Crane Melon Barn - eats, farmstands on way to Santa Rosa?

So, I'm going up there tommorrow to check out these melons mentioned by Melanie last month. In the link below to a Sunset Magazine article it says that some people even plan their vacations from the East Coast around Crane melon season. The least I can do is drive up from San Pablo.

I'm not too familiar with the Santa Rosa area. Any other worthy farmstands to check out ... unworthy farmstands are fine too.

Any places to stop on route? I'm thinking of hooking on 101 via the San Rafael bridge and maybe checking Ricky's in Novato out to see if they have those Meetinghouse biscuits. Anyone been to Rickey's yet?

Anything else worth looking into en route. I might stop by Petaluma just to LOOK into the Rosen cheesecake place ... nut buy, just for future reference so I know where it its.

I'll probably meander back somewhere through wine country and take the Cartizez Bridge back. So interesting farmstands going back could influence the route I take.

Link: http://www.findarticles.com/p/article...

I tried to go to Crane last weekend (Saturday) and they were closed. Just FYI.

Thanks for the heads up and saving me a trip, Jen. I called Sunday before leaving and they were still closed.

[Peter Yee]

I called today and the recording said that they would open "this Saturday". Not exactly informative as to whether that was yesterday or the upcoming Saturday.

[RWCFoodie]

Hi Peter - we stopped at the Crane Melon barn back on the weekend of Sept 6-7 and they had lots of melons - delicious. I got the feeling that it was the height of the season...

[Peter Yee]

Weird. The last time I had called them, they said they wouldn't be open until October. Had me thinking the season was going to late. Sounds like they may have had a production lull.

While in Petaluma, make a stop for bread at Della Fattoria - 141 Petaluma Blvd. North/Petaluma/707-763-0161
/Tues-Sat, 7-7 and Sun, 9-3

Link: http://www.dellafattoria.com/cafe.html