Heading up to Petaluma (the former Egg Capital of the World) for the Butter and Eggs Festival or to pick up a Christmas tree has long been the closest to a farm that many city slicker kids get. And you can still lose yourself on the dusty back roads and come home with a car full of farm fresh eggs and produce, but the downtown of one of the oldest cities in California has been revitalized and has much more to offer families. On your way into town, any fan of keepsake stickers will want to make a stop at Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Factory: the hour-long tour includes free stickers. Once you head into Petaluma proper, walking around the old-timey downtown, you can get an eyeful of historic buildings on the National Historic Register. Planted between the downtown shopping district and the theatre district, Velasco‘s makes a perfect pit stop to fill up on tostados, nachos, and more. McNear Park, at 11th and G streets, is a great spot to let little legs run free before getting back in the car. And for that agrarian fix, do-si-do down to Green String Farm, which is hosting its Barn Dance Extravaganza this weekend, starting at 5:30 p.m. There’ll be a summer picnic of sustainable foods and activities for the kids at this working organic farm, and be sure to kick up your heels with the rest of the dancers in the rustic barn.
More to Explore (with kiddies in tow):
Yerba Buena Gardens and Union Square
Hyde Street Pier and Aquatic Park
Farmer’s Market & China Camp State Park
Mt Tam and the West Point Inn
San Francisco’s Bernal Heights
