Today we have a guest post from one of our readers! I met and got to know Kimberly at our church back in Santa Rosa, California. She has loyally followed along on our adventures and often leaves comments that are helpful, encouraging, and insightful. I was very excited that she wanted to write a guest post about her home town, Petaluma, California which is a place that is close to my home town and holds many good memories for me.  Thank you Kimberly!

Petaluma, California, USA

“You can pet a dog, you can pet a cat but you can’t pet a Luma!” – local saying… not sure who first said it.

Hello everyone! My name is Kimberly and I am pleased to be able to share a little bit about my home town of Petaluma with you. Thank you And Three To Go for giving me (and others) this opportunity! What a great way to learn about the world around us.

Petaluma, California, US of A is located about 50 miles north of San Francisco in the beautiful, and wine-full, county of Sonoma.  Sadly, there aren’t any unique Luma creatures roaming around as the name comes from a Coast Miwok phrase,  “péta lúuma” which means “hill backside.”

Despite being only about 60,000 people, there is so much to do here!! I honestly was a little overwhelmed thinking about writing this blog because I wanted to do this city justice and there really is something for everyone here… I didn’t want to leave  something out!

Since we’re on the heels of the American Thanksgiving holiday, my husband gave me the wonderful idea of writing why I’m thankful I grew up in this town. So, without further ado, here is why I am thankful to live, and have grown up in, Petaluma:

Beauty and Architecture

I’ll let the pictures do the talking:

For more information on the area’s shown in the pictures above, please check out the following blogs:

Fun article on the history of the Clock Tower

More info on the Old Twine Factory/Silk Mill

A little bit of information on the Silo/Grain Mill

Beer

While the county might be famous for its wine (and I do love a glass of good wine), there are also several wonderful microbreweries here as well! Petaluma alone has four (to my knowledge): Petaluma Hills, 101 North Brewing Company , Hen House Brewing Company , and the more well-known, Lagunitas. If you are a fan of stouts (which I definitely am!) and ice cream, I highly recommend trying the stout float at Lagunitas. It is unusual and surprising tasty!

Butter & Eggs Days

(or, as my college friends called it, Cow & Chicken Day)

The city comes together to celebrate its agricultural past and present complete with food, drink, several activities for kids, cow chip throwing contest, a wonderful parade, and an antiques fair. I love parades!! I love agriculture! I even love the memories of marching with my elementary school band in the pouring rain. Butter & Eggs is THE place to be in April.

Food

Due to the temperate climate here in Sonoma County, we are blessed to have access to bountiful amounts of local and organic produce and meats. The culinary experts in the area take full advantage of this, and there are plenty of wonderful places to eat!

People

My favorite aspect about Petaluma is the people. For the most part, the people here are easy-going, friendly, and a little quirky. Compared to some other cities in Sonoma County, I feel like Petaluma is less busy and more relaxed. It’s not just me either, as Petaluma ranked #1 on the Most Caring Small Cities in the US!

Well, thank you for reading and I hope you come visit if you’re in the area! 🙂

A huge “Thank You!” again to you Kimberly, for sharing about Petaluma. And for sharing your beautiful photos! 

Now it’s your turn! Have you ever been to Petaluma, California? Have you tried a microbrewery beer? What about the ones that Kimberly listed? Leave a comment and join in the fun!