There’s no denying that Sonoma county is known for its wine, so much so that when we asked the front desk at our hotel for some hiking recommendations, they were somewhat vaguely given to us on a vineyard map made for tourists. Still, between tastings, Meredith and I made a point to schedule some time to see some of the natural beauty of California and to hike at the awe-inspiring Sonoma Coast State Park.

On our first full morning, we left Healdsburg early and made our way to the coast, watching the sun come up over the Russian River. We made it to the Goat Rock Beach portion of the park just as the morning fog was heading out to sea, and amazed by the sweeping views and pristine beauty, couldn’t help but pull over at one of the first trailheads. The view was amazing – dramatic cliffs over the pacific, rock formations jutting from the fields, deer waking up from their sleep – all in a massively expansive panorama in front of us. ‘Our’ section of the park was completely empty and we didn’t see another human in all the time we spent exploring the trails around the Sunset Boulders. It was a hike where we were both so in the moment that there were long periods of time where we didn’t say a word, but just just smiled and took it all in.

In my honest opinion, our trip to Sonoma would have been nowhere near as amazing as it was without this short morning away from the vineyards and eateries.