Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa is what I will always consider my hometown, as I spent most of my childhood, adolescence and college years there. I must say, I thought it was very boring when I lived there, but I was young, and distance creates a soft spot for familiar places.

It is a cute little city (make no mistake, it is definitely a city), especially the downtown areas, but it has gotten a little big for its britches of late. The traffic is horrendous. A lot of snobby, wannabe-San-Franciscans have moved in.

However, if you stick to the parks, or the historic districts, it’s a great place to visit and play. I miss it.

if you went there, you’d get it

I spent a lot of my life in Santa Rosa. Although I felt bored while living there, I can appreciate it much more now that I am living in a much smaller town.
Santa Rosa is home of Charles Schulz (creator of the Peanuts comics). After his death, you can see remnants of the characters all over the city. Woodstocks and Charlie Brown statues are located in various points all over the city. They are painted magnificently, all by different artists. Some local companies have purchased these statues and have put them on their property. There is also a bronze statue of Snoopy in Santa Rosa’s historic Railroad Square.
Located only about 60 miles north of San Francisco, and in the much desired Sonoma County, it has a great climate, with mild winters and 3 growing seasons. It is also near the famous Napa County. These two counties are known as the Wine Country, so wine tasting should definitely be on your agenda if you attend this region.

Check out Russian River’s taproom here – some of the best beers in the country. I also had some great coffee here a while back but I can’t remember the name of the shop. Cute little town, about an hour out from San Francisco.

Worth visiting…I guess…but I wouldn’t move there or anything. It’s a scenic drive to San Francisco, but it gets old by the second ride.