We drove to Santa Barbara on 101, a reminder of the work involved in growing our food.  We passed fields lined with people bent over picking and pruning.

On the way back, we took country roads.  In 2012 my sons did the Faultline rally and crisscrossed the California fault line in a vintage Datsun with other pre-1976 cars. They traveled mainly on narrow and challenging roads, not passable in wet weather, which it wasn’t then or now, and discovered uncrowded beautiful landscapes, another example of the variety and complexity of the state in which we live.  Our destination for lunch was the Parkfield Cafe, worth it for the atmosphere, food, and apple dumplings.

I didn’t take pictures inside the restaurant as it opens at 11:30 and immediately fills with hungry people, all a little more weathered than we. It felt intrusive to gawk and take pictures of saddle stools and the giant fireplace. We ate outside as we do when we travel with Ebi and Ginger, two rescue greyhounds who attract attention wherever we go.

I offer a taste of our trip yesterday.