C&J Road Rave 2014-2015 : Santa Rosa, California

Friday, November 21, 2014 We explored the city of Santa Rosa, a half hour drive from Petaluma.

We met some local characters.

Lucy has connections and a dream budget!

We followed a self-guided tour through the West End of Santa Rosa.
Franco-American Bakery has housed a bakery since 1900. The Bastoni have run the business since 1938.

The storefront is very small with two shelves, a barrel and a counter. Just enough room for three or four customers.

We discovered why at the back! Around town, we saw a few people with goodies from this bakery. But most of their goodies are trucked out!

This is the only remaining building of the Del Monte Cannery Complex. The cannery has a significant role in Railroad Square and West End history. This building circa 1889 was renovated in 2004 and is now the 6th Street Playhouse. On the other side of the building, the wood -ware- in ware house is covered with the word -play-! We met the artistic director, Craig Miller, who shared some of the Playhouse's history.
We talked with Craig about the homelessness that we have seen in our travels through California. He spoke about organizations like The St. Vincent De Paul Society that assist people in his community. The society is three blocks from the theatre. People camp at the park next to the theatre parking lot. Craig spoke with sensitivity about people who are homeless and the theatre patrons who encounter them. As a result of new development in this area of Santa Rosa, the St. Vincent de Paul shelter is moving to another area in town.

Luther Burbank Paradox Walnut Tree

http://www.walnuts.org/walnuts/assets/File/Luther_Burbank.pdf

I was/am awed by the height of this palm tree. To date, it is the tallest palm tree I have met.

Orange Tree

DeTurk Round Barn http://srcity.org/departments/recreationandparks/parks/communitycenters/Pages/DeTurkRoundBarn.aspx

Crocheted stop signs! That's a first!

Tripper & Woodstock

We visited Norcal Modern Gallery. It is currently exhibiting works by Grace Slick and Tom Everhart.
We enjoyed our conversation with the gallery guide. Her mother is from Cape Breton.

http://www.everhartstudio.com

Then we learned about some historical homes in the Cherry Street and St. Rose area.
http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/doclib/Documents/CherryStreetWalkingTour.pdf
http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/doclib/Documents/StRoseWalkingTour.pdf

Saint Rose Catholic Church

A full page in the local paper featured a request for donations to the Redwood Empire Bank.
The statistics caused me to reflect on our travels and our conversation with Craig.