SeeCalifornia.com

Zipping along the I-101 in California and possibly dashing through the snow on rare occasion, travelers are treated to a variety of signs. Santa Maria on the Central California coast halfway between San Francisco and L.A. welcomes you with at least one billboard and several signs. But who can read the fine print when you’re moving at the pace of globe-trekking Santa Claus? A throw back to the old days and friendly ways, smaller towns such as Santa Maria with its 100,000 population, tell tourists in a neighborly way that the city’s got Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, YMCA, and it has even been designated as an “All American City”.  Most tourists would rather know: where’s the bathrooms, where’s the gas station, where’s the wineries, hotels, where’s Burger King, etc.?

But when you see those mellow, rolling mountains covered in winter green, see flags flapping in the afternoon wind that blows from the ocean over in Guadalupe, and notice the stadium on the hill where the annual Elks Rodeo takes place (May 30-June 2, 2013), you get the feeling that things are low key. And, as you smell and see fields of broccoli and strawberries alongside the road, maybe watch some cows hanging out under oak trees, and suddenly see civilization–Costco, Trader Joe’s, Home Depot and Walmart–you get the urge to stop, knowing that there’s probably a story that the highway signs and images don’t convey. In the case of Santa Maria, many a traveler has exited the interstate and found that the signs really don’t tell the whole story.  Though it’s often necessary to keep moving along the highway, those exits and road stops can be the best part of the trip. Instead of anticipating the goal, learn to enjoy the Journey for this is where we spend 99.9% of our time!