I lived in San Francisco for seventeen years.  It is a storied city of about fifty square miles, set on hills, with the beauty of great waters on three sides, and a highly developed corridor South toward San Jose with the productive Salinas Valley and Santa Cruz Mountains.  S. F. is the center of a much larger community of cities and urban development south, east across the Bay, including north and northeast.  Across to the north is a magnificent area extending upwards from the Golden Gate through Santa Rosa and onward to Oregon.  The North feels pastoral and woodsy, with magnificent vineyards, protection of the environment, and cultivating nature.  The whole area is creative, has excellent educational facilities, and contributes… Read more