Travels with haRVy

We were lucky enough to spend a few more warm, sunny days and full moon nights in beautiful Santa Barbara, CA recently. My cousin Ann invited us to stay in her guest room and we were more than pleased to do so. We are extremely grateful for the generous hospitality extended to us by Ann as well as my brother Jeff and his wife Paula, at whose Camarillo, CA home we are currently headquartered. SoCal has been very good to us this winter and we are happy to be here.

Our first afternoon was spent on the Santa Barbara waterfront. We savored Yellowfin Tuna fish tacos at a beachside cafe before strolling the beach, yacht harbor, and wharf. That evening Ann joined us for dinner out at a trendy downtown bistro.

The next day we took a very informative guided tour of the lovely Santa Barbara Mission before visiting a couple of pretty city parks, a few art galleries, historic sites, and the historical museum.

We came upon the art studios below quite by accident. It felt like a wonderful place to create, so we tried to capture its unusual character in photographs.

The following photograph had to be taken because our family photo album includes one of my sister and mother at this same spot in 1945. One of the great pleasures of Santa Barbara is getting to tour restored historic properties, many of which are still in use. El Paseo, California’s first shopping center, was built in the 1920s and today features a variety of unique  gift shops, jewelry stores, galleries, restaurants, and offices nestled amid romantic gardens and Spanish courtyards.

Late that afternoon we took in the panoramic view from the tower at the renowned County Courthouse.

On our final day, our friend Diane had arranged for us to join a private garden tour at the hilltop home of a collector and professional grower of exotic plants.

Before heading back to Camarillo, we enjoyed another delightful lunch at a different beachside cafe in Goleta with Diane.