What makes a visit to Sonoma Country so special this time of year? For one, all the Holiday Events. This Thursday from five to eight, Windsor’s utterly charming Old Downtown and Town Green become a magical setting for “Windsor’s Wonderland of Lights.”

And what would a Holiday season be without “The Nutcracker.” Sonoma Country’s finest dancers along with the orchestra and Santa Rosa Children’s Chorus present this ballet classic at the Wells Fargo Center of the Arts on December 14th, 15th and 16th.

Meantime, in Petaluma at the Cinnabar Theater through December 16th, it’s the operetta “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a great Holiday tradition. A wonderful place to stay to attend of any these events is the Doubletree Hotel Sonoma Wine Country in Rohnert Park.

Listen to this Postcard.

Christmas is fast approaching and it’s time for Mary Ann and me to do what I’ve been talking about these last few weeks. We’re headed to Sonoma Country to do some last minute gift shopping, wine tasting, glorious dining and to say Happy Holidays to the many friends we’ve made there over the years. Looking forward to 2008, our Sonoma Country calendar is already beginning to fill up with terrific events.

There’s the return of the Cloverdale Old Time Fiddle Contest & Festival in January, the Amgen Tour of California in February, the Artisan Cheese Festival and the Russian River Wine Road Barrel Tasting Month in March, as well as the Sonoma Jazz Festival in May. For all of us in Sonoma Country, enjoy the Holidays and we’ll see you in the new year.

Just off the River Road in Santa Rosa is the Vintner’s Inn and the award-winning restaurant, John Ash & Company. It’s one of our favorite romantic getaway locations. Dine there from December 12th through the 24th, and the restaurant will give you, while supplies last, a wax-sealed envelope.

They call it their “Twelve Days of Christmas Gift.” Now return with the envelope and dine there January 3rd through March 31st and they will open the wax seal. You can end up winning a cocktail party for 20 or an overnight stay at the Vintner’s Inn with dinner for two, instant dinners or lunches for four or a minimum $25 gift certificate. And the Inn’s location is a perfect jumping off place to visit wineries in the Russian, Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys.

Happy Thanksgiving! Perhaps, by now, you’ve dined, reflected on all you have to be grateful for and you are now wondering what to do with the rest of the long weekend. How about a weekend stay in Sonoma Country to do some wine-tasting?

Pedroncelli and Peterson Wineries in Dry Creek Valley are having their Holiday Open Houses on Friday and Saturday. In neighboring Alexander Valley, stop by Stryker Sonoma Winery with its award-winning tasting room. In the Russian River Valley, Paradise Ridge has an open house this Friday and a winemaker dinner on December 9th.

The dramatic Sonoma Coast is a wonderful place to visit anytime. This particular time of year, the art galleries, shops, restaurant, wineries and lodgings of Bodega Bay, Gualala, Jenner and the other coastal villages are all caught up in the Holiday spirit.

There are great places to stay. For example, the Inn at the Tides. Great views, a splendid restaurant, and bring your golf clubs as they are just five minutes away from Bodega Harbor Golf Links. Another terrific place that is planning a sumptuous Thanksgiving is Sonoma Coast Villa and Spa. In December, stay three nights there and the fourth is free.

Sonoma Country is dotted with wonderful wineries. A couple to visit are Seghesio Family Vineyards in Healdsburg where they invite you to try their Family Table experience. And you can taste an award-winning sangiovese at D’Argenzio Winery in the Sonoma Valley

As this is Thanksgiving week, this is more an invitation than a postcard. Remember how, as a child you looked forward to visiting your grandparents? Their house was warm and welcoming, the food was great and the spirit of the Holiday was everywhere. That’s how I feel about a stay in Sonoma Country.

This is a terrific time to visit. For instance, the Sheraton Sonoma County Petaluma is featuring a special Thanksgiving dinner. Plan a stay and you’ll have time to explore Petaluma’s historic downtown and other attractions.

Further north, there are Holiday specials at the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country with its panoramic views of the Santa Rosa valley. And in Santa Rosa, the Cafe Europe Restaurant is serving a Thanksgiving dinner in a European setting.

This Postcard is brought to you by the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau ,celebrating Sonoma Country; America’s Premier Wine, Spa and Coastal Destination.

Yesterday I mentioned that St. Valentine’s Day isn’t too far away. This year it falls on a Wednesday. I like that because you can celebrate it midweek or on either weekend. Now I’ve applied all sorts of adjectives to describe Sonoma Country but let me add one more. It’s romantic. A great place to wow your partner.

There are so many ways to fashion a Valentine’s getaway. For instance, the Sheraton Sonoma County-Petaluma Hotel is centrally located to enjoy all Sonoma Country has to offer. Plus the rooms are stylish and romantic. I might add you might want to return in March as the hotel plays host to the first ever weekend-long Artisan Cheese Festival, March 9th through the 12th.

I have a great idea. This is a wonderful time of year to getaway to somewhere fun and appealing. But, you say, there’s so much shopping to do. Here’s how to both. Bring your Holiday gift list to Guerneville where the merchants of this colorful Russian River community are holding an open house on December 7th. You can stroll colorfully decorated Main Street and do some all-important shopping and dining. But that’s not your only opportunity. On December 16th and 17th, stop by the Holiday Craft Fair. It’s here that local artists and vendors offer a creative selection of giftware at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall. By the way, there are plenty of welcoming places to stay and dine right in Guerneville or nearby. Happy shopping!

I read something recently that really opened my eyes to the rewards of giving thanks. Someone wrote that gratitude or thankfulness unlocks the bounty of life. I believe that. In our family, we have a Thanksgiving tradition you might want to try. Each of us comes to the table with ten things we learned this past year. Then we share them from grandmother to youngest child. It really reveals the bounty and love of life.

So, on behalf of the innkeepers, restaurateurs, winemakers, vintners, hotel staffs and all the other people who strive daily to make your stay in Sonoma Country pleasurable, Happy Thanksgiving. Come visit and unlock the bounty of Sonoma Country.

Sonoma Country is kid friendly. That includes Petaluma, a city that has two events planned for this long weekend that your youngsters and you will really enjoy. On Saturday at noon, Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at the Petaluma Riverfront aboard the tug “Petaluma” to greet everybody and hand out candy canes. Then at 1:30 in the afternoon, the annual Antique Wagon and Horse Procession takes place in Historic Downtown Petaluma. It’s a fabulous parade of antique wagons, decorated horse teams and fairy-tale characters on horseback. By the way, many of Petaluma’s B&B’s, inns and hotels have availabilities. It’s a great time of the year to be in Petaluma.

What a week we have to look forward to. I should add that this is a great time to visit Sonoma Country with the vineyards wearing their fall colors. People are busy putting the final touches on a number of planned events and celebrations, many of which are Sonoma Country traditions. I’ll mention as many as I can over the next few days.

For instance, A Christmas Carol at the Rep in Sebastopol opens November 24th and runs through December 23rd. Songs, dances and surprises are all part of their inventive version of the Dicken’s Christmas classic. With plenty of charming places to stay and dine in the Sebastopol area, you can plan a festive post- Thanksgiving Day getaway.

With the Holidays fast approaching, Sonoma Valley wineries are filling their calendars with myriad activities that include all sorts of celebrations and parties.

Some are planning women’s nights out. Others offer special shopping assistance for men and yet others are promoting Holiday winemaker dinners.

Fortunately, the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance have posted a timely schedule called Holiday in the Vines on their colorful website. It’s a very easy way and an efficient way for you to find out where all these events are taking place. Pick one or two and include them in your Sonoma Valley Holiday getaway plans.

I’m Mike Cleary with a postcard from Sonoma Country. Mindful of St. Valentine’s Day, I’ve been checking out places to stay and dine in Sonoma Country. There are so many welcoming, comfortable, affordable and romantic inns and bed and breakfasts. For instance, the Inn at Occidental. Minutes from the coast and the Russian River, this inn is beautifully situated. Full of folk art and eclectic antiques, the rooms and public areas are an eye-pleasing delight. The breakfasts are indulgent and they even have a package that includes a visit to Osmosis Spa. Nearby are a number of restaurants all well-regarded like the Union Hotel, Willowood Market, Underwood Bar and Bistro and Mosaic Restaurant and Wine Lounge. I’ll check other Sonoma Country regions of romance in future postcards.

This is Mike Cleary with a postcard from Sonoma Country. There are more than 40 spas in Sonoma Country, confirming it as one of America’s premier spa destinations. All of them are known and respected for their unique settings and individual treatments.

For instance, the Kenwood Inn and Spa is the first Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa in the United States. Their spa products use vine and grape seed extracts. Then in Sebastopol there are several spa options. The Little Spa in the Garden offers European botanical skin care and Skin Sense Day Spa employs a variety of natural products.

If you’re thinking Holiday, gift certificates to a Sonoma Country Spa is a keen idea. Well, great minds think alike.

Valentine’s Day. Have you made your plans yet?

I’m Mike Cleary with a postcard from Sonoma Country. How about celebrating Valentine’s Day in Sonoma Country–and doing it in such a fabulous manner that you’ll want to book the same place for next year. That’s how traditions get started.

For instance the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn has a “Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams” package that includes a bottle of Gloria Ferrer, caviar, picnic basket lunch, wine-tasting at a local winery and other goodies. On the Sonoma Coast, the Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa has a package called “Do Not Disturb.” I think that says everything you need to know about it. (By the way, both hotels have excellent restaurants.)

I’m Mike Cleary with a postcard from Sonoma Country. Christmas is fast approaching and it’s time for Mary Ann and me to do what I’ve been talking about for these last few weeks. And that’s head to Sonoma Country for some gift shopping, wine tasting, glorious dining and saying Happy Holidays to friends we’ve made there over the years. It’s the perfect place to shop for really unique gifts that will be appreciated by those who receive them.

I think of Kozlowski Farms in Forestville, for example, with its dizzying array of marinades, mustards and preserves. Great gift items. Then, of course, there are all the arts and crafts that can be found in so many of the Sonoma Country winery tasting rooms and those charming shops that are in every part of Sonoma Country.

Enjoy the Holidays and we’ll see you in the new year.

I’m Mike Cleary with a Thanksgiving week postcard from Sonoma Country. One of our very favorite places to visit in Sonoma Country is Safari West, a 400 acre wildlife preserve that truly is the spirit of Africa in the heart of the wine country.

We love staying overnight in one of their luxury safari tents, taking a tour through the preserve and having dinner with Nancy and Peter Lang, their enthusiastic crew and the other guests. If you haven’t made Thanksgiving plans, their chef is preparing a festive menu.

Imagine dining with cheetahs, lemurs, giraffes and the other exotic mammals and birds who call Safari West home. I assure you it will be a Thanksgiving Day you’ll never forget.