Your Favorite Roadside Attractions

Driving to Davis from the Bay Area on Interstate 80 last week, I spotted a cow jumping over the moon.

More specifically, I saw the longstanding sign for the old Milk Farm restaurant in Dixon, which I’ve now learned, after poring over readers’ submissions about iconic roadside attractions, is a landmark for many travelers in the Sacramento area. Seeing it in person made me feel as if I was getting a peek into a whole new side of California that I had yet to explore.

I wrote last week about popular roadside sights, like Pea Soup Andersen’s or the Harris Ranch, that can feel so personal to Californians, reminding us of old commutes or family road trips of long ago. It’s been a pleasure to read the emails you have sent in response, and to see the state’s highways and landmarks through your eyes.

On that same trip to Davis, I pulled over at Ikeda’s, following the suggestion of one reader, David Hayashida, who wrote that the country market was his go-to stop when traveling from Greenbrae, where he lives, to Sacramento. He recommended the crumbly Dutch apple pie, and it did not disappoint.

Here are some more suggestions that readers have sent, lightly edited:

“A favorite landmark memory for our family is of the color-changing lighted pylons at the LAX gateway. Driving down Sepulveda Boulevard back when our sons were young, we would look ahead to the pylons and make a guessing game of what color combination the columns would be in by the time our car reached them.” — Kathy Tyrer, Santa Barbara

“Whenever we are out exploring California on road trips and heading home, we are always thrilled to see the beautiful Placer County courthouse right by I-80 that signals we are almost home.” — Jan Foster, Auburn