Grass Valley is a small town of about 12,000 near Nevada City, Auburn, and about 50 miles from Sacramento in California.  The town was an important part of the original California Gold Rush. It is in the foothills of the Sierra. Photo of The Josiah Royce public library, (as Grass Valley was the the birthplace and early home of philosopher…...

San Luis Obispo, California has much to like as an active adult retirement community. From the spicy Pinot Noir wines made here to the magnificent brown hills and long, long beaches, this town of 46,000 on the central California coast is the educational, cultural, and commercial center of the region. There are 255,000 people in the greater metro area.San Luis…...

Pacific Grove is a beautiful and quaint coastal city located at the tip of the Monterey Bay Peninsula in Monterey County, California, and sits between Pebble Beach and Monterey. The town was founded in 1875 as Methodist retreat and modeled after the Methodist Sunday school teachers' training camp established in 1874 at Chautauqua Lake, New York, and soon after attracted…...

Milwaukie, Oregon, is a small town in northwestern Oregon, just south of Portland, with a population of 20,512 (2013 census).  Founded in 1847, along the banks of the Willamette River,  Milwaukie is known as the birthplace of the Bing cherry, developed by orchardist and resident Seth Lewelling, and is still a major cultivar in Oregon. The town is unique in…...