About Stay Santa Rosa
A general travel guide to Santa Rosa and Sonoma County, and the story behind our swallow.
Stay Santa Rosa was created by Hotel E and Art House Santa Rosa as a general travel guide to the city we call home: where to eat, where to taste, what to see, and how to make the most of a few days in Sonoma County.
Our logo: the swallow
The mark at the heart of our logo is a swallow in flight, drawn in a single continuous line. We chose it because swallows are some of Santa Rosa's most faithful visitors. Every spring they return to the same wetlands, fields and eaves, and every year they remind us that this is a place worth coming back to.
The swallows of the Laguna de Santa Rosa
Just west of downtown, the Laguna de Santa Rosa is the largest freshwater wetland complex on the northern California coast and the largest tributary of the Russian River. In 2010 it was recognized as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Each spring the Laguna fills with migratory swallows. Tree swallows, violet-green swallows, barn swallows and cliff swallows arrive after wintering farther south, some as far as Mexico, Central America and South America. Through spring and summer they skim low over the marshes and open water catching insects, nest in tree cavities, bridges and barns, and raise their young before heading south again as the days shorten. Watching them sweep across the water at dusk is one of the quiet pleasures of a Santa Rosa evening.
What the swallow means to us
Like the swallows, most of our visitors fly in from somewhere else. They come to Santa Rosa to escape the fog, the cold or the city, for warm days and cool evenings, and for the food, wine and experiences that make Sonoma County worth the journey. The swallow is a symbol of that trip: leaving home in search of better weather and something memorable, and finding it here.
It is also our homage to the nature of Sonoma County. The vineyards, redwoods, coastline and wetlands that surround Santa Rosa are what make this corner of California so remarkable, and the swallow is a small, familiar part of that landscape. We hope it reminds you to look up while you're here.
Plan your own migration
Start with the directory of restaurants, wineries, breweries and attractions, browse the journal for longer guides, or read about our hotels, Hotel E and Art House Santa Rosa. Questions or corrections are always welcome at hello@staysantarosa.com.