It�s not your car until you take your first road trip and cover the grill with the carcasses of many bugs. Speaking of bugs, I got a bug up my ass when I heard that there was an Artichoke Festival going on in Castroville this weekend. Inspired by my friend Heidi because this is a dream trip for her, I decided that I needed to go. I tried to get her to go with me but she wasn�t able to join me. So I conned my friend Char into taking a 750 mile round trip excursion to see the artichokes.
To some it may sound crazy to take a trip like this in a day, but for me, it was just fun � one of those things I do just so that I know I am alive. And I like driving after all. And it was in my new car. And my new car needed a road trip.
The drive up there was enjoyable, I got on the road about 5:30 AM and we spent the whole way talking, didn�t even listen to the tunes. We both had a lot to talk about and the conversation never ran out. After getting out of the LA Basin and the Valley, we enjoyed the hills of the Grapevine. Then there�s about a 1.5 hour section of the 5 freeway going through Nowheresville. After that, we had an enjoyable 1 hour drive across highway 46 and then onto highway 101. It was all very scenic except for that section of the 5 freeway.
The Artichoke Festival was fun and worth it even though we didn�t stay too long (only about 2 hours). They have a sculpture contest called Agro-Art where all the sculptures have to be built out of fruits and vegetables. There were some really original items there:
After viewing the art, we walked around the �marketplace� and I tasted the best Balsamic Vinegar I have ever tasted in my life from a local company called Spenger . I also bought myself a pretty blue bottle (since I�m crazy about blue things) and some honey-raspberry almonds. We had some lunch (Fried Artichoke Hearts � yum!) and watched a Hawaiian band and bought some artichokes and then we were back on the road. We took our time getting home, driving around the California farmlands taking pictures. It took us longer to get home because I missed the exit for the 46 so we ended up driving down the 101, it is a longer ride but more beautiful. Then we had dinner at the Madonna Inn. I rolled into my driveway at 11 PM.
It was a tiring day but also very relaxing and very fun. The conversation was perfect stereo-typical girl talk. It was the kind of day that makes me feel very much alive and happy with my life. You can�t beat that.
Now for some pictures:
And some images of California farmland:
