We just got back from an amazing kid-free trip to Sonoma and it was SO, so beautiful! We went to Sonoma on our honeymoon and have dreamed about going back ever since so this was really special. Here’s how we made this trip happen for a fraction of the cost using points:
Flights: I booked one ticket from MCI to Oakland using points (30k ish round trip) and then added my husband as my Companion so he flew for just the cost of taxes and fees ($11.20/round trip). He also has his own Companion Pass and usually we have the kids as our Companion but I changed mine to be him for this trip. You can learn how we earn Companion Passes HERE!
Rental Car: We rented a car for the one hour drive from Oakland to the hotel for $178 total. There are also shuttle services that take you to and from the airport but these were pricer than a rental car. One of these cards would be a great way to earn points to offset the cost of a rental car!
Hotel: We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country for 12k points/night (36k points total). We aren’t super picky when it comes to hotels but I’ll be honest that this wasn’t our fave property we’ve stayed in. It definitely felt dated and our bathroom had some ants in it. The name is also a little deceiving because this property is actually located in Santa Rosa, which is close to many wineries but 30-40 minutes from actual downtown Sonoma. Just something to keep in mind! The property wasn’t horrible but definitely didn’t blow us away.
What We Did: We only had two full days but we packed them full of so much tasty food and wine!
Day One: We started the morning with a seated tasting at Ledson winery. This property looks like a giant castle and the interior had such a cool vibe!
After that we Ubered to Kunde Winery down the road and did their cave tour experience. Kunde was by far one of our favorite spots we visited. The property is so beautiful and the rolling hills covered in red and gold leaves were magical. The cave experience was a beautiful table set inside their wine caves where we sampled their estate wines with charcuterie and it was so much fun! We ended up staying on the grounds for another hour or two after just to enjoy the wine and views.
Day Two: On this day we had a full day wine tour booked with Bohemian Highway and it was SUCH a great experience! They planned a customized tour for us based on our wine preferences and chauferred us around Sonoma county in a Land Rover.
Our tour with them included a morning tour at the lovely family owned Sangiacomo Vineyards, a delicious lunch at the owner’s restaurant Bloom Carneros (the food and outdoor vibes were amazing), and then an incredible golf car tour and wine tasting on the go of the the Durell Vineyard, a gorgeous estate with rolling hills tucked way off the beaten path. This tour was such a unique experience and was places we never would have found if we’d booked it ourselves!
We also had some amazing dinners at the Bird and the Bottle, Salt and Stone, and Stark’s steakhouse. The food was delicious and we couldn’t get enough of all the beautiful outdoor patios!
We don’t get to sneak away for kid-free trips often so this was the perfect romantic getaway that didn’t involve a ton of travel or a super expensive budget! If you’re looking for a fun long weekend trip from Kansas City, definitely consider California wine country, especially in the fall. It really was so lovely and we can’t recommend it enough if you’re looking for a way to use your points for wine country!
