Another roadside attraction

California has just about everything nature has to offer, including an Old Faithful Geyser just a few miles outside of Calistoga. They say this location at the north end of the Napa Valley is one of the largest geothermal areas in the world. But only a few places have geysers that "perform" at regular intervals. Most geysers erupt whenever they feel like it, making them poor tourist attractions. Who wants to pay $10 for a geyser show that may or may not happen?

Anyway, the Old Faithful in Calistoga erupts about every 30-40 minutes. They claim it predicts earthquakes when this regular interval is delayed. The geyser park is an old-fashioned private attraction with an entrance fee, but we go almost every time we're here since it's a nice place to hang around. And now we know to bring a picnic while waiting. When you buy your tickets, the young man says "alcohol and food is welcome on the grounds." OK, how often do you hear that? We noticed other visitors checking out our nice spread yesterday. But it's never crowded there and the picnic tables are surrounded by thick bamboo and pampas grass.

And here we are, posing with the geyser. Right on schedule.
Another day in paradise...