Winery-free zone: Experience California’s Sonoma County without the juice

Sonoma County has a reputation for outstanding wineries. Cool Pacific breezes and a variety of soils make this stretch of Northern California a perfect place to grow grapes. But there’s more to Sonoma County than its vineyards. These six refreshing options present the region in a different light, showcasing both nature and culture.

Take a walk on the wild side at Safari West

It’s easy to forget where you are during a visit to the wildlife preserve Safari West. Spread across 400 acres in the hills of Santa Rosa, Safari West is home to more than 900 animals, including giraffes, zebras, rhinos, flamingos, cape buffalo and impalas. As you make your way through the vast property on a guided open-air vehicle tour (sit on the roof for an extra thrill), it feels like you’re driving around the plains of Tanzania, waiting for the Great Migration to start.

Safari West was founded in 1993 by Nancy and Peter Lang as a wildlife conservation and education center. No two tours are alike; guides follow the animals’ lead and stay back, giving visitors the chance to appreciate the wildlife without encroaching. Along the way, guides share insights, and tours will stay in habitats longer when the animals are active and playing together or eating.

The fun doesn’t have to end once a tour is over. Guests can spend the night in one of Safari West’s custom-finished safari tents from Botswana. Each comes with a private bathroom, ceiling fan, space heater and viewing deck, and a continental breakfast. After dark, expect to hear the park’s nocturnal animals.

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Stare up in awe at the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve

For more than 1,000 years, the towering coastal redwoods at this natural reserve near Guerneville have stood tall, providing shade and tranquility. The wheelchair-accessible Pioneer Nature Trail passes by the Colonel Armstrong Tree, believed to be more than 1,400 years old and the oldest in the grove; the Icicle Tree, covered with substantial burl formations; and the Parson Jones Tree, the tallest in the park at more than 310 feet. The protected reserve covers 805 acres and is a reminder of what the landscape looked like before logging began in the 19th century.

Stop at downtown Guerneville for a heavenly buttermilk biscuit at Piknik Town Market. Order one with jam and butter, or go savory and get a biscuit topped with vegetarian gravy or stuffed with bacon, lettuce and tomato. While waiting for your breakfast, look around and shop for locally made shirts, hats, candles and tchotchkes. There are several stores along the main drag, including the whimsical Guerneville 5&10 filled with gifts, candy, greeting cards, art supplies and more.

Embrace a childhood favorite at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center

The gang’s all here. Charlie Brown, Woodstock, Lucy, Linus and, of course, Snoopy are celebrated at the cheerful Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa.

“Peanuts” creator Schulz moved to Sonoma County in the late 1950s, and the museum is filled with his personal artifacts. They include mementos from his childhood and military service and murals he painted for his children’s bedrooms, plus original comic panels, a recreation of Schulz’s studio and an impressive tile piece made of more than 3,500 “Peanuts” strips. In the Education Room, visitors can be creative too, drawing characters and making animations for zoetropes.

Across the street is Snoopy’s Home Ice, an indoor skating rink Schulz built in 1969, where youe can “lace up your skates for public sessions and lessons” or “cheer on” the Santa Rosa Growlers hockey team, said Travel and Leisure. At The Warm Puppy Café, hot cocoa is a popular treat year-round, and Snoopy’s Gallery & Gift Shop offers “Peanuts” T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, magnets, stuffed animals and “all the other merch you could imagine.”

Float down the Russian River

During the summer, “dawdlers of all kinds” head to the Russian River with their “kayaks, canoes, inner tubes — just about anything that will float,” said the Los Angeles Times. Starting in Guerneville, revelers glide past redwoods, vineyards, beaches and other “scenery that might as well be a Northern California highlight reel.” This area is filled with small, “quirky” communities like Monte Rio and Forestville, where you can rent equipment.

Go for a swim at Francis Ford Coppola Winery

This isn’t your typical winery. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola purchased this Geyserville property in 2006 and used it as another canvas for his storytelling.

While designing the estate, Coppola was inspired by Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens and classic amusement parks, and wanted the property to be a place where people could gather for activities beyond drinking wine — a “rarity among vineyards,” said Secret San Francisco. There is a “massive” pool surrounded by comfortable loungers, along with cabines that have a private shower and changing area, a bocce court and a movie gallery.

Visitors can take a self-guided audio tour through the curated gallery, which features memorabilia from Coppola’s films and life, including Don Corleone’s desk from “The Godfather,” surfboards from “Apocalypse Now,” a Tucker Torpedo car from 1948 and several Oscar statuettes. After your tour, lunch at Rustic is only a few steps away. Offering a “quintessential Sonoma Wine Country dining experience,” Rustic focuses on seasonal ingredients grown on property and traditional Italian dishes, said USA Today. Pastas are made in-house, the pizzas are wood-fired and a bag of delicious savory zeppole is presented at the start of every meal. Save room for dessert: The house-made sorbetto is fantastic.

Enjoy R&R at the retro cool Flamingo Resort & Spa

Flamingo Resort and Spa opened in Santa Rosa in 1957 and “wears its midcentury influence on its sleeve,” said The Michelin Guide. The 10-acre, pet-friendly property is anchored by a huge pool, where guests can splash away from morning until well into the night. Renovated rooms are “midcentury in inspiration and totally modern in their comforts,” with mini-refrigerators, coffee and tea stations and floor-to-ceiling windows with blackout curtains.

Guests have access to tennis and pickleball courts and a fitness center offering spin, yoga, a sauna and a steam room, and barre and aerobic classes. For a relaxing massage or facial, head to the spa, and for dinner, look no further than the Lazeaway Club. Sit outside on the patio overlooking the pool and enjoy the delicious Cal-Pacific cooking, like the bulgogi burger with umami fries, bibimbap bowl and seared salmon with shimeji mushrooms in a coconut-lemongrass broth. End the night at the Vintage Space for live music, dance parties and Thursday night stand-up shows with Don’t Tell Comedy.

Catherine Garcia was a guest of Sonoma County Tourism