I was born and raised in a little town called Sonoma, California.  I love my hometown.  Visitors come to Sonoma for the award-winning food and world-class wine.  I hope they also experience what a charming place it is and meet its residents who are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.  The city is filled with beauty and closely held traditions.  My family still lives in Sonoma and I look forward to visiting them every year at Christmas.  Every summer, I miss being there on the 4th of July.  The whole town gathers around the Plaza to watch the parade and then in the evening, we all troop out to an empty field with blankets and popcorn to watch the city’s fire work display, put on by the fire department.

This year Sonoma is being honored as one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations.  This program recognizes cities “that offer an authentic visitor experience by combining dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive architecture, cultural landscapes and a strong commitment to historic preservation, sustainability and revitalization.”  Until this week, I really never thought about how beautiful Sonoma is compared to other cities and the efforts that its residents put into preserving the gorgeous old buildings and reusing them without disturbing the outer facades.  You can tell that many of the downtown businesses used to be someone’s home.

This week I got to take a trip down memory lane by looking up pictures of Sonoma on Flickr.  I love the look of all the old stone buildings.  The center of the Sonoma is the Plaza, the home of city hall and a lush green park with fountains and a duck pond.  I love that I grew up in a town that has a traditional town square.  Sonoma is also one of the most historic cities in the west.  Everywhere you go, you see historical sites and preserved buildings dating back to the 1800s.

Sonoma should be the fan favorite of the 2011 Dozen Distinctive Destination, but it is currently lagging behind Paducah, Kentucky.  Please cast your vote for Sonoma every day through March 15th.

Sponsor A Law Kid is my endeavor to pay for my last semester of law school. Today’s sponsor is Pam Gibson, former city manager of Sonoma. For more information about Sponsor A Law Kid or to see what days are still available for sponsorship, visit my Sponsor A Law Kid page.