Thursday, November 01, 2007

TT #27


Thirteen Things to Visit in Petaluma, CA

Kimo: We might be gittin' a visit from some of da road-trippers when they comes to California!

Sabi: San Francisco is a furry famous place fer them to visit, but we is just 32 minutes north of S.F. - and just as famous!

Kimo: Here are 13 (to name a few) exciting and famous things to visit in Petaluma, CA:

1) Petaluma once was da "Chicken Capitol of da Werld" - believe it, or not! Our town is still furry well know fer it's poultry industry, especially "Rocky, da Range Chicken," a famous free-range icon! Petaluma once had the world's first and only chicken pharmacy. Petaluman, Lyman C. Byce is credited with invention of the first practical chicken incubator in 1879. We also has da famous "Willie Bird Turkey Farm" that raises free-range turkeys SO BIG they has to be supported by slings on a pulley system! Them little legs can support their own weight! These turkeys are featured in da Williams-Sonoma cooking catalog. Approximately 8,000 "Willie's" are sold each year.
2) Because of our chicken (yummm) status, our town celebrates it's heritage wif da annual "Butter & Egg Days" - there is a huge parade, highlighted wif da "Cutest Chick in Town Contest" - this is where da beans dress up all da baby beans (0-5 yrs) in town like baby chicks, then they all gits to ride a float in da parade! (We hopes our beans git to enter a baby bean this year.)
3) Our town is also known fer da "World Wrist Wrestling Championships." Roughnecks, meatheads and warlords have been arm wrestling for centuries. But serious competition didn't really begin until well after the reign of Ghengis Khan. It all began in 1953 when Petaluma hosted an event that has evolved into the Superbowl of wristwrestling. Da movie "Over the Top" wif Sylvester Stalone, was about this sport, and part of it was filmed in our town.
4) Our town is famous fer it's Victorian homes. We is one of da few Northern Californa towns that survived da 1906 earthquake that creamed S.F. The earthquake fault lines break off and go around us - so we have lots of original homes still standing. Petaluma is one of California's oldest cities with one of the best-preserved Historic Downtown areas on the National Register of Historic Places. The Victorian homes make great Haunted Mansions fer Halloween! It's a furry charming town. (We do not live in a Victorian home, we live in a "Ranch-style" home.)
5) Petaluma was the first U. S. city to be able to protect its individuality through a residential growth management plan (the right was won from the Federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals), and its "Americana" visual appeal has drawn filmmakers since the earliest days of Hollywood. The first movie filmed in Petaluma was in 1911. Some of da movies filmed in or around our town include: Pleasantville, American Grafitti, Pheonomenon, Bandits, Peggy Sue Got Married, The Fog, The Birds, Cujo, Explorers, Howard the Duck, Basic Instinct, Flubber, Mumford (to name a few).

6) We gots lots of regional wildlife parks - great fer strollering and bird watching. You might even see some buns (jack rabbits) and mountain lions!
7) We has a beautiful riverfront. That is another thing we is known fer. The Petaluma River has seen a succession of populations, beginning with the Petaluma Native Americans, Spanish explorers, and Mexican vaqueros and was once the third most commercially trafficked waterway in California. In da "olden days" beans used to come from S.F. to vacation, and they would arrive by riverboat. That is also how supplies was brought to our town before da freeways. At Christmas time, Santa & Mrs. Santa arrive on a riverboat, then they gits in their sleigh and rides through town - they gots horsies instead of vishus deers pulling them (whew!). Then a bunch of beans in Victorian costumes, in their buggies wif horsies, follow Santa through town - spreading holiday cheer.
8) We is da home town of Mrs. Grossman's sticker factory - you ALL know her stickers. If you take da factory tour (which is FREE), you gits to meet Angus, da woofie that snoopervises there.
9) We is da town in Northern Californa where da Native Americans gather annually to celebrate "All Nations." They have a big inter-tribal gathering at the Adobe State Park. You gits to see neat dancers and singers and crafts and stuff. The origin of Petaluma's name is a Coastal Miwok phrase for "valley of the little hills." Look at all da fev-vers on this dancer!
10) Da "Lavender Bee Farm" is right down da road from us. They grows lots of kinds of lavender and sells good smelling stuff, plus they makes their own honey! They gots free tours of da farm - and you can meet Mel, da famous camel. He has even been in magazines and on T.V.!
11) We has lots of parades in our town, which hosts the "Northern California Marching Band Competition," and the largest Veteran's parade in California. Here is da Petaluma High School Marching Band:
12) We gots LOTS of antique stores on our town (Mommakitty thinks there is too many), and lots of unique locally owned stores. We also have an annual antique festival downtown.

13) Petaluma is da Nation’s oldest “World Peace Zone." In 2003 some beans in Petaluma got together physically and visibly to express the deep and passionate desire for peace with Iraq, and for a new global wisdom that might guide our nation's leadership. Mommakitty & Daddykitty are in this picture (on da right by da pink sign).
Kimo: Well, that's just a some of da stuff we gots to see and do in our town. We are looking forward to having some visitors!

Sabi: WHEW! I'm pooped just thinkin' about all da stuff to do!


33 comments:

Daisy said...

That looks like a very, very wonderful place to live!

Parker said...

I would LOVE to visit the chicken farms! MMMMmmm!

Leslie said...

Excuse me, but do you know you two look like us two? I'm Pyewacket and she's Trixie.

Anonymous said...

Our mom was born in Marysville, then lived on Beale Air Force Base. Her God Mother lived in Modesto, and they used to go to Sacramento and San Francisco to go shopping.

ZOOLATRY said...

Wow... this is really great. I think you two should be official and honorary members of the California Cats Chamber of Commerce.

Anonymous said...

looks like a really beautiful place to me :)

happy Thursday!

Dragonheart, Merlin, Devi, and Chloe said...

Wow, there are lots of things to see and do in your town! I can't wait until the road trip arrives at your place! :)

Honey P. Sunshine said...

mmmm....lavender, purrrrr

Monty Q. Kat said...

Your town looks yummy!

(I hope your beans get to enter a babybean too!)

Jimmy Joe said...

Wow, Petaluma looks like a really great place. Maybe Momma will move us there when she gets a real grown-up job.
Your buddy, Jimmy Joe

Icon Baxter Bentley said...

I decided that I am moving to Petaluma after reading No. 1. The other 12 on the list are just fantastic extra benefits after being the "Chicken Capitol of the Werld".
I mean, you two live in the coolest place ever, seriously.

jenianddean said...

That looks like a wonderful place to live. And mom is so jealous about the stickers. When she was a little girl she collected stickers and Mrs. Grossman's were her favorites.

-Jasper McKitten-Cat

Jody W. and Meankitty said...

Mmmmmmm, chicken. Just wait until you train the new thing to throw all its chicken on the ground. Only problem is, watch out for the other things that get thrown.... Baby cereal hardens in the fur in a very annoying way.

Sincerely,
Meankitty

The Meezers or Billy said...

CHICK-HEN???? ooooooo we can't WAIT to get there!!!

Anonymous said...

Those all look like good reasons to visit your city, but you forgot one:

KIMO AND SABI LIVE THERE!!!!

Tybalt said...

Your town sounds like a great place to visit! Oh, I do hope that your beans get to dress up a baby for the cutest chick contest next year, too! *paws crossed*

Zippy, Sadie, Speedy and M'Gee said...

OOO, Chick-hen! Maybe we should teleport over fur some touring of da chick-hen...and turkey...

Captain Jack and Sir Dante said...

Did you say chicken capital of the WORLD? We loves chicken! Can we come and visit you and eat chicken?!?!

Sparky Duck said...

mmmm chicken is right boys

Angel Junior, Orion and Sammy said...

Wow! There is alot to do and see there! Maybe I can get Meowm to take a road trip one day!

ANGEL ABBYGRACE said...

Wowie I can't wait until the bus arrives in Petaluma....hey PET-aluma...that means it's a great place for PETS too!

Purrs
Abby

Louche Tabby said...

....hi guys...Kimo-you have great FB's....Sabi..I love a kit who sticks their tongue out....

Alastriona, The Cats and Dogs said...

We would love to visit the regional wildlife parks and our Mommy said the Victorian houses are pretty. Your home town looks very nice. Hopefully we can come visit some day. Our Daddy got to go to San Fransisco on business once, so maybe if he goes again he will take us with him.

Scylla & Charybdis

Joyismygoal said...

how fun, love William Sonoma ,Mrs Grossman's and how fun it all looks

Team Tabby said...

You live in a lovely city! We can't wait to visit. You did a great job of explaining what there is to do. I sure hope your mom and dad will get to enter a baby bean in the "cutest chick in town contest". We learned lots of interesting things about Petaluma - thanks.

Moe & Mindy

Kat 3 said...

PEACE!!

CHICKENS!

Sounds yummy.

Toffee K. Ripple Fuzzypants & Feline American Angels said...

Mom said that she passed a sign to Petaluma when she was drivin' up the Highway 1 after bein' in a place called Lawson's Landing ... She thought that Petaluma looked furry quiet an' restful ... It's nice to know that there's LOTS of stuff to do! An' the chicken sounds furry good to me!
DMM

ASTOR CATS said...

There sure are a lot of interesting things to do and see in Petaluma. Mom would love to see all the marching bands - she used to play and instrument and marched in a band - she still loves band music. We want to visit the "Chicken Capitol of da Werld" - we love chicken, and eggs, and turkey and butter, and.... Thanks for sharing all the interesting stuff about your home town.

Midnite & Stray Kitty

DK & The Fluffies said...

Don't forget #14: visit new baby bean pink frilly room!

lordjaders said...

That was verrry interrresting facts. Did you know that one of the little sticky people I live with is planning on rrraising some chickens herrrself?

I hope you get to put a little blurrrpy thing in that cutest chick contest too.

michico*Adan*Lego-小芥*阿丹*樂高 said...

I think that is a wonderful place to go~!!!! So happy for these road trippers~!

Tyler said...

I never knew so much about Petaluma before.It looks like a wonderful place. I'd really like the chicken the best.

Jake and Bathsheba said...

And isn't something called Mesa Boogie headquartered there? Someone told us their guitar amps are famous.

~J&B