After the war, when machines began to dominate the egg industry, Petaluma redefined how it would use its wide open pasture lands. The town fathers determined that cows and Petaluma's burgeoning dairy industry would grown on its open space and not homes, cars and expressways. For this changed agricultural direction, bicycle visitors to this area can be thankful.
Petaluma cyclists will find themselves about 25 miles of rolling bucolic farmlands away from Bodega and Tomales Bays as well as many of the other inspiring points of the north San Francisco coast such as the Pt Reyes National Seashore and Occidental.
Quality Inn guests can discover these bicycle wonderlands of the Sonoma Coast by heading south on Petaluma Blvd about three miles into the town of Petaluma. By making a right on Magnolia you can avoid the part of Petaluma Blvd where the bike lane disappears and use the Cycle America maps (coming soon) to work your way right into the heart of downtown where you will find the full service, anchor store for The Bicycle Factory.
Known as the restaurant capital, Petaluma boasts a plethora of eating establishments (142). If you would rather custom design your own meal and make a picnic, head to Petaluma's best health food store. Across town at 621 E. Washington St., is Food For Thought. Five blocks west, you will find the Petaluma Queen Paddlewheeler, a 300 passenger Mississippi style riverboat offering cruises, dinner, dancing and soon gambling.
If you want to learn more about Petaluma, the Chamber is open 7 days a week during the summer, (799 Baywod #3, 762-2785, 796-0429) and has information about historic tours of its amazing stock of Victorians (south of Western) which were left unscathed during the 1906 earthquake. Petaluma's quaint small town America look has also made it a welcome movie set for well known films such as "American Graffiti", "Howard the Duck", "Ground Zero", "Peggy Sue got Married" and the like and the Chamber/Visitor center has tours of these sites as well.
Petaluma even has a Farmers Market. It is open June to Oct from 2-5 PM on Saturdays in Walnut Park (Pet Blvd N @ D street).
Cheese making tours (Hourly tours 10-4) and another perfect break for the more energized cyclist can be found nine miles from town at the Marin French Cheese Factory on Petaluma-Pt Reyes Rd just beyond Novato Blvd. This popular biking stop is open daily from 9-5 and features a deli, pond and picnic area.
As you ride the roads through Petaluma's open space pasturelands, you'll see where Ross Schafer and the family he has assembled, get so much of their inspiration for the company which sends its bikes and patented stems and other bike parts all over the world, Salsa Cycles.
To The 'Bents
