I wish I had known more about Santa Rosa earlier! I have been in the Bay Area for a few years, but this was my first chance to spend some quality time there. Santa Rosa is only a little bit more than an hour away from San Francisco and is the perfect escape from city life!

First, we stayed at the Flamingo Resort which was the perfect place for my young family! The Flamingo Resort just finished up with a large renovation and all reimagined rooms. It has an awesome mid-century vibe that makes it unique to just any other hotel. It is the perfect oasis in Santa Rosa! We spent most of our time at the pool. It had a large shallow end starting at 1.5 feet which gradually increased to 3 feet which meant my little one felt super comfortable in the water and we had plenty of room to play! Around the pool there are plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas. They even have cornhole, a large Jenga set and an oversized Connect Four game! While I was there, I met someone who has been taking his family to the Flamingo Resort every year since 2009. I was not surprised because it is the perfect place to gather!

The Flamingo Resort offers a poolside dining restaurant, The Wild Bird. Their Mahi tacos and Pole beans might have been worth the drive just themselves. They also have a poolside bar, health club, spa, Pilates, cycling studio, tennis courts and a lap pool. You can arrange childcare through the hotel as well to take advantage of these amenities kid free! We also were able to bring our dog with us as the hotel has rooms that are pet friendly. Some of the rooms offer bunk beds which is perfect if you have a larger family as well.

The first stop for us this trip was the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County. We were lucky to be there for its opening weekend. The museum has a spacious outdoor area where any kid can find something they love! There were large bubbles, a garden, a helicopter to climb in, tricycles, small rivers ponds to explore, story time, an art studio and so much more. It was S.T.E.A.M heaven! Anything you saw was kid friendly and interactive. If you have a toddler and you have not been, add it to your list now! We spent most the morning there but could have stayed longer.

After some pool time at the Flamingo Resort, we went to check out the Epicenter. Can I just say-WOW! The name speaks for itself; it is epic! This place is every kid’s dream. This 130,000 square foot warehouse holds so much for a family to do! There is a trampoline park, bowling alley, arcade games, laser tag, 3D rides (think Toy Story Mania in Disneyland), virtual reality, sports bar and more. In June, it will be starting up its soccer, basketball, and baseball leagues as well. Classes are offered for adults and kids. Epicenter has a full-size basketball court and 3 indoor soccer fields!

Epicenter had the kindest staff that has thought about ever last detail. There is a whole room dedicated to old school arcade games that parents would love and among the other, newer arcade games, they have an area set up with couches for parents to relax at while kids play. Whether you are looking for a place for your kid to start a soccer team, or a perfect Saturday outing with your family, the Epicenter is not one to miss.

For the last part of our stay at Santa Rosa we went to explore some hiking trails. This is where we realized that we would need to come back because there was so much left to explore! We ended up hiking in the Trione-Annadel State Park. It was so gorgeous! The trail was perfect because there was plenty of shade and it was easy enough for my three-year-old to do on her own. The wildflowers were also in bloom which was a bonus.

As you can tell, Santa Rosa is a great weekend getaway for a family and the Flamingo Resort is the perfect place to stay while you explore. It is tucked away and quiet but near so much! The next time we go, we want to explore Bodega Bay, Safari West, Sugarloaf State Park, Taylor Mountain Regional park or some of the beautiful wineries we drove by as we went up. As you can tell, we will go back more than once!

Xo,

Amber Sharapta

Weekend Getaway in Santa Rosa