September 23, 2021
We took advantage of the bikes that came with our AirBnB and took a long ride through the surrounding wine country and into Sonoma town.
We rode through Sonoma’s suburbs, checking out the houses. These similar houses were across the road from each other. They were taking different approaches to landscaping, with one sticking to the traditional grass, while the other had converted to the more environmentally friendly desert look.
There were a number of large victorian style houses that were reminded us of neighborhoods back east.
This massive historical home took up a whole block.
We are not sure if the owners were trying to be ironic or were completely self-unaware but their conserve water sign seemed at odds with the massive green lawns. Perhaps some eco protestor had snuck in the sign without the owners noticing.
We particularly liked this house with its shady verandah.
And this mid-century modern home.
We stopped by the original Williams Sonoma store, started in the 1950s by Chuck Williams. Now Williams Sonoma is a massive kitchenware retail chain with over 600 stores nationwide.
The town surrounds a beautiful and large town square with the city hall at its center.
The hall is guarded by two large untitled heads, sculpted by Jun Kaneko, a Japanese ceramic artist who lives in Nebraska.
There is something comforting about a park that is confined on all four sides by traditional buildings. With its shady trees and ponds, it was definitely an inviting space.
On one side of the square, there were various historic buildings.
Mal and Lauren 