Inhabited by indigenous coastal/non-coastal residents for thousands of years, the gold rush brought many immigrants who settled north of San Francisco. The rural, quieter paced North Bay coastal fishing, timber harvesting, farming/ranching lands dotted with dairy, wine grapes, geothermal activities transitioned into a popular tourist destination, famous for wineries, craft breweries, boutique hotels, hot spring spas, arts and respected state universities. Spring's verdant green hills and farm landscapes beckon; summer, when fog rolls into San Francisco offers warmer climate activities; fall harvest season is especially popular for wine and beer lovers; winter months, with cold, wet and occasional snow dusted higher elevations offers visitors less crowds, traffic to encounter.