A scenic ride through forest and vineyards with beautiful panoramas of the distant mountain ranges. A basically flat road. Plan for half-day to stop at wineries along the way and indulge in a dip in the Russian River.
Mileage: 21 Miles (3 - 4 Hours Riding Time)
Rating: Medium Difficulty
Route: From Healdsburg take Westside Road, 10 miles, which turns onto Wohler Road, 2 miles, and then left onto Eastside Road for 6 miles. Turn left on Redwood Highway which leads right into Healdsburg Avenue and the plaza.
Begin your trip at the Healdsburg Plaza. For those of you who are planning a picnic lunch you might try The Salame Tree Deli. They make up some sumptuous sandwiches. Take Healdsburg Avenue to Mill Street and turn right. This is also the beginning of Westside Road. The road is busy and narrow and you will pass under the freeway and over what's left of Dry Creek—a gravel pit. The road now bears left and you leave the city behind and enter the quiet vineyard area. At your left you can see the mountain ranges many miles in the distance.
Westside Road is lined with oak, eucalyptus, and bay trees and the aromas accompany you almost the entire trip. The road widens now and becomes smoother where it was rather bumpy and narrow before. If you look across the vineyards you can just make out the telephone poles of Eastside. Road, your route back. You pass a gravel operation which sort of puts a; damper on the tranquility of the forest, after which the road twists and turns and is dotted with old farms and houses.
Hop Kiln Winery is at your left. They are open to the public on the weekends and, when this book was being written, was the setting for the movie,"The Magic of Lassie". Further on you will pass Davis Bynum Winery.
They have a small tasting area and delicious selection of wines that they will let you sample. The road becomes more densely wooded now and feels deliciously cool on a hot day.
Westside Road now turns right and takes you 9 miles into Guerneville. you may choose to take this road and return 17 miles later to complete the trip. If not, continue on Wohler Road, across the concrete bridge, and go for a short dip in the river. This may be a good spot to stop for lunch if you can find a shaded spot. It's rather barren along here.
Continue along this road and, at the crossroads at the Raford House, bear left onto Eastside Road. This road is similar to Westside Road, perhaps a bit flatter and more wooded. It will continue for quite a while. After you pass Kaiser Gravel Operations you will begin to notice colorful gravel trucks roaring by at express train speeds. They are large trucks and pass very close to the side of the road, so be careful! On your left lush valleys harboring miles of vineyards nestle below expansive panoramas of the surrounding hills. You can find Westside Road by looking for the telephone poles directly across the vineyards. After you pass West Windsor River Road you can kiss the gravel trucks good-bye. The road becomes smoother now and widens out.
At the stop sign turn left on Old Redwood Highway to Healdsburg. Shortly you will see Sonoma Vineyards, a modern and elegant building with picturesque pools and beautiful architecture. They have a large tasting room and you can sit at wooden tables while partaking of their large selection of wines. The staff will be pleased to answer any of your questions about wines.
Continue on Old Redwood Highway. You will be getting into heavier traffic as you approach the outskirts of Healdsburg. Pass under the freeway and you are on Healdsburg Avenue. Just before you get to the bridge you will see a sign saying Healdsburg Memorial Beach. This is a free beach where you can rent canoes. You might consider stopping here for a while to cool off and relax from your ride. You don't have far to go now. Once you've crossed the bridge you're practically there. The road will lead you directly to the plaza and your car.
Variation: You may want to extend your trip 17 miles by combining the River Road Ride and taking Westside Road straight to Guerneville, returning along River Road. This would comprise a 38-mile trip.
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