|
Subscribe | Get featured
Hey Santa Rosa, hope your week’s off to a good start! Renovated modernist home stays, gold and silver momentum, Chris Thile, and more. Let’s get to it!
— Cait Baker
|
📰 In the news
Architectural heritage reimagined: Sea Ranch Lodge’s Sea Ranch Living program lets you stay in renovated modernist homes along the Sonoma Coast, with newly refreshed gems like Tarp House, Third Rock, and Shanti House — check out the full lineup.
AI-guided hotel investment: AWH Partners has acquired the 122-suite Hotel Trio in Sonoma County for $38 million, the first deal for the AWH Strategic Income Fund. Spire Hospitality will operate the property — get all the acquisition details.
Community lender eyes regional growth: Santa Rosa-based Exchange Bank has opened its first full-service Marin branch in San Rafael and relocated its West Petaluma branch, bucking industry cuts as it doubles down on in-person banking — get details on new branches.
Inside Medicare enrollment decisions: A Feb. 15 report from Sackett & Associates says Sonoma County bucks state and national trends, with 87 percent choosing Medicare Supplement plans and prescription drug changes driving plan switches — see the data and analysis.
Gold & silver are hot: Coming off gold’s best year since 1979, the momentum is carrying well into 2026 with silver remaining one of the most talked-about assets. Curious why precious metals are back in focus? American Hartford Gold has a free guide that explains what’s happening and how people are approaching it today. It’s free – and definitely worth a read.
Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.
Nothing prepares you for a pet emergency: I learned that the hard way after charging $10k to a credit card for life-saving surgery on my cat, Miss Stache. As soon as we got home, I signed up for Spot. It’s super affordable – and reimburses up to 90% of the bill.
*We do our best to avoid paywalled articles. If any slip through, let me know which ones and I’ll permanently remove them from our source list!
Highlights this week:
|
🫶 We got your back
Find your funny voice: Weekly Comedy Practice Nights at the Arlene Francis Center invite Santa Rosa locals to build comedy skills in a low-pressure space focused on participation and collaboration. All ages and experience levels are welcome. Suggested donation is $5, pay what you can, and no one is turned away. Get all the details.
Inspiring the next scientists: North Bay junior Alyssa Huang will help spark curiosity at North Bay Science Discovery Day in Santa Rosa on March 7 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. She plans to give STEM kits to kids ages 9 to 12 and teach microscope basics, encouraging confidence and broader participation. Get all the event details.
Serious chocolate mood?: At Downtown’s Steinhouse, owner Eric stocks Belgian bars, salty licorice, jams, and other Euro treats, plus quirky collectibles that spark conversation. The vibe is eccentric, the shelves temptingly giftable, and your haul may or may not survive the car ride.
Treasure hunt, upgraded: Whether your closet needs a reset or you just love to browse, SISTERS Consignment keeps racks rotating with mid-to-high-end women’s clothes, shoes, and accessories at friendly prices. Find the piece that does the heavy lifting… and makes your outfit feel brand-new without the spend.
What do people see when they search your name? Search results can surface past mistakes or outdated information that no longer reflects who you are. BetterReputation helps remove and clean up unwanted content so your online presence matches your real life today. Not worried about yourself? Doesn’t hurt to mention it to family or friends who might be.
Take control of your credit card debt: High interest can keep you stuck paying more than you need to. A balance transfer card with 0% intro APR until 2027 and no annual fee gives you time to pay down what you owe without interest working against you. By transferring your balance, more of your payment goes toward the principal so you can actually make a dent in what you owe.
|
📆 Around town this week
Have an event to share? BaseLocal Verified Businesses can submit them for free! Learn more about how to submit an event here →
All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.
This week
🌾 Volunteer on Petaluma Bounty’s Community Farm @ Petaluma Bounty Community Farm | Wednesday (2/25) at 9:00 AM – Trade screen time for soil time and help spruce up Petaluma Bounty’s community farm. It’s a mellow morning reset, with dirt under your nails, neighborly chatter, and the satisfying thwack of a well-pulled weed. Sign up at Calendly.com/PetalumaBounty, drop in as you can.
🌿 Forest & Farm Pop Up @ The Parish Cafe | Wednesday (2/25) at 6:00 PM – Think forest-foraged meets farm-fresh at a cozy pop-up dinner, without a single pine needle on your plate. Thoughtful courses, good wine potential, and the kind of company you actually save stories for. Seats disappear fast, so claim yours, then exhale.
🍽 Sip, Savor, and Serve @ Paul Mahder Gallery | Thursday (2/26) at 6:00 PM – Raise a glass at St. Paul’s Sip, Savor, and Serve, backing the effort that dishes 6,000 free meals and 1,000 hot showers for neighbors. Come for wine, hors d’oeuvres, and outbidding your neighbor, stay for Pinot-powered philanthropy. Tickets on Eventbrite, search “Sip Savor Serve.”
This weekend
🌲 Volunteer with LandPaths @ Rancho Mark West | Saturday (2/28) at 10:00 AM – Trade brunch for brush at Rancho Mark West with Santa Rosa Women for Good and LandPaths, boosting forest health and wildfire prevention by thinning, pruning, and, if conditions cooperate, safely burning brush piles. Expect a steep-ish hike, sturdy boots, plenty of water, and a waiver.
🌱 Workshop: Right Plant, Right Place @ Petaluma Community Center | Saturday (2/28) at 10:00 AM – Free workshop to ditch the thirsty lawn and keep your sanity, covering native choices, sheet mulching, drip, and new landscape care. Backed by the City of Petaluma, it unlocks Mulch Madness perks like free plant delivery, and it’s required to get the free plants.
♀ Women’s History Month – Sparkling Garden Luncheon @ Breathless Sparkling Wines | Sunday (3/1) at 12:00 AM – Swap usual mimosas for a sparkling garden luncheon at Breathless, Sundays in March, each with a different woman speaker. You’ll get a welcome pour, three bubbles, and family-style bites, plus conversation spanning Champagne history, arts, tech, and social justice. Local cred, and chocolate, obviously.
🛍 Taylor Trades Market Sunday @ Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building | Sunday (3/1) at 7:00 AM – Sunday mornings call for a rummage, and this outdoor market delivers. The third-year return takes over the Veterans Building lot with antiques, records, plants, comics, tools, and other treasures, plus food on deck. Free admission, free parking, pet friendly, so clear the trunk, bring coffee.
Live music & entertainment:
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
|
📻 Santa Rosa report
Weather forecast
Today – High: 59°F – Low: 52°F – Precip: 94%
Rain. Cloudy. High near 59, with temperatures falling to around 57 in the afternoon. South southeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible. Later: Rain before 10pm, then a chance of rain and patchy fog between 10pm and 1am, then areas of fog and a chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 52. South southwest wind 1 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
—
Tomorrow – High: 65°F – Low: 47°F – Precip: 16%
Areas of fog and a slight chance of rain before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. West wind around 2 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Later: Areas of fog after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.
This house is wild
This 5-bed, 4-bath two-story modern farmhouse rises above Fountaingrove hills in Tuscany, featuring two ensuite bedrooms and sunsets from a great room balcony. The 3,244-square-foot layout pairs French oak floors, quartz and spa-inspired surfaces, a walk-in pantry and premium appliances with covered porches for indoor-outdoor flow. A 13,385-square-foot lot allows a pool or hobby vineyard, minutes from Fountaingrove Golf.
Take a peek inside →
|
🔥 Worth a peek
We’re always on the hunt for useful resources, deals, services, and products we think you’ll love. Here’s what caught our eye this week.
|
 |
Thanks for reading! If you know someone who’d love BaseLocal, send ’em here so they can sign up too 🙂
|
|
|
|
