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Latest Petaluma hotel reviews
Pro
Great architecture & history; near San Francisco
Con
Pot holes and growth
In a nutshell
Great place to live. Absolutely.
WulfstanTraveller Says: One unusual, interesting, and useful, landmark in downtown Petaluma is the old Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) drinking fountain, erected in 1891. It stands on Western Ave near Petaluma Blvd, in the heart of downtown and is an interesting small landmark to see,...
WulfstanTraveller Says: The predecessor to Petaluma's current downtown post office, which opened in 1932, still exists but is now commercial space. It was the post office only from 1920-1932 but still says "Post Office" on the front. It was designed by renowned local architect Brainerd Jones, who...
1 Review and 89 Opinions Enjoy a luxury hotel in the heart of the Sonoma and Napa Wine Country.they offer lifestyle enhancing...
Lala's Creaamery: Ice Cream Parlour
WulfstanTraveller Says: This is a lovely, old-fashioned ice cream parlour that opened fairly recently, filling what was for a long time a major gap. I think every region needs at least one good, old-style ice cream parlour and Sonoma County has been sorely lacking in them since the mid-1990s at...
Tres Hombres: Great "Gourmet" Mexican-Latin American Food
WulfstanTraveller Says: When I eat Mexcian food, I usually stick to simple taquerias, which I find are not only cheap but usually have the best food. However, I do appreciate all kinds of cooking and more "up-scale" Mexican food can be great, too. Tres Hombres is one place that in fact does a great...
WulfstanTraveller Says: Dempsey's is the local Petaluma brewpub and it has been here since 1991. It's right across the river from downtown proper, in the Golden Eagle shopping centre. However, since it's right on the river and there is a pedestrian bridge across the river from Water St. near the...
Blu American Eatery: Great, Skilled Take on Comfort/Diner Food
WulfstanTraveller Says: This is an upscale (but not too upscale) take on traditional American diner food. It has a slightly classier version of urban diner decor and the food is prepared carefully, thoughfully, with skill, and with slight twists on the traditional themes. They also have a pretty...
Thai Issan: Pretty Good Thai Place with Cocktail Lounge
WulfstanTraveller Says: This is a long-standing Thai place downtown. It's pretty good but it's not great and is fairly standard for American Thai placees. There are two other, much better, Thai restaurants in the vicinity (see my tips on those), but this place will do fine, especially if one just...
Star of India: Pretty Good Indian Restaurant
WulfstanTraveller Says: This is a pretty good Indian place, decent and pretty standard, but pretty solid and enjoyable. The people are pretty friendly but the atmosphere is pretty basic and the location, in an ugly shopping centre on the generally cookie-cutter, drab east side, leaves a lot to be...
Sea Modern Thai Cuisine: Great, Innovative Thai Cuisine
WulfstanTraveller Says: This is a wonderful, innovative "modern" interpretation of Thai cuisine. It is used to be an old corner market where we used to go get candy and slushies when I was a kid. The basic structure is the same but is has been changed a lot and lacks the creaky off-kilter feel of...
Sugo: Great Italian-Influenced Cuisine
WulfstanTraveller Says: This is a wonderful restaurant that opened in the old mission-revival auto shop on Petaluma Blvd S. near B Street that was recently renovated into retail places. Everything we have had is excellent. The salads are lightly seasoned but very tasty and fresh. The risotto here...
Old Chicago Pizza: Deep Dish Pizza
WulfstanTraveller Says: This is a good place for rich, cheesy deep-dish pizza. It has great ambience with bare brick walls and creaking wood floors on the second story of one of Petaluma's many old buildings and the pizza is good. When I'm in the mood for this type of pizza, this is the place to...
McNear's Saloon & Dining House: Good Pub/Family Dining
WulfstanTraveller Says: This is a pretty good place to go for pub-style food and can be a great place to take kids since it has a large, varied children's menu and distractions for kids such as video games upstairs, plus the place is large with plenty of room. It has lots of standard American...
McNear's Mystic Theatre: Nightlife? Music & food.
WulfstanTraveller Says: Nightlife in Petaluma is pretty minimal, although one can find some places if one tries. But then, that's not the reason one should, or would, go to Petaluma.One place is McNear's Mystic Theatre, a music venue with many performances. Conveniently, it is right next to...
Private taxi service is excellent
lady_luma Says: There are several 24-hour private cab services throughout Petaluma. One has been in service for at least 2 decades (A-1 Taxi). They are easy to take and cost about $10 to $12 to get from one end of town to the other. You won't be able to wave down a taxi, except perhaps at...
Copperfield's: Good New and Used Bookstore
WulfstanTraveller Says: Copperfield's is a great local bookstore chain with stores in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol (the original) and Napa. The one in Petaluma has an extensive selection of old used and rare books in the basement, which is my favourite part of the store.My favourite place for...
Marisa's Fantasia: Crystal, Glass, and Christmas Decorations
WulfstanTraveller Says: Marisa's Fantasia is a neat store that has been in downtown Petaluma for many years. It sells all kinds of crystal and glass and has a Christmas store that during the Christmas season is packed with wonderful ornaments and other decorations of all kinds, ranging from very...
scottstevens630 Says: Petaluma is famous for welcoming new comers and tourists. Heck, we welcome EVERYBODY! Unlike the streets of big cities and, of late, Europe, eye contact on the street is encouraged and greetings are common and appreciated. Why not smile and wish someone a good day?
Tom_Fields Says: Like many other California towns, Petaluma has its own locally produced sidewalk art. Since American Graffiti was filmed here, the theme is old 1950s and '60s cars. The variations on this theme are very creative. It's fun to just go around looking at them.
Absorb BREATHTAKING views in the Countryside
lady_luma Says: Having driven through 42 States, I still think the country roads surrounding Petaluma afford some of the most exquisite views in the United States. Often compared with Ireland or Northern Italy, there are several particularly stunning drives where you can see gorgeous rock...
WulfstanTraveller Says: This is a pretty nice opne-space Sonoma County park just west of Petaluma. Nestled among rolling hills, it has open grassy areas, wooded areas, and some light hiking up hills that can afford pretty nice views of Petaluma. It is close to town.It's at 411 Chileno Valley Rd....
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Plan a Petaluma vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Petaluma locals
Petaluma California - My Home! - Petaluma is a wonderful old river town just north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate. Surrounded by rolling green hill and coastal mountains it offers the very best of northern California living....
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Petaluma: Former "Chicken Capital of the World"
The southernmost town in Sonoma County, Petaluma has about 57,000 people, and is in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is the second-largest city in Sonoma County, behind Santa...
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This town, in the wine country, has hundreds of Victorian, art deco, and other interesting buildings. It has been used as a setting for a number of movies, including American Graffiti and Pegg Sue Got...
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SONOMA COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM
FINDING LOST AND MISSING PEOPLE 1980, November 27, Shauna May, age 25, did not show up to keep a lover's rendezvous in the parking lot at Point Reyes Park. When she failed to return that night, the...
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Petaluma California - My Home!
Petaluma is a wonderful old river town just north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate. Surrounded by rolling green hill and coastal mountains it offers the very best of northern California living.......
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This is the town where I spent my childhood. It was a pretty small town, but rapidly grew. Growing up it didn't seem that great, but looking back it was a beautiful place to grow up. It is near many...
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