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Santa Rosa is a city of about 151,000 (and growing fast) located about 50 miles north of San Francisco in Sonoma County...

SANTA ROSA, CA

Dave
2004-02-22 12:47:10

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The Sonoma County Museum is located at 425 7th Street near B Street. This museum focuses on cultural history and art of the North Bay. International exhibits are also featured. They are open Wednesday through Sunday from 11:00am until 4:00pm. They are located across from the Santa Rosa Plaza Mall. For more information call PHONE NUMBER (707) 579-1500. Website: www.sonomacountymuseum.com

Sonoma State University is located about 15 miles south of town in the town of Rohnert Park. The University features a wide selection of sports and cultural events which are open to the general public. The University Art Gallery displays contemporary art and photography. Campus tours are available by reservation. For more information call PHONE NUMBER (707) 664-2880.

The Windsor Waterworks and Slides is located at 8225 Conde Lane, just west of Shiloh Road. This water park is located about 15 minutes north of Santa Rosa, right next to Highway 101. On warm summer days this place is quite crowded and the lines snake under the slides. There is an inner tube slide, a high speed slide, a splash fountain with squirt guns, and a swimming pool. There is a gift shop and BBQ pits are also available. The water park is open from May through September. Call for hours because they vary slightly depending on the week or day. For more information call PHONE NUMBER (707) 838-7360.

The Napa Valley is a luxurious wine growing area. The valley is anchored by Mount St. Helena in the north and the town of Napa in the south. The towns of Calistoga, Yountville, St. Helena, and Rutherford are all tourist towns. Each has their own unique shops and art galleries. Calistoga is famous for its hot springs, and mud baths. There are also a few glider rental companies based in and around Calistoga.

Highway 128 runs through the Napa Valley. This Highway connects all of the towns mentioned above. If you think there are a lot of wineries in Sonoma County wait until you see the Napa Valley. Some of the wineries are quite impressive, large, and old. Some give tours of their wine caves. Two of the wineries I recommend seeing are both within several miles of the town of St. Helena. One, Clos Pegase, is a ultra modern building. Outside are various statues, some quite bizarre like the one of a thumb. Inside you can enjoy wine tasting and also looking at ancient Roman and Egyptian glassware. The other wineries name escapes me at the moment, but it is the one with the tram that travels from the lower winery to the top winery on the top of a hill. The tram ride takes only a few minutes but the views from the top are spectacular. You can look over most of the Napa Valley from an outdoor dining area. Bring your camera!

There is a very nice shopping center between the towns of Calistoga and St. Helena. This shopping center is right next to Highway 128. Here you can browse through fancy clothing stores and explore the Shona African Sculputure Gallery. This gallery displays wonderful sculptures created by the Shona peoples, a tribe from Zimbabwe, Africa. (See the section on Sonoma above, for more information about their other gallery in Sonoma and also their beautiful Shona gardens) There is also a small store here, picnic tables and bathrooms.