Petaluma, ca

We left San Francisco in almost 5 o'clock traffic and eventually arrived at our destination 32 miles north. I can only wonder what 5 o'clock traffic must be like. Leon went in and paid the $10 dry camping fee as we needed no water nor electricity. As we drove to the back of the building we were stopped by the RV person in charge who wanted to see his receipt (which he had dropped coming out the front door, as it turned out.). So then he showed his Elks card and the guy carried on about how you could only dry camp if there were no electricity spots available and it would be $25. We went back to the front and again were greeted by this man who had gone inside to see who had helped Leon that didn't know what he was doing and he handed Leon the receipt he had dropped at the front door. After a busy day in San Fran and a long thirty mile drive who needs this nasty little man criticizing every move. A first for us at an Elks Lodge for sure. So we got a refund and enjoyed a nice evening visiting with the folks at the Moose Lodge where we paid $16.

From then on we met a lot of nice people in Petaluma, of fame to movie buffs who know that much of American Graffiti was filmed here. We opted for a tour at Cowgirl Creamery to see how cheese is made.


Our hour tour was most informative and a new experience for me. Here the workers are pouring the curds and whey from the big vats.


Here the cheese, which had been poured into plastic containers full of holes to let the whey drain and then put in a brine bath, are on the drying racks. At $16 a chunk that is a chunk of change.


Next the cheese is hand-packed and the labels added by hand. They don't have the quantity of business to justify expensive equipment to do all this.


Ms. Sousa, our guide, offered samples of each. Benefit of going on this tour with a vegan is that I ate his samples too. I resisted buying the cheese knowing that I would then gobble it up but of course I regret that now.


As we drive around town we enjoyed looking at all the Victorian homes and old iron faced buildings and I resisted taking a picture of each one. This is one of the few towns in the area that wasn't damaged by the 1906 earthquake. The opening of the Wednesday evening farmers' market began while we were there and we delighted in strolling the avenue.




And here again I passed an opportunity.


But we did have pizza for supper before we retired to the pleasant and quiet Moose. Those Moose closed up shop (the bar) and went home at 8pm.