Valley of the Moon?

Exploring a little farther afield today, I took an easy hike on the Valley of the Moon and Woodland Star trails.

I always loved the idea that “Sonoma” means Valley of the Moon, but apparently the history is not so clear! A 1946 article in the California Folklore Quarterly tells how Spanish colonists confused the indigenous words “Sono” and “Sano.” “Sono” meant “nose,” and referred to a local chief who had a distinguished nose. “Sano” meant “Moon.” “Ma” clearly referred to a land, a valley. Although the real name was more likely “Sano’s Valley,” the more poetic name stuck.