Contra Costa may have the best of all possible worlds. It lies in the comforting shadow of Mount Diablo, a constant wonder that changes daily as the seasons slip by, and along the water, the pathway to San Francisco Bay and the gateway to the great California Delta.

And between this rock and the waterway is a little slice of urban paradise, with large shopping centers and intimate little shops, the security of large corporate employers and the down-home feel of mom and pop businesses. There are wealthy enclaves with million dollar houses and middle class neighborhoods where the ice-cream trucks cruise up and down the streets.

The texture and taste of Contra Costa is multi-cultural, a place where you can celebrate Juneteenth and Cinco de Mayo, attend Japanese and Greek festivals, shop in Persian markets and share a barbecue on the Fourth of July.

City of Antioch
www.ci.antioch.ca.us

City of Concord
www.ci.concord.ca.us

City of Pleasant Hill
www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us

City of Pittsburg
www.ci.pittsburg.ca.us

City of Walnut Creek
www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us

Contra Costa County Office of Education
www.cccoe.k12.ca.us

Contra Costa Times
www.bayarea.com/mld/cctimes

Mt. Diablo State Park
www.mdia.org/spinfo.htm

California Commission on Teacher Credentialing - www.ctc.ca.gov

Yahoo! Maps