The heart and soul of the region, this city is best explored by car and some walking. It is a very mixed bag, but there are addresses you should not miss. As Snoopy fans, we went straight to the M Schultz Museum. Two hours felt like 10 minutes. When we left the museum, we walked to 4thand Davis Streets. Emily tried her first proper ice coffee at theFlying Goatwhile I sipped my extra silky cappuccino, mixing it with mouthfuls of water.

On our way to the city's most charming shop, Miracle Plum, I got a bit carried away at Whistlestop Antiques buying cutlery. I let the girls indulge with popsicles in the courtyard while I discovered all the treats at Miracle Plum, still enjoying my preserved Meyer lemons and cotton towels at home. Whole Foods was our last shopping stop on this trip, so I cleared some of their shelves to enjoy back in Latvia.

There is a large Whole Foods shop in Santa Rosa with everything you need for eating while in Sonoma and for filling up your suitcases with goodies to take back home.