I recently became obsessed with California history. It's amazing to think that less than 250 years ago, native americans were living quiet little lives here. Los Angeles was a desert; San Fransisco an empty bay. What must it have been like when the Chumash met Europeans? That question haunts me. So, I decided to search for the answer. I call this vacation, Janice Champion's search for

California's Mold

We pulled into the Santa Barbara Visitor's Information parking lot. (We learned in Cincinnati that VI's can be a cornucopiea of info, and may have free internet connections, too.) A hippie from the 60's greeted us with his Love Bus! On a mission to spread love across the US, with colorful crap to all over his van. Already, we were travelling backward in time!