Sonoma is the center of the California's wine industry, situated as it is between Napa and Santa Rosa.  It has historic town plaza, a remnant of when Sonoma was the capital of the short-lived California Republic. Surprisingly for a town of only about 10,000 people, Sonoma is a cultural powerhouse. It is home to the new $145 million dollar Donald and…...

Oak Ridge is a town of about 29,000 people that is west of Knoxville in eastern Tennessee. Oak Ridge is famous for being home to the Manhattan Project in WWII.  The Oak Ridge National Laboratories are a major employer in the region. Retirees here enjoy terrific recreational opportunities in the nearby mountains. A reflection of the community is the fact…...

Blowing Rock is a very tiny but affluent town in northwest North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains. It got its name from some unusual rocks above the town that cause vertical wind currents.  After the Civil War, summer residents began to come up from the nearby city of Lenoir to enjoy the cool fresh air and magnificent mountain views.  The village…...

Lake Hartwell is a man-made reservoir with over 1000 miles of shoreline bordering Georgia and South Carolina on the Savannah, Tugaloo, and Seneca Rivers. Lake Hartwell, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012 is one of the southeast's largest and most popular recreation lakes. It has numerous islands and features just about every outdoor and water sport you can imagine. Nearby cities…...