All – Blair Spangler – The Collection

A 1/2 day in one of the Regions picturesque villages offers options for everyone

As everything in these small towns is within walkable distance, a group can be dropped off and left for hours to explore at their leisure to then be picked up at some designated time 4 or 6 hours later. We find groups love the freedom and diverse options. Healdsburg and St Helena are optimal for foodies and restaurants, St helena has the best wineries, (no great spa). All towns have excellent wine tasting, restaurants (groups usually gets together for lunch), shopping, and bike shops with easy biking around town or into neighboring vineyards. If spa services and massage is important, Calistoga is the best choice as the spa there has one-of-a-kind natural thermal water pools, volcanic ash mud baths, and the ability to do simultaneous massages for 20 persons or more. The timing of massages could otherwise extend over many hours for large groups.

Bowling

Great for a rainy day adventure. Tour the quaint town of Petaluma and engage in some serious competition and showmanship at the state of the art lanes.

Casino Night

At the Calistoga property only – a Gaming Hall with regulation size billiard table. This can be converted to a craps table if preferred. We can also arrange for professional dealers who can bring in more gambling options such as a roulette wheel and more

Cheese Making Class

Janet, a famous chef and writer, is an excellent teacher with an unparalleled knowledge of cheese. She has written over 30 books and her writing has appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, Saveur, and Food & Wine. Perhaps her most noteworthy experience was cooking at Chez Panisse with Alice Waters in the “early years”. Teams can work in a competitive fashion if so desired.

Chefs Share Their Knowledge

Our chefs always welcome our guests into the kitchen. If a relatively in-depth explanation or demonstration is desired, please advise the chef in advance so they can plan accordingly to have the time and staff to see to your preferences.

Costume Ball at our Calistoga Property

The tradition of masquerade balls dates back to medieval Europe, where they were often held as part of carnival celebrations.. Guests are encouraged to build elaborate costumes from the treasures of our very own costume closet. The Calistoga Hideout is the perfect venue -historically accurate and thus a truly immersive environment evoking an experience of time travel. Specific historic characters of the Wild West can be embodied for the night. Our Calistoga in house library is full of books to choose characters from. Add an extra layer of magic with live musicians and dancing. Overall, a thrilling and unforgettable experience of time travel back to the late 1800s, where the line between fantasy and reality is blurred, and anything can happen.

Dinner theater or Burlesque Performance

Performances that combine magic, sword swallowing, juggling and clowning have a way of drawing the audience into a fantastical world where anything is possible!

E-Biking

E-bikes provide pedal assistance make it easier to tackle hills, headwinds, and longer distances. This feature makes it easier for people of all ages and fitness levels to enjoy cycling and longer distances are possible.
E-bikes are eco-friendly as they use rechargeable batteries as their primary power source, resulting in lower carbon emissions and reduced pollution compared to traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. E-bikes still require pedaling, which provides a good workout and can improve cardiovascular health, joint mobility, and mental health.

Farm Tours

Agriculture, other than grapes, has been a significant part of the county’s economy for over a century. Visitors can explore local farms and orchards, participate in farm-to-table experiences, and sample artisanal cheeses, honey, olive oil, and other locally produced food products. Curated based on your group’s preferences, timing, and farm availability; the possibilities are endless.

Fishing

Lake Sonoma: is a stunning man-made lake located in northern county. It is stocked with species including bass, trout, and catfish.
Bodega Bay: a Pacific Ocean coastal fishing town offers a variety of saltwater fishing options including rockfish, salmon, halibut, and Dungeness crab. Charter boats available for hire for deep-sea fishing.
Tomales Bay: long, narrow inlet is a popular for shellfishing, including oysters and clams in western Sonoma. Anglers can also fish for steelhead trout and salmon in the bay.
Petaluma River:is a tidal river located in the southern Sonoma County that is home to a variety of fish species including bass, sturgeon, and striped bass.

Foodie Walking Tour

A foodie walking tour in Sonoma or Napa County is an excellent way to discover the hidden culinary gems and experience the local food culture. These tours take visitors on a journey through the most charming neighborhoods, historic downtowns, and vibrant marketplaces, introducing them to the local agriculture, food culture and the people who make it happen. With a variety of tours to choose from, visitors can tailor their experience to their favorite restaurants, wines and culinary preferences.

Geocaching

This adventure involves using a GPS device or a smartphone to navigate to specific coordinates and locate hidden containers called “geocaches” or “caches.” These typically small, waterproof containers that contain a logbook where the geocacher can sign their name and date of visit as proof of finding the cache. Some caches also contain small trinkets or toys that can be exchanged or swapped. Geocaching can be done by anyone, a great way to explore and get outdoors.

Ghost stories around the Fire

A ghost story competition challenges participants to create engaging stories ranging from horror to mystery to fantasy. Typically the winner is chosen either via a designated judge or group vote. The competition is a spine-tingling affair, with entrants conjuring up terrifying tales of haunted houses, vengeful spirits, and cursed objects. This competition is a fabulous showcase to team members creative and imaginative talents.

Hiking the wonders of Napa and Sonoma

There are 100’s of regional and state parks to choose from with a seemingly infinite variety of terrains and views. From redwood forests to coastal cliffs, from vineyard overlooks to the pacific ocean. We can arrange a knowledgeable local guide. Remember hiking can be combined with wine tasting, bird-watching, nature photography, etc.

Historian, entertainer, Poet

A local historian and entertainer will educate and entertain you group form the point of view of your chosen historical figure. Since 2001 George Webber has regaled thousands with historic re-enactment walking tours of Sonoma and Napa, wine lectures, historic events, cooking shows, and more. Performing as a variety of different characters, George Webber is a living legend in Sonoma.

Horseback Riding

Whatever your dream about horseback riding might be, you’ll probably find it in Sonoma County:
Cantering swiftly on a beautiful beach at sunset, waves crashing alongside, Comfortably astride a gentle horse that’s picking its way through a thick forest, the only sound a persistent woodpecker, trotting smoothly alongside a fast-moving, early-spring stream, a leisurely trail ride through neat rows of lush grapevines ending with a wine tasting. Anything is possible.

Kayak, PaddleBoard, Canoe

Russian River: The Russian River is idyllic for both paddle boarding, kayaking and canoeing. With its slow-moving waters, provides an excellent opportunity for beginners and endless scenery and a bounty of birds and wildlife on your waterway journey.
Lake Sonoma: Lake Sonoma offers paddle-boarding and canoeing in an exquisite setting with calm waters and stunning mountain views.
Bodega Bay: offers ocean kayaking with varied marine wildlife: seals, sea lions, and otters.
Tomales Bay: Calmer waters than Bodega, this oceanic microcosm is appropriate for all levels of kayakers with more options for birds than Bodega all the same type of water mammals.

Murder Mystery

A murder mystery party affords a study of an historical period with interactive role-playing.. Typically, one person is designated as the “murderer,” and the other participants must solve the crime by interviewing suspects, examining evidence, and piecing together clues. A professional host can take the party to an elevated level of fun and entertainment typically providing a script, character descriptions, and clues for the players to follow. The game can last for an entire evening and even include live musical accompaniment. Our costume closet, filled with period cowboy and victorian costuming and accessories in many sizes, guarantees a remarkable experience.

Name that tune around the fire

We have several options of extremely talented musicians capable of virtuoso cover stylings to challenge and delight your group around one of our fire pits – a favorite pastime for many of our visitors

Nature Photography

A nature photography class teaches the art and technique of capturing images of the natural world, including landscapes, wildlife, plants, and natural phenomena. The course covers camera basics, composition, lighting, wildlife photography, landscape photography, macro photography, and post-processing. Students also learn about the ethics of nature photography, including guidelines for minimizing impact on the environment and respecting the rights of animals and other natural subjects. The class can include hiking too exotic areas of Sonoma County including the Pacific coast.

Observatory

Ocean water sports

Bodega Bay is the most unique sailing area in the San Francisco Bay Area offering 5 very different sailing sites. If offers everything from a shallow water learning site to speed sailing to a radical wave sailing.The Bodega season starts in March continues to autumn. Reliable spring winds start early in the day and are easy to forecast. The spring wind typically start in the morning in the 6.0 to 5.0 range and build by midday to 18 to 30+ knots. In the summer the winds are lighter and don’t reach short board level until late afternoon, ideal days for lessons

Outdoor Movies

We can project from any digital file. Set up locations are varied including viewing from our swimming pools.

Perfume Making

over 400 ingredients can be explored, a 10oz eau de toilette or a single note perfume can be created. Makes a wonderful souvenir from the trip available in travel sizes.
Include a Tarot reading to augment the range of the experience.

Poker and all Card Games

The Calistoga property boasts an actual Victorian Gaming Hall featuring an elevated card playing area with multiple tables that can be combined to accommodate the exact number of players. For an all out card playing weekend, tables can be set up in the Grande Room.

Puzzle competition

1000 piece Jigsaw puzzles require teamwork and cooperation. In a competition setting, Teams must work together to complete their chosen puzzle requiring a totally unique skillset generating new ways of interacting and communicating.

Racecar Experience

KARTING: lead-follow and open lapping sessions using fleet of high-speed Sprint Karts; capable of speeds in excess of 70 mph. 3-4 hours. KARTING + HOT LAPS: the thrill of speeding around the world-famous 2.52-mile road course in a state-of-the-art track car, with a professional driver behind the wheel of our open-wheel super sports cars, experience firsthand twists and turns of an iconic road course at speeds north of 100 mph. 4 hours.
KARTING + HOT LAPS + AUTOCROSS CHALLENGE: In this intense, rapid-fire event two groups compete in a timed driving challenge that puts driving skills and teamwork to the test. This event usually runs for 4-6 hours.

Safari: Experience the Sonoma Serengeti

Safaris: go out at scheduled times. Private safaris are available for your group. Wine, beer, and appetizers can be added to private safaris for an additional cost.
Winos and Rhinos – Delight in private wine tasting safari!
Brews and Buffalo – Beer tasting on the Sonoma Serengeti!
Twilight Serengeti Dinner: at the Tree Top Aviary where Cheetahs and Chardonnay are among the unique options available.
Private and close-up encounters with animals behind the scenes with our animal caretakers.

Scavenger Hunt in one of the Historic Towns of Napa or Sonoma ~ Professionally built brings team members into contact with historic sites:

Scavenger hunts in one of several of the charming local towns that ensure participants learn more about the history of the town and the wine country.We have great response to these as the little villages are such perfect “stage sets” for this activity

Star Gazing around the Fire

Our remote properties provide excellent dark skies for Star Gazing. We can arrange for an astronomy expert to lead you through the heavenly wonders above. Star Guides will give your group a tour of the constellations, point out particular stars, planets, and other objects in the sky, educate guests about various astronomy topics, and overall give your group a stellar experience! Star Guides will point out items in the night sky using a high-powered laser pointer, binoculars, and/or telescope.

Surfing Sonoma Coast

The best-known surf spots in Sonoma County is Salmon Creek Beach, just north of Bodega Bay, 2nd best is Doran Beach, located on the southern edge of Bodega Bay. Doran Beach is a wide, sandy beach that offers a variety of waves, including lefts, rights, and peaks. The waves here can be powerful and challenging, making it a great spot for more experienced surfers. Surf shops are in Bodega. It’s important to note that surfing on the Sonoma County coast can be challenging, especially for beginners. The water can be cold, and the waves can be powerful, so it’s essential to have the right equipment and to be aware of the potential dangers. It’s also important to respect the local surf culture and to follow proper surf etiquette to ensure that everyone can enjoy the waves safely.

Vintage Airplanes

located at the Petaluma Municipal Airport in Petaluma. They offer flights on vintage aircraft, including the WACO UPF-7 biplane, the Boeing Stearman PT-17, and the Piper J-3 Cub
The Wine Country tour: Catch an Eagle’s View of the world renowned vineyards of the Sonoma and Napa Valleys, heading east across the Carneros region to Napa, turning north to St. Helena, then west to Glen Ellen and finally back south through the lush Sonoma Valley.
West to the Pacific: Aviate over rolling hills and open pastures of Sonoma, Novato and Petaluma; then head out to Tomales Bay and absorb the Majestic magnificence of the Pacific Ocean. Spires of “The City”: Drift south toward San Francisco. A panoramic outlook of the Sausalito and  Tiburon Harbors: outlying views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands,  then circle Mt. Tamalpais en route to Point Reyes and your safe Sonoma return.

Whale watching

The Best time to see whales in Sonoma, from cliffs on the coast or from tour boats – is from December to April, during the annual gray whale migration. Excellent charters can be had for large groups out of SF. Other whale species such as humpback whales, orcas, and blue whales can also be seen in the area from May to November. In addition to whales, visitors to Sonoma County may also see other marine animals such as dolphins, sea lions, and harbor seals. There are also many species of birds that can be spotted along the coast, including pelicans, cormorants, and gulls.

Yoga or Pilates Mat Class on our sun deck

The instructor comes to the property, is able to work with a diversified group and varying ranges of skill. You are welcome to confer with her prior to design a class to your specifications. We provide mats at all houses.

Zip lining through the redwoods

Sonoma Zipline Adventures is high-flying adventure that will immerse your group in the unparalleled beauty of the world famous California Coastal Redwoods. From panoramic forest views to thrillingly deep ravines, get up close and personal with some of the tallest, and oldest, living things you’ll ever meet Everyone will end your tour with a deeper appreciation for the forest and our planet.