Community Corner
Day Trip to Sonoma County
Take a day trip to Sonoma County -- walk the wetlands and wildlife sanctuary in Petaluma, and visit art and history in Santa Rosa's museums.
Take a day and head northwest from the Tri-Valley and enjoy all sorts of things along the route to Santa Rosa.
Stop in Petaluma and visit the Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility. The 270-acre site offers a three-mile trail system along wetlands and wildlife sanctuary; the endangered California Clapper Rails nest and reside there. Docents of the Petaluma Wetlands Alliance offer free public tours at 9 a.m. on the fourth Saturday of the month, unless it is raining.
If it’s a Saturday or Sunday, visit Midgley’s Flea Market, 2200 Gravenstein Highway, Sebastopol. If you take I-580, exit onto 101, near Cotati, to reach Gravenstein Highway.
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Midgley's has been around for 40 years and offers everything from household items, collectibles and tools, to garden plants and fresh produce, and operates 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, rain or shine. There’s free parking and free admission so you will have some extra money for a snack or meal at the market while shopping and treasure hunting the nearly 100 vendors.
Once you arrive in Santa Rosa, there are several museums you can visit. The Sonoma County Museum, 425 7th St., is a great place to see art and history. Have lunch in the museum’s Sculpture Garden, which is open every Thursday, June 30 to Sept. 29. A food truck will be at the museum serving gourmet crepes and light activities like hula and yoga are scheduled. Call the museum at 707-579-1500.
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The most famous museum in Santa Rosa is Charles M. Schulz Museum, 2301 Hardies Lane. Cartoonist Schulz realized his dream of creating a nationally-syndicated daily comic strip when Peanuts made its debut on October 2, 1950. The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center was created as a tribute to the extraordinary artist and man.
Guest artist and children's book author Mo Willems, and free ice cream from Cold Stone Ceamery of Sonoma County, will be featured at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, at the museum. Enjoy a free, 30-minute docent-led tour of the museum, 11:30 a.m. daily, starting in the Great Hall.
The work of pop artists Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol are in the current show, Pop’d From The Panel. “This is an exhibit of artists who use comic art in fine arts,” said Gina Huntsinger, who serves as marketing director at the Charles M. Schulz Museum.
Featuring 26 works of art by 18 artists, familiar faces like Superman, Mickey Mouse, and Snoopy are used to engage challenging topics.
“There are fabulous artists in the show, exhibiting until Dec. 11,” Huntsinger said.
The museum is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors. Call 707-579-4452 for more information.
