Santa Barbara '15

From the Farmers' Market to our living room

Our first week in Santa Barbara was all about the International Film Festival.  We took in movies from Argentina, Israel, Norway and New Zealand, bicycling daily to where the cinematic action was on downtown State Street.

It's easy to strike up conversations while standing in line to gain entry into a film.  On Saturday we spoke with a woman who told us about Cold Spring Tavern, high in the Santa Ynez Mountains that rim Santa Barbara to the east.  On Sunday afternoons, she informed us, the tavern rocks with live blues.  We wanted to see and hear for ourselves; so on Sunday we drove up, up, up Route 154 toward San Marcos Pass and then turned off on West Camino Cielo, which snakes its way along the ridge and offers views that inspire equal parts awe and vertigo.

The pavement ended abruptly at the Westchester Gun Club, "Public Welcome."  A sign advised that further travel on the road was not advised.  We pulled into the gun club to get directions.  With signs preaching safety all around, along with regular pop-popping of weaponry, a crusty, friendly fellow gave us directions and we set off quickly.

We negotiated hairpin turns through forested mountain land that felt far from civilization.  Before we saw the tavern, we came upon cars parked every which way along both sides of the narrow road.  We drove on until we rounded a bend and saw two unimpressive log cabins with a couple hundred people milling about outside, plastic cups of beer and wine in their hands, having what sure looked like a great time.  We had arrived at Cold Spring Tavern.  We managed to park a football field's length away and made our way to the bar.  Amazingly, we found two empty seats inside the door, steps away from the tiny stage where the band was wailing away.  We purchased cold draft beers and monstrous tri-tip sandwiches from staff working nonstop to keep up with demand, and settled in for a Sunday afternoon of the blues.

Cold Spring Tavern - The Place to Be on Sunday Afternoon

Cold Spring Tavern - Blues, Beer and Tri-tip Sandwiches

Rockin' at the Cold Spring Tavern (Note the drums.)

Earlier Sunday morning, we took a docent-led tour of Arroyo Hondo Ranch, one of the first ranches in the area and now preserved as part of the Santa Barbara Land Trust.

Dry Creek, Arroyo Hondo

California Live Oak, Arroyo Hondo

Land Trust Tools of the Trade

Morning Dew, Arroyo Hondo

Arroyo Hondo Trail

Reminder of Times Past

A few more images from our first week in Santa Barbara:

Santa Barbara Museum of Art

Our Lady of Sorrows

Vine, Downtown Santa Barbara

And finally, on "Art Night" downtown last week, one art gallery invited visitors to fill a wall with post-it "art" on the theme of why Santa Barbara is different from anyplace else.  The winner, in my humble opinion:

Why Santa Barbara Is Unique