Love Letters to California

On a recent short drive from my home in San Francisco, I ended up in Petaluma, where I had as close to a perfect day as possible.

I strolled through antique stores, stumbled across a delicious lunch spot and walked along the river that meanders through the historic Sonoma County town. On our way home, my boyfriend and I remarked on just how much wonder seemed to be in our backyards.

That appears to be the case in much of California, if my inbox is any indication. Readers have been writing to me recently about what they love most in their part of the state — and why they stay in California despite the high cost of living and what can often feel like a steady drumbeat of natural disasters.

You can email me your own California love letter to CAtoday@nytimes.com. I always enjoy reading these messages. I hope you do, too.

Here are some examples, lightly edited:

“Outside of California, people don’t know much about Davis, but I feel so lucky to live in this hidden gem. We loved bikes before we came, but living in the bicycle capital of America has totally changed us. I now bike everywhere — to work, to dinner, to my daughter’s activities — and the game changer is that I feel completely safe doing so. Throw in the quintessential college town with our farmers’ market, theaters, essential coffee shops, local book and record stores, and plenty of boba tea shops — all within an easy bike ride or walk — and you have a magical place.” — Kari Edison Watkins, Davis

“When I was a little girl traveling with my parents from Seattle to Sonoma on Highway 101, I thought the Ukiah Valley and the next one south to Hopland had to be among the most beautiful places on earth. Now, 70 years later, I still think so. It’s hard to believe I am here.” — Leslie H. Smyth, Ukiah Valley