Midway down the Cholame Valley is the bridge to Parkfield. It straddles the active strand of the San Andreas fault, making it the only bridge on which you can travel to another lithospheric plate. This whimsical sign was placed when the bridge was recently rebuilt (there's another one on the other side). The bridge slides on its supporting members to withstand seismic shaking and movement. Once in Parkfield (population 18), you have a choice of one place of refreshment, the whimsical Parkfield Cafe. A small park across the way has a whimsical bronze plaque celebrating the fault, installed by E Clampus Vitus.
Parkfield appears to occupy its own small segment of the San Andreas fault that ruptures every generation or so. Its last earthquake, widely anticipated by the earthquake community, happened 28 September 2004. The Parkfield segment is next in this photo tour of the San Andreas fault.