The historic, picturesque town of Sonoma is located in the heart of the beautiful wine country between Napa and Santa Rosa off Highway 12. Situated around a central plaza (the largest of its kind in California) filled with charming shops and restaurants, the city is home to Sonoma State Historic Park's site of the northernmost Franciscan Mission in California and birthplace of the California State Bear Flag.

Unlike most parks with a plot of land and geographical boundaries, Sonoma State Historic Park is a series of historic attractions in several locations within the community. The park is comprised of six sites: the Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma, the Blue Wing Inn, the Sonoma Barracks, the Toscano Hotel, as well as La Casa Grande and Lachryma Montis, the homes of General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Military Commander and Director of Colonization of the Northern Frontier.