The Carrizo Plain National Monument is a vast and desolate place, with the San Andreas Fault clearly visible from the access road as you drive through the park. Yet each Spring, for several weeks, the floor of the valley explodes with a dazzling display of wildflowers that seem to stretch on forever. These photos were taken on March 22, 2009, in the wake of a passing storm.

California Route 166 is a stunningly beautiful, if not dangerous road, that stretches from Bakersfield to the Pacific Ocean, just past the town of Guadalupe. It has always been a favorite drive of mine-my preferred route from Los Angeles to the Central Coast on the many weekend getaways I took during my working years. It passes through small hamlets and forgotten places from California’s past, striking canyons of uplifted rock formations, and rolling hills as you approach the coast.

Carrizo Plain		Route 166