five Victorians and a cozy bar with a wine list more than 80 pages long.
An eclectic modern vibe in the communal lounge at Humboldt Bay Social Club in Samoa. (Courtesy Humboldt Bay Social Club)
Come morning, you’ll wrestle with a difficult decision.
An argument could be made that sunny spring days in these parts should be dedicated to the coast, exploring vibrant tide pools at Palmer’s Point, and looking for migrating whales from Wedding Rock, both in Sue-meg (formerly Patrick’s Point) State Park.
But this trip is all about the trees, and if you forge ahead just another hour north, you can roam through Fern Canyon in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, just like dinosaurs did in Steven Spielberg’s “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.” Or go chasing waterfalls within a stretch of old-growth forest at gorgeous Trillium Falls.
Let the beauty of the North Coast’s landmark redwoods soak into your soul this spring. (Courtesy Eddy Alexander/City of Eureka)The new Redwood Sky Walk at Eureka’s Sequoia Park. (Courtesy Eddy Alexander/City of Eureka)
End your long weekend away on a high note at the new Redwood Sky Walk at Eureka’s Sequoia Park Zoo, where a network of platforms and suspended bridges stretch nearly a quarter-mile through a grove of redwoods.
At the highest point of the journey, you’ll be 100 feet in the air, yet still only a third of the way up into the canopy of the mighty trees. Gaze up. Glance down. And revel in the moment with these truly awe-inspiring forces of nature.
Getting There
Hendy Woods State Park, 18599 Philo Greenwood Road, Philo. 707-895-3141, parks.ca.gov
Skunk Train Railbikes, 100 West Laurel St., Fort Bragg. 707-964-6371, skunktrain.com
Brewster’s Beer Garden in Petaluma. (photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Dining out with kids doesn’t have to mean heading to the nearest restaurant chain for cheap eats. In Sonoma County, there are plenty of family-friendly options. From the local take on the pizza chain to high-end dining destinations, both junior and parents can eat well here.
Click through the gallery for some of our favorite kid-friendly restaurants in the area.
Additional Sonoma County luxury establishments that were recommended by Forbes include Farmhouse Inn (pictured) and Farmhouse Inn Restaurant in Forestville and Hotel Les Mars in Healdsburg. (Farmhouse Inn)
Planning a trip to Sonoma County? You may bump into a few celebrities.
An article by The Hollywood Reporter, published March 13, says Sonoma and Napa counties “have more to offer than ever before” and that some in Hollywood have “found solace” here during the pandemic, including singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, actress Elizabeth Olsen and singer Kelly Clarkson. (Bridgers was spotted at a Santa Rosa Whole Foods in April 2021, while Olsen spent time in Sonoma, which she called “her breathing space from LA.” Clarkson visited Healdsburg this January.)
Now that pandemic restrictions have eased, The Hollywood Reporter is letting the people of the film, television, and entertainment industries know where to stay, eat and sip like a star in Sonoma and Napa. The magazine highlighted 28 local restaurants, wineries, hotels and experiences in total; 17 in Sonoma County (most of them in Healdsburg) and 11 in Napa Valley.
Click through the above gallery to see The Hollywood Reporter’s Sonoma County picks, including a few new spots that are yet to open.
2022 is a year of milestones in Sonoma County as beloved restaurants, wineries and hotels celebrate decades in business. The Charles M. Schulz museum in Santa Rosa will celebrate the birthday of the man who gave us the Peanuts gang and the Sonoma International Film Festival is turning 25. Click through the gallery above for details. Does your favorite local business celebrate an anniversary this year? Let us know in the comments below.
#CookForUkraine is a plea being heard worldwide by chefs, restaurateurs and home chefs to pick up pans, don aprons and cook their hearts out in solidarity with Ukrainian citizens.
Inspired by the #CookforSyria fundraisers that raised more than $1 million for Syrian children several years ago, the mantle has been taken up again to benefit Unicef UK’s work to assist the estimated 5 million children of Ukraine.
Locally, Sonoma’s Valley Bar and Bottle and Chef Adrian Chang, who teaches Asian-American cooking classes in Occidental through his brand Morihouse, raised more than $2,700 over the weekend, with all proceeds going to Unicef UK’s work in the war-torn country.
“The first weekend went really well and we had a lot of people just give money,” said Lauren Feldman, co-founder of Valley Bar and Bottle.
Chef Emma Lipp and her team made vegan and beef borscht, a hearty Eastern European soup, selling containers for $25. In two days, they raised $900 and will continue to sell the borscht at the restaurant. Details on Instagram @valleybarandbottle.
Chang and his husband Chris Lewis hosted a virtual dumpling cooking class at their Occidental home that raised $1,800. Instagram @mori.house.
Online, the crowd-sourced Just Giving campaign, #cookforukraine, has raised more than 117,000 British pounds sterling, tapping into support from celebrity chefs including Yotam Ottolenghi, well-known international food bloggers, caterers and home chefs offering supper clubs and dinners for the cause. More information online at justgiving.com/fundraising/cookforukraine.
Bubbles and bivalves are the tasty concept behind Oyster, a new Parisian-style seafood and sparkling wine restaurant coming to The Barlow in Sebastopol this summer.
For months, owner Jake Rand searched the county for a second location for his popular Japanese restaurant, Sushi Kosho, already at The Barlow. But as the pandemic strained the restaurant industry with staffing shortages and supply-chain issues, he realized a large restaurant wasn’t the way to go.
Instead, he leased a small 400-square-foot space just a few feet from Sushi Kosho, where he’ll open Oyster this summer.
The focus at Rand’s new restaurant will be on sparkling wines from around the world, oysters and a curated seafood and shellfish menu, including moules-frites, scallops a la plancha and fried oyster po’ boys. An open kitchen will occupy much of the interior space, with a small bar for prix fixe tastings. The more expansive outdoor patio seats up to 40 and will serve the full menu and a selection of by-the-glass bubbly, including rare vintages. The restaurant also will offer takeout.
“Sushi Kosho is very chef-driven, but Oyster will be more about socializing, small plates, a la carte sharing and just popping in, Rand said. “This just fits the times. People can take out and sit on a bench, take it home or have a one-on-one experience inside the restaurant.”
Sustainable aquaculture is part of the message Rand hopes to convey through the restaurant, by educating consumers about the benefits of sourcing farmed shellfish and oysters for marine habitats. The filter-feeders help to keep ocean water clean, sequester carbon and help to protect shore land from erosion.
“I think ocean farming sometimes falls into a negative context. If people heard more about the parallels between sustainable agriculture and positive ocean farming, I think it might shift some opinions,” Rand said.
Oyster will open at 6761 McKinley St., Suite 130, Sebastopol.
Kalamata olive and rosemary fougasse from Sonoma Mountain Breads. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
On a drab block of Wilson Street off Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square is a sliding window to bread heaven.
Here, Sonoma Mountain Breads’ owner and yeast charmer Lee Magner works his carbo-licious magic on Saturday and Sunday mornings with little more than a small sign, three little cafe tables teetering on the sidewalk and a team of cooks.
The weekly menu, subject to change, includes pierogies drizzled with truffle oil, brioche breakfast sandwiches with soft eggs and tangy Bearnaise sauce, European waffles crusted with pearl sugar and, oh, croissants and hearty loaves of naturally leavened bread.
By 10 a.m., the mortadella and Havarti croissants, baklava Danish with brown butter-toasted walnuts and lemon curd and baguettes have disappeared. My heart sinks, but a chocolate ganache tart with a short rye shell comforts.
Lee Magner, owner and head baker of Sonoma Mountain Breads. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)Libby Howard of Sonoma Mountain Breads welcomes guests at the secret window. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
The pop-up is part of an incubation and residency food program by Miracle Plum’s Sallie Miller and Gwen Gunheim. The women took over the former A La Heart kitchen in 2021 and have hosted several chefs at their sandwich and salad spot ever since. Along with Magner, several other small food businesses share the commercial kitchen.
Magner is a pandemic-era entrepreneur. After he was furloughed from his baking job, he started baking bread in cast-iron pans at his Oakland studio apartment and sharing it with friends. Sonoma Mountain Breads grew from there.
His hefty sourdough loaves made with organic ingredients including spelt, wheat flour, rye flake porridge and millet have gained a loyal following. Flaky sourdough-starter croissants made with buckwheat flour, sugary morning buns and Danishes are sweet additions. But he’s also added hot breakfast and brunch at the Wilson St. kitchen.
Coffee from Retrograde Roasters, which you can get at Miracle Plum, is a required addition.
Marla at Spinsters Sisters: We’ve mentioned another recent weekend brunch pop-up worth checking out — Marla Bakery’s residency at Spinster Sisters restaurant through Mother’s Day weekend.
The hype is real, and the baked eggs are a bit of heaven. You can sit down for a meal (we tried the bagels and smoked trout) or drop in for pastries. Check out the mouthwatering photos.
Rumor has it: The now-vacant Jack and Tony’s in Railroad Square may soon have a new tenant. Restaurateur Brad Barmore of Windsor’s Kin restaurant and Kinsmoke restaurant in Healdsburg said that a “concept development” is underway. The restaurant closed after the death of chef/owner Jack Mitchell in September 2020.
Spirit Works Distillery Head Distiller Krystal Goulart and co-ower Ashby Marshall stand in front of their still in the production facility at The Barlow in Sebastopol. Spirit Works is one of seven local businesses that have been honored with a 2022 Good Food Award. (Loren Hansen Photography)
After being rescheduled from January, the Good Food Awards ceremony honoring the 2022 Good Food winners was held last Friday at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.
The evening celebrated 244 of America’s top food and drink entrepreneurs from 39 states and was attended by 800 winners, families, judges and grocers.
Here are the North Coast winners honored in various categories by the Good Foods Foundation, whose mission is to foster the kind of food that brings people together and builds strong, healthy communities:
Beer: Eel River Brewing Co. of Fortuna for Organic California Blonde Ale and Sinuous Roots Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Belgian Trippel; Pond Farm Brewing Co. of San Rafael for The Pivot Pale Ale
Cheese:Bellwether Farms of Petaluma for Whole Milk Basket Ricotta; Bivalve Dairy of Petaluma for Seahaven Cheese; Pennyroyal Farm of Boonville for Vintage Boont Corners; Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. of Point Reyes for its Toma Rashi
A former lumber yard in Healdsburg is getting a new life as the Mill District, a “mixed-use” development that will combine affordable housing, luxury apartments, pedestrian promenades and a boutique hotel just steps from the historic Healdsburg Plaza.
The affordable housing development, named The Exchange, will feature 41 low-income rentals available to Healdsburg residents and workers. The affordable units were designed by PYATOK Architects in Oakland.
The 39 luxury units, designed by Seattle-based Olson Kundig and located in the district’s Canopy neighborhood, will cost between $1 million (for the smallest studio apartment) to $8.5 million (for a penthouse apartment).
The sleek and modern Canopy units are available in three configurations: “the flats,” (ranging in size from studios to three-bedroom apartments), two-level “garden homes” and penthouses with expansive patios and panoramic views (there are five penthouses in total).
The apartments have been designed in a way that make them feel both tranquil and airy. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass walls offer a seamless transition between the indoors and outdoors. The design is clean-lined and the color palette is subdued. Dark marbles, tactile stone and stained wood cabinetry add warmth to an otherwise cool and sleek look.
The aim when designing the Canopy units was to create “intimate and social spaces,” said lead architect Kirsten Ring Murray. This was achieved through designing spacious patios and balconies, as well as open-concept chef’s kitchens, which were designed in consultation with Chef Kyle Connaughton of Michelin-starred Single Thread restaurant in Healdsburg.
The kitchens feature eat-in counters and ample space to prepare food. Patios with space for herb and vegetable gardens and wine fridges with see-through doors make cooking and entertaining easy and also add the kind of style accents that befit homes in the hub of wine country.
A home with a patio in the Mill District. (Rendering by MOLT Studios)
Fireplaces, jacuzzis and kinetic media walls are other amenities that are available in the luxury units. Underground parking with electric vehicle hookups and elevators is also in the plan.
In addition to housing developments, the Mill District will include promenades, courtyards and a 1-acre park with old-growth redwood trees. “The buildings themselves serve to shape the gardens and open space,” said Ring Murray. And the apartments’ interiors are designed to “maximize the views” of the outdoors, she added.
For more information about the luxury units available at the Mill District, call 707-314-0094 or email sales@milldistricthealdsburg.com
