THUNDERDOME

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You are cordially summoned to

The

THUNDERDOME

Healdsburg, California

September 9–13, 2026

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Thunderdome Makes It Out of the Group Chat

A notification you never saw coming

You are cordially invited to abandon responsibility and join us in Healdsburg for a highly sophisticated, definitely mature getaway.

  • Luxury accommodations at an are-we-allowed-to-be-here estate
  • Aggressive poolside hangs
  • Offensively perfect weather
  • Someone using the word "mouthfeel" too confidently
  • Late-night conversations that solve nothing but feel important
  • Hot takes no one asked for and at least one person saying, "we should do this every year"

Dress code: Who cares. Sunglasses. Emotional resilience.

Hydration strategy: Unclear.

Vibes: Immaculate. Unregulated.

Come as friends.
Leave as lore.

(And because no one booked a returnable flight.)

The Estate

This is where you'll be staying. Free of charge. Try not to break anything.

Grand great room with vaulted ceilings
The Great Room
Pool at twilight with slide and hills
The Pool
Fireplace with champagne
The Fireplace
Formal garden overlooking valley
The View
Outdoor dinner table on the terrace
The Dinner Table
Covered patio at sunset
The Sunset Patio

Inside the Rooms

Five bedrooms. All recently renovated. Yes, there's enough space for everyone.

Dining room with mural wallpaper and fireplace
The Dining Room
Grand kitchen with professional range
The Kitchen
Living room with sectional and gallery wall
The Living Room
Primary bedroom with four-poster canopy bed
The Primary Suite
Bedroom with channel-tufted bed and Persian rug
The Gold Room
Guest bedroom with blue headboard
The Blue Room
Guest bedroom with upholstered headboard
The Garden Room
Twin bedroom with cane headboards
The Twin Room
Bathroom with freestanding soaking tub
The Soaking Tub
Open plan living and kitchen area
The Great Room
Vineyard rows stretching into the hills
While You're Here

The Agenda (Loosely)

Sonoma and Napa Valley are aggressively beautiful and almost offensively well-stocked with things to do. Here's what's within striking distance of the estate. A true day-by-day agenda is coming soon — for now, just know the options are unreasonable.

The Pool & Hot Tub Situation

The estate has a pool, a hot tub, and a water slide. You will rotate between all three like a lazy river of poor decisions. The hot tub will become the unofficial headquarters for every late-night conversation that didn't need to happen but absolutely had to. Bring a float, a drink, and zero plans.

aggressive lounging

Downtown Healdsburg

The town square is dangerously charming. Tasting rooms, boutiques, restaurants, and the kind of bookstore where you buy a $40 cookbook you'll never open. Peak wandering energy.

main character walk

Tennis & Pickleball

Private court on the property with a ball machine, so you don't even need to find a willing opponent. Pickleball gear is also on hand for those who've made it their entire personality. Work out your competitive demons or just look good in a headband. No skill level required, only confidence.

unearned athleticism

Dining & Cooking

Farm-to-table is not a marketing term here, it's just how restaurants work. We'll hit some incredible spots in town, but we'll also be cooking at the estate — grocery runs for charcuterie boards, fancy sandwich spreads, and whatever else the group decides it can't live without. The kitchen is built for this. Expect competitive cheese plate assembly.

reservations + grocery runs

Wine Tasting

You're in the middle of Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, and Russian River Valley. World-class wineries are a short stumble away. Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay — find your grape personality and defend it loudly.

mouthfeel territory

Healdsburg Farmers' Market

Running since 1978 and one of California's original certified farmers' markets. Saturday mornings, 8:30 to noon — local produce, artisan cheeses, honey, flowers, prepared foods, live music, and cooking demos. The kind of place where you buy a $12 peach and don't regret it.

saturday morning ritual

Spa & Massage

Healdsburg has no shortage of ways to be professionally relaxed. We're looking into bringing a massage therapist directly to the estate — because why leave the property when the property is this good? Failing that, there are excellent spas in town. Either way, the full "I deserve this" experience is happening.

aggressive self-care

Morning Yoga

Start the day like someone who has their life together. Yoga on the estate grounds with vineyard views, because nothing says "wellness retreat" like stretching in wine country before drinking wine.

optional enlightenment
Featured Programming

AI Tools & Automating Your Childcare

A Presentation by Josh Ferrara

Join Josh for an unsolicited but allegedly life-changing talk on how to use AI tools to automate the parts of parenting no one tells you about. Can a large language model pack a school lunch? Probably not well. Will Josh claim it can? Absolutely. Topics include prompt-engineering your toddler's bedtime routine, using computer vision to find the other shoe, and why your Google Calendar is a cry for help. Attendance is mandatory. Heckling is encouraged.

Management is not responsible for any parenting advice actually followed.
Lavender bouquet with valley sunset
The Forecast

Offensively Perfect Weather

September in Healdsburg is what happens when California decides to show off. Expect hot, dry days with wall-to-wall sunshine and cool evenings that actually feel like evenings. It's the tail end of summer and the start of harvest season — the best weather window of the year, and it's not even close.

Daytime High
95°
85° – 95°F
Full sun, low humidity, blue skies all day. Tank top and sunscreen weather — the pool will not be optional.
Evening Low
54°
50° – 58°F
Cools off fast after sunset. You will need a jacket for dinner outside and late-night hot tub migration. Yes, even you.
Chance of Rain
0%
Bone dry
September in Sonoma hasn't seen rain in months and won't start on our watch. Pack sunscreen, not an umbrella.
The 30-degree swing between day and night is real — plan your wardrobe accordingly. During the day it's legitimately hot. By 8pm you'll want long pants and a layer. The light goes golden around 5pm and every photo you take will look like a magazine cover whether you deserve it or not.
The Fine Print

What This Costs

A rough guide to the financial damage. Wine country isn't cheap, but it's cheaper than therapy and arguably more effective.

Accommodations
$0
Free. The estate is covered. Don't ask questions. Just say thank you and bring a nice bottle of something.
Wine Tasting
$75–150
Per person, per winery. Some waive the fee if you buy a bottle. You will buy a bottle.
Dining Out
$40–120
Per person, per meal. Depends on how fancy you're feeling. Farm-to-table hits different here.
Flights
Varies
Book into SFO, OAK, or STS. Earlier = cheaper. September is peak season, so don't sleep on this.

The best things on this trip are free: the pool, the company, the sunset arguments about nothing, and the group photo no one will ever post.

Getting There

The Journey

Healdsburg is in northern Sonoma County. It's close enough to San Francisco to feel accessible and far enough to feel like you've escaped your life.

Fly into SFO

San Francisco International. The most flights, the most options. About a 1.5 hour drive north through increasingly beautiful scenery. Cross the Golden Gate if you're feeling cinematic.

SFO → 75 mi

Fly into STS

Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport. Yes, named after the Peanuts guy. Only 15 miles from Healdsburg. Fewer flight options, but the shortest drive by far. Alaska and a few others fly here.

STS → 15 mi

Fly into OAK

Oakland International. Similar drive time to SFO, sometimes cheaper flights. You'll take 580 to 101 and watch the scenery shift from urban to vineyard in real time.

OAK → 80 mi
101 Healdsburg THE ESTATE STS 15 mi · 20 min SFO 75 mi · 1.5 hrs OAK 80 mi · 1.5 hrs San Francisco Pacific Ocean Sonoma County Napa Valley N
Tree-lined stone pathway with autumn leaves
Before You Leave

Pack Your Bags

September in wine country means warm days, cool evenings, and at least one outfit you packed "just in case" that you absolutely will not wear. Here's what you actually need.

The Essentials

  • Sunscreen (SPF 50, you're not 22 anymore)
  • Sunglasses (the dress code, remember)
  • Hat or cap for vineyard sun
  • Phone charger / portable battery
  • A book you'll pretend to read by the pool

Daytime Wardrobe

  • Light layers — linen, cotton, breathable
  • Swimsuit(s) (plural, trust us)
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Sandals / slides for the estate
  • One outfit that says "I woke up like this but actually spent 20 minutes"

Evening Wardrobe

  • Light jacket or sweater (50s at night)
  • Smart casual dinner outfit(s)
  • Long pants for cooler evenings
  • That one good shirt you save for no reason — this is the reason

Emotional Preparation

  • Emotional resilience (per the dress code)
  • Willingness to say "we should do this every year"
  • Tolerance for unsolicited wine opinions
  • A hot take, loaded and ready
  • Capacity for late-night conversations that solve nothing
  • Zero expectations for your hydration strategy

Come as friends.
Leave as lore.

Healdsburg, California — September 9–13, 2026

THUNDERDOME