“Right Here. In the Middle of Everything.”
Whether you have your own transportation, or you make prior arrangements with us to provide a car and driver (or horse and buggy!), bike and guide, or map for hiking, we want your trip to be rich, unforgettable, and safe. Within 100 steps of our door is the famed Russian River Brewing Company with Brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo producing world renown ales and beers. Also, with a very short walk are dozens of wine tasting rooms, breweries, and restaurants with cuisines spanning the globe. In fact, within 1000 steps you will find over 300 places to shop (including a regional mall – Santa Rosa Plaza – with Apple, Macy’s, and dozens of specialty stores), over 70 restaurants, over 200 examples of public domain art and historic architecture, and thousands of species of trees, flowers, birds and other life.
The finest food and drink in the world! Really not an exaggeration when you realize that Sonoma County is a powerhouse in winemaking and beer brewing as well as organic agriculture. We create a full farm-to-table environment where we can produce world class cuisine with what can be sourced right here in Sonoma County – beer, wine, spirits, cheese, baked goods, meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, olive oil, chocolates, coffee roasting… – really the list (menu) of all the varieties of epicurean delights is in the thousands. Let our guides at Casa Bello plan an adventure that plays to your senses and tastes. Also, you can arrange with us for the use of our kitchen at Casa Bello for a guest chef, or you can jump into creating your own feast from fresh ingredients. People flock here from throughout the world for outdoor adventure. Home to Levi’s Gran Fondo, which will attract 7,500 cyclists riding their bicycles for charity, the county’s roads will also be used for the 7th stage of the 2016 Amgen Tour of California, were select teams of cyclists with Olympic pedigrees compete in stages totaling over nearly 800 miles of road courses throughout the State.
Starks Steak House, Sonoma County
Levi’s Gran Fondo
Our world class reputation for road racing for cycling enthusiasts, is shared with many other outdoor pursuits including: Swimming, Fishing and Boating in fresh and ocean waters, Triathlon, Running, Motor Racing (cars, motorcycles), Bocce Ball, Frisbee Golf, Equestrianism (Dressage, recreational riding, rodeo, draft, and more), Golf, Tennis, Rock Climbing, Zip Lining, Parasailing, Canoeing and Kayaking, Hiking, Camping, Mountain Biking, Road Cycling, Motorbikes and Scooters, Road Rallies with Exotic and Vintage Automobiles, Birding, Beach-combing, Rock hounding, Artistic pursuits of all genres, Ballooning, Wild-crafting, Vineyard and Farm Touring, Scuba Diving, Surfing, Soccer, Baseball, Football, and much, much more. With hundreds of festivals, concerts and fairs throughout the year, your visit with us will probably coincide with a celebration or two. Of course you will want to be pampered! Hair, nails, and skin all can get the attention of trained professionals within steps from Casa Bello. Want a massage? Choose from therapeutic or Swedish, aromatherapy, deep tissue, sports, shiatsu, reflexology, Reiki, lymphatic, Russian, zero balancing, or somatic are all offered here in downtown Santa Rosa.
Guests and friends of Casa Bello receive 10% off bike rentals. Hybrids, Mountain Bikes and Road Bikes available for some of California’s best biking from our friends at Trek Bikes. Rental days are 24hours so please indicate the actual day you will pick up and actual day you will return on your rental/reservation. Enter code “casabello10” to receive your 10% discount.
Many people find the roads and routes within Sonoma County challenging so they leave the transportation and planning to us. Do the same, and you will have a safe experience from a local with inside information. Relax!
Casa Bello is under 9 miles from the Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport (STS). Oakland International Airport (OAK – 70 miles) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO- 70 miles) is served by the Sonoma County Airporter. We are under 50 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. A thorough presentation of Sonoma County Tourism is here: www.sonomacounty.com
These are some of the adventures we have experienced:
Tracing the route of famed horticulturist Luther Burbank from his Home and Gardens
- Mountain Biking at Annadel State Park with bikes rented from our neighbors at Trek Bikes, followed by a brewery tour of Russian River Brewing Company, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Bear Republic Brewing Company and Third Street Aleworks.
- Tracing the route of famed horticulturist Luther Burbank from his Home and Gardens (just steps away) in Santa Rosa to his Gold Ridge Experiment Farm, with a stop at the Barlow and historic places in the West County. Included visits to organic farms and markets. We have used both bikes and motorcar for this adventure.
- Getting to know Santa Rosa citizen Charles M Schulz and the Peanuts Gang from the museum and research center, as well as viewing the numerous public domain sculpture throughout Santa Rosa
- Learning the history of Native Peoples (Pomo and Miwok) from this region by participating in basket making, powwows, and trips to both native art and cultural museums (experience the difference between the two).
- Kayaking in the Russian River Estuary and seeing seals, sea otters, bald eagles, steelhead, hundreds of types of birds and the occasional glimpse of whales passing by. Followed by a short hike to see where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean at dusk.
- Amazing and amusing ourselves over the life of Robert Ripley, creator of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!. Born here in our neighborhood on Christmas Day 1890, his museum is steps away in the Church of One Tree – a church made from only one redwood tree – Believe It or Not!
Kayaking the Russian River
Armstrong Woods Preserve, Sonoma County
- Hiking through thousand year-old Redwood trees in the Armstrong Woods Preserve and throughout the Russian River Valley. Followed by a farm-to-table meal on the Russian River and Austin Creek.
- Imagined living the life of writer Jack London by seeing his home and farm and visiting his favorite places in the Valley of the Moon.
- Tasting the wines produced from our 16 American Viticulture Areas in Sonoma County. Wine grape varieties included: (Reds – I liked them all) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Alicante Bouschet, Carignane, Charbono, Dolcetto, Barbera, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, and Petite Syrah; (Whites) Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Roussanne, Semillon, Pinot Gris, Marsanne, French Colombard, and my favorite, Viognier. While we have experienced many of our County’s wineries with tasting rooms, we look forward to tasting from all – over 200 – of them!
You name it, we will create a tour to meet your interests
(minimum 4 people, maximum 6)
Luther Burbank called Sonoma County “the chosen spot of all the earth as far as nature is concerned.”
- We also offer immersion tours based on cultural interest: Italian, Peruvian, Mexican, Chinese, British, Pomo, Miwok, Japanese, Russian, French, Korean, Ukrainian, and more.
- We offer sightseeing tours to all areas of Sonoma County.
- We offer wine tasting tours related to each of the 16 American Viticulture Areas (AVA) in Sonoma County.
- We offer enhanced food and dining experiences along many cuisine and food sourcing preferences: Farm-to-table, various cuisines, ultimate food truck, one-on-one with respected chefs, Intro to SRJC’s award winning culinary and viticulture programs, etc.
- We offer enhanced experiences for most of your favorite passions: food, wine, microbrew, spirits, farming, art, sports, natural and cultural history.
- Getting up close to bees and beneficial insects by hanging out at our favorite organic farms.
- Having a professional and accomplished musician or visual artist give us practical advice.
- Visiting a lapidary to work with our award winning jeweler to craft a unique piece of jewelry.
- Donating time to work on trails and beaches.
Our home is named after our leader – Bello! Bello is a mix of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Pekingese. “Bello” means beautiful boy in Italian (pronounced “Bell-o”), although sometimes we say if with Spanish pronunciation: “Bay-o”! Watch how this gentle dog becomes a therapy dog, in service to our community. He loves to entertain; play a harmonica or accordion and he will sing along, otherwise he hardly makes a sound without musical accompaniment – Believe It or Not!
Right Here. In the Middle of Everything!
Bello, our leader