Southern Sonoma Country Life

Know Your Zone — Sonoma County Evacuation Maps

County of Sonoma and its incorporated cities are establishing standardized evacuation zones for the County.

In the past, evacuation zones were different for each incident, now your zone will remain mostly the same, you can learn your zone for home and work and be ready to go when an alert requesting your zone evacuate is issued.

Please write down your zone and consider learning the zones near your residence and workplace as well to provide a bigger picture of what is happening during power outages, wildfire season, floods and other natural disasters.  

Your out of town relatives may be interested in knowing your zone as well for their own situational awareness. Zones may change slightly from time to time. 

Click here to use the zone look up tool or the county's interactive map. I prefer the lookup tool as the map is a little tricky to navigate. 

And don't forget to sign up for SoCo Alert and Nixle if you haven't already. 

 

 

Tickets on Sale for 14th Annual Petaluma Music Festival (Keeping Music in the Schools) — Live, Aug 7, 2025 Sonoma Marin Fairgrounds

KEEPING MUSIC IN THE SCHOOLS!

Announcing The Lineup For the 2021 In-Person Festival!
14th Annual Petaluma Music Festival
Saturday, August 7th
Sonoma-Marin Fair Grounds

• The Motet
• Monophonics
• Full Moonalice: THC Revue featuring The New Chamber Brothers & T Sisters
• Ron Artis II & The Truth
• T Sisters
• Lebo, Artist at Large
• SambaDá
• The Commonheart
• Mestizo Beat
• Sebastian Saint James & The Highway Poets
• Bandjango Collectif featuring Stella Heath
• Black Sheep Brass Band
• Kendra McKinley
• Bronze Medal Hopefuls
• Dirty Red Barn
• Jinx Jones

Under current guidelines, Petaluma Music Festival organizers are planning on having a "Safe/Vaccinated" festival and will only admit participants and attendees who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 at least 2 weeks prior to the festival, or have received a negative test result for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to the festival.

Due to the pandemic, the cost of producing the festival has increased dramatically. Please consider making a donation in addition to your ticket purchase to help offset the costs of the festival. This is a non-profit festival and all proceeds are donated to the music programs in our local public schools (so our local kids can enjoy making music). Thank you!

Event team says: "Our first priority will be for everyone to be safe while enjoying the festival. As with all events happening in the next several months, we will have to work within the Covid-19 protocols and guidelines set forth by the County of Sonoma Health Department and the State of California. The vaccination or negative test requirement will apply to anyone over the age of 12 including all attendees, staff, volunteers, musicians, and vendors. Children 12 and under will be exempted from these requirements. Since guidelines and protocols from the Health Department are constantly changing and evolving, we will change with them, and we appreciate your flexibility so we may have a safe, in-person festival."
 

ON SALE NOW!

General Admission: $55
VIP Tickets: $149
Ticket prices will go up on day of event

The VIP ticket scores you a reserved seat in the shade under the big tent with complimentary hors d'oeuvres, wine tasting, and beer tasting.
As always, the Petaluma Music Festival is a very family friendly affair
Kids 12 under get in for free!
Teens 13-18 can get a ticket for $25 (sold only at the gate)
To purchase tickets:  CLICK HERE

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Are You Prepared For 2021 Wildfire Season? Stay Sonoma County Safe

All photos - Frances Rivetti 

One of the things we pride ourselves on most here in Sonoma County is our unwavering collective resilience and spirit and extraordinary community-mindedness in the wake of the past four years of devastating wildfire seasons. Adding to the pressure of this unprecedented period in time, extreme challenges of pandemic measures, which came hot on the heels of wildfire trauma have pushed our communities into a constant overdrive. 

Unfortunately,  it's not something that we're able to pat one another on the back and say: "Well done, we did it, we made it through," for this year's extreme drought conditions are heralding dire warnings from fire ecologists and firefighters in the region who fear there is sufficient available vegetation to burn all over again.

"Fire is a natural occurrence on the landscape and as such, California ecosystems have evolved to survive and, in some cases, thrive when impacted by fire," says Cal Fire Division Chief Ben Nicholls in a recent article on the grim fire outlook in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.   

PD Reporter Guy Kovner has written of the fires that are seared into the region's memory and their footprints remaining across a burned landscape that stretches from the Mendocino National Forest to Interstate 80 outside Vacaville and from the Russian River near Guerneville to Blue Ridge overlooking Lake Berryessa and the Central Valley. 

This is the landscape that could very well burn again this year, including Sonoma County's worst wildfire areas in history that were scorched by the Tubbs Fire and Nuns in 2017, the Kincade Fire in 2019 and last year's Walbridge and Glass Fires.

Collectively, we've experienced so much devastation in the region over the past few years that it is tending to merge into one, long, four-year saga of smoke and ash and power outages, school and business closures and mass evacuations. 

Driving through the wooded, hillside backroads of Sonoma County from the Fountaingrove area where winds that hit as much as 60 to 70 mph caused a catastrophic, freeway jumping inferno that wiped out 1,600 homes in the fall of 2017, it's surprising, impressive and worrisome at the same time to see how many folk have returned to their homesites with bold rebuilds that have transformed the architecture with a trend toward the modern and a necessity toward fire resistant. 

While many have refused to give up on their properties, ready in an instant to take on the ominous warnings with a great deal more learned knowledge and preparedness, lots more people have moved away from the more remote parts of the county where firefighting efforts may or may not be able to concentrate efforts should the worst happen in 2021.

It's extraordinary and encouraging to watch as vital, new ground-level controlled burn fires are focused on establishing strategic fire breaks in the most fire-prone corridors. Native peoples set their own carefully controlled burns for centuries and we're finally acknowledging and implementing this vital practice to clear out excessive brush and cluttered forest land that will hopefully come back with healthy new plant growth in time. 

Last fall, Point Reyes National Seashore in neighboring Coastal Marin was ground zero for hundreds of firefighters from around the world who camped out in tents for weeks on end. This may well be a familiar site during the summer and fall and we must prepare to be good neighbors by doing our part to provide resources and support. 

According to the article in the Press Democrat, the U.S. Drought Monitor listed about 60% of the state of California in extreme drought. One year ago, that figure was a mere 3%.

Fire chiefs urge our North Bay communities to prepare for a "long and significant fire season."  According to the Press Democrat, given the movement of recent wildfires, the city of Santa Rosa is currently clearing fuel from the Fountaingrove, Mark West and Riebli areas and north side of Rincon Valley as well as preparing for a Cal Fire prevention grant to cover much of the cost to property owners undertaking this work.

In the south county, Petaluma has opened its city gates and resident's doors to thousands of evacuees searching for safe ground over the past four fire seasons and volunteer training is underway for a fast, effective response should mass evacuation centers be a necessity sooner rather than later this summer. If you wish to volunteer for Disaster Recruitment this year, click here to sign up ahead of time with Petaluma People Services. 

It's now no longer an if we need to feed several thousand hungry folk for several weeks, but when. And the generosity of individuals, groups and businesses as well as the many outstanding non-profits in the area continues to humble each and every one who step up to donate goods or services or help in any way needed.

In my West Petaluma neighborhood we have a Neighborhood Communications List, a Google doc that we've all signed into and updated with information that can be accessed and changed as needed by anyone in the group. We know who lives in which house, which family members are generally home, special needs and pets. 

It is very likely our local emergency services and other resources normally available will be overwhelmed during the height of this next wildfire season and we've utilized our neighborhood outreach during winter storm season and for COVID lockdown also. 

I'm thankful for our lead neighbor, Tim Thompson, a retired Marin County Fire Chief with 34 years of firefighting experience who rallied us to outreach and we've had informative (pre-pandemic) meetings in person with most of our neighbors in attendance. 

Tim recommends if you haven't done it already, you should sign up for emergency alerts from Nixle and SoCoAlert.  Another useful tool he recommends is the Alertwildfire.org site. By getting on this site you'll be able to access a network of mountain top cameras that cover the entire county and other areas of the state.  If you are interested in checking on the progress or location of a reported fire you can access the site.  Fire dispatch centers are currently using the same site which is now available to the public.  Click here for FireSafeSonoma

In order to be better prepared for evacuations this year, here are some basic suggestions from regional fire experts at firesafemarin:

 

COMMUNICATIONS

Keep your cell phones fully charged.

Notify an out-of-area contact of your phone number, location and status & update regularly.

Leave a note with your contact info and out-of-area contact taped to a fridge or inside a front window.

Check on or call neighbors to alert them to prepare at first sign of a fire.

Dress all family members in long sleeves and long pants, heavy cotton or wool is best, no matter how hot it is.

Wear full coverage goggles, leather gloves, head protection. 

Cover faces with a dry cotton or wool bandana or scarf over an N95 respirator. Tie long hair back.

Carry a headlamp and flashlight (even during the day).

Carry car keys. wallet, ID, cell phone.

Drink plenty of water, stay hydrated.

Put Go Kits in your vehicle.

 

PETS & ANIMALS

Locate your pets and place in carriers at first indication of evacuation.

Be sure pets are wearing tags or are microchipped.

Place carriers (with pets in them) near front door with fresh water and extra food.

Prepare horses and large animals for transport and consider moving them before evacuation orders.

 

IF TIME ALLOWS

Shut all windows and doors and leave them unlocked.

Remove combustible window shades and curtains, close metal shutters.

Move furniture to the center of the room, away from windows.

Leave indoor and outdoor lights on. 

Shut off HVAC and ceiling fans.

 

OUTSIDE & IN NEIGHBORHOOD

Place combustible outdoor items (patio furniture, toys, doormats, trash cans etc) in garage or 30 feet from structures (optional, place in a pool).

Shut off gas at meter or propane tanks, move small propane tanks at least 15 feet from combustibles.

Connect garden hoses with squeeze grip nozzles to outdoor spigots for use by firefighters.

Fill water buckets and place around outside of house, especially near decks and fences.

Clean gutters and blow leaves away from house.

Back car into driveway, loaded with doors and windows closed. 

Prop open fence and side gates.

Place ladders at the corners of structures for firefighters.

Seal attic and ground vents with precut plywood or metal covers (even duct tape will protect from ember entry) if time allows. 

Patrol your property and monitor conditions. Leave if spot fires ignite or conditions change.

 

WHEN YOU LEAVE

Leave immediately if ordered.

Don't wait for an evacuation order if you feel unsafe or conditions change. Leave early if unsure.

Assist elderly or disabled neighbors.

Carpool with neighbors to reduce traffic.

Take only essential vehicles with adequate fuel.

In your car, turn on headlights, close windows, turn on inside air and AC, tune in to local radio.

Drive slowly and defensively. Be observant. 

The best evacuation route is the one you know best. Take the fastest paved route to a valley floor, away from the fire if possible.

Proceed downhill, away from the fire if possible. Know at least two routes.

If roads are impassable or you are trapped: take shelter in a building, or an open park area, park in an outside turn if trapped on a hillside; stay far from vegetation; look for wide roads, parking lots, playing fields etc.

If trapped, you are better protected inside a building or vehicle.

Don't abandon your car in the road if passage is impossible. If you must leave your car, park it off the road and consider other options for shelter.

Evacuate on foot only as a last resort.

Don't evacuate by fire road, uphill or into open-space areas with unburned vegetation.

Remain calm, panic is deadly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sonoma Botanical Garden — New Name, New look for Former Quarryhill Garden, Glen Ellen

 

Along with a new rebranding and repositioning, primarily Asian-focused Quarryhill Botanical Garden in Glen Ellen, now Sonoma Botanical Garden has also been treated to a complete makeover while we were all sitting at home dreaming of being back out and about. 

The property's beautiful ponds received a facial and a duckweed extraction, making way for a perfectly picturesque spot on the wooden bridge overlooking a garden view with glistening reflections on the water.

Historic stone walls were restored, facility buildings were renovated and more improvements continue to be made in this internationally recognized wild Asian woodland garden.

"Adapting our mission to include California botany will allow us to be even more sensitive to wildlife, water, and wildfire issues that are so present in our community and the world at large," says Scot Medbury, Executive Director for this unique garden. "We hope that encountering specimens of California's endangered native flora will lead people to an appreciation of plant-conservation challenges around the world, including those found in Asia, and vice versa - and that learning about the endangered flora of Asia might inspire local action to save California plants." 

With this revised mission, a new name was needed to encompass the whole of the Garden - Asian woodland and Three Springs Ranch. Quarryhill Botanical Garden became Sonoma Botanical Garden. "We anticipate that the new name and enhanced mission will strengthen the Garden's connection to our community, advancing our environmental-education impact in an era of climate change," says Jerry Newell, Chair of the Garden's Board of Directors.

Efforts to expand the garden's deliciously refreshing citrus collection are in motion, including the cultivation of Kumquats, Buddha’s hand, and more. If you've never visited, I thoroughly recommend you put it on your list for staycation activities this summer or fall.

Visit Wednesday through Monday from 9:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.

If you go:

General Garden Admission
Please check-in at the Gift Shop.

• $12 Adults
• $10 Seniors (65+)
• $8 Children ages 13-17/Active Military/Students with ID
• Children 12 and under are free
• No admission fee for members, become a member today!
  
• No charge for AHS RAP members

Contact 
707-996-3166
info@sonomabg.org

Mailing Address
PO Box 232, Glen Ellen, CA 95442

Physical Address
12841 HWY 12, Glen Ellen, CA 95442

 

Driving Directions
About 8 miles north of Sonoma, the Garden is located on California Highway 12 (Sonoma Highway), just north of Arnold Drive intersection.
Do NOT turn on Miller Rd. Enter directly through the gate off HWY 12. Click here to view the Garden's entrance gate on Google Maps.

Parking
When you enter the gate off HWY 12, follow signs to Visitor Parking. Please check-in at the Gift Shop before you enter the Garden.

Wheelchair accessibility is limited. There are steep hills and uneven, loose trails. Leave pets at home. 

Photography is welcomed. 

Picnic areas are scattered throughout the garden and near the parking lot.

Guests  are encouraged to bring water in refillable water bottles. Water is available in the Gift Shop for purchase, but there is no access to drinking water on the trails.

Restrooms are located near the parking area and in the Garden northwest of the arbor. Note: the Arbor restrooms are Port-a-Potties.

To ensure the tranquility of the garden for all, biking and smoking are prohibited. 

Humans share the Garden with rattlesnakes and mountain lions. For your safety, stay on the paths.

The Garden is a living museum with a scientifically documented collection. Many plants are rare or endangered and therefore significant to conservation efforts. Please do not remove seeds or cuttings from the garden.

Spring Hill Open Air Market, Petaluma — Live Music & Refreshments Sunday, May 16th 10 - 4pm

Sonoma County Airport Express Resumes its SoCo to SFO and Oak Airport Routes

It's been a long time! Though I haven't had to use an airporter bus for more than a year, I've collected a family member from the Marin Airporter's last stop at Hamilton Field a couple of times during the pandemic era, masks on, roof down in my car for the last leg up to Petaluma. 

I'm thrilled to hear that our wonderful Sonoma County Airport Express is back on the road after the extended hiatus.

On Monday, May 3rd, Sonoma County Airport Express officially resumed its Sonoma County to SFO and OAK airport routes. On your next ride, you’ll notice: Industry-leading cleanliness including the use of electrostatic sprayers to fog vehicles after every use Reduced capacity and blocked seats in vehicles to allow for greater social distancing Masks required for all passengers and employees Team members who have been trained on measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 Sonoma County Airport Express is committed to ensuring the safety and comfort of all passengers and employees and is excited to welcome back its Sonoma-area team members. Learn More Purchase Tickets

Tuolumne County's 2021 Inspirational Travel Guide

 

Travel — remember that? Aren't we all bursting to get back out on the road? Many friends have already resumed their adventuring — I'm just getting started with my travel planning. There's a lot to consider when heading far and wide and also closer to home and it's a new world for the travel and tourism and leisure industries, all enthusiastic to welcome us back, but with responsible itineraries. 

One of the most talked about travel destinations these days are our beautiful national parks. What an absolute treasure trove of natural splendor and many, with a little more careful planning, within driving distances. 

Yosemite National Park/Visit Tuolumne County now has its online 2021 Inspiration Travel Guide ready for viewing on the Visit Tuolumne County website.

This handy and well thought out  Travel Guide is filled with information on Yosemite's Tuolumne County. A hard copy of the guide can also be ordered and sent to addresses within the United States.

Did you know that more than half of Yosemite National Park is in Tuolumne County? I'd like to discover more of this side of Yosemite that I haven't seen much of before.

Why no Vvsit Hetch Hetchy, Carlon Falls and the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias, all within the Park's boundaries, but much less crowded than the more iconic Yosemite Valley?

In addition to Yosemite, Tuolumne County boasts two historic state parks – Columbia and Railtown 1897 where visitors can experience California's Gold Country by stepping back in time and catching a glimpse of what life was like in the 1800's.

Quaint towns loaded with character can be found throughout the area. Wineries, craft breweries, and a cidery along with excellent dining and unique shopping opportunities are found throughout the area.

Outdoor adventurers will feel right at home on backcountry trails or high-country lakes and rivers that can be found throughout the High Sierra region of Tuolumne County in the Stanislaus National Forest.

Lodging from camping to bed and breakfasts and historic hotels to modern lodges and even Conestoga wagons are available for memorable overnight stays.

See the Travel Planner for great trip ideas and tips for traveling responsibly. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's travel photos this summer on social media. Wherever we roam, it certainly will be extra special this year and not taken for granted. 

 

Sonoma County Connection — Right Place, Right Time: A Survey of John Upton's Photographs

John Upton, revered photographer, influential photography educator and co-author of a seminal textbook on photography, passed away in December, in Petaluma, where he had lived with his loving family for the past two and a half years after moving north from Southern California. He was 88.

John was a key developer of Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa's photography program. He joined the college as a faculty member in 1960 and taught as a full-time professor from 1965-99, serving as photography department chair from 1965 to 1975 and instructed at the college for over 40 years.

He retired in 1999, though continued to teach at OCC part time until a few years ago.

To quote reporter Richard Chang in his tribute in The Voice of OC: "In addition to teaching and influencing generations of photographers, Upton co-authored the book “Photography” with then-wife Barbara London. The book was originally published in 1976 and is now in its 12^th edition, with more than 1.5 million copies in print.

“Photography” covers all the technical aspects of photography, such as aperture, depth of field, shutter speed and film speed. But it also examines the history of photography, the use of light, the “zone system,” color, developing, printing and mounting. Later editions cover the various aspects of digital photography, photo editing and computer printing.

The Uptons collaborated with the Time Life publishing company and had full access to the Time Life library of images."

Orange Coast College writes that Upton studied with Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, Minor White, Dorothea Lange, and Edward Weston at the California School of Fine Arts in the early 1950s. "In 1955 he was the first resident student of Minor White in Rochester, N.Y. and took courses in the history of photography from famed photo art historian, Beaumont Newhall. In the late 1960s he became Chair of the Photography department at OCC, retiring in 1999. In 1976, he coauthored, with Barbara London, the seminal college textbook “Photography” now in its 12th edition with more than 1.5 million copies in print. In essence, John Upton has been in the right place at the right time in the history of twentieth century photograph."

His daughter Seanrae shared this wonderful video on social media on his birthday, this May, as remembrances poured in. Thank you Seanrae and family for graciously allowing me to repost this beautiful clip and post on your dear dad's legacy to the world of art and photography and education.  Deepest condolences. 

There's at least one photograph in the video that was taken of street art on Water Street in Petaluma, see if you can find it! What an incredible legacy to the history of modern American photography.

 

 

Join The Keep California Real — Truth in Olive Oil Labeling Campaign

Photo & Info McEvoy Ranch 

There's been much debate about the integrity and origins of the olive oil we see on the shelves here in the States for quite a few years. Not all olive oil is created equal, but misleading labeling might make you think otherwise!

Since we have several incredible high quality, first rate California olive oils widely available, it's confusing to the consumer when cheap oils with less integrity that are not native to the state continue to be labeled as such. 

As for olive oil producers, such as local gem McEvoy Ranch, it's imperative that current legislature sorts this out once and for all. And so it's time to join together with food lovers and farmers and KEEP CALIFORNIA REAL. Here's some info from our friends over at McEvoy:

What is Assembly Bill 535 currently in front of the California Legislature?
In short, it’s truth in olive oil labeling. The Bill will make it unlawful to make any representation that an olive oil is produced entirely from olives grown within California unless the representation is true.

Why Should You Care?
The truth matters, and you deserve to know where the olive oil you are buying comes from.

Did You Know?
Several olive oils currently on the market are labeled “California Olive Oil”, but are produced out of state, or even out of the country. Make sure products labeled with “California Olive Oil” support California farmers and local businesses, and KEEP CALIFORNIA REAL by helping to support AB 535.

What You Can Do?

1. Sign the Petition to support Assembly Bill 535.
2. Download KEEP CALIFORNIA REAL Assets so you can share your support for AB 535 with your network and community. When sharing use the official hashtags: #KeepCAReal #TruthInLabeling #RealCAOliveOil
3. Contact your Local Assembly Member and share a helpful pre-written letter. It takes under a minute!

 

“Hello Assembly Member,

I am writing to you to register my strong support for AB 535 and I very much hope that you vote for this bill which calls for greater truth in labeling on California Olive Oil.

The integrity of agriculture as a whole in California relies on truth in labeling, origin, and honest presentation of information to consumers. California is known as an agricultural leader, and we have a financial and ethical interest in defending our agricultural heritage and our future. Many foreign olive oils have a lower cost basis than California due to many factors including lower environmental and labor regulatory burdens. To sell this olive oil with "California" (or other regional claims to provenance) on the label undermines our local olive oil production and sales potential. And it is deceptive to olive oil customers. Please vote for AB 535.

Thank you,

Insert Your Name”

AB 535 Press
Check out Agri-Pulse's article covering Assembly Bill 535 where McEvoy Ranch president, Samantha Dorsey, highlights the bill's goal to protect truth in labeling.

“You guys have done a really good job of setting the bar high with labor standards, emission regulations, water usage controls, food quality standards, inspections, payroll taxes, equipment, taxes, property taxes,” said Dorsey to lawmakers in the hearing. “To be compliant in California, I have to charge a premium price for my product, because it's produced in a premium region. It's super disruptive to my business, and every other real California olive oil producer, when we have to compete against this foreign oil that's produced with fewer regulations at a significantly lower cost structure.”

 

When buying your next bottle, be sure to select an olive oil that you know has been grown and produced here in California. Better still, support local and buy directly from McEvoy Ranch online. 

Mother's Day Pop-Up Market at Petaluma's New Grand Central Cafe on the River at Weller Street

Wow! I'm blown away by all the wonderful open air markets and pop-ups in the Petaluma area this spring. I haven't had a chance to check out the new Grand Central Cafe on the river at Weller Street yet, but I plan to soon and Mother's Day sounds like the ideal time to stop by. 

All of the vendors in the pop-up are moms. What better way to celebrate and support hardworking and creating mothers in our community? Here's friend Houston Porter's article on this fun & innovative new cafe in a recent Petaluma 360 post.