"A Walk Around Sonoma Plaza, part I" Top 5 Page for this destination Sonoma Travelogue by Rixie

My friend Cindy (the one from the Slow Down Story) and I brought our cameras along on a walk around downtown Sonoma. She was doing a project for a photography class, and I wanted to expand my Sonoma page, so we had a fun afternoon playing tourist and taking pictures.

I shot this one through the glass ticket booth at the Sebastiani Theater and caught my own reflection on the left.

Thailand meets California.

This statue in front of Rin's Thai Restaurant (see restaurant tips), appears to be holding a cigar, but it's only a drainpipe.

Note to self: find a different angle next time.

For cheese connaisseurs

There are all kinds of lovely little shops around the Plaza -- see shopping tips.

Plaza dome

This was the former Mission Hardware building, which now houses gift and clothing shops. After the original building was partly destroyed in a fire, the cupola was rebuilt.

Looking north on First Street East

This is the east side of the Plaza. Stop at The Basque for a sandwich or pastries and coffee, and watch the world go by.

Sonoma Plaza on a Sunday afternoon

The middle of the Plaza is a park with a playground, duck pond, and picnic tables. It's a popular spot for spending a sunny afternoon.

The Airedale in the photo is there illegally -- no dogs are allowed in the Plaza. It seems at first like a harsh rule, but there are reasons for it. In the summer of 2008, for example, nearly the entire crop of 18 baby ducks was killed by an animal. It could have been a coyote but more than likely was someone's out-of-control pet.

Meet Afro

This duck used to be my favorite Plaza denizen: he had such pretty beige feathers and looked as though he was wearing a white pillbox hat. My friends' children thought it looked like a big hairdo and dubbed him "Afro." We looked up duck breeds on the Net and think that Afro was a White Crested Duck.

Afro is no longer at the pond, but you can see some of his descendants. Look for the fluffy head feathers.

If you plan to feed the ducks, please refer to Warnings.

Where Spain Street turns from West to East

The north side of the Plaza houses the old military barracks (now a museum), the Toscano Hotel, and other shops and restaurants.