Petaluma, CA

Under the redwoods at San Francisco North KOA

Donna and I are really enjoying our stay here in Petaluma and visiting with some of the west coast Starks.  It's a big group here - some 20+ at one point.  I particularly enjoy the "deer-in-the-headlights" look when we're introduced to the younger kids.  I remember being introduced to the older members of the Driver/Whitlock family as a kid.  I'll bet I gave the same look when my parents tried to explain to me who those folks were!

The cousins

This is a vary diverse group assembled in Healdsburg that includes relatives & friends of friends.  There's probably a cliche somewhere that says friendship is thicker than blood or something like that.  It's true here.  For me it can be confusing just who is friend and who is relative.  That's the way it should be.  Of course, I'm eating all the food...

Organized group, too.  Would make a navy load master proud!

We're actually staying some 30 or so miles from the family gathering.  We've taken a stroll around Petaluma and Schollenberger Park.  For those unfamiliar with the area, it's hilly (it is near San Francisco). It's prime cattle farming (ranching?) and wine country.  Grapevines here are like the corn fields of Iowa.  

Historic Petaluma, CA

Petaluma, apparently, is famous for surviving the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.  Consequently, there's older buildings and homes that represent the architecture of that era.  We've taken two walks that show off the town and homes.  Some buildings are better taken care of than others, but all are quite striking.   

Residential area

One rumor that we've always heard is just how environmentally minded California is.  We visited Schollenberger Park which is built around sludge dredged from the Petaluma River.  To me the sludge pools weren't all that appealing but, man, did it attract the birds.  And, boy, did those birds attach the bird watchers.  And these are serious bird watcher, too!.  Just based on the equipment I saw, you'd thought they were trying to find and photograph wolves in Hayden Valley (Yellowstone Nat'l Park).  There's some significant money being spent to photograph those sludge pools!

Petaluma River as seen from Schollenberger Park

Well, that's it from here.  Looks like I have to go back and eat more food this evening.  Bummer!  :)  David

Swan on the sludge pool (Schollenberger Park)