They fell in love with this California town. Now they’re ‘regular out-of-towners’
Years ago, my husband and I were heading somewhere when we rolled through a northern California town called Petaluma not far from San Francisco. Just passing through was enough to whet our interest, so we came back later to wander around. We liked the vibes.
We started visiting more once we opted to buy a classic car for sale through a mechanic we chanced to meet when an earlier car had broken down on our travels. Instead of bringing the car back to Kansas, we stored her in his east bay shop, where she fit right in and enjoyed (nearly) rubbing fenders with vintage pals in for repair and restoration. A good fit for us, our zippy little car is always ready to take us on adventures where, unlike newer makes, she still drives like she did in her sexy 1970s.
We found a French-themed family-owned hotel in Petaluma that has Airstream rooms in the parking lot, and serves hot crepes and Nutella for breakfast with fresh hot cups of drip coffee. Mais oui! We’ve gotten to know the owners, the staff and housekeeping crew, and we feel so at home that people ask me every time if I work there.
In the cheery breakfast room we met interesting people with whom we still keep in touch. Though we don’t invade privacy, we love the life stories we’ve heard from both visitors and the hotel’s small but worldly staff. The kid who checked us into our room the first time we stayed is now the father of two.
Petaluma, you might know by now if you’re curious and looked online, was the setting for the movie “American Graffiti.” But it’s actually more famous for its Butter and Egg Days Parade and Festival, marking the region’s rich agricultural history.
The two-lane roads to the wild and rocky coast and Highway 1 are braided through stunning dairy and olive-tree farms and the occasional tucked-in vineyard. Seemingly secret villages pop up out of nowhere, until you drive in to find them crawling with locals and travelers visiting favorite bakeries, vintage resalers or grocers.
But our luckiest find was a happy accident. Through a casual Kansas City contact, we met a couple who have lived in Petaluma “forever.” The wife was born there, and the husband arrived a little later. It was the love of the little car that brought us together, since our KC contact thought of my husband and her brother-in-law as avid car lovers.
We reached out and were invited over for coffee and discovered they have the same make, similar aged, adorable car. Thus began the planning and execution of dozens of scenic drives. We share stories of life in Kansas and enjoy their lifelong California and family histories. We transformed from occasional visitors to “regular out-of-towners,” to borrow a phrase from whoever thought of it first.
George knows all the area roads: He’s driven them for decades, some on motorcycles, in his younger days. Jennie knows bakeries from her years as a baker. She also knows cheesemakers, farmer’s markets, coffee stands and most notably, restaurants of record, as well as new ones entering the vibrant market.
Our Petaluma trips started with a glance out the car window and led to a lasting friendship. Now, driving around in our sweet ride and drawing thumbs-ups from strangers makes us feel like locals.
It’s almost enough to make people our age consider downsizing and squeezing into a Petaluma condo to make this permanent. From where I sit as navigator, however, exchanging the Flint Hills for an ocean view every now and then makes us appreciate both more.
Contact Ellen at murphysister04@gmail.com.
