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 Our
Community
WINDSOR:
Settled: 1854,
incorporated July 1, 1992.
Size: 4.7
square miles. City Hall: 9291
Old Redwood Highway, 95492,
(707) 838-1000
Population 1997:
18,900.
WINDSOR,
Sonoma County’s newest city is located in the
heart of Sonoma County and is the “GATEWAY
TO THE WINE COUNTRY”.
Located less than one hour from the San Francisco
Bay area and minutes from the Pacific Ocean, redwood
forest, health resorts, the Russian River and world class
wineries, Windsor offers a rural atmosphere with city
conveniences.
Currently
Windsor is Sonoma County’s fastest growing city.
Come and enjoy a new home, in one of Windsor’s
many new subdivisions and play golf on Windsor’s
championship golf course.
Whether
it's a world-class wine tour or a casual lake-side picnic, Santa Rosa
offers many activities for an afternoon or a week-long stay. Find
yourself exploring through downtown shops, museums and  gardens
or visit the hands-on farms and ranches that made Sonoma County products
famous. For information on other Sonoma County
cities, click here.
 Famed
horticulturist Luther Burbank was among the first to draw the world's
attention to this small corner of Northern California, dubbing it
"the chosen spot of all the earth, as far as nature is
concerned." For nearly 50 years, straddling the turn of the century,
the "plant wizard" worked in his experimental gardens in Santa
Rosa and on acreage in the nearby town of Sebastopol developing some 800
varieties of fruits, flowers and vegetables before he died in 1926.
Largely due to Burbank, the county's suitability for bountiful agriculture
became its defining element.
Wineries
The first wine grapes were planted in
Sonoma County more than 200 years ago, by Spanish missionaries, making
this the birthplace of California's Wine Country. Today, there are more
than 190 wineries in Sonoma County, including many of the world's 
best-known labels and appellations. Most wineries are open to the pubic
for tours and complimentary tasting. A few wineries require reservations
for tours and may charge for private reserve labels. For additional
information on Sonoma County wineries click
here.
 Santa
Rosa Downtown Market
Experience the fun and
enjoy the sights of a warm summer evening in downtown Santa Rosa! The
Santa Rosa
Downtown Market (formerly Thursday Night Market) is Sonoma County's
largest and most popular Farmer's Market and street faire. Every Wednesday
night, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Downtown Market brings the community
together to celebrate and showcase the bounty of Sonoma County by offering
fine foods, fresh produce, a wonderful variety of entertainment, and
handmade arts and crafts.
The Santa
Rosa Downtown Market fills the downtown along Fourth Street and from Santa
Rosa Plaza (B Street) to D Street. The 2001 Market Season runs from May
30-September 12. Market hours are from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
 Luther
Burbank Center
The Luther
Burbank Center for the Arts is dedicated to offering a wide variety
cultural and popular programs and performances. The LBC staged nearly 100
performances last year reaching out to an audience of 300,000 people. The
LBC also houses the California Museum of Art and has six resident artists'
displays.
Original
furnishings and memorabilia of famed horticulturist Luther Burbank are on
display April through October. Docent-led tours through the historic home
are held every half hour for a nominal fee. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10a.m.
to 3:30p.m. The
gardens are open year-round and admission is free.
 Redwood
Empire Ice Arena & Snoopy's Gallery
Visit the most beautiful ice arena in Northern California. See
original drawings, awards, photographs and memorabilia in the Charles
Schulz Gallery. Don't miss the Snoopy's
Gift Shop where all kinds of memorabilia is available! You can also
check out the Charles Schulz museum by clicking
here.
 Spring
Lake
This 320 acre park features
camping, fishing, picnic areas with barbecues, and four group picnic
areas. Trails are available for walking, hiking, bicycling and horseback
riding. The park includes a 3 acre swimming lagoon and a 72 acre lake.
Don't forget to visit the Visitors Center at Spring Lake for a wonderful
all-age educational experience. Enjoy the 3 acre swimming lagoon with
sandy beach and concession stand. The swimming lagoon is staffed by
lifeguards and is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
Fishing at the lake is very popular. Large mouth bass, sunfish and
catfish can be caught year-round. During the winter months, the lake is
stocked with rainbow trout by the Department of Fish and Game. A
California fishing license is required for ages 16 and over.
Spring
Lake is a paradise for hikers, joggers and strollers. Trails connect
to neighboring parks, Howarth City Park and Annadel State Park, creating
an outstanding 8-mile recreational facility. There are miles of easy
trails and paths, plus the more rugged trails of Annadel State Park.
Equestrian trails follow the perimeter of the lake and connect with trails
in Annadel State Park. You must bring your own mounts. For the
bicycle enthusiasts, there are 2.3 miles of paved bicycle trails and many
more miles of dirt trails. The maximum speed limit is 15 mph.
 Annadel
State Park
Annadel State Park has rolling hills, woodlands, grassy meadows and
Douglas fir covering 5,000 acres. The site is also known for its
wildflowers (including buttercups, poppies, and mule ears.) The park is
the most outstanding example of world-class quality northern oak woodland
in existence. Lake Ilsanjo offers black bass and scrappy bluegill. Ledson
Marsh features 130 species of birds, such as Cooper's hawks, great blue
herons and the pileated woodpecker. The park is popular with hikers,
cyclists, and equestrians. There are 35 miles of trails and fire roads,
providing easy to moderate hikes. Cobblestone quarries in the area once
supplied paving material for San Francisco; the abandoned quarries can
still be found along several trails. Camping is not allowed in the park.
 Golf
Tee up and take a
swing! Sonoma County offers a total of twenty-one golf courses tucked into
its diverse terrain. Two lay outs follow the rocky edge of the Pacific
Ocean. One meanders through a redwood forest; another adds fun to what was
once an apple orchard. Several keep company with vineyards; almost all
distract with views every which way of Sonoma's natural beauty.
Among them are venerable vintage courses, so well designed by some of the
great course architects of their day; Sam Whiting, Willie Watson, Alister
McKenzie, that seven decades later players consider them near perfect.
Newer courses boast the signatures of such designing greats as Robert
Trent Jones Jr. and Robert Muir Graves.
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