El Verano, CA Road Trips

El Verano has a Sonoma city address but is a distinctly defined area of Sonoma County. The land used to be owned by General Vallejo, and eventually it became a popular vacation area for residents of San Francisco due to its hot springs. Today, the hot springs are no longer in use and El Verano is mainly residential. El Verano is a popular shopping area for Sonoma residents and has a selection of local restaurants that are affordable. Two other adjacent areas, also unincorporated, are included on this page: Boyes Hot Springs, population of about 6,600 Fetters Hot Springs-Agua Caliente, population of about 4,100

1 Ernie Smith Community Park, 18776 Gillman Dr, ☏ +1 707-789-9644. Sunrise to sunset. Nice community park with free parking and free access. Dogs are welcome, there is a dog park onsite. There are also baseball and softball diamonds, picnic tables, a playground, and paved trails. Free. 2 Maxwell Farms Regional Park, 100 Verano Ave, ☏ +1 707-789-9644. Sunrise to sunset. Nice 85-acre park with soccer fields, baseball and softball diamonds, tennis and volleyball courts, and 40 acres of trails. The park has a very popular skateboard park. The playground is disability accessible. They also have picnic areas and barbecues. $7.

1 Picazo Cafe, 19100 Arnold Dr, ☏ +1 707-931-4377, [email protected]. 6AM-4PM. Owned by the Chavez family, this is a diner that serves breakfast and lunch. Bagels, breakfast sandwiches and special omelets are available in the morning and the afternoon brings fresh sandwiches and house-made grilled burger varieties served with fries. They serve local beer and wine. A local favorite. $3-10. (updated Jul 2019) 2 Juanita Juanita, 19114 Arnold Dr, ☏ +1 707-935-3981. Woman-owned Mexican restaurant with a quirky retro feel. Good food but it's more expensive than other Mexican restaurants in town. $11-25 - Cash only. (updated Jul 2019) 3 Las Diablitas Taco Shop, 18976 Sonoma Hwy, ☏ +1 707-933-6330. Tu-Sa 11AM-10PM; Su M 5-10PM. Indoor and outdoor seating, limited parking, great food. (updated Jul 2019) 4 Shige Sushi and Izakaya, 19161 Sonoma Hwy (in Maxwell Village), ☏ +1 707-933-9331, [email protected]. Tu-Su 5-9PM. The only sushi restaurant in Sonoma Valley, the restaurant also offers izakaya (pub) fare like meat skewers and chicken curry as well as a very wide range of sushi (don't miss the specials board, a bit hidden at the far end of the sushi bar). The restaurant opened in 2019, but it's a successor to a much smaller restaurant in Cotati.) (updated Jul 2019)

1 El Verano Inn, 705 Laurel Ave, ☏ +1 707-935-0611. Self described as the "last roadhouse in Sonoma Valley," the El Verano Inn is a dive bar with pool, live music, and yes, "lingerie shows". This historic building was built in 1887 and has been a post office, general store, bus depot, apartments, and many bars. $2-10.

The El Verano area has limited lodging options. Many more can be found nearby in Sonoma. Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, 100 Boyes Boulevard, Sonoma, ☏ +1 (707) 938-9000. The Fairmont chain is definitely high end, but judging by the number of disappointed postings at hotel review sites, this location falls short. There are extensive spa treatments and pool facilities, for those so inclined. (updated Jul 2019) Sonoma Creek Inn, 239 Boyes Blvd, Sonoma, ☏ +1 (707) 939-9463. An affordable, casual alternative to pricier wine country hotels. Many of the 16 rooms have private outdoor patios or porches. (updated Jul 2019)

Having a car is very helpful while getting around El Verano and into its surrounding area. While the village is small, it is a car reliant area. El Verano is served by a number of different airports: San Francisco International Airport (SFO IATA) is the largest and is 56 miles away. From SFO you'll either rent a car or a limo to take to El Verano. If you are staying in Santa Rosa, you can take Groome Transportation which can drop you off at several locations in Sonoma County. Avoid a cab - it's over $250 from SFO to El Verano and it's cheaper just to rent a car for the 1½-hour drive. Oakland International Airport (OAK IATA) is the second busiest hub in the Bay Area. Certain flights from Europe and many from across the United States and Hawaii use OAK. It's little under 1½ hours from Sonoma Valley. Traveling from this airport you'll either rent a car, a limo, or take Groome Transportation if you're staying in Santa Rosa. Cabs will be super expensive, so best avoid them. Sacramento International Airport (SMF IATA) is about 1½ hours away from El Verano. Some international US-based carriers fly here and many regional. To get to El Verano from SMF you'll have to rent a car. Sonoma County Airport (STS IATA) is named after Snoopy creator Charles M. Schulz. It's about 45 minutes north of Sonoma Valley and is the closest airport. It is served by Alaska Airlines and California-based private flights. From here you can stay in Santa Rosa or head directly to El Verano. If staying in Santa Rosa, take a cab - but, you'll most likely need a rental car to get around the area.

El Verano is a small area with long city blocks. The majority of El Verano's highlights are in a shopping center, parks, and a few additional locations. Having a car is a good idea, but you can also get around by bike, walking, and public transportation. There are no car rental in El Verano, but, presumably, if you are in El Verano you have arrived by car. There are no bicycle rental companies in El Verano, but you can rent bikes in Sonoma which is a quick car or cab ride away. Wine Country Cyclery 262 West Napa St. +1 707-996-6800 Sonoma Valley Bike Tours 520 Broadway +1-877-308-2453 Sonoma County Transit connects El Verano to the surrounding towns in the county. Their website has information about how to purchase passes and taking your bicycle on to buses. Two taxi companies service El Verano: Vern's Taxi Service , 254 1st Street East, +1 707-938-8885. This was the only taxi service in Sonoma until 2013. Sonoma Taxi, +1 707-889-1266. A Sherpa-owned and -operated taxi service.