Every summer, millions of travelers venture to the sun-drenched French region of Provence. One of its biggest draws? Symmetrical fields of sweet-scented, violet-hued lavender. Images of them ...

It's lavender we're loving upon, of course, and the later part of June is when the field-based blossom reaches its zazzy zenith around certain parts of the Golden State. It doesn't pop up ...

One such location is Mayfield Lavender Farm & Fields, which reviewers have likened to the fields of Provence ... which also generate a powerful scent which our reporter Laura Nightingale said ...