SeeCalifornia.com

Believe it or not, tourists often say they hope to experience an earthquake when visiting California. Many don’t realize that if they take the time to travel throughout the state, the signs of earthquakes are everywhere you go. Shown in the photos are the owners of DeRose Vineyards in Hollister–notice the wall buckling next to them. The winery is situated on the San Andreas fault.

You can’t escape earthquakes in California so why not take an Earthquake Vacation? At nearly every historic museum, at wineries and even missions, there are stories, histories, and sometimes even plaques along the 650-mile long fault line that travels through major cities  San Francisco and Los Angeles. The  Field Guide to San Andreas Fault (thulescientific.com), an excellent travel guided, takes you on a tour of California’s earthquake hot spots pointing out places where you can see nature in action. It also dispels myths.

 Earthquake Myths:

• Earthquakes occur during “earthquake weather.”
  Fact: Earthquakes take place miles underground, and can happen at any time in any weather.
• Big earthquakes always occur early in the morning.
  Fact: Just as earthquakes don’t care about the weather, they can’t tell time.
• California could fall into the ocean.
  Fact: The movement is horizontal, so while Los Angeles is moving toward San Francisco, California won’t sink.
• The safest place to be in an earthquake is under a doorway.
  Fact: That’s true only if you live in an unreinforced adobe home. Indoors, get under a desk or chair.
• Small earthquakes keep big ones from happening.
  Fact: A small quake may temporarily ease stress on a fault line, it does not prevent a large temblor.
• There’s nothing I can do about earthquakes, so why worry?
  Fact: You can prepare for an earthquake with a kit and family plan.