SMART – Old Railroad Square, Santa Rosa

I was in Santa Rosa this afternoon and stopped by Fourth Street & Old Railroad Square to investigate the SMART (Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit) progress downtown. I was pleasantly surprised to see noticeable activity and movement on rail construction. Heavy machinery, safety fences and plans for a new platform for travelers are in the works. The existing historic depot building also serves as a California Welcome Center and provides an abundance of tourist resources, guidebooks, maps, a gift shop and even a small railroad museum! (very small). The staff inside indicated that the second Santa Rosa SMART stop will be in Coddingtown. Is it a coincidence that the two Santa Rosa rail stations are being located near the two largest shopping malls? Hmmm.

I usually post photos on Facebook of the various Charles Schultz character statues scattered around Sonoma County as I spot them. The placement of the statues began 8 years ago. Starting in 2005- Charlie Brown, 2006-Woodstock, 2007-Snoopy and finally in 2008-Lucy. Hard to keep track of all of them, and I’ve seen about 40 over the years. The bronze statues of Charlie Brown and Snoopy are proudly displayed in the front garden area at Old Railroad Square. The Charles Schultz museum, ice arena and gift shop are located off of West Steel Lane near Coddingtown Mall. If you haven’t already visited the Schultz art museum and comic collection, it’s a great way to spend the afternoon with family, friends or by yourself.

SMART (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit)
http://main.sonomamarintrain.org/

Railroad Square Santa Rosa, CA
http://railroadsquare.net/

California Welcome Center in Santa Rosa. CA
http://www.visitsantarosa.com/california-welcome-center-visit-us/

Charles M. Schulz Museum, Santa Rosa CA
http://schulzmuseum.org/