California
I’ve been trying to wrap my head around California. We returned a couple weeks ago from ten days visiting the state that is more populous than the
country
we live in.Â
It has been hard to decide what to write about the experience. Mostly if I try to sum it up I think what I felt much of the time while in California was awe.
Awe at the enormous and magnificent redwood trees of the northern coast.
Awe at the incredible beauty of San Francisco and its bay.
Awe at the endless coastline and gorgeous beaches.
Awe at the incomprehensibly vast central valley of farms and orchards.
And finally awe at the raw splendor of Yosemite.
In between all of these experiences was time spent with wonderful friends and family. Our boys were great travelers in spite of many hours in the car and at least eight different places slept.
We ate lots of incredible meals and an equal number of PBJs. Probably our favorite thing was all of the fresh, local—picked in the backyard—oranges and other citruses.
A highlight for me was picking my own lemons and limes for a fresh glass of lemonade. Later that day we arrived at my uncle’s house and he treated us to his own fresh-squeezed orange juice from oranges from his backyard. We were in locavore heaven since this is a treat we can’t enjoy at home.
And yet I was left with a feeling of uneasiness about California and its future. Even though I can’t really say that I know much about the state, it’s hard not to feel like it’s all founded on a precarious dependence on water. Seeing the sky of the central valley filled with dust and endless signs along the road blaming politicians for their water crisis  I was only more strengthened in my resolve to avoid buying long-distance fruits and vegetables.
California seems like paradise, and maybe it really is. I just hope that it can last, because we loved it and hope to visit again.
Sources:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_statistical_areas
- http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/demo02a-eng.htm
February 17, 2015 @ 10:42 pm
Wonderful pictures and comments. Food for thought.
February 18, 2015 @ 9:24 am
Thank you, Mom 🙂
February 18, 2015 @ 4:45 pm
Hello, Jon! I have lived in California my entire life, and I can say everything you said is true! California is a wonderful state and we provide our nation with it’s lion share of fruits, nuts, rice and vegetables. Because of this, our drought is becoming very worrisome. The price of food from California will go up and up as the farmers have to pay more and more for water. Maybe the price of fruits and vegetables from California will force more people across the nation to start growing their own – which actually might be a good thing!
February 18, 2015 @ 7:16 pm
Hi Vickie. Thank you for weighing in as a local! It’s truly amazing to me what California can produce, and I agree with you very much that the rest of the country/continent could be doing a lot more to grow their own and hopefully help even things out without so much strain being put on one place. Good luck to you guys as you get ready to head to your homestead and work at living off the land!