Love letters to California

Here are some examples, lightly edited:

“Outside of California, people don't know much about Davis, but I feel so lucky to live in this hidden gem. Before we came here, we loved cycling, but living in the cycling capital of America has changed us completely. I now cycle everywhere – to work, to dinner, to my daughter's activities – and the game changer is that I feel completely safe while doing so. Add to that the quintessential college town with our farmers market, theaters, essential coffee shops, local book and record stores and plenty of boba tea shops – all within walking distance or a short bike ride – and you have a magical place.” — Kari Edison Watkins, Davis

“When I traveled with my parents from Seattle to Sonoma on Highway 101 as a little girl, I thought that the Ukiah Valley and the next one south of Hopland had to be among the most beautiful places on earth. Now, seventy years later, I still think that way. It's hard to believe I'm here.” — Leslie H. Smyth, Ukiah Valley

“I love San Diego County. One day, many years ago, a friend and I had breakfast on the beach and took a dip in the ocean. We packed a few things and drove an hour and a half to Julian in the coastal mountains. Had lunch there with a friend and then continued east about an hour into the desert for dinner and an overnight stay in Borrego Springs. Beach, mountains, desert, all in one day. Changes in climate, plants, animals – even the air smelled different.” — Sandra Zarcades, Rancho Santa Fe

“I grew up in the New York metropolitan area, but in 1989 it was a series of Grateful Dead shows at Kaiser Auditorium in Oakland and Warfield that got me hooked on their homeland. As the song goes, “I will knock on the golden door, like an angel standing in a ray of light, ascending to paradise.” In California I feel constantly bathed in that light. The Grateful Dead took me to the promised land of adventurous, creative and poetic souls, combined with breathtaking landscapes of ancient redwood and sequoia forests, thousand-foot cliffs hanging over the Pacific Ocean, beautiful granite spiers of the Sierra and vast stretches of majestic desert wilderness. California is a land of immense beauty, brilliance and creative opportunity.” — Albert Flynn DeSilver, Woodacre

“As third-generation San Franciscans, we left the city for Carmel thirty years ago to start a family. Raising a family here was perfection. It has small town charm, yet has a Symphony and Sunset Center that attracts nationally known entertainers. There's a beautiful beach and a Californian outdoor lifestyle. We knew our children's friends and families, and decades later many remain in touch. Unlike city life, most parents picked up their children's sports tournaments and school events at 3 p.m. Finally, we are an hour or two away from the major arenas, museums and plays in San Jose and San Francisco. It was heaven.” — Lori Silver, Carmel