Category: Sonoma County

A Day at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Skate Rink

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One of my favorite Illustrators/Cartoonists is Charles M. Schulz. I learned months back that the Schulz Museum, normally closed on Tuesdays during the slower part of the year, would be open on Tuesday November 26th in observance of Schulz’s birthday. I joined the celebration that morning with a sketch of the museum in Santa Rosa. The current exhibit, entitled “Starry, Starry, Night,” was a joy, and it warmed my heart to see a grouping of comics featuring the lovable Peanuts characters pondering the universe.

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Schulz’s Redwood Empire Ice Arena, situated across the street, opened 28 April, 1969 with a grand opening ceremony starring Peggy Fleming and the Vince Guaraldi Trio. The building mimics an Alpine village with faithful reproductions of Swiss chalet facades and giant redwood trees that tower over the property. I bundled up and enjoyed the chilly temperatures while sketching the skaters. Their perpetual motion as the music thumped was mesmerizing but difficult to capture on paper. I’d like to return sometime soon and give it another try. The chilly temperature was a nice contrast to the abnormally warm weather we’ve been having this late in November and was a reminder that the Christmas holidays are fast approaching.

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Unbeknownst to most who visited Snoopy’s Home Ice, Charles M. Schulz (Sparky) was often seen in its Warm Puppy Café, watching skaters zip across the rink. An avid hockey player himself, Schulz built the arena in 1969 as a multi-use facility. At the time, the only ice arena in Santa Rosa had recently closed and he felt that a comfortable gathering spot was important for the community.

Each day before answering correspondence or working on his comic strip, Sparky would start his morning at the Warm Puppy Cafe having an English muffin with grape jelly and a cup of coffee. There he watched skaters practice their patch and freestyle exercises before returning to his studio a few steps down the street. He often returned to the café midday for a tuna salad sandwich and to engage in conversation with friends and the general public.

Today, a table near the front door of the café is reserved in Sparky’s honor. Pictures of Schulz and Peanuts comic strips can be seen through the table’s glass top. Jean Schulz keeps her late husband’s table fresh with seasonal flower arrangements and a balloon for his birthday. It’s a perfect tribute to Sparky; reserving the table where he collected his thoughts and undoubtedly captured ideas for his beloved comic strip.

 

Sketching in Graton, CA

Graton_sThe town of Graton, just north of Sebastopol California is home to several notable restaurants including Willow Wood Cafe and Mexico Lindo. This morning our group of nine met outside the Cafe, artists lining Graton Road well into the afternoon. After huddling around a bench to review each other’s work, we enjoyed a tasty late lunch at Mexico Lindo, followed by a quick stop to check out local artists’ work at Graton Art Gallery. What a great day!

 

Howard’s Station Cafe, Occidental, CA

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Occidental is a small Northern California mountain town founded in 1876.  The cafe I sketched there, Howard’s Station Cafe, is named after William “Dutch Bill” Howard, who supposedly was not really Dutch, nor was his name William Howard. According to the restaurant’s website, “He was in fact, a Danish sailor named Christopher Thornassen Folkmann, born in 1823. Folkmann was serving as an able bodied seaman on the U.S. Ship St. Mary, which dropped anchor in San Francisco Bay in 1849.”

Howard granted the North Pacific Coast Railroad right-of-way across his land to connect the nearby town of Cazadero to Sausalito on the San Francisco Bay. In return, he received a lifetime railway pass and the station was named after him.

The Howard Station Cafe serves delicious organic breakfasts and lunches. On weekends, there is always a wait to get a table so come early (before 9am)—or late (after 1pm).

This sketch has been published in the Press Democrat online edition and in the Dec 21, 2013 edition of the Towns section of the PD.

Pick’s Drive In

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Pick’s has been a local favorite in Cloverdale since it opened in 1923. Serving much of the same menu it did when it opened, bacon double cheese burgers, french fries, grill cheese sandwiches, and milkshakes, a few notable things have changed. Today all the burgers are made with hormone free Niman Ranch meats and veggie and black been burgers have been added to the menu for the health conscious. Although chain restaurants have recently created business competition, it’s great to see that a classic independent eatery with good food and a friendly staff can hold its own in this corporate 21st Century world.

Devoto Family Gardens

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Devoto Gardens is a 20 acre diversified family farm nestled among apple orchards, pinot noir vines, and a bounty of flowers for cutting. Situated west of downtown Sebastopol, the farm is often canopied with cool morning fog that lingers into the afternoon hours, providing a perfect climate for cultivating flowers, grapes, and apples.
In 1975, Susan and Stan Devoto bought the ranch that would become Devoto Gardens and began farming micro-greens and flowers the following year. But it didn’t take long before the family became obsessed with apples, and now they grow over 50 varieties of heirloom species.
 The Devotos grow as many heirloom apples as there are uses and tastebuds. Thousands of nuances make each individual apple delicious, whether its being used for raw eating, juicing, baking, or cider.
Jolie (the middle daughter of three) acknowledges that the best tasting apples are also the most difficult to grow, and therefore, require the most dedication. Although apple trees are resilient, the more TLC they receive, the better the flavor of the fruit. Having grown apples for 40 years, the Devotos intimately know each variety: the time of harvest, what it tastes like at its best, and the amount of acid versus sugar in the fruit.
devoto-farms-sorting_s2The apple harvest begins with the Gravenstein in August and will last into November. Once the apples have been picked, they are hauled from the orchard to a spot in front of the greenhouse where they are sorted, boxed, labeled, and loaded into a van for the markets.
Gravensteins have a sweet/tart flavor combo with a little spice and bright acidity. They’re perfect for eating, saucing, baking, or in the case of Jolie’s new venture with her husband Hunter, artisan sparkling hard cider. Regardless of use, the Gravenstein Apple remains a symbol of Sonoma County’s historical agricultural tradition.devoto-farms-apple_s2
***Update:
I’m saddened to hear today that Susan Devoto died last Friday. My condolences to the Devoto family. You can read the story here.

Jimtown Store

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On any given day, cyclists, tourists, and locals alike can be found at Alexander Valley’s Jimtown store enjoying hearty seasonal soups, salads, and specialty sandwiches. Founded by Jim Patrick in 1865 as a general store and post office, the store was refurbished in 1991 by current owner Carrie Brown and her late husband John Werner. It’s hard to miss Jimtown’s mascot, a 1955 red Ford pickup parked out front, which was originally used as a county fire truck.

 

The Charming Town of Cotati

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Blink while driving up Highway 101 and you’ll miss the charming town of Cotati. The city center sports an unusual hexagonal shape with coffee shops, cafés, and sculpture, complementing the small town feel. Home to two music festivals, the Cotati Jazz Festival in June, and the internationally renowned Accordion Festival in late August, Cotati surely is a place to keep both your eyes and ears open.