Rain!

Santa Inez Mission

It rained all last night. I was very cozy, but a bit bent. Parts of me hurt when I camp, it seems (remember the knee fiasco last trip? IT remembers!)

I decided to stick here for another day. I have been in all 50 states and the only one in which I am wary about driving under adverse conditions is California. Hell.. I don't like driving in California in GOOD conditions.

So, I went to the Casino. Broke even. End of story.


Drove inland and checked out the Mission Santa Inez. It's been here since 1804. I'm sure it was damaged in the 1812 earthquake. I had never heard of (nor could I find any information about) the earthquake of 1812 EXCEPT this. In the 4th grade in California schools, they study the missions. There were missions from San Diego to North of San Francisco. Every mission story tells of some damage from that earthquake which must have been massive... I finally saw it mentioned somewhere, but it must been a doozy!

Then I drove through Solvang (Danish.. not Dutch). I've been here too many times to thrill at the billions of gifty shops and such, but it is quaint. Really really really quaint.


as you can see.




My sister reminded me of Los Olivos, which has a small restaurant in which scenes from "Sideways" were filmed.

Off I went.


Los Olivos Cafe

It was only a few miles away, and a charming little town which shows the influence a popular movie can make... There is some kind of wine tasting thingy going on in Solvang and surrounding areas, and the restaurant was packed. I had a veggie sandwich which does not convey the good gooey things included.


The little town reminded me of Sisters, Oregon. It had some new buildings in an old style, and lots of gifty shops beginning to bloom.

The restaurant is right across from the Fess Parker Inn (yes, for those of you who are old enough to remember... Davy Crockett). My last meeting with Fess Parker was more than 50 years ago when a friend of mine and I tried to sell him some of her sister's girl scout cookies... we were way too old and managed to spill the open box (used for courage only) on his front steps. By the time he answered the door, all 6'6" of gorgeous him, we were in nervous hysterics.

He didn't buy any cookies.

But for years I had a rock from his rock wall and a piece of wood from his front door..

sigh...

While driving around town, hoping to catch sight of him again, I saw this restaurant, which used to be a stage coach stop in 1886. I might be open at night, but it certainly wasn't doing business today.



Then I saw some teeny tiny little horsies on the way back... aren't they adorable?


I noticed, both in Los Olivos and Buellton, some rather large, wonderful parks, newly built. This area is certainly trying to appeal to permanent residents...


cool park!

and, as I mentioned, it's prettier than I remember..

must be all that

RAIN!