Practice and Live
physician opportunities-get all the details!
©JKrupnik, 2009
SONOMA-CA
Wine country --Bellissimo
Community Health Centers are looking to add a Chief Medical Officer and a Psychiatrist!
1 bottle of wine equals 2.4 pounds of grapes.
Sonoma has an average of 7 million visitors per year spending over $1 billion dollars!!
30 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The county is about the size of the state of Rhode Island.
Over 50 miles of coastline.
Sonoma boasts over 500 restaurants ranging from casual to Five Star.
Sonoma has the only Japanese style Cedar enzyme bath in the US.
Over 250 wineries--most open for tasting without an appointment.
Charles M. Schulz lived and worked in Santa Rosa for over 40 years.
Alfred Hitchcock's thriller "Shadow of a Doubt" was filmed in Santa Rosa, and won best original screenplay in 1943. Other films in Santa Rosa include "Peggy Sue Got Married" and "Pollyanna".
The history of Sonoma County dates back over 10,000 years as good soil, abundant food, water and a very nice climate attracted indigenous peoples to this beautiful landscape. Spanish missionaries settled in this region early 19th century. It is estimated that at least 5000 native Americans lived in what is now Sonoma County at any one time.
Father Junipero Serra established the Mission San Francisco Solano De Sonoma in 1823. This was the only California mission after Mexican independence from Spanish rule. Mexico first acknowledged Sonoma as a city in 1835. In 1846 Sonoma was declared the Capital of the Bear Flag Republic revolting against the Mexican control of CA. This Capital lasted less than 30 days and ended with California's annexation by the US.
Since this time, Sonoma County has grown to become a huge tourist attraction complete with its immense vineyards, beautiful cities, close proximity to the ocean-easy drive into San Francisco--this has become a premier location to live and raise a family.
Speaking first on the climate-Sonoma is a haven for mild, Mediterranean weather. It is delightful all year round, averaging between only 28-35 inches of rainfall per year. The average July high temps are 82 degrees with the lows in the 50's. January temps range from 40 degrees to 50 degrees.
All this beautiful weather makes for some of the most fantastic grape growing seasons in the world. Over 250 wineries dot this beautiful landscape. The Sonoma valley produces more than 70 varieties of grapes -with 7 major types-Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Syrah-comprising almost 95% of the tons crushed each year. A visit to this incredible region offers days of wine tasting in wineries famous for their relaxing environment and warm, welcoming ambiance. Most are open for tasting without an appointment.
Other activities in the area include 18 golf courses open to the public, bike tours, over 100 small farms, farmers markets, culinary schools, huge state reserve which feature the Redwoods. For NASCAR lovers-it has the Infinneon Raceway. Other recreational interests are the Safari West Wildlife Preserve, River Rock Casino, many arts and museum including the Charles M. Schulz Museum of PEANUTS, 27 CA state historical landmarks, 11 state parks, 35 regional parks and 20 coastal beaches. Hot air ballooning, microbreweries, fishing, boat cruises, horseback, sailing, canoe, kayak, biplane, juggling, carriage rides---just to name a few other activities in this incredible location!
The main city of this county is Santa Rosa- only 55 miles north of San Francisco, it is a charming and thriving city boasting a beautiful downtown with many shops and restaurants. Local produce, meat, dairy and seafood are in abundance. Agriculture, high-tech, bio-medical, education, environmental, and tourism are the main industries in this eliciting little city- home to over 160,000 people, with just about 500,000 in the whole county. This is the fifth largest city in the SF bay area.
For more information about Sonoma County or Santa Rosa, CA please visit:
map courtesy of Discover Sonoma: http://www.sonoma-county.org/map/
pics courtesy of SonomaCounty.com
