Monday-Thursday Catching Up

The last days in CA were busy, and the evenings were filled with snuggles and talk and card games and good wine and reading, and not much time for blog posting. Here's what we did on our last couple of days on the coast:

Monday: Santa Ynez, Wineries, and Solvang

We drove up into the mountains at Santa Ynez to visit a couple of wineries. First on the list was Gainey, where we had a wonderful picnic lunch.

The grounds were beautiful, and the weather mild and lovely (unlike the day it was 109 in Thousand Oaks- though it was 78 in Camarillo, 10 miles away).

The grapes were beautiful, and the wines were delicious. Side note: I've tried many Oregon Pinot Noirs, and have not liked a single one of them. But of the 3 CA Pinots we tasted, I loved 2 of them. Go figure. I also loved the crisp Riesling that we bought at Gainey.

Grapes, like water lilies, are very photogenic.

After Gainey, we went to Imagine Winery, where charming Dee talked enthusiastically about the wines this small winery produces. The small tasting room had some lovely art, and the wines were delicious.

On the way back to Camarillo, we stopped in Solvang

which is a bustling little town, built like a Danish village, with multiple windmills, and a truly amazing bakery. And

this machine. We did not wish to be big.

On Tuesday, we didn't do anything particularly photogenic, though we did go to Trader Joe's, and Somis Nut House, and we bought fresh strawberries and made jam, and mailed goodies back home so we didn't have to check a bag (in 2 priority boxes, only one of which arrived today... we'll see if the other shows up tomorrow). But mostly we spent our last day with our son and family, loving every minute of a week that went by far too quickly. Oh yeah, and my son introduced me to really good coffee. I mean really really good  coffee. And I didn't even pretend to drink decaf.

Yesterday, we had a mostly smooth trip home, if you don't count a 90 minute boarding delay at LAX, 3 gate changes, no announcement boards (which made those gate changes a little unsettling), and an inability to understand 1 word in 10 of the announcements (which also made the gate changes and boarding time differences unsettling). But once we were on the plane, the ride was smooth, and the 3 hour drive home from Sioux Falls took 3 hours but was otherwise unremarkable.

So today, I get to reacclimate myself, tomorrow is my first knitting group of the season, and then it's back to work. Next week, the paper dolls will start up again, and tomorrow I'll talk about the 3 remarkable books I read on vacation.

Wordless Sunday- The Getty Villa

Saturday- Gardens of the World, and Point Mugu

We went to Thousand Oaks today, to the Gardens of the World, which is amazing and well worth the visit, even though the car thermometer read 109 when we left the place. I took many beautiful pictures, but this one says it best:

a single water lily in the koi pond at the Japanese Garden.

After we left the Gardens of the World, we went back to Camarillo, which was all of 10 miles away, where the temp was 78. The power of the ocean is amazing.

After supper, we drove to the beach, and climbed this hill. It's every bit as high and steep as it looks.

The Hub found out that there can be sharp things under the sand (warning for the weak of stomach: that's a bloody skin flap with lots of sand underneath).

 

We slogged our way to the top of the dune, but not to the top of the rocks. I had been used to thinking of myself as being in marginally good shape for an Old Broad. This trek disabused me of that notion pretty quickly.  And then we sat and watched the sun set over the Pacific.

It was worth the climb.

Friday- Ojai

After we dropped the kids off at school, we drove inland to Ojai. It was cool and foggy on the coast, but clear and quite warm in Ojai, which is a beauiful beautiful town, filled to the brim with little stores, galleries, restaurants, and tasting rooms.

There are stores tucked in alleys and behind the other stores, all with lovely walks

and fountains.

Everything is tiled and arched

see? arches everywhere.

and more arches.

and the requesite mission tower.

We were there too early for the wine tasting rooms to open, so we came back to Camarillo and tried an amazing Syrah that begged to come home with us. Who were we to say no?

Thursday- Ventura

It always takes me a day or so to get used to the time change, so I'm a day behind on postings. I think I've acclimated now, so I shouldn't get so far behind.

Yesterday, we went to Ventura. It was cool and foggy in the morning (and I will remember not to call the pissy little incline on my weekly long-run a *hill* any more). Out here, there is no level, it is all up or down. It was foggy in the morning, but cool and clear and sunny in the afternoon. Perfect weather.

There are lotsa palm trees. Everywhere.

Ventura is a wonderful mix of old and new.

see?

We went to We Olive for an olive oil/balsamic vinegar tasting. Sounds odd, right? Odd it may be, but also incredibly yummy.

The fact that we can't take any of this in a carry-on didn't stop me from buying (I'll mail it back home). On the left is Cinnamon Caramel Pear Balsamic Vinegar and it's the most amazing stuff I've ever had- it would be wonderful over apples. In the middle is jalapeno olive oil which we'll use as a dipping sauce. On the right is Peach Balsamic Vinegar, which will be absolutely perfect on a salad. If you're ever in Ventura, stop at this place- the staff is pleasant and knowledgable and oh so willing to explain why drinking olive oil is A Good Thing.

After the tasting, we ate lunch at Nature's Grill, which was fantastic. I MUST make tomato cauliflower soup. And then we had chocolates at Trufflehound's Fine Chocolates. Four words: Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate.

And then we drove to Oxnard and sifted sand with our toes for awhile. After that, we came back and picked the kids up from school, and made jalapeno poppers and pizza on the grill and drank wine and played games and, in general, had a perfect evening.

This week is going by too quickly already.

whatta concept

Non-stop flights are amazing.Who knew?

We spent the day in Sioux Falls yesterday, eating lunch and not buying Laura Lippman's I'd Know You Anywhere because the SF B&N was sold out (and since she hit #11 on the NYT yesterday, I'm not surprised)(Name Dropping Alert: I've known Laura for years, we shared an editor at Avon- a nicer person could not be found). So I bought one of Laura's older ones (Life Sentences) that I had not yet read, and was happy as a clam on the plane.

This was my first time on Allegiant, and it most certainly will not be my last (not the least because our 2 round trip tickets were $297... that's for both tickets). The plane was large (lots of leg room), comfy, clean, pretty, and quiet (so quiet that you just had to hope that the engines were running), and the beverage cart ran continually. Three hours from takeoff, we landed in foggy LA. I'm now in a quiet house, waiting for the sun to come up so I can run. The Grands started school yesterday, so the grownups are all going to Ventura to taste a little wine (and olive oil, if you can believe it) today. I'll take pics.

FSD-LAX

With no MSP in between.

I'll check in as I can. Big ocean, good food, grandchildren, great wine: here I come!

Here's my airplane reading:

Y'all be good now.