The day after the wedding we deposited Janice at the train station ....
...with all her luggage and a very bad cold.
Albert came along to say goodbye to his walking partner.
The rest of the day we took a drive to visit some of the quaint little towns within an hour or two of Santa Barbara.
Visiting the little shops and wine tasting rooms in Santa Ynez with your new in-laws seems a strange honeymoon to me but these two appeared to be enjoying themselves anyway.
Then on to the Danish town of Solvang for some pastry and more touristy things...
How many thousands of photos have been taken in front of this telephone booth?
(Lily, Vanessa, Loretta, Ron, Jo, Albert, and John)
Friday morning we all met at the IHOP (at one time known as The Fig Tree) for breakfast then said our final goodbyes....
and finally, one more drive out onto Stearns Wharf for old times sake.
The centerpiece of the valley, Lake Casitas, is showing the extreme effects of the drought.
But the valley with its many citrus, avocado and almond orchards....
...reminded me that water is everything and, somehow, we need to become better stewards.
We spent a night at a truck stop, another in Joshua Tree National Park then on to Tucson where the future is very uncertain. But the weather is great.
Yes, Santa Ynez, which is where my grandparents' ranch, the Donahue Ranch, once was. My grandmother Marianna, of Mexican heritage, was born in Santa Barbara and lived there all her life . This areas in not a happy place to go if you remember old California. Sigh. I know, it's a new world for new people (and so many of them!), and we just have to step aside.
ReplyDeleteThat photo of Janice...
A lot of conflicting thoughts and feelings right now.
Take care of yourself!
Thank you. Hattie, and especially thanks for the great updates and links that help me keep track of the lava and my sister, Mary.
ReplyDeleteGreat coverage of a happy event. Congratulations and best wishes to the newly married.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed :)
ReplyDeletedean