Page 38 - Sonoma County Gazette July 2017

Flynn Creek Circus performances will be held in the eld behind the Luther Burbank Center for The Arts at 50 Mark West Springs Rd, Santa Rosa. Tickets are available at a discounted price until the start of the rst show and can be purchased in advance at
flynncreekcircus.com. SAVE $ ... USE GAZETTE CODE: GAZ 17 for $3 OFF!!!
The Return Trip
The return from Glen Ellen returns to Warm Springs Road, but instead of taking a left on Bennett Valley, turn right and follow Warm Springs either to Kenwood and Highway 12, or to Lawndale Road for a steep ascent around the back side of Annadel to Highway 12. Lawndale is tough to spot and looks more like a driveway than a road. It is about 1.5 miles from the junction of Warm Springs and Bennett Valley, but it is well worth the effort to find. The road winds through vineyards and up over a ridge before dropping down a fast, poorly maintained road to Highway 12.
4036 Montgomery Drive Santa Rosa, CA 95405 707-843-4943
BIKE RIDE #2 cont’d from page 36
“Confidence that you belong on the road goes a long way to influence one’s ability to ride in traffic,” Hadler said. “Know that bicyclists have every right to be on the road. ... Road users who follow normal traffic patterns are safer and less likely to get in a crash than road users who make up their own rules. Bicyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles.”
Or as I like to say: It is easier for a car to pass an upright bicycle
The Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition offers monthly in-class seminars on Smart Cycling, 2 and 1⁄2 hours in length, and a 4-hour Smart Cycling on-bike class, a few times a year. The schedule can be found at www.bikesonoma. org. The class is oriented to cyclists of all levels from beginners to experienced riders and everything in-between.
The Ride
Flynn Creek Circus
is Coming to Santa Rosa
than one lying on its side on the road.
Flynn Creek Circus, Mendocino County’s own charmingly nostalgic, surprisingly fresh all human circus, will be raising their vintage big top tent in Santa Rosa for shows July 7-9th. Experience an o beat ‘ lm noir’ world created by
top quality tightrope walkers, aerialists, jugglers, acrobats and comedians for a new 2017 show.
This ride basically follows the perimeter of Trione-Annadel State Park, southeast to Glen Ellen and Sonoma for a 45-mile loop. Along the way, there
are spectacular views of the surrounding hills, including Taylor and Sonoma mountains to the south and Hood Mountain and Sugarloaf Ridge to the north. It also offers a unique perspective on the size and scope of Annadel, a 5,500- acre open space that is a gemstone and representative of Sonoma County’s dedication to open space.
With their
International cast,
Flynn Creek Circus’
‘Inter-Active’ fuses
comedy, improvisation and jaw dropping skills to create a completely new genre in circus-theater. Each evening the show takes on it’s own unique identity as the audience’s choices guide the cast through impressive and often ridiculous stunts. Riotously funny, deeply moving and dangerously inspiring, this ‘Mad Libs’ meets ‘Mad skills’ circus is an all human, all ages blast.
One particular gem in Glen Ellen is a Victorian house surrounded by a fence covered with iron sculptures. There is a sign on an old, shingled door that reads “Cyclops Iron Works,” but I have not been able to find any information about it. It is a cool thing to look at over a cup of coffee though, and another quirky addition to the mystique of the backroads of Sonoma County.
Heading out is a straightforward affair, following Bennett Valley Road 10.5 miles to Warm Springs Road. At Warm Springs, turn right and head the final 2.4 miles to Glen Ellen, where the road dead ends at Arnold Drive.
There are several places to grab coffee or a snack, including the Glen Ellen Village Market, which is around a couple of curves on Arnold Drive towards Sonoma.
Staying on Arnold for about seven miles takes you to Sonoma after a left on Walnut Avenue to its dead end at Riverside Drive. Turn right, and Riverside turns into West Napa Street and that will take you directly to the town square and the Mission.
There are plenty of things to do in Sonoma and so many good eating and drinking establishments that a list here would be moot.
Shows are scheduled for Friday, July 7th at 7pm, Saturday, July 8th at 3 and 7pm, and Sunday July 9th at 1 and 4pm.
Once on 12, it is a quick, undulating ride back to Santa Rosa, past Oakmont.
Cherries and Beer
Tickets may be purchased in advance
for $12/child $20/Seniors, Students and Veterans and $27/adult. Door price ticket sales begin on the rst show day. Door prices
About four miles from Lawndale on Highway 12 is Melita Road, which features one of the best cherry stands in the county, selling two types of cherries as well as delicious apricots. It’s a great place for a break, but be sure to have a way to carry fruit home, as you will want to stock up for a post-ride spread.
Owned by Glenn Fant, who also own NorCal Bike Sport and the Bike Peddler in Santa Rosa, Fant has created something of a Mecca for the local cycling community, where one can get a beer and a tune-up and meet up with local cyclers headed out on the beautiful roads or up to Annadel for the trails.
are $15/child or $25/Senior and $32/adult. VIP front row seating is available for $50 and includes complimentary popcorn or cotton candy, drink and souvenir program. We recommend early purchase to guarantee your place.
From the cherry stand, you can continue on Highway 12 or follow Melita to Montgomery Drive. Take Montgomery to Yulupa, turn left and then right on Sonoma Avenue for about 1.5 miles to Brookwood Avenue, which will take you back to the Park & Ride.
LOVE to RIDE BIKES? Check out the Gazette’s
Bike Shops of Sonoma County GUIDE to locally-owned Bicycle Shops.
www.SonomaCountyGazete.com
38 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 7/17
For more information, go to www.trailhousesantarosa.com.
For those inclined, there is an outstanding
place to stop for a beer or a cup of coffee on Montgomery just past Summerfield Road called
the Trailhouse that is designed for cyclists, by cyclists.