The Idea behind Sonoma Retreats

For years, I've hosted friends and family here in Sonoma — some for a single afternoon, others for days at a time. A visit from an old friend. A sister's trip. A reunion with people I hadn't seen in too long. Each time, I found myself doing the same thing: putting together days built around who they were and what would make their time here feel special, not just scheduled.

Over time, I started noticing something. The trips that meant the most — to them and to me — were never the single-day outings, and they were never just about the wine. Sonoma has so much more to offer than vineyards: a wild, dramatic coastline, towering redwood groves, incredible food, charming little shops, and a pace of life that invites you to actually slow down. But what really set those longer trips apart wasn't the scenery — it was the kind of conversations that happened. Not small talk. Not "how's work" on the way to the next stop. The real stuff — the conversations that only surface when people have time, space, and nowhere else to be.

I decided to do a trial run with a group of Canadian friends — my go-to travel crew, the ones I've logged many travel hours with. We spent several days exploring Sonoma County together. We watched fog roll over the vineyards, wandered through towering redwoods, tasted our way through a few of my favorite wineries, ate well, did a little shopping, and carved out a retreat-style gathering made just for us, guided in part by my friend Suzie, who has a gift for drawing out exactly the kind of conversation that matters. What struck me most wasn't any single stop — it was watching the conversation shift over the days.

It was, in many ways, just another version of something I'd already been doing for years with the people I love. But this time, I realized: this is exactly what I should be offering everyone else too.

Introducing Sonoma Retreats

Sonoma Retreats is a new offering from Sonoma Luxury Getaways — multi-day, fully custom experiences designed to spark a different kind of conversation. Not the itinerary logistics, not the small talk that fills a rushed day trip — but the kind of honest, unhurried conversation that happens when people finally have the time and space for it. Every retreat is built around that: real meals without a clock running, moments designed for reflection as much as exploration, and days paced slowly enough for your group to actually connect. For retreats where it fits, I bring in Suzie, whose gift for guiding meaningful conversation helps a group go deeper than they would on their own.

Whether it's a girls' trip, a family reunion, a milestone celebration, or simply an excuse to gather the people who matter most, I'll design every detail — the stops, the pacing, the meals — around creating the space for those deeper conversations to happen naturally. Sonoma becomes the backdrop; what you say to each other while you're here is the point.

Want to be one of the first?

Sonoma Retreats is launching soon, and I'd love for you to be among the first to plan your own. If you've been craving a different kind of time with the people you love — the kind where real conversation has room to happen — reach out. I'd love to start talking through what your retreat could look like.