When the kids were little, in the 1990’s there weren’t a lot of choices for fun places to visit in the area, yet you could always count on Good Ol’ Sparky to think about those things for the families of the community which became his home.

Charles Schulz was more than just a cartooninst or a famous cartoonist. It is obvious by the way his wife and son still run the Charles Schulz Museum in the present. There is an emphasis and focus on community outreach for the locals while as well as providing a place for fun, entertainment and if you put in the time, some learning.

Right out of the entrance, the Redwood Empire Ice Arena looks like the magical place that it is. If you’re seeking memory making opportunities for precious Kodak, ahem, Instagram moments; you’ll know by the look of it that this is the place to be.

You got to understand that in this place even the zamboni gets to be the star!

When back then we had the opportunities of enjoying this place, bring the kids and see others having a good time too, we would have never guessed that Charles Schulz himself enjoyed his time on the bleachers watching families skating and laughing, and mingled at the coffee shop fittingly called Warm Puppy Café with anyone there. Talk about a treat for those who knew who he was!

The Big and Juicy Grape is our home where you can see how in simple ways we try to make it a happy looking place with its colorful and cheery artwork. We too think that color and peppy drawings can boost someone’s mood. Our children may be grown ups themselves now, but Rich and I are still kids at heart and know that the Wine Country can be a very adult place to be. In our years as residents and parents ourselves we want to share this wonderful place as one of our family friendly suggestions of what to do in Wine Country.

Stained Glass Window Art at Snoopy's Home Ice — Stained Glass Window Art at Snoopy’s Home Ice

The Redwood Empire Ice Arena is located at 1667 W Steele Ln, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. It’s about 20 miles from our Guest House in Sonoma Valley, but it is worth the scenic drive to it. It is the kind of place where you can make a day full of wonderful family memories. For more information click on the links peppered above in this post.

Come spend more than a few days in this beautiful Valley of the Moon, don’t spend a small fortune in lodging, instead, get a private and memorably comfortable stay affordably at The Big and Juicy Grape.