Here the journey continues through the foreign country of California, which still looms large in our dreams.

“Yes, California is a natural, if well-ordered, paradise. The benign foresight of its people, through individual initiative and their elected representatives, has led to a remarkable preservation of so much natural bounty. Just one look at a road atlas confirms how packed the Californian coast is with one state park after another – so close together that the green typeface hardly fits – guarding its riches in perpetuity. I could understand the state’s penchant for regulation and government control, for its citizens are constantly reminded of the munificence of enlightened policies, the benefits from a richly ordered preservation.” [p.163]

Yet, California has so over-spent itself into debt, will it need to privatize all those state parks some day? [please hover over images for captions]

Center of the Universe, Felicity, CA

“My last stop in California, appropriately, was at the Official Center of the World Pyramid in Felicity. Although the population of hardy residents is stipulated at four, there wasn’t a soul in sight in late October, the gift shop and little pyramid closed as tightly as Egyptian tombs. The long, breathless summer discourages outdoor activity, as the Official Center of the World only opens for tours in late November. Remarkably, the diminutive pyramid deems itself “Official” as both France and China (not to mention Imperial County, CA) have agreed to cede any rival claim to little Felicity’s, perhaps the first and last issue on which these three would-be powers agree. As the desert sun melted the top of my head, I watched a lone train pulling through the middle distance, before the foothills of the resolute Chocolate Mountains.” [p.174]