Recently I was able to tag along on a trip to California with my husband. He had some business there, so it was a perfect opportunity to visit the Sonoma region. Although the weather wasn’t perfect, we managed to see a bit for the three days that we were there.

We flew into San Fransisco on a Wednesday night and flew out on Sunday. So we literally had 3 full days to explore, so it certainly was a condensed-abridged visit, but we proved it can be done.

I’ll go through each day so you can get a sense of what we did in the allotted time.

Let’s start with Thursday, February 28.

We arrived in the cute town of Petalulma Wednesday night which was really Thursday morning, 2-28. A two hour time difference doesn’t seem like much, but with a lack of a good night sleep, I was a little weary that first day, actually I was lagging the whole time in California.

I had the day all to myself to do as I pleased and explore this wine-country town. My first stop was the Petaluma Library and Historical Museum, a great starting point and a worthwhile visit. It was the tail-end of Black History Month, so the exhibits displayed in the library represented related historical events that took place as part of American History.

After a visit to the Petaluma Library and Historic Museum I walked up and down the streets, stopping in shops along the way and eventually had an early lunch at a lovely restaurant called Topsy’s Kitchen. The meal I had was fresh, healthy and delicious. I could have sat there for hours sipping coffee and watching people walk by.

The rest of the day was spent in and out of shops, which included antique, secondhand clothing, art and home and a whole lot of isle-walking and street meandering.

Of course there was a need to explore a coffee shop in the afternoon…

A must stop was Della Fattoria for a fabulous cup of coffee and a delightful bakery nibble. I couldn’t have another meal at this point, but I’m happy I got to experience this fine establishment for a taste of its visual ambiance and mouth watering delights!

A visit to a town wouldn’t be complete without a stop in a local church. A few blocks away from the river stood St Vincent de Paul Church. It’s a lovely shade of pink which blended so nicely with the budding trees that aligned the streets.

After my visit to the church and my afternoon coffee and treat I took a ride into the country to find a winery before I reconnected with my husband. By this time, I was ready for some landscape and enjoyed the windy roads and hills. The grass was an electric green with yellow mustard flowers blooming in the fields. It was so wonderful to see rolling hills with cows and horses dotted along the way. I stopped in Gloria Ferrer winery. I visited the property but I didn’t sample the wine since I did not have the time it deserved. Maybe next time!

I wish I pulled over to take more pictures. The sight was phenomenal. I so enjoyed the view it was almost too much to stop. I just took it all in. But, if you could, imagine green rolling hills with fields of flowing yellow mustard flowers, bare vines, happy cows and gentle mountains in the backdrop. Just perfect!

I regrouped with my husband and went to Seared for dinner. We sat at the bar and chatted with a women who originally was from the east coast but has lived in Sonoma for over 20 years. I find sitting at a bar for a meal allows you an opportunity to meet some interesting characters. It’s kind of fun mixing and mingling with other humans!

That completes day 1 of my stay in Petaluma.

The two nights we stayed at the Hampton Inn. Although it was a fine place to stay, I heard great reviews for Hotel Petaluma. I’d check that out next time if the opportunity arises again.