California 101 road trip: Tour Petaluma - Victorian nostalgia that movies are made of

Located just 32 miles north of San Francisco you can discover Petaluma while exploring Sonoma County's wineries and the Hwy-101 coastline. It is near Point Reyes National Seashore just follow the Petaluma River into the heart of the city, to Historic Downtown on the river's west bank to see Petaluma's authentic Victorian charm made famous by Hollywood.

There are several fun different ways to tour this unique city:

Victorian Mansions Tour
A self-guided walking tour or a 23 mile drive through Petaluma's neighborhoods is the most popular tour. Visitors stroll through stately Victorian mansions with a variety of architectural styles from 1860 to 1925, in a six-block area. As one of the few cities in Northern California spared the ravages of the 1906 earthquake, Petaluma is a rare example of what the citizens saw at the turn of the century. (See the Slideshow)

Walking Tour of the Trees 
If you appreciate the natural beauty of a lovely tree, be sure to take the self-guided Walking Tour of the Trees. You'll see more than fifty species of spectacular trees, including Cedar, Dutch Elm, Date Palm, English Yew, Locust, Maple, and a large variety of oak species. Many of these trees are considered exceptional specimens and Heritage Trees, which are registered with the city of Petaluma and receive special protection.

Free maps for the self-guided walking tours are available from the Petaluma Visitor Center, located in the Historic Depot Building at the Northeast corner of E. Washington Street and Lakeville Street.

Hollywood Tour
Ever since the early days of commercial and feature films, producers have loved to capture Petaluma's charm and style on film. In 1973 the blockbuster American film classic “American Graffiti” was filmed on Petaluma's Historic Downtown streets.

Other popular films including “Basic Instinct” and “Peggy Sue Got Married” were also shot in Petaluma among the historic buildings and immaculate Victorian mansions. Also filmed in the area were “Phenomenon”, starring John Travolta, “The Horse Whisperer” with Robert Redford, and a remake of “Lolita” with Jeremy Irons, as well as Clint Eastwood's “True Crime.”  Complete tour

There is even an annual event called “Salute to American Graffiti” with a celebration of classic cars cruising the “main drag” and rock ‘n roll music playing “happy days” of the ‘50s and early ‘60s when thousands jam the streets.  

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