Sonoma Square and Petaluma

Vacation day three: Sonoma square and Petaluma.
Do you like small parks with assorted ducks and crowded benches? Olde Tymey general stores trying hard to evoke your childhood in the 50's? Overpriced boutiques with lots of tacky country signs that say, "It's ok to wine a little" on them? Restaurants still open by dint of reputation only (Girl and the fig - I'm looking at you, maker of overcooked omelet with separated cheese!)? Middle-America, middle-age chains like Chicos? Then Sonoma Square is for you!
Yeah, skip it. Waste of time. It could be any park in any retirement city.

Petaluma would go on the "skip it" list for me, too, but we went there because David wanted to visit Leo Leporte's podcast studio. Sometimes I let the kid do what he wants.

Nerd husband. He's so cute. 

We did two walking tours of Petaluma, visited the museum in the library, walked on the river, got ice cream, and browsed a used books store. Petaluma is supposed to be charming and old-fashioned with cute Victorian homes. Color me unimpressed. It's not ugly, but I live in New Orleans, which has quaint and quirky architecture in the worst parts of town and gorgeous mansions throughout the Garden District. But besides that, I've lived other places with Victorian pasts, like New London, CT and surrounding areas. There are many more examples of classic Victorians in cities like New London (our house had a turret - my bedroom was in it!) and servant's quarters with back stairs leading to them). So, Petaluma just seemed like an average town that chose not to tear down its older buildings.
Two notable stops in Petaluma: Lala's for ice cream (the area is a big dairy producer) and Copperfield books. I bought a short autobiographical book called "Hostage to War" for $3 in the used book section. The author was a child in Russia during WWII and endured starvation and German work camps. Sadly, she returned home to Russia to find an equally oppressive Stalinist state! The book was a fascinating read. I read it aloud to David during a picnic the next day.
But don't drive to Petaluma for it. I'm sure there was only one copy.