calling all no. cal experts! i need help deciding...
 

...whether to go through rohnert park or petaluma. will be heading to point reyes from glen ellen. which route would you take for:
(1) best time, or
(2) best scenery
unless one route is both faster and more scenic... THAT would be just too easy!
thanks -
d

I'd suggest Petaluma and take the MArshall-Petaluma Road. This will wind you through some lovely farmland out to the town of Marshall which is about 15 minutes max north of Point Reyes Station on Hwy 1. Turn left onto Hwy 1 from the Marshall Petaluma Road. You will, as you wind your way down HWY1) have Tomales Bay on your right. It will probably take an hour + from Glen Ellen this way..

thanks, Pam - i knew you'd come through for me! i'll be travelling with my dad, who has been in agriculture all his life. farmland, and the different terrain in that area is what he'll enjoy seeing...
thanks!
d

Pam (or anyone else, for that matter...) - for more scenic drive;
from Glen Ellen, should we take 120 back down to 116 and across to Petaluma, OR take Bennett Valley Road to Grange Road to Petaluma Hill Road down to Petaluma? my figures show them to be @ 1 mi. difference in distance and @ 10 min. difference in time.
thank you for your help!
d

My inclination is to say take the Bennett Valley Road route. I am pretty sure when taking 120 you pass through an area of intense cow manure smell just before you hit 116 on the way to Petaluma. See if you can get some advice from "applejx" on this. I think she knows the roads around there pretty well.

Whoops..that's "applejaxs"..and the smell you will encounter is decomposing cow manure..it's quite intense on 120.
It's really probably a 7-10 minute experience..it always seems to last forever.

Pam -
thanks for the info. on 120... being from west texas, we are QUITE familiar with that odor! there are several cattle companies around this area, and when the wind blows in a certain direction... well, i DO know what you're talking about!
thanks again for your help - we leave the first week of june, so i'll probably have many more questions...
d

yoou are welcome..and let me know if you need more info on Point Reyes.