Cloverdale is the northern most city in Sonoma County. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

For a town with a population of less than 10,000 people, one would think I could have seen and experienced everything in 10 days. But I didn’t.

Dog sitting Molly earlier this month in Cloverdale was the first time (I think) I’d ever been to this northern Sonoma County enclave. While my friends left me pages of information to read, most if had to do with places to go as opposed to requirements of the job. I was much appreciative of their suggestions.

Molly enjoys cooling off in the Russian River. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

What I loved most is how much open space exists in the area. Their home practically backs up to Porterfield Creek Open Space Preserve. This was perfect for the twice-a-day dog outings. Perfect until snakes put me on edge. Even so, the preserve is a wonderful asset to this neighborhood and overall town. Many of the trails are in the shade, with some running along a creek.

Wayfinding signs make it easy to find places in Cloverdale. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Soda Springs Ranch Open Space Preserve opened this summer. While all the terrain is not yet accessible, it will eventually connect to Porterfield to make for an even more expansive network of trails.

Molly also took me to the Coverdale River Park which is part of the county regional park system. Sonoma County has one of the best parks systems I’ve encountered. Here she was able to cool off in the Russian River.

Yorty Creek is a section of the larger Lake Sonoma. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

A sign close to my friends’ place points to Yorty Creek. I thought I’d ride my bike up to see if this would be a place to take Molly. It just kept going up, and the turns got tighter. It didn’t feel safe on two wheels if I were to encounter a vehicle, so I turned around.

I decided Molly could go with me in the car, so off we went to see what this Yorty Creek was all about. While I found a little trail along Lake Sonoma to walk on, the abundance of poison oak had me turn around because I wasn’t dressed appropriately (shorts/tank top) to avoid making contact.

This is used more as a swimming hole on this end of Lake Sonoma as well as a place for non-motorized water toys. Molly loved the water and didn’t seem to mind a shorter afternoon walk considering the air temp.

My jumpiness with the thought of snakes also kept me from cycling the trails at Lake Sonoma (next time) that are accessed through the main entrance. I’m guessing this is another place to take Molly on a return trip.

Public art is scattered about Cloverdale. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

An activity I could not take the dog to was Friday Night Live. This weekly summer event brings people together from throughout the region to enjoy live music, food, wine-beer, and to peruse artisan booths. Streets in downtown Cloverdale are blocked off to accommodate the festivities. It was definitely worth going to.

One day Molly and I walked into town—less than 2 miles each way—as our morning outing. My intent was to go to the much touted Plank Coffee for breakfast. But when I got there I realized this wasn’t going to work with Molly. No dogs allowed inside and I wasn’t about to leave her outside on her own because I just didn’t know this dog well enough.

So, I went back another day on my own. Everyone who said it was a must knew what they were talking about. I had The Green House bagel ($13.50)—everything bagel with cream cheese, vegan basil pesto, cucumber, avocado, organic greens and micro sprouts. So good that I’ve recreated a similar combo at home, albeit on whole wheat bread.

Friday Night Live seems to bring out most of the town during the summer. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

While Pick’s was on the list of places my friends mentioned, they also said the food was only so-so. Spot on with that assessment. Still, it was worth checking out.

I ended up at Sawmill Saloon after the pool-weight room in the complex I was staying at was closed. I ended up doing arm curls with a glass of wine while watching the All Star baseball game. Great atmosphere, fun people.

More drinking (and food this time) was had at La Tequila in town. This recommendation came from a friend in the Tahoe area; she said get the margarita flight. So I did. I had strawberry, mango, cucumber and pomegranate. This was fun, but at $25 was a splurge for me. Plus, after living in Mexico I’m really a margarita snob. Some of the regular margaritas at La Tequila are made with real lime juice, so maybe I’ll try one of those next time.

Plank Coffee is an institution in Cloverdale. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

With the food I brought, friends in Santa Rosa coming up with produce from their gardens and eating out, I never went grocery shopping. I did pop into Dahlia & Sage which has just about everything one would need. Nice to know a town of this size can keep a specialty grocer in business.

It’s easy to get around Cloverdale, not only because it’s basically a grid layout, but wayfinding signs on the street corners let you know which direction various businesses are.

What was a nice surprise was all the public art—and very eclectic at that.

La Tequila offers flights of flavorful margaritas. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

A small museum is downtown. I’ll have to check that out next time. And if I’m ever there in February, I’ll be sure to attend the Citrus Fair—an annual event for the last 134 years.

Like any town, Cloverdale is not without its controversies. Emeralda is a large proposed development that has locals divided. Growth is never an easy topic.

I look forward to my next trip to Cloverdale—to see my friends, their dog and parts of Cloverdale worth revisiting and exploring for the first time.