Petaluma

A charming city of about 60,000 located in Sonoma County, Petaluma is known for its picturesque downtown, historic architecture, and world-renowned food, wine, and beer scenes. Only 40 miles north of San Francisco, it deserves to be on any visitor’s short list of must-visit destinations while exploring the Bay Area.

Things to Do in Petaluma

Petaluma was built on the river it shares its name with, which made it easy to deliver goods, like its world-famous eggs and chickens, to Oakland and San Francisco. Today, it’s still known as “the Egg Basket of the World” and as the source for other world-class food goods sought out all over the country, such as McEvoy Ranch olive oil and both ROCKY the Free Range Chicken and ROSIE the Original Organic Chicken (both from Petaluma Poultry, founded in 1969 and still immensely popular).

By the same token, it’s no wonder downtown Petaluma restaurants are held in such high esteem (see: Central Market, Cucina Paradiso, and the Michelin Bib Gourmand–awarded Risibisi). Locally produced ingredients star on plenty of restaurant plates around town, like the cheeses from Marin French Cheese Co., the oldest cheese company in the nation (established in 1865), or the roasted chicken, avocado, mozzarella, and mixed greens on hearth-baked pain de campagne at the beloved Della Fattoria’s artisan bakery. With such high-end local specialties as these, it’s no wonder that Petalumans’ preference for quality also extends to coffee; at Grand Central Café, owners Natalie and Juan Carlos Vinueza offer customers an elevated South American experience with their many Ecuadoran offerings, which in addition to fair-trade coffee includes chocolate, empanadas, and organic cacao powders, all right on the banks of the Petaluma River.

After indulging in some of those quintessentially Sonoma County offerings, walk it off on a tour of Petaluma’s historic downtown led by costumed docents. Held on most Saturdays, May through October, participants will see the town from the perspective of its earliest 19th-century founders. Going back even further in time, a visit to Tolay Lake is an opportunity to visit a place that held great importance to the native tribes of the region; it was known as a place of healing, and many arrowheads and prehistoric charmstones have been recovered in the area, supporting belief in the ritual that whoever threw the stone would be rid of affliction and disease.

Movie buffs can visit the many sites that have been used as locations in movies, among them American Graffiti, Peggy Sue Got Married, and Inventing the Abbotts. Or, experience the neighborhood from yet another perspective while getting out on the water. At The Floathouse, a linear, dock-based park along the river, you can paddle, pedal, row, or pilot other watercraft on the Petaluma River’s calm waters year-round.

Wine, Beer, Live Music, Shopping, and More Places to Eat in Petaluma

If you’re wine tasting here , you’ll likely hear the phrase “Petaluma Gap” at some point. It’s a curious term, since there are only a few wineries in Petaluma—like Keller Estate and Parum Leo—but the unique geographic region here gives many surrounding vineyards a famous, distinctive character. The 15-mile-wide "gap" flows from the ocean between Tomales Bay and Bodega Bay, through the coastal range mountains, then blows into San Francisco Bay—delivering wind, fog, and soil enrichment to the local grapevines.

Nightlife is another hallmark in this stretch of normally sleepy wine country; check out top-rated craft brewpub Lagunitas Brewing Company; The Block Petaluma, a food-truck market with 30 taps and onsite wood-fired pizza; or the historic Mystic Theatre, famous for its live music. But first, spend a day shopping for memorable finds at the shops and boutiques that line Petaluma Boulevard such as sustainability-minded clothing and home goods go-to Estuary, the you-never-know-what-you’ll-find Thrifty Hippy, and  various top-notch antiques stores. Check Visit Petaluma to get a heads-up on any events that may be taking place downtown during your visit.

Where to Stay in Petaluma

There’s no shortage of places to stay when visiting the area—you’ll find well-known national chain hotels, as well as bed-and-breakfasts downtown and bucolic cottages. If you’re looking to really commune with nature, there are several campgrounds in the vicinity, including both KOA sites and ones that offer a more cushy glamping experience.