Our gardener Mathew hard at work!

This is the most beautiful time in Sonoma County as the gardens start to sprout with beautiful spring flowers and fruits. You can almost feel the abundance of love coming from the local bees and green thumbs who have been painstakingly working to provide us with the such bounty. Our own gardeners Mathew and Anthony have worked hard the past few weeks to prune the roses, weed the planter boxes and spruce up the property. So far, they’ve added seven tomato plants, squash, peppers, herbs, melons and eggplant!

We are also getting ready for the annual Resorts in Bloom event that occurs June 8 – 10th to raise money for West County Health Center clinics.  During this time, all are invited to discover and experience the beautiful gardens, accommodations, and properties throughout western Sonoma County. The official tour offers exclusive access to eight of the most spectacular properties that western Sonoma county has to offer. Here at The Raford Inn, we will be ready to warmly welcome all locals and visitors to our Inn to share our beautiful gardens and hospitality with you and support a great local cause!

Wohler Bridge over the Russian River

With the summer heat rising and the river flowing, many of our guests and locals have ventured out to the Russian River for kayaking, fishing, and the scenic views. Perhaps one of our area’s most beautiful winding drives runs parallel to the Russian River and is interspersed with redwoods, farms, vineyards, and wineries. Our very own Wohler Road connects between two major roads, River Rd and Westside Rd, both of which offer hundreds of cyclists, wine tasters, and locals access over the Russian River every day. It’s the Wohler Bridge, built in 1922, that sits between Forestville, Guerneville, and Healdsburg that brings travelers from all over the world access over our beloved Russian River. But what some may not know about this steel truss bridge and Sonoma County Landmark is that it is one of the few remaining bridges from the 1900′s that’s still in use in California.

Be sure to come visit us and take a drive over the Wohler Bridge or maybe even plan a kayaking trip along the Russian River!

It is always important for us to ensure the most delicious breakfast cuisine to all of our guests, including those of our guests who are gluten free. For breakfast this morning, our innkeeper Alegre decided to incorporate Pamela’s Gluten-Free Baking Mix instead of flour. Our most recent guest and blogger, Beth Hillson, owner of the website Gluten Free Makeovers, agrees that there are many great products out there including flax and whole grain all purpose flour, which are 100% gluten free but are still just as tasty! Even if you aren’t gluten free it is a great way to incorporate healthy whole grains into your diet.

The results of our healthy endeavors were fabulously tasty Lemon Ginger Scones that our guests could not stop raving about! We figured it was time to highlight our gluten-free scones for others to try at home!

Alegre’s Lemon Ginger Gluten Free Scones

3 C  Pamela’s Gluten-Free Baking Mix
1/2 C Sugar
5 tsp Baking Powder
1 C. Butter (2 sticks)
1 C Meyer lemons & ginger (or whatever flavor you want)
1 egg
1/2 C Half & Half or milk (half & half is better)

1. Preheat oven to 375° or 350° in convection oven. 
2. Combine gluten free baking mix, sugar, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. 
3. Cut in the butter until it is the size of peas or smaller. 
4. Add in whatever fruit or flavor you desire. 
5. Whisk together the eggs and milk till frothy.
6. Add the dry ingredients, stirring till well blended. The dough should be cohesive and very sticky. 
7. Turn dough out and knead briefly. Roll dough out onto a 1/2 inch thick round. 
8. Cut into 8 wedges and place on the prepared baking sheet.
9. Bake 15 – 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Let us know how your scones turn out at home and be sure to try these other deliciously gluten free recipes!

They call it “Bud Break” and the vintners are all excited when it happens. This is the first sign in spring of the new vines and grapes to come for the year. Soon, we will see teeny-tiny little clusters of grapes forming. This is great reminder of the warm weather and our busy summer approaching.

If you are planning to visit the area, there are many great events coming in the area. This weekend is the Apple Blossom Festival at Ives Park in Sebastopol. The theme is “Old McBlossom on A Farm” celebrating Farmers. This area has always been know for agriculture, fruit, dairy, hops and now grapes. There are also several events at many wineries and restaurants honoring Earth Day this weekend. The weather is gorgeous, so come out and have some fun!

Sebastopol Apple Blossom Festival

We make a barrel of zinfandel from our Raford Inn home vineyard every year. Here is a video of Dane sharing the finished product with his parents and their friends on a recent visit from El Dorado County. Next time you visit Russian River Valley, be sure to ask Dane for a tour.