Here's a question: ever NOT want to clean the bathrooms? A week or so ago I experienced a confluence of things: 1) some household chores needed doing, 2) after looking at the weather report, it seemed that this particular day was going to be the last sunny, nice day before a bevy of rain storms moved in and 3) I had wanderlust. You know, the need to explore...to see uncharted lands...and get some fresh produce.
Not having a spaceship, lots of money for a sea voyage or more than just a day, I decided to satisfy my curiosity as to where exactly was Corning, California? [and put off doing household chores!]
I live in northern California. My home state is a big state...long - I once drove the length of it in about 12 hours. It has two big freeways that drive the long center of it - Interstate 5 goes from the border with Mexico to the border with Oregon; Highway 99 stretches the length of the Central Valley, about 500 miles, meeting up with 5 at the north and south extremes. Interestingly, if you travel I5, you speed along and get where you're going. That is, after all, the point of an interstate. Hwy 99, however, has a much different personality. In some places it's only one lane, both directions; and it either borders towns and cities or goes right through them. If you want to stop at a fruit stand, you take 99, not 5.
Where I live I have the choice of either highway on which to travel for exploring. For this excursion I chose to go north on 99. I'd noticed over the past year some highway billboards that say, in essence: where the heck is Corning, CA? Seems the City of Corning wants tourists. I wanted to see why. The map showed me that if I headed north I'd come to a turn off towards Corning - which sits between Hwy 99 and I5. The map also showed me that if I kept north on 99 about another 10 or 15 minutes, I could stop at this excellent produce stand we discovered recently, the Burlison Fruit Stand [you can find them on Facebook.]
Since it was mid-week, I'd phone ahead to make sure the stand was open, stopped at the bank for enough cash and went shopping. Got some excellent: persimmons, winter squash, prunes [freshly dried], apples, end-of-season cherry tomatoes and just about the best honey [Star Thistle] I've ever tasted. Also a jar of jam as a gift. Then I was off to Corning.
I'd read a bit about Corning and learned it considers itself the olive city. I learned that there are many olive orchards in this part of California. One of the places I wanted to stop, once I got to the town, was a destination called The Olive Pit. On their website I discovered a great page about the history of olives...included is the information that olives were first introduced to California in 1769. Cool.
Gee but the day couldn't have been nicer. The temps were in the 70's with only a slight breeze and the sky was so gorgeously blue. I do love my California sky. After leaving 99 I traversed the various roads to get to the town and wended my way to The Olive Pit. I knew it was a touristy kind of stop, that it would have a cafe and shop. And I was not disappointed.
Not only does it have a shop, that shop is full to bursting with all kinds of olive products...and some others [like an excellent pumpkin butter]. They have a wine and beer tasting bar and an olive tasting bar. And a cafe. Decided to have a burger first then do some serious shopping. Because I was in explorer mode, I examined every shelf on every isle. And filled my cart...not just with goods for home, but was able to pick up some great Christmas gifts too.
On the way out of town I stopped at the edge of an olive orchard...this safari just wouldn't be complete without shots of olive trees. Below I hope you enjoy the photos of these wondrous fruits...veggies?
Happy Thanksgiving!
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