Luther Burbank Home & Gardens in Santa Rosa commemorate a great inventor     Santa Rosa, gateway to Sonoma Wine Country, provides several days of entertainment not only as a home-base for wine country exploration but also for families and adult travelers seeking fun activities and museums. Dozens of wineries are located within a few miles of the city and offer great appeal, but for those looking other attractions, there's the world-class Charles Schultz Museum, historic Old Towne antique shops, Luther Burbank House and Gardens and Safari West, a theme park filled with endangered African animals and birds where you can sleep in your private hut imported from Africa. Santa Rosa is Sonoma County's largest, sprawling city with a population of around 150,000 that runs along Highway 101. Located an hour or 55 miles north of San Francisco, you can fly into the Bay Area and rent a car or enjoy a scenic 430-mile drive from Los Angeles which takes about six and a half hours. It is the arts and entertainment hub of the coastal region, a stretch of outrageously, beautiful land with colorful wild flowers, deer, sea lions, rocky cliffs, beaches and clear ocean water. Nearly three times larger than Petaluma, Santa Rosa offers the greatest variety of chain restaurants, shops and hotels for those seeking value and amenities that come with city life. At the renovated Hilton Sonoma Wine Country, for instance, guests enjoy signature pillow-top mattresses in their hotel room, a 20-meter swimming pool, free ample parking, beautiful appointments, live music several nights each week, access to 24 Hour Fitness and a fabulous on site restaurant with a menu that includes gourmet faire and an extensive and unique wine list. This lovely hotel It is one of over 15 hotels and accommodations available for immediate booking on the internet. Known as the home of the B&B, Sonoma and Napa Counties have loads of houses and inns you can enjoy but they are not for everyone and don't always have the amenities and flexibility family and business travelers seek. That's why we recommend Santa Rosa as the perfect destination for Sonoma County wine country exploration. Made up of Cloverdale, Cotati, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Sonoma and Windsor, Sonoma County features some of California's prettiest landscapes. From lush green fields and meadows overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean to towering redwood trees and forested, winding roads in unincorporated communities such as Forestville, Monte Rio and Guerneville, character and country charm take you back to a peaceful time missing in the newer tear-down & rebuild Mediterranean communities such as Huntington Beach in Orange County. Though such places provide an appeal, Sonoma is unique in protecting its open spaces and trying hard to not bulldoze away the historical buildings that people love and cherish. Residents are nice as can be but don't always provide the best instructions in getting around. That's where the California   Welcome Center in an historic train depot in downtown district comes into play. There's an incredible array of maps, guides and an informative person on hand to answer your questions.   Where to eat - While visiting the Welcome Center, stroll on over a half block away to a restaurant voted Sonoma County's favorite breakfast and lunch place by several polls.  I ate there twice and found the salads excellent. The staff is friendly and provides great service in a casual atmosphere.   Where to stay - Our favorite place  is the renovated Hilton Sonoma County/Santa Rosa. Perched on a hill, the hotel provides a top notch dinner menu with a wine list of rare wines that range in price from affordable to boutique ($400 or so for a bottle.)   What to see - Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center preserves, displays, and interpret the art of Charles M. Schulz. The museum features changing exhibits on a quarterly basis, many of them never seen before and specially created for the official venue of the world famous cartoonist and artist who created popular characters such as Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Lucy. www.schulzmuseum.org   Luther Burbank Center includes an incredible line up of performers in comedy, music and dance.  Recent performances included Bob Newhart, Sammy Hagar, Travis Tritt, The Temptations & The Four Tops, Three Dog Night, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, LeAnn Rimes and Gipsy Kings Live! And that's just a sampling of the acts in one month. The Center also includes Museum of Contemporary Art.  www.lbc.net/docs/events.html   Luther Burbank Home & Gardens includes the Home, Greenhouse, and Gardens where the famed horticulturist, Luther Burbank, experimented with plants for most of his 50-year career. The Carriage House Gift Shop and Museum are offer self guided tours or Docent tours. This unique city park is located at the intersection of Santa Rosa Avenue and Sonoma Avenue in Santa Rosa, California - just across the street from City Hall and Juilliard Park. www.lutherburbank.org   Old Santa Rosa Railroad Square was once a hub of northern California commerce. Santa Rosa's Railroad Square national historic district re-creates the charm of another era with buildings that have been rehabilitated and transformed into antique shops, restaurants and specialty stores. The historic district is bounded roughly by Sixth Street on the east, north by Davis Street, south by Third Street, and Santa Rosa Creek on the west. At its heart, directly across Wilson Street from the old Northwestern Pacific depot and park, is Hotel La Rose. Built soon after the 1906 earthquake to accommodate railroad workers and passengers, it retains its period charm while providing modern amenities.   Safari West Wildlife Preserve & Tent Camp is nestled on 400 acres in the heart of California's wine country in Santa Rosa. Safari West is home for over 400 exotic mammals and offers lodging in unique cabins shipped from Africa and re-assembled on the property.  www.safariwest.com