Parkfield California is not a town that you’re going to stumble upon while headed somewhere else. With a population of just 18 (circa 2018), it doesn’t even appear on many maps. It was not in the database of my Garmin mobil navigator.
But if you’re a science nerd who’s into earthquakes and seismology, chances are pretty good you’ve heard of it. I had read about Parkfield for years, and was eagerly anticipating a chance to visit. In his excellent book, A Crack in the Edge of the World, Simon Winchester spends a good deal of time discussing Parkfield and its place in earthquake history.