Californ-I-A

California.  Not what I expect.  Mt. Shasta was a lovely surprise.

TONS, and I do mean TONS of Agriculture, is happening here. Should California 'fall in to the ocean' (as we have all long suspected) :) then our produce will be diminished for a very, very long time. We were camped out near both the 'artichoke capitol of the world' and the 'garlic capital of the world'.  In totally different, though nearby, cities.  We camped ON the San Andrea's fault for two weeks.  Kind of gives you a warm, tingly feeling doesn't it?  We have seen so many variations of crops it's unimaginable.  Really.  We've seen grapes, strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, limes, cherries, garlic, artichoke, peppers, almonds and many 'random' plants we are still trying to figure out.  We saw Brussell sprouts growing on a stalk...and tried them...much to my dismay...but they were surprisingly delicious with my wonderful husbands preparation of them.  Who knew Brussell sprouts tasted GOOD?  And artichokes.  Weird stuff.  But if you cut it right, and dip it in butter, I suppose anything tastes delicious!  We ARE having fun here though with all of the fresh produce.  Coming from Indiana, if you want fresh local produce are choices are pretty much corn.  Or tomatoes.  Or corn.  Or GREEN tomatoes.  Or a melon. Or corn.  Or tomatoes. Or zucchini, zucchini, zucchini in mass quantities for 5 weeks a year (so much so that you won't WANT any until your crop is ready NEXT year).

California is much different then I imagined.  Monterey was great.  Carmel by the Sea was fabulous!  And the rest...only 50 miles 'inland' is pretty much desert.  We have seen a few bobcats though.  That's pretty cool.  Even a bobcat 'kitten'.  We are starting to like California.  Maybe not so much the time difference, but California is fun.  Different.  Glad to see it, but don't want to stay, fun.

We still have a week or so left here.  I will desperately miss all of the fresh, cheap, and local produce.  I doubt our next stop (Vegas) is growing too many veggies.