Petaluma is an ideal gateway to the northern California Countryside. Located at Highway 101 in Sonoma County wine country, just 32 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Petaluma is a great base for exploring Sonoma County's more than 190 wineries, Marin County's Point Reyes National Seashore, Bodega Bay and the Russian River Valley, and points beyond.

But Petaluma is more than a great portal to the California Countryside. It's also home to more than 600 businesses, 65 historical properties, and a year-round calendar of festive events such as the Butter & Egg Days Parade, Semi-Annual Antique Faires, Arts & Garden Festival, Victorian Holiday Events, Great Petaluma Quilt Show, and world-famous Petaluma World Wrist-Wrestling Tournament.

The heart of Petaluma is its Victorian Historic Downtown, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. Petaluma's Victorian commercial buildings, survivors of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, were preserved by the townspeople, and are now home to dozens of antique shops, art galleries, cafes and coffeehouses, as well as a variety of family businesses. Visitors can combine shopping with history while wandering through the city's downtown district, studded with graceful Iron Front buildings of the 1800s, and along the River Walk.

In addition to self-guided tours, the "city made for walking" offers guided tours led by costumed docents who bring Petaluma's past alive through colorful commentary while strolling through the historic downtown district.

Visitors can pick up a free Farm Trails map and hit the road to explore Petaluma and Sonoma County farms just as visitors (and top San Francisco restaurants) have been doing for more than 25 years. Fruits, vegetables, plants and trees are available direct from the farmer. A "life-on-the-farm" experience featuring sheep, llamas, honeybees, butterflies and, of course, Petaluma's famous chickens is included in Farm Trails visits. Seasonal adventures include pumpkins and gourds in the fall, Christmas trees in the winter, baby animals, and fields of flowers in the spring!

more >>