Surprisingly, once I left the coast, it became overcast, though it didn’t rain. It was a pleasant enough drive with very little traffic. I took Hwy 101 down the coast, and then turned east towards Calistoga and the Napa Valley.

Lots of wineries!

I finally stopped at one. The Castello di Amorosa was advertised as a “winery and castle.”

There were pigs, goats, and sheep, and even a moat surrounding the castle.

Well, this is good.

I opted out of the winery tour and wine tasting ($20) and instead spent some time watching the interaction between a chicken and a quail. The chicken wandered between the rows of grapes, scratching up the dirt, as chickens do; the quail followed closely behind her, sharing in the bugs or seeds she was scratching up. 

After the winery, I drove to my destination for the night: Bothe-Napa State Park. Here’s my yurt: no power, no water, but very cute.

I had time for a short hike, right out my front door!

   Coyote Peak to Redwood Trail

I think these are madrona. Their bark is dark and shiny. Sometimes lichen colonize the groves in the bark.

View from the top of Coyote Peak

I took a different trail on the way down to make a loop. I was surprised to find that this one meandered through a damp redwood forest. The understory plants were different, but apparently there are still redwoods this far east.

Back to my nice cozy yurt, well before dark ...

Morning ... time to go south! And it was an interesting drive. First was the Napa area, with mile after mile of grapes and wineries advertising tastings and tours.

Then the grapevines transitioned to fruit trees. Signs advertised almonds, oranges, pistachios, and nectaries. Some of the trees were bare, others were in full leaf, others were covered with blossoms. Bee hives were scattered among the rows.

Though at first glance a very productive area, it is clear that this is totally dependent on irrigation. Where there was no irrigation, the ground was parched and virtually nothing grew. Big billboards in the orchards complained about the “new dust bowl” and demanded more water. With California in its third year of drought, this is the new reality.

Fruit trees and bee hives (from the freeway)

After about 5 hours of driving (including 1 in a traffic jam), I came to the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve.

This is what the poppy reserve looks like ... at peak bloom in a good year ....

California hasn’t had a good poppy year since the drought began. This is what it looks like now.

There are a few brave poppies and other flowers in low-lying or damp areas, to offset the dusty dryness. The recent rain will hopefully allow some dormant seeds to germinate later in the spring.

Didn’t see any of these

Saw lots of these

Had a nice hike through the reserve, with the brown dusty ground punctuated by occasional splashes of orange. Then, back in the car and down the highway ... arrived in Palm Springs just after dark -- glad to be done with driving for awhile!