deTourist.org every city tells a story……..

Graton (i think i can, i think i can)

Following the tracks of the once vital Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railway (P&SR) are the The West County and Joe Rodota Trails, a fitting location for my first day after post-18 mile run with my i think i can, i think i can mantra chugging through the miles with disbelief.  Transversing the apple orchards and vineyards of Sonoma County, I was the Little Train That Could on this essentially flat and car-free route.   http://www.sonoma-county.org/parks/pk_westc.htm

Along the way, I stopped through Graton with its single block of a quintessential Main Street, elegant tea shop,  and the strong, sweet but pungent smell of rotting apples settling into the mist.  Street names: Shirley, Cecile, Donald, Ross are namesakes for the children of the banker Mr. Bush and realtor Mr. Gray who laid out the subdivision in 1905 just one year after the original train tracks were laid.

Abandoned by the railway and boarded up by the 1970′s, Graton was rediscovered in 1995 by Orin Thiessen who restored several main street buildings and repackaged Graton as the picturesque exurban outpost it has become today.  They should name a street or two after him.  Don’t you think?

http://www.sonoma-county.org/parks/pdf/maps/wct2006.pdf

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *