HEALDSBURG. This sleepy village traces its roots to 1857, when Harmon Heald settled here, opened a store and post office to serve nearby farm families, and began selling small plots of land around what he hoped would be a Spanish-style town square. Today, in the heart of Sonoma wine country, Healdsburg enjoys all the perks of Smalltown, America. In fact, if he could see it today, Heald would likely take great pride in the town's easy-going pace and its heart and soul ­ the classic square he envisioned.

NAPA. An afterthought of the California Gold Rush, Napa Valley didn't see its first influx of settlers until after 1850. Those who did stay found a fertile area ideal for growing crops, especially grapes (the first vines were planted by priests from the Sonoma mission). Napa models itself on quaint European towns, as is evident in Old Town, which boasts 19th- and early 20th-century cottages and mansions, tree-lined sidewalks, and Victorian gardens that recollect an era long-forgotten. The charming downtown is peppered with shops, galleries, first-rate eateries, and an old-fashioned opera house, making the town a "must" on most travel agendas.

SONOMA. A National Historic Landmark, Sonoma's downtown plaza has long been the town's nerve center and the setting for a variety of social events. And, as home to several of the buildings that comprise Sonoma State Historic Park, you can be sure there's plenty to see and do. In addition to charming shops and restaurants, you'll find the historic Sonoma Barracks, the Toscano Hotel, and the Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma. The plaza is historically significant for another reason - in 1846, settlers raised the flag of the Republic of California for the first time here. A monument in the northeast corner of the plaza commemorates the occasion. Admission is $2 and includes all Sonoma State Historic Park sites.