By Melanie Anderson

It’s not unusual to see people walking about in bathrobes and sandals at The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, located in the heart of the beautiful wine country in Sonoma Valley.

Though the resort is exclusive and fully pampers its guests, comfort is the hotel’s top priority, even in its fine dining restaurant, Sante, where casual clothing is encouraged. Hosted daily wine tasting takes place in the lobby between 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

The suites come with a complimentary bottle of wine, a wood-burning fireplace, and a balcony or private patio, but the best feature is the large Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom.

A girls’ day at the Fairmont’s spa might just be the best day of a busy mom’s year – there’s rejuvenating thermal mineral pools, a European-style bathing ritual, and numerous spa treatments including massages, facials and body wraps, and treatments designed especially for couples.

The underground hot mineral springs on the property was first discovered by Native Americans. Later, the hot springs were noticed by an eccentric San Francisco physician who built a small health resort on the site in 1840. Fifty years later, a young Englishman named Captain H.E. Boyes bought the property and built the Boyes Hot Springs Hotel. During the early 1920s, wealthy patrons from San Francisco enjoyed the hot mineral resort, which featured electric lights, running water, moving pictures and a glass-enclosed swimming pool. The resort was considered the "largest mineral tank in the world" until a fire destroyed the hotel in 1923.

In 1927, a new hotel rose from the ashes, and replicating the look of California missions, the Inn featured an arcade and bell tower. Through the years, the Inn has undergone many renovations but the original buildings remain. In 1980, the Inn was again transformed but kept its 1920 grandeur. A spa and gourmet dining was added in 1981, and in 1993 a new source of hot springs was found 1,100 feet directly below the Inn. A new state-of-the-art 40,000 square foot spa opened in 2000.

For pure pampering and relaxation, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa fits the bill. But if you need a little activity in addition to all that relaxing, try the swimming pools, the private 18-hole championship golf course, take a free fitness class or work out in the cardio room, go on a wine tasting excursion, or a hiking and biking tour. On a nearby hiking trail on a clear day, you can see San Francisco’s financial district 50 miles away. With so much to do, you may not want to leave the property the entire weekend.

But if sight-seeing and wine tasting is on the menu for a weekend getaway in the Sonoma Valley, here’s a list of things to do.

Sonoma Valley

No question, the Sonoma Valley is simply beautiful, especially in the spring when fragrant flowers are blooming. Some of the activities to enjoy include wine touring and tasting, bicycling, hiking, hot air ballooning, biplane rides and horseback riding. For more information about Sonoma Valley, see http://www.sonomavalley.com or call (707) 996-1090.

Things to do:

Visit Old Faithful Geyser in Calistoga. One of only three Old Faithful geysers in the world, it erupts approximately every 40 minutes. (707) 942-6463. http://www.oldfaithfulgeyser.com.

Sebastiani Vineyards Winery, 389 Fourth Street East, Sonoma. Family-owned since 1904, located just a few blocks from Sonoma’s historic downtown plaza. Open daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wine tasting, gift shop, historical tours and picnic grounds. (800) 888-5532. http://www.sebastiani.com.

Visit the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, in honor of the "Peanuts" cartoonist, and get a first-hand look at some of the characters, including Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and Pigpen. (707) 579-4452.

Visit the home of General Mariano Guadeloupe Vallejo, the founder of the Pueblo of Sonoma. The mansion holds artifacts from the late 19^th century and is part of the Sonoma State Historic Park. Located on West Spain Street. (707) 938-9559.

See the Petrified Forest near Calistoga. Hike through the majestic giant redwoods and gaze in awe at trees over three million years old. (707) 942-6667. http://www.petrifiedforest.org.

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, 551 Broadway, Sonoma. Exhibits include: Never to Forget: Faces of the Fallen, handmade portraits of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, through February 26. Sechs Von Europa (Six from Europe), paintings and sculptures from six female contemporary artists from Central Europe, April 8-June 11.

Just outside Calistoga, Safari West, a private wildlife reserve, brings Africa to Sonoma County for those who crave a walk on the wild side. Sleep in an authentic African tent and take a safari jeep tour to view many wild beasts. Safari West Wildlife Preserve and Tent Camp, 3115 Porter Creek Road Santa Rosa, CA 95404. (707) 579-2551 or (800) 616-2695. Email safariwest@safariwest.com or visit http://www.safariwest.com.

If You Go

The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
(707) 938-9000
www.fairmont.com