Royal Tour Comes To California

Prince Charles Greeted As Eco-Hero As He, Camilla Visit Farmers' Market

(CBS/AP)  Prince Charles was greeted as an eco-hero Saturday, as he and his wife Camilla were welcomed warmly to this staunchly environmentalist northern California town.

Several hundred people lined the main street of tiny Point Reyes Station, north of San Francisco, to greet the prince and Duchess of Cornwall on their visit to the local organic farmers' market. The atmosphere was part festive parade, part political rally — and quintessentially, quirkily Californian.

Amid the British and American flags waving in the crowd were signs protesting telephone masts and pesticides, placards declaring "War is not organic," and even a handwritten sign proclaiming "Charles for governor."

Motorcyclist Roland Khin drove up and down the street, his Suzuki bike bedecked with British and American flags.

"I grew up with British culture, and I love everything about England," said Burmese-born Khin, dressed head-to-toe in studded black motorcycle leathers.

CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports that while it seems an unusual stop for the prince, it may be an appropriate place for a man well into his 50s who has never had a real job — this part of California has long had a reputation as home to dropouts and hippies.

"It is aging hippies and yes, it's a bunch of dropouts but you know what, we're leading the world with our organic agricultural practices," said oyster farmer Jerry Lunsford.

Less Anglophile residents of this community in eco-friendly Marin County — one of the first in the United States to ban genetically modified crops — were impressed by Charles' environmental credentials.

The prince is a firm supporter of environmentalist causes, and runs an organic farm on his Highgrove estate in western England. He also has a multimillion-pound (dollar) line of organic foods, Duchy Originals, whose profits go to charity.

In a recent interview, he urged support for small-scale farmers, saying he feared agri-business would end up "completely industrializing the landscape."

"I think it's news that Charles comes to a tiny little town like this and pays attention to what we're trying to do," said Mary Eubank, 72.

The couple spent more than an hour touring Point Reyes' farmers' market, chatting to stallholders and sampling some of the organic produce on offer.

The duchess enthusiastically tasted cheese, green beans, an apple and a hearty vegetarian stew of butternut squash, pumpkin, beans and cream.

"I'm eating my way around here — luckily I've got a good appetite," she said.

She declined an oyster, however, saying: "I daren't."

The couple also popped into the town's Old Western Saloon, where the duchess sipped a half pint of Lagunitas IPA. Charles tried a pint of local Boothammer ale, offering a sip to bar owner Judy Borello.

"Hey, the prince shared his beer with me!" she said. "He's such a lovely guy."

The prince and duchess are spending more than three days in the San Francisco Bay Area, as their weeklong U.S. tour shifts from the power centers of New York and Washington to remoter communities, and issues close to the prince's heart — organic agriculture and sustainable food production.

Saturday's market visit was followed by lunch on an organic farm in nearby Bolinas, and the couple also plan to visit a Berkeley school organic garden sponsored by chef Alice Waters.

Charles and Camilla flew to San Francisco late Friday after a brief stop in New Orleans, where they saw a neighborhood obliterated by Hurricane Katrina in August and met pupils at a newly reopened school.

The tour, which also included stops in New York and Washington, marks an international coming-out for 58-year-old Camilla, who married the prince in April.

On the whole, crowds have responded warmly to Camilla by a country with fond memories of the glamorous Princess Diana, although some in the media have criticized her appearance, noting her preference for dull, dark colors and her sometimes unruly hair.

But Camilla, who wore a navy blue trouser suit for Saturday's visit, had some fans in California.

"To heck with her frizzy hairdo," said Donna Sheehan, 75, as she waited for the couple to arrive. "We love it. She's a goddess in my book."