It is hard for me to believe how ungolden California has become. It rather puts me in mind of this song, released in 1965, California Dreamin'. I remember living through the drizzling, gray days of winter in New England and listening to this song, longing for the freedom to explore the seashore and the hills of that state. Halcyon days when the California university system offered tuition free classes to state residents. Looks as if the California Dream has changed drastically since those days. Still, if San Francisco survived the earthquake of 1906 to become of the beautiful city it is today I am sure that at some point California will still be the dream it was for so many in the past.
A little about the history of this song:
California Dreamin' - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"There has been a long standing myth that "California Dreamin'" was written to express John Phillips' experience at the United States Naval Academy. Midshipmen call the Winter period at the Academy the "Dark Ages," owing to both the short hours of daylight but also the extra burden of final exams added to an already strenuous workload. It was believed that the song was, in essence, a day in the life of Phillips during these Dark Ages thinking and dreaming of a warmer climate even though he is bound to stay, at least for a little while. The environment painted by the song accurately depicts the layout of the USNA, which includes a cathedral (the church mentioned in the song) and a central park area (the path with brown leaves mentioned in the song)."