I can’t wait until the rains subside. The wet weather we’ve been having up in NorCal has made it difficult to get out with any regularity, and we’ve had to postpone the remainder of our Nifty Ninety hikes, most of which require overnight camping, until the ground dries up. (I’m sure heartier souls would have no problem camping in the rain, but not me, unless I’m ensconced in the back of our Defender.) But, we’re still managing to get out when we can, and the past weekend was no different. We took advantage of Chris celebrating a birthday to head north to wine country where we enjoyed a mix of fun on the trails with urban exploration.
Petaluma was our home base, a city often overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbors along the famed wine trails. I don’t recall ever having been to downtown Petaluma, however, our sojourn there proved revelatory. On our first day there, we spent part of the afternoon walking Petaluma Boulevard, the adjacent streets and along the Petaluma River, between Washington and H Streets – the area that forms the core of downtown. Shops (lots of antique stores) alternated with interesting eateries.
After checking out every restaurant, we decided to have lunch at Alimentari, an Italian deli that serves makes most of its sandwiches using schiacciata, similar to focaccia but not quite as spongy. I ordered the La Marcella— mortadella, arugula, stracciatella and pistachio cream—while Chris got the Il Michelangelo—porchetta, arugula and salsa verde. When we unwrapped our sandwiches, I knew I had picked a winner! First of all, mine came on schiacciata. Chris’ was made using “regular” bread (actually, lemon rosemary, so good, but not quite as good as schiacciata). The couple sitting next to us had ordered the same sandwiches and we all agreed that La Marcella was the star. Chris couldn’t stop raving about how good my sandwich was. We agreed right then and there that we would try to replicate the sandwich at home. From Alimentari, we headed to its sister bakery—Stellina Pronto—and bought some pastries for breakfast at the hotel.
Bellies full we drove to Helen Putnam Regional Park, about a 20-minute drive from downtown. The park has a number of short, easy trails and we pieced together several of them to create a 3-mile loop. From the parking lot we started on the Arroyo Trail and then turned left onto the Panorama steps. It was the hardest part of the trail!
We continued on the Panorama Trail for 0.6 of a mile and reached a major intersection where we chose to take the Filaree Trail to explore the back part of the park. At the overlook point we sat on the bench and looked out at the hills and homes in the distance.
Heading back we did the 0.6-mile South Loop Trail that took us through a peaceful, forested section of oaks before connecting to the Yarrow Trail. From there it was a short third of a mile to the Ridge Trail and eventually the parking lot. Not the most difficult of hikes we’ve ever done, but it was scenic enough and a good way to get our sea legs back after being off the trails for so long.
The next day we headed back downtown and while Chris was prepared to eat lunch at Alimentari again, I talked him into trying Della Fattoria. It’s a familiar name but we couldn’t place it. Chris thinks he’s seen their bread for sale at Whole Foods. Whereas Alimentari was small, with clean, white lines, Della Fattoria was the opposite, cavernous, with brick walls and a riot of colors and sounds: there was the bakery off to one side where we grabbed a bunch of items, a little flower stand and a coffee bar. Although it was Easter Sunday, we were seated within minutes at the community table. I had the trio of toasts and Chris had the breakfast sandwich. Good, but no Alimentari good.
That afternoon we did another hike, this time in Tolay Lake Regional Park, also about 20-minutes from downtown Petaluma but in the other direction. It was a scenic drive to the park, past vineyards and down a country lane that dead-ended among several barn-like structures. From the parking lot we followed Historic Lakeville Road Trail and then turned onto Burrowing Owl Trail to connect to the West Ridge Trail. Once on the ridge, it was fairly flat. The trail was rutted from all the cows that also use it and with the recent rains, we had to dodge water-filled holes and several muddy sections. I was also surprised by how seemingly aggressive the cows were. As we approached them, some would start walking towards us. Not sure if this was to shoo us off, or because they thought we had food. We didn’t go all the way to the end of this out-and-back trail but did get far enough for views all the way to San Francisco.
We walked for about 2.5 hours then headed back to the hotel to get ready for a celebratory dinner at Valley right on the plaza in Sonoma. It’s a quaint space, with a small bar and indoor dining room. There’s a much larger, covered patio but it was too cold for us so we chose to sit inside. Service was attentive, and over the course of a leisurely two-hour meal, with stand out items like burrata with nettle pesto and a rich seafood stew brimming with Dungeness crab, shrimp and mussels, we talked about the future and upcoming trips.
Monday morning came around and we made the drive back to San Francisco in good time. The weekend was the perfect reminder that in the Bay Area, true escape lies but a stone’s throw away.