Forget the tie, the pipe or the slippers.
Here are some gifts Dad will love to get for Father’s Day, all recommended by the men of Sonoma Valley:

Firing down the Quarter Mile
Most men love speed – on the ground or in the air. Sonoma has a world-class race track in its backyard where Dad can bring the minivan or whatever he drives to the Wednesday Night Drags; a quarter-mile pedal-to-the-metal drag race at Infineon Raceway. Cost: $25

Seat Time
At the higher end of the automotive adventure spectrum is the “Speed & Spa” package combining three days of race lessons at the Jim Russell school at Infineon, with three nights of pampering at The Lodge at Sonoma, including two 50-minute Raindance Spa treatments. Cost: From $4,795

Time to fly
If Dad has his head in the clouds, he’ll enjoy seeing the wild blue yonder in a vintage aircraft. There are open cockpit biplane or Navy warbird flights that drift over the Wine Country, cruise to the Pacific, or that visit the sights of San Francisco and circle Mt. Tamalpais. Add in aerobatic maneuvers—before lunch and wine tasting, please—and experience Barrel Rolls, Hammer Heads or the Cuban Eight.
Vintage Aircraft
Cost: From $150 - $295 ($50 extra for aerobatics)

Connecting With Your Inner Golfer
Maybe his thrills only extend as far as the whack of a golf club on a sunny day. At the Flowers Driving Range, Dad can hit a bucket of balls from one of 22 outdoor stalls, or try the new sand trap. If he wants to perfect his swing, lessons are available as well. For inspiration, he can duck into the clubhouse to see the U.S. Open, played on Father’s Day. Cost: $10 - $15

Mini-Golf=Maxi Fun
Want the kids to learn golf too? Take them to miniature golf at the Maxwell Fun Center. The 18-hole course starts at a replica of the Mission Barracks and flows through a giant wine barrel to a shot that propels your ball through the doors of City Hall. Arcade games, snacks and picnic tables offer pre-or post game fun.
Free Gift Certificate for Dads on Father’s Day.
Cost: Juniors - $3.00 General - $5.75 Senior - $4.00 (Group rates and parties available)

Isometric Exercise
Want a lot of action, but don’t feel like moving?
Get Dad comfortable on the couch and feed the DVD with his favorite flicks. Movie Merchants has all the macho, manly titles featuring murder, war, women, action, horror and humor and history. Everything Mom would never watch.
Gift certificates: $3.00 and up

Bookworms
For the more literary types, how about a book…but not just another Tom Clancy novel. Guys who like to cook might appreciate “Kitchen Confidential,” ($25) or “The Nasty Bits,” ($14) by non-PC, bad-boy TV show host, Anthony Bourdain.
Reader’s Books

If Dad’s “got game,” a cookbook like “Venison,”($19) by Rebecca Gray offers 36 ways to prepare (or disguise) Bambi and his relatives. “Wild at the Table” ($25) by S.G.B. Tenant Jr. looks at 275 years of North American fish and game recipes.
FKS Sports

Further away from “tooth and claw” is the stunning “Earth From Above,” ($55) by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The Peters Laminated World Map ($29) provides an up-to-date view of countries and borders to attempt to stay current with our changing world. And don’t forget those carved wooden eyeglass holders from India and Kenya. ($12/$26)
Baksheesh

A Place of One’s Own
Some men have libraries or a study where they can escape to read, but even if Dad does not have those luxuries, you can get him the ultimate piece of furniture in which to immerse himself in his books: a dusky brown, hand-abraded leather reading chair. Choose a style that fits his personality; hand-tooled leather with nail head edging, art deco, or clean, contemporary lines, all with the buttery feel of a well-worn bomber jacket.
Salsa Trading Company
Prices range from $2,000 - $4,000

Tendril is the Night
There are growing numbers of men who want to get in touch with roots. Not their own, but those in their gardens. Vegetables, roses, giant pumpkins and fruit trees are a few of men’s favorite green and leafy things. Men like to garden, they just don’t like to mow the lawn (unless they can ride on the mower).
Sonoma Mission Gardens
Prices range from $1.69 on up

Metal sculptures
Bird watching, bird products and avian habitats—such as birdhouses and fountains are a favorite with many men. Men also like big metal sculptures like 10-foot-tall dinosaurs. They seem especially fond of the metal chickens made from old Dodge and Chevy car parts from Mexico. Chimineas are the Pet Rock of the patio, bought but never really used.
Swede’s Feeds
Prices range from $19 - $4,500

Mucho Macho
The Vaquero Look (or, Hang ‘em High)
Mexican cowboys—vaqueros—fancy form-fitting shirts and jeans with hand-tooled boots. Straw or felt hats give a man immediate authority and a gentlemanly air. When Dad goes dancing or to a wedding or party, this look is admired by the women and envied by the men at the event.
Vaqueros
Prices range from $30 - $150

I’d Rather Do it Myself
Dad and his buddies can blend wine to suit their palates, take it home and select their own Gold Medal winner from the lot. Mayo Winery conducts blending seminars where customers experiment (with the help of the winemaker) until they achieve a blend they love. Mayo bottles and labels it, and Dad regales friends with tales of his winemaking prowess.
Mayo Winery
$40 a bottle, 6 bottle minimum

Head ‘em Up…
A different kind of wine tasting, complete with authentic horse-drawn covered wagon rides. Dads ride free on Father’s Day. There’s also a Father’s Day Bar-B-Que and kids and dogs are welcome at Larson.
Larson Family Winery
Rides: $5.00 Bar-B-Que: $10 adults $5 kids

Where There’s Smoke…
The Big Green Egg (BGE) is a space-age ceramic smoker/grill/oven all in one. There are actual “Egghead” fan clubs for this cooker. BGE makes every conceivable “egg-cessory” including a beer butt chicken cooker.
Villa Terrazza
Prices start at $600

That’s not a knife…THIS is a knife
There’s something about a perfectly balanced, very sharp knife that brings out men’s ancient instincts. Japanese knives made of multi-layered Damascus steel from Shun are made like a Samurai sword with eight layers on either side of the blade. Wusthof knives from Germany are the choice of chefs for their high performance characteristics. Dad will never say no to chopping the vegetables again.
Sign of The Bear
Prices range from $45 to $180

Start Your Engines
You’ll never go wrong getting Dad a power tool. Even the least handy guy needs a drill or a power screwdriver for the home, and once he turns it on, he’ll be hooked.
Friedman’s Home Improvement
Prices range from $29.95 - $295

Step Right Up!
The “Hi Striker” was the ultimate in testosterone-driven carnival games. Men gave the mallet a mighty swing in an attempt to ring the bell and impress their date with their strength and virility. This beauty dates from the ‘40’s or early ‘50’s.
Artefact Design & Salvage
Price: $3,900