Mario and I took a much needed weekend trip to Petaluma, CA for his 26th birthday. Even though COVID added a level of stress to our travel planning, we actually ended up having an incredible weekend away from our daily grind. We left feeling recharged with a hint of some “normalcy“ back in our lives ( but what really is normal now anyway?)

As with most travelers during the pandemic, we wanted to keep our traveling to a minimum while still being far enough away from home to feel like a vacation. Thankfully this gem of a town was only an hour drive from where we currently live in Walnut Creek. To describe Petaluma in a nutshell, it’s basically a mini version of Napa with an adorable small town vibe, insanely friendly community, lots of local restaurants, and you are literally walking distance to EVERYTHING in their downtown. If you’re ever in California wine country in the summer, Petaluma is a MUST see!

Our Airbnb was honestly one of the cutest tiny homes ever. It was actually a little guesthouse behind the host’s main home. The tiny home was so airy and filled with natural light and all the amenities you could dream of. We literally had everything we needed for an perfect weekend, from their Espresso machine, tea kettle, and snacks at the kitchenette, robe and slippers in the hideaway closets, to hotel-grade soap & hair products.

When we arrived at our bnb, we took a few minutes to settle in, then quickly headed off to our first destination - The Shuckery. Located at the historical Hotel Petaluma, The Shuckery is known for it’s oysters and seafood. Because of COVID, we dined outdoors in this really gorge courtyard that gave off a very Italian-romantic vibe.

You should know that Mario is a huge fan of fresh-shucked oyster, so naturally I knew we had to come here. And lemme tell you, this place did not disappoint! Everything we ate tasted like it was fresh out of the ocean. We had 4 different varieties of oysters from sources spanning from Seattle to Baja California, then we ordered a “Fish for 2“ shared platter. The catch of the day was a whole red cod, which was beautifully seasoned with a chimicurri-esque sauce. The fish itself was so light and fluffy, with a really amazing crust to compliment it. It also came with a side of grilled bok choy, black rice/peas, and a skillet of creamed corn. Needless to say we were stuffed at the end.

Night one ended with a dip in the jacuz with palomas at the Airbnb and a couple rounds of card games. We recently bought this game called Llamas Unleashed, a punny, sucker punching, argument-inducing game! (PS, it may not be friendly for the hyper-competitive people in your life.. possibly including myself lol)

Moving right along! The next day, we had two lovely, socially distanced, excursions deeper into Petaluma’s agricultural hub. After a light breakfast at Acre Coffee Petaluma, we went out to our first stop at the Achadinha Cheese Company (pronounced Osh-a-deen-a). It’s one of the last standing family dairy farms in the Sonoma County area, and it was so cool to have the opportunity to experience it. Donna, the matriarch of the ranch, gave our intimate tour group the farm’s history, challenges, and current ventures in the world of cheese making. They use a blend of both cow’s and goat’s milk which they use to make their own cheeses in house. They then sell their cheese in a number of farmer’s markets in the Bay Area. I’ve even recognized their packaging in my own local farmer’s market at home! We got to taste all their different cheese, and even some kiefer. Without a doubt left with some to take home with us!

Next stop was to Azari Vineyards, only a few minutes away from the farm! Here we enjoyed some of the smoothest wine I’ve ever tasted and a complementary fired oven pizza made by the owner. The best part was it was made entirely from scratch using primarily Petaluma-sourced ingredients, including Azari’s very own craft olive oil! Again, we were met by the sweetest hosts who wanted nothing but for us to feel at home. Although there were other guests at the vineyard, we were all spread out at least 10-15 feet apart, making it feel like a really private & safe experience. We also picked one of the best seats in the courtyard facing the entire vineyard where their grapes and olives are grown.

After all the tastings, we spent the rest of the day walking around downtown Petaluma, touring all of the quirky shops, restaurants, and parks nearby and soaking in the essence of the town. We walked by the gorgeous Petaluma river, which we later learned hosts the annual yacht festival around this time of year, but unfortunately due to the pandemic had to be canceled this year. We finished off the night with some light grub, round 2 in the jacuzzi with some of the wine we got at Azari, and just a chill, relaxing evening at our tiny home.

The next morning we went home, but not without first grabbing some brunch at Sax’s Joint (a 50’s themed diner). I sadly didn’t get any pictures of the place, but if you’re ever in town you HAVE to go! Mario got this cinnamon sugar French Toast with a whipped berry creme (basically dessert for breakfast), and I got a savory waffle with bacon, cheese, and this incredible green salsa drizzled on top. One thing to know about me is I LOVE spicy food, so you can see why I liked such a unique brunch item.

10/10 I would recommend visiting Petaluma if you’re looking for a laid-back, relaxing getaway. I can honestly say that Mario and I really needed some time to ourselves outside of COVID life, especially since we weren’t able to vacation this year like we normally do.

If you’re traveling during the pandemic, here’s a couple things you’ll definitely need to have:

• some hand sanitizer

• multiple masks/face coverings, especially when you’re traveling multiple days, those masks can pick up dust, dirt, smells. The fresher the mask the better

• sanitizing wipes

• optional: disposable gloves. Great especially if you tend to touch your face a lot!

Despite 2020 throwing us a serious curveball in our lives, I’d say it was one of the best ways we could have celebrated Mario’s birthday. I definitely wouldn’t have had it any other way (except for maybe a few more days of R&R lol). We can definitely see ourselves coming back again!