Continue south on Wilson until you reach the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel and Spa. When this upscale hotel was developed here, it was heralded as a sure sign that Railroad Square had “made it.” Not so long ago, this area was the skid row of Santa Rosa, full of boarded-up buildings, drug activity and prostitution. When the Santa Rosa Plaza shopping mall came to town, it was built like a fortress, turning its mighty back to Railroad Square, and separating it from the downtown. But little by little, inch by inch, Railroad Square was won back by a group of tenacious residents and merchants. And now that this is the hip place to be, locals are bemoaning the fact that the town is split in half by the mall.
Go through the Hyatt and out the back doors to the sculpture garden. View works by local artists, including: "Three Spheres" (pictured above) by Daniel Oberti of Sebastopol, "Reflect Reason Resolve" by Nicolas Van Krijdt of Petaluma, "I Ching" by Bruce Johnson of Cazadero, and "Spirit Form: Emerging" by Riis Burwell of Santa Rosa.Go all the way to the back of the garden until you reach the Prince Memorial Greenway and cross over the footbridge to Olive Park. As you cross the bridge you’ll notice (if it's dark enough outside) the light installation "Zag," an artwork of ever-shifting color and intensity by Santa Rosa artist Michael Hayden.
Turn right after the footbridge and walk to Wilson St. Turn right again and backtrack toward Depot Park.
