Warm temps, blue skies and winding back roads beckon one to explore on two wheels. When said bike exploration also involves savoring cuisine with global accolades and sampling award-winning local wines, then even better. That perfect blend of world-class biking and world-renowned food and beverage is precisely what a getaway to Healdsburg, California offers.
Denver International Airport offers non-stop flights to San Francisco International Airport — just 90 minutes (without traffic) from Healdsburg — on a near daily basis. My husband and I thought the 2-hour flight, well, flew by, and picking up a rental car proved painless. We actually enjoyed the drive north from SFO to our destination, which included crossing (and yes, snapping numerous selfies at) the Golden Gate Bridge and gave us time to remember what it’s like to chat without a 7-year-old in the backseat.
Once we exited the highway, it took mere minutes to hit Healdsburg’s city center. Officially incorporated in 1867, the town has become a must-visit destination for oenophiles and gastronomes. The reason: location, location, location. Healdsburg sits in the center of Sonoma County Wine Country near the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley wine appellations. Nearly 150 wineries can be found in the area, most within 20 minutes of downtown. The rich soil that makes the area so perfect for growing grapes also yields other bounty. Produce farms dot the verdant landscape as well, and numerous local restaurants — including two with Michelin stars — take advantage.
Of course, plenty of other California towns also boast award-winning wines and notable culinary scenes. What sets Healdsburg apart is the way it welcomes visitors to take in the town’s surrounding scenery — vineyards, mountains, redwood trees or perhaps all three — while riding a bike. Thus, our first stop upon getting to town was Spoke Folk Cyclery, where the helpful staff set us up with a pair of Specialized Roubaix and plenty of ride recommendations.
Eager to see what earned Healdsburg a spot on Bicycling Magazine’s “7 Greatest Rides on Earth” in 2011, but even more excited to drop our luggage, the next stop was the hotel. With its leaf-covered exterior walls, signature rippling roofline and a bespoke water sculpture featuring 2,000 tinkling espresso spoons outside the front door, the h2 Hotel lives into its “eco-chic” descriptor even before guests step foot inside. The airy lobby — where more local art (like photographic glass installations of trees and floral sculptures), bohemian-inspired couches and a LEED Gold certificate await — provides further evidence. Upstairs in our room (one of just 36), we find bamboo floors, deliciously inviting Egyptian Cotton linens and a walk-out balcony perfect for stashing our bikes.
The next few days were the best kind of blur. Each morning began with freshly brewed coffee and the hotel’s complimentary breakfast (yogurt parfait with house-made granola and berries for me, pastries for my husband) before we set off on our bikes. More often than not, grapevines dotted the foreground while mountains rose in the distance. Occasionally, the massive arms of a redwood blocked the blue sky above. One ride, led by professional cycling couple Ted and Laura King, left from the new, upscale housing development Mill District. The roads weren’t quite free from cars, but most drivers were courteous and we generally had a generous shoulder.
When not in the saddle, we embraced our role as tourists. We wandered through Healdsburg’s roughly 20 fine art and crafts galleries (the Paul Mahder Gallery was our favorite), appreciated the earrings and bracelets at Falling for Dainty and spent an afternoon awe-walking in Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve.
We also discovered Healdsburg is a town that must be explored with the taste buds as much as with the eyes. We split turkey pesto on fresh-baked loaves from Troubadour Bread & Bistrofor lunch one day and sipped lattes from Black Oak Coffee Roasters for a midday pick-me-up. We sampled wine from multiple tasting rooms in town, vowed to recreate the cucumber plate from Lo & Behold Bar + Kitchen when we got back home and decided we’d more than earned dessert (California olive oil cake) from Spoonbar.
Our biggest splurge (both in terms of calories and dollars), however, was a 10-course dinner at SingleThread. Ranked among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2022, the four hours we spent at the three-Michelin-Star-holder supping on exquisite Japanese cuisine and produce harvested from the restaurant’s nearby farm wasn’t just a meal; it was an experience. The food came out in the traditional kaiseki style with multiple small dishes plated perfectly on gorgeous stoneware or wooden boards, often garnished with petite flowers or leafy sprigs. The sommelier made sure we sipped the best vintage, perhaps something oaky or fruit-forward made just a few miles away, while we ate. No question, it was the best meal I’ve ever eaten — or will ever eat, for that matter.
The splendor of those bike rides, sumptuous food and delectable wines stays with me even now, living on whenever I close my eyes and go California dreamin’ — even on a Vail fall (or winter’s) day.