I love looking at historical photos of Southern California if only to re-enforce this exact phenomenon. At one point the largest vineyard in the world existed in Southern California [0]. Just a small patch of green and some abandoned buildings remain [1].

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guasti%2C_California

[1]: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Guasti,+Ontario,+CA+91761/