Cervins Central Coast

Alsace in America: Mendocino Memories

2012-02-22T14:30:00.000-08:00

So, what if there were awine festival which was unpretentious, fun, not the least bit crowded, whereinternational winemakers and their wines congregated together, all set inbeautiful surroundings and was, well, just way cool? Well there is. The International Alsace Varietals Festival arriveseach February in Mendocino (slightlynorth of Sonoma), and with it, a die-hardcontention of Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Blancand Pinot Gris enthusiasts. Andwe’re not talking flabby sweet wines which taste like packets of Equal mixedwith water. We’re talking serious non-sweet, semi-sweet and luscious sweet whitewines which will literally change your mind about what a white wine can be.There has long been a belief that these kinds of wines are simplistic and that“serious wine drinkers drink red,” but that is nothing more than ashort-sighted, myopic view, plagued by insecurity. All wines, white, sweet, redand bubbly, have a place on your table.

Life is not all Chardonnayand Sauvignon Blanc, it can be, but frankly, aromatic white wines should be part of what you are drinking on aregular basis. This is a small conference but it packs a mighty punch. Itbegins with a technical conference; a kind of wine-geeky gathering of detailed,though interesting, information on these wines with about 100 people. This isfollowed by a grand tasting, with winemakers on hand to pour and talk abouttheir wines. And this is the inherent beauty of this particular festival; it’ssmall, accessible and dedicated to, not to a wide variety of wines, but afocused presentation of a select few, which gives you the chance to really honeyour understanding of these varieties. The technical conference also presentsunique one-of-a-kind opportunities. For 2012, the New Zealand RieslingChallenge allowed attendees to sample 12 different iterations of Riesling, made by 12 differentwinemakers from New Zealandwho each made Riesling from grapesfrom a single vineyard. Given there were so few cases produced, and themajority of those were kept inside the country, this was a rare and very coolchance to taste how 12 people interpret one wine made from one plot of land.

Fresh made pizza is at the Festival

But Mendocino is notjust aromatic whites. Many of the wineries which line Highway 128 are making some killer juice. Foursight Wines, located in Boonville,is a prime example of this. Making Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Pinot Noir,their bottle prices range from $20 to $46 and since this is a family-owned operation,one of the family always staffs the small tasting room. They are fourth-generationfarmers, producing fewer than 2,000 cases of wine, and the tasting room sits onthe site of an old farm house when this land used to be a sheep ranch. Probablyan anomaly for the region in terms of aromatic whites, they don’t often produceone. Owner Kristy Charles and herhusband Joe Webb started by making wine for themselves at first, just one barrelactually, sharing it with their friends, then slowly expanded to a commercialventure. They are the first tasting room in Boonville and a highly recommendedstop. The tasting fee is a mere $5.

Kristy Charles at Foursight Wines

Up the road, just passedthe blink-and-you-miss-it town of Philo in whatis called the “deep end” of the Anderson Valley(a cooler more fog-laden area) HandleyCellars has been making wine for three decades here. Chardonnay, Rieslingand Pinot Noir are their strong suits and with diurnal swings of 50 degrees (the extreme highs and lows of a dailytemperature flux) there is a clear acidity in their wines which is crucial forwines which work well with food. I was fortunate enough to taste 10 year-oldRieslings with co-winemaker KristenBarnhisel, and I mention this because the Rieslings held up stunninglywell. They make 12,000 cases a year, using a dedication to a restrained styleof wine. These are not big alcohol bombs, but, true to the region, are delicatewines, both whites and reds. I also barrel tasted through several Pinot Noirs. Theirbottle prices range from $15 up to $52. Both Handley and Foursight farm theirvineyards as certified organic andare definitely worth a visit when you head to the Anderson Valley.

Kristen Barnhisel of Handley Cellars

For additional info onthe Mendocino wine region, get a paperback copy, or download an e-book copy ofmy travel book, “California Wine Country.” Copies are available nationwide, and at: http://www.amazon.com/Moon-California-Wine-Country-Handbooks/dp/1598805959

www.AVWine.com

www.FourSightWines.com

www.HandleyCellars.com

Fresh shucked oysters are always a hit at the Alsace Festival

Weekender: Make Mine a Manhattan…Beach

2012-02-03T17:09:00.000-08:00

If you’ve never visited Manhattan Beach, it’s surprisingly hip and trendy, a cool little city, with a village feel to its core, steps from the glistening Pacific Ocean. I visited for a weekend, searching for some of my favorite things, great food and excellent drinks. Happy to say, they are easy to find. The place is booming with creative restaurants, an excellent bar scene, tons of shopping and a palpable energy.

The Strand House opened in late 2011, reinventing what was a run down spot with prime real estate. It’s situated just above the Manhattan Beach Pier, which means not only do you get killer sunsets, but the amber lights that flank the pier illuminate the ocean as you dine with an almost ghostly ebb and flow when the sun goes down. I went for appetizers and cocktails, starting with the Poacher ($12), their take on a Manhattan (fittingly), using Kirsch and homemade bitters. If you are a whisky fan this provides not only the oaky whisky, but the subtle orange bitters and slight sweet from the kirsch. Even for non-whisky fans this is a restrained cocktail. People tend to shy away from whiskey drinks, but this is one for the white wine drinkers out there as there is no harshness, no burn, just flavors which compliment each other.

The private dining room at The Strand House

The Black Tot ($12) is a favorite simply because I adore rum, and not the weak college versions. Utilizing Oronoco rum, passion fruit, house-made tart cherry syrup and a floater of dark rum, there is a tropical feel certainly, but this is still a light, bright cocktail, a whisper of oak from the rum barrels. It leans towards fruity but delivers on complexity. Their Hamachi Crudo ($18) is a beautiful sashimi appetizer aided by avocado, tomato seed vinaigrette and a whisper of red sea salt. All these ingredients do not overwhelm the soft plush fish, and that’s the point; sushi this good needs to be the star. The cool thing about the Strand House, aside from its sophisticate décor, is that it really offers a diversity of experience for a variety of people, with four levels including a private dining room below the main entrance. There is a great energy to the weekends; lively and pulsating with excitement.

The Poached Barramundi at Mucho

Just a few blocks away I went for dinner at Mucho Ultima Mexicana, a reconfigured idea of Latin fusion. So let’s be clear, it’s not exactly Mexican food, and the idea of fusion (often an overused phrase) is really the combining of multiple cultures, and should not Mexican food evolve away from the tedious predictability into an expression of diverse flavors and cultural influences? Yes, and this is exactly what Mucho accomplishes. At last count they had 206 tequilas to taste, many available as a flight of three from a particular brand, (blanco, reposado and anejo). It almost feels more like a club with its low amber lights and late night crowds. Food-wise I loved the appetizer Baja Bruschetta ($10.95) which are three crisp plantains (made like a Puerto Rican tostones), and topped with chili-marinated shrimp, cilantro pesto, slaw and an avocado aioli all of which provides great texture from the crisp plantain and the slaw, counterbalanced with the soft spicy shrimp.

The Poached Barramundi with Red pepper Guajilo Hollandaise ($24.95) is an excellent choice as the fish is precisely prepared. Also excellent is the Calamari Frito ($10.95) some of the most tender calamari I’ve had, lightly tempura battered, then deftly blanketed with a pomegranate reduction. But the Churros ($7.95), stunningly pillow-soft sticks rolled in Mexican sugar and served with chocolate and caramel dipping sauces is a must. Drinks-wise the El Fuego ($10.95) is a classic margarita but with muddled jalapenos, El Jimador silver tequila, lime and cane nectar; simple but if you nurse the drink too long the alcohol pulls out more of the oils in the peppers, so overtime it actually gets hotter. The Mojito Toronja ($10.95) is a concoction of Finlandia grapefruit vodka, mint, lime and cane nectar (they make eight versions of mojitos) is intriguing in that the tart grapefruit cuts the lime, and therefore creates a less sweet version but with an acidic note. It’s an interesting take on the classic and worth a try.

Shade Hotel is the ideal place to stay as they are close to everything so you can park the car and forget it, and they have beach cruisers if you want to bike the area. There is a sophisticated, sleek feel to the rooms with Shoji screens, partitioning off the deep jet tubs, lots of wood accents and plenty of spacious. Shade also has a wonderful casual restaurant and bar scene, called Zinc. Not only did I choose to stay here, but I ended my weekend with their very tasty Petite Angus Sliders ($16). The three burgers come with Gruyere and Maytag Blue cheeses, grilled onions, and a house made catsup. Being so small they get sloppy, but there’s nothing wrong with that as they are fresh and very flavorful. There is a lot more to Manhattan Beach and a brief weekend can’t do justice, but it’s a starting point and, if you are like me, you always start with food and drink.

The Sliders at Zinc inside Shade

http://www.muchomb.com/

www.ShadeHotel.com

www.TheStrandHouseMB.com

The 2011 Top Blog Posts!

2011-12-27T11:26:00.000-08:00

This blog, dedicated to the cool California Central Coast (and yes, a little beyond), has been running for a year. Many of the posts are inspired by my Moon travel books and are provided here to give you, the traveler, the best opportunities for a memorable trip. But it is the visitors to my blog who have spoken, and I’ve assembled the top five most visited blog posts for 2011. I was quite surprised and you will be too. So sign up to receive the bi-monthly posts it’s all FREE, get a copy of my books, share with friends, Tweet this and post it to your Facebook wall. The Top 5 most visited Cervins Central Coast blog posts are:

#5 – Walking Ojai - This little arts community north of Ventura is a great single day getaway. Immensely walkable, with cool art galleries, a number of excellent restaurants sourcing local ingredients and of course, the “pink moment,” that time of day when the sky alights with a pink hue.

http://cervinscentralcoast.blogspot.com/2011/02/walkin-ojai.html

#4 – Let’s Get Physical – Glad to see this was a popular post as the best way to experience the Central Coast is to get into it. So come to the Central Coast and run, bike, paddle board, surf, walk, sail, kayak, or anything else your heart desires…just do it!

http://cervinscentralcoast.blogspot.com/2011/01/lets-get-physical-seeing-central-coast.html

#3 – The Ventura Mission – is located right on

Main Street

in downtown Ventura so it requires no effort to get there other than walking to it. The Mission is one of the most visited sights in Ventura and this Mission has a cool history, including pirates!

http://cervinscentralcoast.blogspot.com/2011/01/ventura-mission-main-streets-history.html

#2 – Chamisal: A Day in the Life – Chamisal Vineyards, located the Edna Valley in San Luis Obispo County turns out terrific Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as other wines. I was able to spend two days with winemaker Fintan du Fresne not only sampling his wine, and barrel tasting new wines, but kayaked with Fin in Morro Bay. It’s a snapshot of a Central Coast Winery; lots of hard work, a little play, and very wonderful wines.

http://cervinscentralcoast.blogspot.com/2011/10/chamisal-vineyards-day-in-life.html

#1 – James Dean Memorial – I would never have guessed that this post about the James Dean Memorial, located in the blink-and-you-miss-it spot of Cholame, 20 minutes east of Paso Robles, would draw so many people. But it does. The roadside memorial is free to visit and brings at least some closure to the tragic end of a brilliant talent.

http://cervinscentralcoast.blogspot.com/2011/03/james-dean-death-on-highway.html

More information on all these posts can be found in my Moon travel books: Santa Barbara & The Central Coast, which covers Ventura to Hearst Castle; California Wine Country, which covers the best wine regions in the Golden State including Napa, Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Monterey and others; and Spotlight Cambria & San Simeon, a booklet focuses on the quaint hamlet of Cambria, Morro Bay and Paso Robles. All these books are available nationwide in paperback and on Kindle. My next Moon book California Road Trip covers the Great Drive many people make: Los Angeles to San Francisco with side trips to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. It will be published in April 2012. Safe Travels and Happy Trails! http://www.moon.com/books/moon-handbooks/moon-santa-barbara-the-central-coast-first-edition

Cruising Carmel

2011-12-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

Carmel is known for many things – Pebble Beach, great food, expensive homes, and its dog-friendly appeal. The cool thing about Carmel is you can drop your car and not need it for the weekend. The street grid, one square mile by one square mile, has everything you need: lodging, food, shopping, wine tasting, the beach and more. Sure there are a few sights that require a brief drive like Point Lobos, Pebble Beach, and the Monterey Aquarium, but you can come to Carmel and not drive for days.

The old world charm of Carmel draws people from across the globe and one of the novelties is that there are not any addresses, seriously. Directions are given as: “on 7^th between San Carlos and Delores,” or, “the northwest corner of Ocean Ave.,” but the town is immensely walkable. Known for shopping, there are plenty of clothing stores, a few antique stores and tons of art galleries. The best is the Carmel Art Association; a co-op of 120 talented artists all of whom live within a 30-mile radius. The association was founded in 1927 and you will find oil and pastel paintings, wood and ceramic sculpture and whatever an artist dreams up. Artists bring in new works on the first Wednesday of each month, ensuring a constant rotation.

Wrath Tasting Room

Wine tasting rooms have exploded in the tiny hamlet and Cima Collina is one of the best. A beautiful curved wooden bar takes up most of the small tasting room. Wines include Sauvignon Blanc, semi-sweet Riesling and their Pinot Noirs are loaded with bright raspberry fruit. Also worthwhile is their Howling Good Red, a kitchen-sink blend of whatever red grapes might be available for about $16. Wrath Wines too has a tasting room in Carmel Plaza and pours mainly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. And there are at least half a dozen other tasting venues, so go explore. And for something completely different, Fine H2O might be the ideal stop after wine tasting as it’s a bottled water bar, with waters from Norway, Switzerland,

England

and the Americans. Sampling the water is free and you can taste water from the world over, which is most definitely different from place to place since water has its own terrior just like wine.
The pristine white sand of the Carmel City Beach is dog friendly too. As you stand at the water’s edge to your right is Pebble Beach, to your left is Point Lobos. It’s often best to walk here as the parking during peak times is congested. However, if you walk, remind yourself that you need to head back uphill all the way to town (Carmel is built on an angle), but it’s a good workout.

The Carmel City Beach

For a fabulous meal, consider Mundaka, a tapas restaurant styled in the Spanish motif in a casual, informal environment, something a little unusual for Carmel’s white table cloth dining venues. Chef Brandon Miller creates a terrific diversity of small plates like the Galleta (fried quail eggs on top of a biscuit and iberico gravy), and Coliflor, which is blanched cauliflower topped with a gratin of pureed cauliflower, horseradish, gruyere cheese then baked, resulting in deftly prepared crowns, soft but with an al dente crispness to them. But my favorite, much to my surprise, were the Hamburguesa; lamb sliders with a slice of pickled cauliflower, with string-thin French fries. The lamb is delicately counterbalanced with the slightly tart cauliflower, creating an earthy tang. To wrap up the Pan Chocolate is, in essence, a fudge-like bar of chocolate with an immense amount of pure cocoa, topped with sea salt and drizzled with a wee bit of olive oil.

Breakfast at Em Le's

For breakfast consider Em Le’s, the hole-in-the-wall which first opened in 1955 and still provides big breakfasts. The space is small but the large omelets will ensure that you’re full for a long time. It is mainly a locals place and that’s really half the fun. Bistro Beaujolais hints at French overtones including crepes, French onion soup and Croque Madam. Inexpensively priced it’s a fine stop for lunch inside the Carmel Plaza, the only outdoor mall in the city limits.

Hofsas House

End your days at the family-owned Hofsas House, a terrific dog-friendly hotel. I’ve stayed here many times and the 4^th floor rooms with Dutch doors are the best with their views across the Cypress trees to the Pacific Ocean. The rooms are large, a few antiques scattered about and it’s comfortable and casual allowing you to relax. They have a year-round heated outdoor pool, a European dry sauna and an informal continental breakfast available in the lobby of coffee, yogurt and pastries. There is wireless access, and it’s an easy four block walk to the town core. They accommodate lots of large gatherings like family reunions and clubs, and have a dedicated building for just this kind of thing. And they have their own parking lot. That might seem like a non-mention, but many hotels in Carmel don’t have one. In fact on my last visit one of the premier properties (with no parking lot) meant that the Lamborghini was parked on the street! Carmel is expensive but Hofsas House is reasonably priced with seasonal rates averaging $150 to $170.

EAT:

http://www.mundakacarmel.com/

http://www.em-les.com/

STAY:

www.HofsasHouse.com

DO:

http://www.carmelart.org/

http://www.cimacollina.com/

For more information on Carmel-by-the-Sea, check out my Moon travel book, California Wine Country: http://www.amazon.com/Moon-California-Wine-Country-Handbooks/dp/1598805959 in paperback and on Kindle.

Pinot at Pepe

2011-11-29T17:58:00.000-08:00

Wes Hagen was a high school English teacher. Typical of that field, they seem to know a lot of stuff. So when Wes transitioned into winemaker and formed Clos Pepe Vineyards, one of the early wineries in the now much-lauded Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County, he brought to his skill set an almost disturbing wealth of information. I visited Wes and a few other wine folk recently where we tasted through his current releases of wine (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are what the Santa Rita Hills are known for). The property was purchased in 1994 and by 1998 Chardonnay was on the market, followed in 2000 by Pinot Noir.

Wes talks dirt and tectonic shifts

Clos Pepe does not have a tasting room, nor any place to sample their wines, so if you see it by the bottle in a restaurant within Santa Barbara County, or elsewhere for that matter, it’s advisable to get one. The Clos Pepe site is located about 10 miles off Highway 101, close to other vineyards and on their 25 acres of vines are about 23 sheep, used primarily as grazers. Birds of prey hunt rodents, and cover crops like rye and barley are grown then tilled back into the dirt to create a dynamic soil and an environment where there is diversity of life on the site. Frankly, any environment thrives with diversity, but starves when it’s too closed off. The soil Wes is so fond of is calcareous in nature, actually old seabed bent and thrust up and that calcareous soil is idea for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to provide minerality and acid, the kind of structure wine needs.

Fortunately the Santa Rita Hills are suited to both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and even Alsatian varieties like Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Blanc and others. But now, certainly with the impact of the movie Sideways, the region has as its calling card Pinot Noir. “Does Pinot Noir want to be big, masculine and dark, or does it want to be elegant, delicate and Burgundian?” Wes asks us. “The answer is yes; Pinot Noir wants to be everything to everyone,” he says. “The cool thing about Clos Pepe is I can make a bitchin’ sparkling wine at 11% alcohol, a smoking good rosé at 12%, a delicate Pinot at 13.3, a balanced wine at 13.8 or I can make a wine looking for high point scores because of its concentration at 15%. There’s no right answer.” And when he says this, it makes sense. Perhaps that’s why Wes sells some of his fruit to eight other winemakers, including a few in Sonoma and Napa. And this is why his fruit is so good. “Pinot Noir is about expressiveness,” he tells me. “The whole idea of Clos Pepe is that it tastes like Clos Pepe; I’m not making it Burgundian, I’m promoting the flavors of this time and place.”

From there we moved to the house where Wes has the wines, some bread and cheese set and ready. So, how are the wines? The Chardonnay is terrific, with plenty of mineral notes counterbalanced with the oak barrel aging. Tasting through several years of Pinot Noir, they are all different, showing their respective growing seasons. And in this day and age of mass produced everything where you get identical flavors in wine from year to year (even though growing seasons vary wildly--this is farming after all), rest assured if you’re looking for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay which express their vintage, their soil and the wisdom of Wes Hagen, then Clos Pepe is for you. The winery is not listed in my travel books as there is no tasting room, but you can find it at area restaurants like Root 246 in Solvang and Bouchon in Santa Barbara carries wines made from Clos Pepe fruit. For more info on Santa Barbara wines and wineries, check out Santa Barbara & The Central Coast – available in paperback and as downloads on Kindle and Nook. (http://www.clospepe.com/)

Say Cheese: The Sonoma/Marin Cheese Trail

2011-11-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

I like cheese. Scotch that, I love cheese. I’ve been on wine trails, hiking trails, even a bourbon trail, but nothing is quite as sensual as a cheese trail. Sonoma and West Marin Counties, north of San Francisco, are returning to their roots as dairies and creameries flourish with tours and tastings of artisanal cheeses from cows, sheep and goats with unique flavors and a definite sense of place.
Peta-Where?

The cheese trail is spread out (pun intended) covering nearly 30 dairies and creameries, so the easiest thing for cheese trail ingénues is to drive from Petaluma to Point Reyes which can be easily accomplished in a weekend.

At the Weirauch Dairy

Petaluma, off Highway 101, just west of Sonoma, is home to Weirauch Farm & Creamery who focus on sheep cheese, though they make some cow cheese too. Carleen and Joel Weirauch have a farmstead operation; they make cheese from their own herds. Their farm tours are $15 per person and are for cheese club members (so join up!) and you’ll see the entire cheese-making process, and hang out with the sheep in the pasture. They’re cool people and they love cheese – who else would aspire to make sheep cheese for a living? The tour ends with a cheese tasting of which their Harissa-spiced sheep cheese is amazing. Dedicated to sheep, (Carleen tells me one of their wedding presents was their first two sheep – all I got were crappy placemats and weird-o serving trays) Joel spent a year with cheese makers in France learning the ropes. Available at local farmers markets, if you see Weirauch cheese, get some.

Jana McClelland milks a cow...wow!

For McClelland’s Dairy it’s all about milk, butter, cheese and ice cream…and cows. McClelland’s offers a terrific 1.5 hour tour, and allows you to see firsthand the entire process of running a dairy, complete with sustainable design, as well as sampling their terrific butter, and you get to milk a cow by hand (insert joke here_____). Jana McClelland tells me that milk is 87 percent water (no wonder it looks translucent), whereas her golden-hued butter is 85 percent butter fat, making it rich, creamy with a deep yellow color and a slight nuttiness. A great product and wonderful tour, this is perfect for the kids. McClelland’s is Animal Welfare Certified.

The cool Metro Hotel in Petaluma

While in Petaluma, a surprisingly pretty Victorian town, there are plenty of restaurants, art galleries and antique shops, and the Metro Hotel is a cool place to hang for the night. The building was part of an old estate, formerly the maid’s quarters. The Metro is funky, colorful and off-beat with a decidedly Parisian theme. Rooms have claw foot tubs, hardwood floors, free wireless and it’s within walking distance to downtown. There’s a small continental breakfast every morning which can be enjoyed inside, or on the side garden patio. Or visit Della Fattoria, the best known bakery just up the street with fresh baked breads, scones, croissants, and they use McClelland’s butter in their pastries.

A multitude of cheese at Cowgirl Creamery

Get to the Point

The drive to Point Reyes from Petaluma is less than 30 minutes. Once there Cowgirl Creamery is one of the well-known cheese makers in the region and they are distributed nationwide. Their creamery is the de facto stop for not only sampling Cowgirl cheeses but other locally made cheeses. They also have a cantina on site making sandwiches and salads using their cheese. True to their original vision of supporting local dairies and creameries, you’ll also find organic ice cream from dairies like Strauss. Cowgirl sources their milk (they don’t own cows) from local farmers who produce organic milk, in which to make organic cheese, of which their Red Hawk truly represents a specific sense of place, since it’s only made in Point Reyes due to the large concentration of a specific bacteria in town. There’s a large window to watch the cheese making, frankly a rather dull process since milk is poured into stainless steel vat and it churns away.

Getting Point Reyes cheese ready for shipping

At Point Reyes Farmstead, their tours are something of an event, usually running about four hours, but include an hour long tour of the property, tucked away unseen above Tomales Bay, a visit with the baby calves and ending with a cheese and wine pairing and a chef prepared four course meal utilizing Point Reyes cheese, so you get the farm to table experience. Events begin at $75 but you’ll be immersed in a world you probably didn’t know existed. They are known for their blue cheese, but also make an award winning cheese called Toma, which I adore. The Point Reyes Vineyard Inn is an ideal choice for lodging while there. First off, it’s a house (not a B&B, nor hotel), and you have reign of the kitchen, a TV room and spacious living room. The second reason is that they make wine on the property and the tasting room allows you to sample a variety of wines, including Pinot Noir grown just steps from the rooms. If you stay there, you get a complimentary tasting, otherwise its 5 bucks per person and it’s the only winery in the area.

Street grilled oysters from Tomales Bay

In Point Reyes there’s plenty of hiking, kayaking in Tomales Bay, and visiting the famed lighthouse. It’s quiet here, well, except for the weekends when the small town of 350 more than triples. You’ll find live music and plenty of oysters being grilled outside, harvested from several of the local oyster fisheries in the bay. While on the cheese trail, be warned that tours mean you want comfortable shoes that can get dirty (watch out for them cow patties), you’re on a farm, not a red carpet.

EAT & TOUR

Weirauch Farm & Creamery (http://www.weirauchfarm.com/)

McClelland’s Dairy (http://www.mcclellandsdairy.com/)

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company (http://www.pointreyescheese.com/)

Cowgirl Creamery (http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/)

STAY

Metro Hotel (http://www.metrolodging.com/)

Point Reyes Vineyard Inn (http://www.ptreyesvineyardinn.com/)

Chowder Gets Louder: The Santa Barbara Chowder Fest

2011-10-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

Clam chowder, corn chowder; seems most everyone likes the stuff as chowder competitions across the

U.S.

are on the rise and making some noise everywhere.

2011 marked the second running of the Santa Barbara Chowder Fest, held at the Montecito Country Club, a benefit for Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara which helps those less fortunate who can’t afford legal advice. Sponsored by the Santa Barbara based Food & Home Magazine, the inaugural event did well, but 2011 surpassed expectations. As one of three judges, including William Bloxom-Carter, executive Chef of the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles and frequent wine judge (see my IntoWine.com interview with Chef Carter here: (http://www.intowine.com/chef-william-s-bloxsom-carter), and Chef Edie Robertson, the former owner of excellent Sojourner Café in Santa Barbara, and contestant on The Food Network’s Extreme Chef, Season One, I was in good company to consume 30 different chowders, most from Santa Barbara, but also from across California. As the restaurant critic for the Santa Barbara News-Press, my weekly reviews of local restaurants appear each and every Friday in the paper and certainly over the last 5 years I’ve had many types of chowder.

But I am not a chef, I write about and eat a lot of food, therefore Chef Robertson’s and Chef Carter’s input was invaluable. Interestingly, we all agreed on the chowder champion; after all good food is, simply put, good food. The competition is broken into two categories, traditional clam chowder, and “creative” chowders; which included salmon, two vegan versions, lobster, and anything the chefs wanted to create.

The silent auction table

The 4 hour event is also just plain fun, as we judges wandered around after our official tasting duties were over and sampled other foods, bid on auction items (no, I didn’t win) and met some wonderful people. The festival includes a silent auction of various things including wine, spa treatments, books and a whole lot more; local wine and beers all in beautiful setting of the Montecito Country Club. It really is a terrific way to spend a Sunday afternoon, make new friends, try new foods and sample Santa Barbara’s best.

Local wines, like Mission Point are available to taste

Of course, Pismo Beach has held their clam chowder competition for over 60 years, known as the Pismo Beach Clam Festival, which is held at the Pismo Beach pier each October. The parade comes first, then clam digging in the sand and of course, the clam chowder cook-off where local restaurants strenuously attempt to defeat whoever was top clam the year before. There is live music, booths and vendors with arts and crafts and wine tasting. This has been going on for over six decades and the Pismo namesake is celebrated and then, well, eaten. Regardless of where you go, clams and California go together so if you’re on the Central Coast in October, you have two choices. Make at least one of them.

Just one of the many auction items on display

Back at Santa Barbara, Chef Robertson, Chef Carter and I passed out awards and the ultimate chowder champ went to Y’s Foods Napa for a stunning chowder which included edamame beans, fresh crisp corn, and a shrimp filled wonton used to stir up the wasabi in the clam base. It had great elegant flavors, a perfect texture and consistency, and was a compelling chowder; we judges all agreed that we would like to have another bowl. When you visit Santa Barbara and the Central Coast area, look for festivals which will highlight your experience. My travel book, Santa Barbara & The Central Coast, will help guide you through the region, and if you visit in October, check out the chowder competitions in Pismo and Santa Barbara and conduct your own analysis. Trust me, you’ll be as happy as, well, a clam!

Chef Carter and I present the Chowder Trophy to Y's Food Napa

http://www.santabarbarachowderfest.com/

http://www.pismochamber.com/

http://www.chefedie.com/

http://www.food-home.com/

Chef Edie Robertson, Chef William Carter and yours truly chow down on chowder

Chamisal Vineyards: A Day in the Life

2011-10-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

You probably have never heard of the Edna Valley. It’s sandwiched between San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach, and this small inland wine growing region, home to a dozen wineries, is beginning to get its share of attention. The first vineyard planted here was Chamisal Vineyard in 1973. It then became another winery but has now come back (forgive the pun) to its roots. Fintan du Fresne, a New Zealander by birth, is the winemaker here. Chamisal has reclaimed not only its name, but its emphasis on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. I got to spend a few days with Fintan, Fin as he’s called, during the 2011 harvest.

Fin explains calcareous soils

Before we get to grapes, a word about Fin’s hair. In these photos it’s a mohawk. Every year during harvest Fin cuts his hair; not only a change of appearance, but a sign of the forthcoming harvest. It made me think about doing some yearly thing as a writer…I don’t know, maybe a slice of pie each time I meet a deadline (I simply can’t pull off a mohawk like Fin).

Chamisal makes 50,000 cases a year of wine, predominately Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but there is also Syrah, Grenache, Pinot Gris and a very intriguing stainless steel tank Pinot Noir (virtually all Pinots are barrel fermented or barrel aged). Though Fin has a preference for indigenous yeasts (those yeasts which live naturally in the vineyard) he uses some cultured yeasts – those grown specifically for the purpose of making wine. “With cultured yeasts I can still direct the flavor profile,” he says, meaning he doesn’t have to rely on wild yeasts that may do something unexpected during fermentation. He produces three Chardonnay’s (ranging in price from $18 to $38) and three Pinot Noirs ($38 - $80). I’m a fan of the lesser expensive Chard and Pinot, not because of the price, but because the Chard is stainless steel fermented making it light and crisp with terrific acids, but used to match with food.

The Pinot is a blend of 9 different clones and has traditional soft raspberry notes. The other Chards and Pinots use more oak, not a bad thing; I just prefer a lighter style of wine, but check out their entire portfolio and find what your like. They offer 2 different tastings of wine priced at $9 and $15, and many of their wines are tasting room only, so you won’t see them on store shelves. They have a lovely outdoor picnic area where you can get a bottle of wine and share it with your friends (call me I’ll be right over!). Chamisal is SIP certified, (Sustainability in Practice) a Central Coast-based sustainable farming certification process, which is more rigorous than many sustainable programs on the state and federal level, and takes into account whole farm integration of its resources. To that end the wines are made in concert with the environment. After all, it’s important to have respect for our earth with our farming practices. But harvest is not all work.

Just pressed Pinot Noir grapes at Chamisal

We kayaked at Morro Bay with a crew from Central Coast Outdoors, who provide a great selection of adventure trips, and paddled the back bay observing shore birds, seals, sea lions, and making a brief appearance - an otter.

At one point a seagull hopped aboard Fin’s kayak, looking for food, but the bird decided to just hang out and, apparently being a free-loader, stood on Fin’s bow for about 10 minutes. Back at the winery we tasted through tank and barrel samples of wines he’s currently working on.

Fin and the free-loader seagull

Specific to this, he lets me taste Pinot Noir clone 667, picked and crushed the day before. The bright pink juice is sweet (as wine grapes are) and still has scents of the dirt and the vineyard. Another tank sample, in the thick of the fermentation process and also clone 667, was picked and crushed a week prior. There is little tannic structure and the fermentation causes a nearly astringent mouth feel but it is a more mature example of the first tank sample, a simple grape-juicy beverage. Eventually these Pinots will be blended into either their estate wine, or maybe their Monologue, a high-end Pinot Noir made only in certain years when the exact conditions are right to create an outstanding wine.

Barrel samples of Pinot Noir

Chamisal Vineyards is, like many of the wineries along the Central Coast, an operation making terrific wines from the calcareous soils in the region and taking advantage of our particular growing seasons. And this is what life is like on the Central Coast, it is work mixed with play, a sense of urgency counterbalanced with a sense of the long view. So stop by Chamisal in the Edna Valley, or any Central Coast Winery and you will be engaged by these juxtapositions. Enjoy, educate yourself and experience what the Central Coast has to offer.

Working at Chamisal Vineyards

Chamisal Vineyard: www.ChamisalVineyards.com

SIP:

http://www.sipthegoodlife.org/

Central Coast Outdoors: http://www.centralcoastoutdoors.com/

Strolling Solvang

2011-09-15T15:32:00.000-07:00

Though Solvang started in 1911 as a Danish retreat from its native homeland; it’s still ripe with Scandinavian heritage and a new modern sensibility. In the 1950s, far earlier than other themed communities, Solvang sealed its fate by keeping a focus on Danish architecture, food, and style. An easily walkable town, Solvang is home to Mission Santa Ines, a motorcycle museum, bakeries, oak studded parks, shopping and a bunch of other stuff. Extensive information is listed in my national travel book, Santa Barbara & The Central Coast. To some Solvang might seem like Denmark on steroids, but the colorful, charming town is unlike anywhere else; a great escape from the tedious mall architecture that dominates much of America. You’ll notice storks displayed above many of the stores, a traditional symbol of good luck.

At the Elverhoj

To fully understand Solvang visit the Elverhøj Museum (805/686-1211, http://www.elverhoj.com/) which is a delightful and surprisingly cool place. Not only do they offer table top and kitchen linens and local crafts, they have a comprehensive history of the area with nostalgic photos of the early settlers. Of particular note is the typical Danish kitchen, hand painted in green with stenciled flowers everywhere, pine floors, countertops and tables, it gives an idea of how creative the Danes made their homes, no doubt in an effort to brighten bleak winters. The museum features exhibits of traditional folk art from Denmark like paper cutting, lace making and those famous wooden shoes.

A bird near the hand is worth...

Made popular by the film Sideways, Ostrich Land (805/686-9696, http://www.ostrichlandusa.com/) is 2 miles before you reach Solvang from highway 101. At first glance it seems somewhat prehistoric and you’ll see massive birds in the distance wandering through the shrubs their thin necks sporting small heads and big eyes. They usually keep their distance and only approach when there is food, and yes, you can feed them. You need to hold the food plate firmly in your hand as they attack the plate with a fierce determination. You can also shop for ostrich eggs, ostrich jerky as well as emu eggs and ostrich feathers.

Ballard Canyon is popular with cyclists, runners and anyone in a car. Just off the main street in Solvang, you will pass vineyards, bison and cattle and the road drops you out near Los Olivos. What makes this road so wonderful is the complexity of straight parts, mixed with gentle curves and occasional steep climbs, and of course, the bucolic scenery. Access Ballard Canyon from downtown Solvang heading north on Atterdag. The hill climbs for a while, then drops you down into the canyon. Veer right onto Ballard and take that all the way through and meet up with Highway 246.

Beautiful Ballard Canyon

The Book Loft (805/688-6010, http://www.bookloftsolvang.com/) sells predominately new books with a small section of used. This 35 year-old two story store has a wall to wall, very well organized selection of authors including locals. The wood stairs creek as you venture upstairs. It has the feel of an old bookstore, not sanitized with fancy shelves, and in fact these shelves were all hand made. They also have a nice selection of antiquarian books and upstairs is the Hans Christian Andersen Museum.

Elna’s Dress Shop (805/688-4525) is the stop for handmade Danish dresses and costumes. If you’re searching for that perfect Danish outfit for a young one, here it is. Aprons, caps and brightly colored simple dresses, some with beautiful lace are off the rack, or they will make one for you. They have a few Danish pieces for young boys as well, and yes, these are pretty darn cute.

You can't go wrong with these cute outfits

DRINK

Presidio Winery (805/693-8585, http://www.presidiowinery.com/) is one of the few wineries in all of the Central Coast to be certified as a biodynamic winery. Owner Doug Braun’s wines are quite good and his style of winemaking is more restrained than most that you’ll taste in the area. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and late harvest wines are on offer at his storefront on Mission Drive. Winemaker Megan McGrath-Gates produces terrific white wines at Mandolina (805/686-5506, http://www.llwine.com/) a bright and airy tasting room with exposed beams on the ceiling and a copper topped wood bar. The focus is on Italian varietals: Pinot Grigio, Barbera, Dolcetto, and Sangiovese. There’s a delicate touch to the wines due to Megan’s sensibilities, plus she studied in Italy. There are many other wineries within walking distance so check them all out.

Bit O' Denmark at right

EAT

The Bit O’ Denmark (805/688-5426) is the oldest restaurant in Solvang (1929) housed in one of the very first buildings the original settlers built in 1911. Known for their traditional smorgaasbord as well as roasted duck and Monte Cristo sandwiches, they also cook up Danish ham and pork. Their extensive smorgaasbord includes medisterpolse (Danish sausage), frikadeller (meatballs), rodkaal (red cabbage), spegesild (picked herring) and an array of cold salads. The room to the left as you enter is the best, with large curved booths. Ingeborg’s (805/688-5612, http://www.ingeborgs.com/) has been making traditional Danish chocolates for nearly half a century. Over 70 varieties of chocolates are here, handmade on the premises. Grab a seat at one of the six round red barstools and enjoy their ice cream. Root 246 (805/686-8681, http://www.root-246.com/) by contrast is sleek and sophisticated, this newest addition to the dining scene has upped the ante. It looks like it belongs in Hollywood, not in rural Solvang. But that’s part of the evolution of Solvang’s wine country cuisine. Chef Bradley Ogden has started over 10 restaurants and knows how to create exciting food. The menu rotates depending on seasonal ingredients. You’ll find oysters, organic mushroom flatbread and a variety of fish and game dishes. For amazing Italian fare, visit Cecco Ristorante (805/688-8880, http://www.ceccoristorante.com/) and get their wild boar sausage pizza, or for something completely different, try the Risotto Nero; rice is covered with black squid ink, scallops and a lobster broth and highlighted with red onion and heirloom tomato. It’s dark, seductive and amazing. Chef/owner David Cecchini also makes his own wine!

Stroll Solvang, or take a ride

Everybody’s Gone Surfin’

2011-08-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

The Rincon

You may not surf, but that doesn’t mean that a visit to the Central Coast should be devoid of surfing. The surf culture is iconic at the Rincon, that long right break straddling Santa Barbara and Ventura counties but it doesn’t matter where you go, from Ventura to the Hearst Castle, you’ll see surfers everywhere.

Best Surf Spots

The Rincon is the Central Coast’s most famous surfing landmark; a small thin strip of land with a large point, hence the long right break. In the early 1920s a road was built to connect Ventura to Santa Barbara as there was barely much room there since the cliffs plunged directly into the Pacific Ocean. At first the Rincon was built of rustic logs, then wood planks, but they kept getting washed away by the pounding surf. Finally Highway 101 was built, though as you drive it, you understand how little room there is between the cliffs and ocean. Much of the Rincon portion of the highway still abuts the water and during storms, it’s common to have the ocean splashing over onto the highway, soaking cyclists and drivers alike. But this is surf central.

Lakey Peterson

Santa Barbara native and 2011 USA Surf Team member Lakey Peterson says; “Rincon is unbelievable to have in my back yard, and all the right hand points are so fun. I’ve grown up at the Rincon my whole life, and you get to know everyone. I love home in the winter - that’s when we get our ground swells, and when it’s good here it’s unbelievable.” And she should know: she’s been in the water since forever and you can check her out in Nike’s latest surf film, “Leave a Message.” (http://www.lakeypeterson.com/) Wintertime is when the Rincon is at its best as north and west swells sweep in, wrap around the shallow cobble point and peel off with an almost predictable evenness around the bend. To access the Rincon, exit at Bates Road from the north or south off Highway 101 and head south to the parking lots. There’s a small gate that leads down a path behind several residences, which drops you at the rocky beach. If you head to your right you’ll get towards the point and you can jump in the water.

Surfers are a protective lot; they don’t want you horning in on their special breaks. Nonetheless, Santa Barbara has many prime surf spots. The best time to surf is in the winter and after that, the fall. The primary swells are from storms in the North Pacific which generate waves as they approach the West Coast. Spring swells tend to be wind generated and often less powerful.

C Street in the morning

Ventura

C Street is the nickname for California Street, which is near what is commonly called Surfers Point at Seaside. For surfers, it’s simply referred to as “C Street.” Early mornings are favored for surfers in this spot close to the pier. There are three distinct zones along this mile long stretch of beach. At the point is the Pipe, with some pretty fast short breaks. Moving down the beach is the Stables which continues with the right breaks, with a low shoulder, and then you have C Street breaking both right and left.

Leadbetter Beach and Point

Santa Barbara

Leadbetter Point near City College is small, fun, easy waves and good for beginners. There are a lot of peaks along this small right point break. Take

Cabrillo Blvd.

past Stearns Wharf and turn left into the pay parking lot. Campus Point at UCSB is a small right point break with a small beach break and the cliffs lead west to Devereux Point, another right with many peaks. It gets crowded sometimes as students simply cross the street from their dorms and hit the waves.

Catching the waves in Pismo

Pismo Beach

The Pier is one of the more popular spots and the waves peak on the beach and also on the south side of the pier. Generally there are beautifully shaped waves though they are likely to section on you, but you can still catch a long ride from time to time.

Surf Classes

If surfing is new to you or you want to brush up on your skills, in Santa Barbara, Surf Happens Surf School (http://www.surfhappens.com/) will teach you the basics individually, as a couple, or even for a team building exercise. Surf Class (www.surfclass.com) in Ventura teaches everyone from novice landlubbers to rusty shredders. Their two hour classes limit class sizes for individual attention. They will also teach you surf etiquette and lingo. The Ventura Surf School (www.venturasurfschool.com) will also teach you to surf and they offer a week log surf camp as well. They provide classes for just kids too. If you just need gear, swing by Seaward Surf and Sport (http://www.seawardsurf.com/) which is the place to go to buy or rent most anything for the water. Bikinis, body boards, sunglasses, wetsuits. They are a half a block from the beach so you can rent, then jump directly in the water. There’s more surf info in my travel book, Santa Barbara & The Central Coast: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Cervin/e/B004APYU4S

Everyone surfs, even these winemakers from the Central Coast!

Perusing Pismo

2011-08-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

Pismo Beach is classic California and still radiates a 1960s vibe; friendly people, great waves, low key and easy going. The beaches, accessed best by heading down Pomeroy straight towards the pier, are flat, long and wide stretches of sand. There are ample restrooms and food nearby and the pier is the focal point of this beach. Pismo Beach was once synonymous with clams. Even before the arrival of the Europeans, the humble clam was a staple of the Chumash Indians, the meat for food and the shells for decorative arts.

It’s no time to clam up at the annual Pismo Beach Clam Festival (http://www.pismochamber.com/) each October. The parade comes first, then clam digging in the sand and the clam chowder cook-off where local restaurants strenuously attempt to defeat whoever was top clam last year. There’s live music, booths and vendors with arts and crafts and wine tasting. This has been going on for over 60 years and the Pismo namesake is celebrated and then, well, eaten.

Also be sure to check out Pismo Beach Butterfly Grove (805/473-7220, http://www.monarchbutterfly.org/). The Monarch butterfly grove sees the return of butterfly’s each November through February when tens of thousands of Monarch butterflies migrate to a small grove of eucalyptus trees near the beach to mate. On average there are about 30,000 of these silent winged creatures and the trees are often transformed into brilliant shades of orange after their 2,000 mile journey to get here. This is the largest of the four gathering spots for the Monarch butterflies in California. Docents staff the area and give fascinating talks about the butterflies and their very unique but short lives. Talks are given daily at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. during season. It’s free to walk into the grove, free to hear the docents and there’s a short boardwalk that leads to the beach near a large picnic area where you hit the low sand dunes and cypress trees near the waters edge. Parking is along the side of the road so use caution when crossing as this is a busy street.

If you’re a shopper, not only are there many local stores along the downtown area, but for serious shopaholics there are the Prime Outlets (805/773-4661, http://www.primeoutlets.com/) which is what you should expect from this type of mall – recognizable names: Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Harry and David, 123 stores in all.

STAY

There’s no shortage of places to stay, but these are two of my favorites.

The Dolphin Bay Resort and Spa (805/773-4300, http://www.dolphinbay.com/) has undoubtedly one of the best locations on the entire Central Coast, perched just yards from the cliffs, which drop dramatically down to the Pacific Ocean. From ocean view suites to their well known Lido Restaurant the resort not only boasts magnificent views, but has proximity to much of what the Central Coast offers. You can bike (bikes are provided for all guests), kayak, fish, shop or simply bask in the golden hues of sunsets. The one bedroom suites, at nearly 1,000 square feet have full kitchens, a fireplace, flat screen plasma TV, access to the pool and 24-hour workout room, and are like little homes. Cooking classes are available throughout the year and Tuesday nights features a wine tasting by local wineries. If you are traveling with the little tykes, they offer a Saturday afternoon educational exploration of the beaches tide pools and sea life, along with lunch, so the adults can have some time off and play.

Sea Venture Resort (800/662-5545, http://www.seaventure.com/) has ocean view and mountain view rooms all just steps from the sand. There’s covered parking, and an in-house restaurant on the second floor with uninterrupted views to the ocean. There are fireplaces in the rooms, some with private balconies, and a continental breakfast delivered to your room when you want it. The dark green walls are accented by the white beach type furniture with a country flair and the rooms are intimate and very comfortable. You’re within walking distance to the center of Pismo Beach and the pier, but you’ll need to drive 10 minutes to reach San Luis Obispo.

EAT

Pismo is all about the seafood. Here are some of the best. Steamers of Pismo (805/773-4711, http://www.steamerspismobach.com/) seafood central. Well known for their cocktails including the (local) award winning apple-coconut mojito martini, they create seafood dishes like chippano, Chilean sea bass, and a very good clam chowder. They also have a small bar area for lunch and early diners have great views to the water.

Less sophisticated, Splash Café (805/773-4653, http://www.splashcafe.com/) is true beach cheap eats. Plastic chairs and tables and crudely painted walls with old surfing photos and other paraphernalia attached to it. This is classic Pismo, bright and airy, rambunctious. They are best known for their clam chowder which has recently been picked up by Costco, and it truly is thick, chunky and creamy. The fish and chips and fish tacos are also worth the money. They also dish up burgers, and shakes. They do get crowded so plan to get their early. The Cracked Crab (805/773-2722, http://www.crackedcrab.com/) also gets crowded and is just that, a place to crack open crab, lobster and other shellfish in a near cafeteria style environment. Perhaps it’s the plastic bib that gives it away, but this is a hands-on joint. It ain’t pretty as they will dump the food directly on your table and you just dig in, but it’s fresh and festive.

Mendocino: Organic and Original

2011-08-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

Sunset on Mendocino oak tree

With about 90,000 inhabitants, Mendocino (known as just Mendo) has become the de facto place for organic wine, food, beers, and a really low-key vibe. Located north of Sonoma off Highway 101, Mendo is a great stop.

The county is best known for the highest percentage of organic and biodynamic vineyards anywhere in California. There are less than 90 wineries here and grapes were originally planted in the late 1800s but Prohibition effectively killed them off, so the area turned to apples, walnuts and peach orchards, some of which still produce fruit. But a new history is being written. Solar panels are everywhere. To facilitate biodynamic farming (essentially a closed loop farming system whereby natural farming methods are used and nothing manufactured is allowed) sheep graze the weeds between grapevine rows and pesticides are forbidden. This doesn’t mean every winery has gone “green,” but you won’t find a greater concentration of farmers who trust the land to work as it has for thousands of years. And just because wine is organic doesn’t mean it’s worth buying.

Willow stalk ties

But Mendocino is at the forefront of these wines and doing them amazingly well. Some of my favorites include Philo Ridge and their terrific Pinot Gris. Rivino produces the less-than-appreciated Cabernet Franc. Terra Savia makes very good wine and also olive oil and honey and it’s an art gallery! Chiarito, near the minuscule town of Talmadge produces exceptional Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Nero D’Avolo. Greenwood Ridge makes excellent Merlot and Semillon, and Milano Winery makes a terrific Viognier/Chardonnay blend called Big Ass Blonde.

The other wine region, the Anderson Valley, located 40 minutes to the west, is home to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and cooler climate varieties like the aromatic white wines found at the Alsace Festival held each February in Boonville. Producers from California, Oregon, New Zealand, even France and

Germany

show up to show off their white wines at this small but very fun festival.

At the Alsace Festival, Booneville

Boonville is still a small town but was known for a slang language they developed in the late 1800s called Boontling. 1,300 original words and phrases have been accounted. These days you still might hear a few words peppered throughout the old timers’ conversations. For example, in Boontling if you call someone a “pothead” it’s an unattractive woman, not a stoner, whereas an “applehead” means girlfriend. To “gorm” is to eat and a “gorm sale” is a restaurant. The most entertaining however is “shoveltooth,” which translates to doctor, so named for a buck-toothed doctor from Boonville at the turn of the last century.

Brews, Foods and Trees

Just some of the distilled spirits at Germain-Robin

The Ukiah Brewing Company was the first certified organic brew pub in the U.S. and they make wonderful organic beers along with grass-fed beef burgers. From a 100 percent organic pilsner to porters and Bavarian styled stout, the brews are universally excellent. The Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Boonville makes barley brews aged in bourbon barrels, and they offer horseshoes, a beer garden, and a nine-hole disc course. Then there is the well-regarded and highly inventive Germain-Robin Distillery in Ukiah who hand distills diverse brandies, grappa, clear whisky, rose liqueur and Absinth. They are open by appointment only and lovers of aged brandies who don’t mind dropping some bank will be thrilled.

With an inventive agricultural scene, you’d think the dining choices would be just as exciting. Not so much, but there are a few places to consider. The Bluebird Café still serves up massive American breakfasts in their late 1890s original location in Hopland. In Ukiah, Branches, and Petrona are the top stops for quality and creative food to pair with the local wines and beers. Branches is more of a chop house, but they also feature a full Irish bar, a bakery and a butcher shop with a vast selection of game and fowl. Petrona is more sophisticated with their low lighting, exposed brick walls and trendy décor, smaller portions and, similar to Branches, lots of organic entrees.

Located in an 1890 building, Bluebird Cafe serves huge breakfasts

Not to be missed the area is home to giant redwoods and Hendy Woods State Park is typical of old growth redwood forests; trees are clustered together, their canopy nearly blotting out the sun. It’s cool and dank inside, but redwoods are always worth visiting. For more information on Mendocino check out my Moon travel book, California Wine Country: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Cervin/e/B004APYU4S

EAT

Branches Chop House, http://www.branchesrestaurant.com/

Bluebird Café, (707) 744-1633

Patrona, http://www.patronarestaurant.com/

Typical of low key Mendo. 5 hour parking?

DRINK

Ukiah Brewing Co., http://www.ubcr.com/

Anderson Valley Brewing Co., http://www.avbc.com/

Germain-Robin Distillery, http://www.germain-robin.com/

Mendocino Wine Commission, http://www.mendowine.com/

SEE

Hendy Woods State Park, http://www.parks.gov.ca/

California’s Historic Wineries: Time in a Bottle

2011-07-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

Old wine in old bottles

Wine has been in California since 1779, thanks to the Spanish who brought it up from Mexico and planted it at Mission San Gabriel in Southern California. The rest is, as they say, history. Here then are both historic winery buildings, as well as wineries that produce wines from historic vineyards. Yes, you can taste history.

Northern California

Gold has always been integral to the fabric of the Sierra Foothills (El Dorado, Amador and Calaveras counties) and people still flock to Gold Country in search of new discoveries. The main one these days is wine. With the massive influx of people searching for gold in 1849, enterprising men and woman planted vineyards to make wine to sell to the miners. In many instances formerly drinkable water from local rivers became so heavily polluted by mining that cheap wine was preferred, and safer. California’s gold rush faded by 1855 and the throngs of people moved to the larger city of San Francisco. That move caused the demise of the Sierra Foothills wine region, where there were hundreds of wineries. The mass exodus however spawned the growth of another wine region…Napa.

The old walls of the Coloma Winery still stand

One of the first commercial wineries in the entire state, the remains of it, still stands today not far from where gold was discovered in Coloma, north of Placerville. The Coloma Winery was built in 1852, believed to be the very first commercial winery in California. It’s known that the first vintage of their wine, made by Martin Allhoff, was in 1858 which was distributed throughout the region and western Nevada. Sobon Estate is on the site of the first commercial winery in Amador County, dating to 1856, and the original winery, though not functioning, can be toured and it’s free. The old cellars are heavy with must and age, but it’s very cool. (http://www.sobonwine.com/) Just down the road, Deaver Winery in the Shenandoah Valley still has original Mission vines from the late 1800s and they make a port with it. (http://www.deavervineyard.com/). Scott Harvey Winery makes a zinfandel called “1869” from a vineyard planted in, well, 1869, also from Amador County. In Napa, the Charles Krug Winery was built in 1860 (the Mondavi family has owned it since the 1940s).

The Redwood Cellar at Charles Krug

The original redwood cellar was recently restored to its stunning glory and it’s a state historic landmark. Robert Mondavi (Peter Mondavi’s brother) still presides over the wines at age 97. (http://www.charleskrug.com/)

Southern California

Grapes were grown throughout the California Mission chain as sacramental wine, but also to produce raisins – easily portable food sold to travelers. The “Mission” grape, a hybrid of different grapes, was high in sugar, low in acid, and produced a thin rustic wine which by most accounts was pretty bad, even though wine and brandy production was a significant source of income for some of the Missions. Mission Santa Barbara established a vineyard and winery between 1824 and 1834. About 1820 San Antonio winery was built in what is now Goleta, just north of the City of Santa Barbara for use as sacramental wine. The lonely historic adobe winery is still standing nearly 200 years later, though on private land. I had the good fortune to visit and see the old barrels and winemaking equipment.

Santa Cruz Winery - in its heyday

In Santa Barbara in the late 1890s about 200 acres of grapes were planted on Santa Cruz Island, just off the Santa Barbara coast, the remnants still standing on the interior of the island. And while you’re in Santa Barbara, if you drive on De La Vina Street,
well, it used to be covered with vines.

Saucelito Canyon Winery in the Edna Valley in San Luis Obispo County was so remote, when they originally planted vines in 1880, the Feds trying to find it during Prohibition, couldn’t. Good thing too. Great zinfandels come from these true old vines and if you ever get a chance to visit the original homestead (it’s not open to the public but their tasting room is) go! Their “1880” zinfandel is made from grapes grown on original rootstock. It’s a magical place – and it’s where I asked my wife to marry me.

Saucelito Canyon Zinfandel vines on their 1880s rootstock

Gypsy Canyon Winery off Highway 246 near Lompoc has original Mission grapes on site too, and they produce Angelica, a sweet wine made from brandy and Mission grapes from an 1860’s recipe. (http://www.gypsycanyon.com/). In 1919 the first known grapes went into the ground in Monterey County, a remote place called Chalone, where the Chenin Blanc still produces fruit! And around the same time, commercial vineyards were planted in Paso Robles.

Grapevines can be amazingly hardy. (While I was in Spain in 2010, I visited a fat old vine still producing grapes which is 140 years old). So visit some of California’s historic wineries, sip history and be part of that continuum.

Santa Barbara Mission with grapevines (now gone) in front

For more information about California's wine and wineries, take a look at my books, Santa Barbara & The Central Coast, and California Wine Country.
http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Cervin/e/B004APYU4S

Holy Trifecta! Santa Barbara's Best Chefs+Restaurants

2011-06-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

Most everyone loves to eat and visiting a new city is fun because you can try amazing food specific to that region. Santa Barbara has many terrific restaurants but here are three of the best. How do I know the best spots? In addition to my definitive travel book on Santa Barbara, I have been the restaurant critic for the Santa Barbara News-Press for over four years. My weekly reviews appear every Friday in the newspaper. That means I’ve logged over 225 restaurants and counting, everything from taco stands to 5-star spots, and trendy eateries. Fresh, flavorful ingredients watchfully prepared - it seems pretty simple, but it’s not. These three restaurants however do food right! A bit more fine dining than other spots (future posts on this blog will include other types of food; cheap eats and such), these three truly represent the best of Santa Barbara County and I promise you won't have a bad meal.

Feta, Spinach Pasta at Julienne

In downtown Santa Barbara, Restaurant Julienne, a scant two blocks off State Street is the best restaurant in the city. Chef Justin West makes amazing food; farm fresh veggies harvested that morning, and fish caught that day. He’s willing to take chances and put things on the menu you won’t expect. The food rotates often, so don’t expect to see the same thing every week because once they are no longer fresh, Justin won’t use them.

Justin West at work

Consider: The Grilled Quail ($21) which sits on a mound of white beans, Spanish chorizo and sofrito. The quail is brined in sugar and salt water which reduces the gaminess and increases the moistness. The sofrito, a Spanish sauce made with rendered pork fat, is off set by the chalky texture of the beans and the spicy chorizo. The Heath Bar Ice Cream ($7) (all their ice creams are made on the premises) is a rich, thick vanilla ice cream speckled with crunchy heath bar bits. Unlike ice creams infused with air, this is a potent desert, two scoops, which will fill you up. http://restaurantjulienne.com/

Chef Bradley Ogden in his kitchen

In Solvang, Santa Barbara’s Danish town, Root 246, flips tradition on its head. The interior is sleek, hip and unlike anything in the city. Consider: (and trust me on this first one) the Heirloom Beet Salad ($14) served six ways, will open your mind to the possibilities of beets. Pickled, roasted, in chip form, as a marshmallow, even as beet dust, what this unconventional salad accomplishes is that you will marvel at the versatility of beets. The pickled is the most intriguing in that it isn’t overtly tart; there’s a gentle sourness to it, with a crumbly texture.

Beet Salad - 6 Ways!

The beet marshmallow however is the most fun; it’s dehydrated beet juice whipped into marshmallow form, tossed over the flame like at a camp fire, resulting in what you would swear would be a real marshmallow. The Crispy Pork Belly ($14) comes with braised artichoke, diced cucumber and tzatziki lemon sauce. The pork is perfectly pan seared to retain a moist interior with a browned exterior and the tzatziki provides a touch of acidity to cut the fat element in the pork. Chef Bradley Ogden, chef, author and with whom I was fortunate to judge with at a food and wine competition, knows exactly what he's doing! http://www.root-246.com/

Chef Rick Manson preparing the Coconut Shrimp

In Santa Maria, Chef Rick’s has been applying excellent technique to their brand of Southern-inspired food for over two decades. The interior is unassuming and casual, but the food is killer. Consider: One of the best appetizers is the Coconut Beer Shrimp ($10.95), three very large tender shrimp looking like porcupines with the deep fried coconut splaying out in all directions. The batter and coating is not aggressive and the side of wasabi citrus sauce, thick and viscous, provides the balance of flavors, both sweet and spicy. The Jambalaya Pasta ($22) is comprised of a lush, creamy sauce accompanied by smoked Andouille sausage and chicken all terrifically balanced with Creole spices to make an expressive version of a New Orleans classic. This is a sumptuous dish of food, so much so that you might be licking your bowl to find every drop, I know I did!
http://www.chefricks.com/home.htm

The beauty of these three stellar restaurants is that you’ll always find something new. So go ahead, be adventurous and sample some of Santa Barbara’s best. For more information on area restaurants, wineries, shopping and sights, get my national travel book, Santa Barbara & The Central Coast in paperback or on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Cervin/e/B004APYU4S

Summer at the California Central Coast: Get Your Tan On!

2011-05-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

Kayaking in Ventura Harbor

Say summer and you automatically think about being outside. Who stays indoors except for cranky people and vampires? The California Central Coast is prime outdoor territory for summer fun as this stretch of coastline from Ventura to Monterey is ripe with plenty to do. From tide-pooling, surfing, hiking and biking, to a romantic stroll as the Pacific tickles your feet, here are some suggestions to get out, get some sun and uncover the coast!

My wife over looking Potato Harbor on Santa Cruz Island

Perhaps the best playground for outdoor fun is to visit the Channel Islands National Park (www.nps.gov/chis/). These islands, just off the coast of Santa Barbara, are great day trips and get you back to pristine California as it was hundreds of years ago. Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Rosa islands are best accessed from Ventura Harbor. All three islands have indigenous plants and animals, such as and the smallest fox you’ve ever seen, the Channel Islands Fox, and over 140 other species found no where else on earth. You can camp overnight, or spend a day or half-day roaming the place on moderate hikes with a trained naturalist. Island Packers is the official concessionaire and they do a great job of getting people to and fro from the islands. (http://www.islandpackers.com/)

Guided kayaking tours of the Channel Islands by folks like Blue Sky Wilderness (http://www.blueskywilderness.com/) gets you up close to the volcanic rock and sea caves on the islands, including Painted Cave, one of the largest sea caves in the world, located at Santa Cruz Island. Picnic on the island and explore parts few people have walked on. Though the waters are cooler, you can also snorkel off all three islands and immerse yourself near the kelp forests. You’ll spot the California State Fish, the Garibaldi, see sheepshead, and other cool sea life. Or if you dive, the islands are great spots to scuba. I usually dive around Anacapa and the backside of Santa Cruz. There are sea lions, dolphins, crabs and everything else under the sea. Use the Peace Boat (http://www.peaceboat.com/) my favorite dive boat, which departs from Ventura Harbor. They are professional and best of all, after a long day of diving you can warm up in their on-board hot tub while eating ice cream! Of course, you can always kayak within the confines of any of the harbors, like Ventura, Santa Barbara and Monterey for a more sedate experience.

The Channel Island Fox (taken May/2011)

Aside from the Channel Islands, here are other great Summer suggestions:

Biking:

The bike trails that hug the Central Coast are inspiring. The Waterfront in Santa Barbara is one of the best. You can rent a bike or surrey and leisurely follow the ocean down to the Andree Clark Bird Refuge, which passes the Santa Barbara Zoo, beach volleyball nets and languid palm trees. It’s flat, fun and you won’t break much of a sweat. In San Luis Obispo, the best spot for hiking, walking and biking is Montaña de Oro Park: 8,000 acres of coastal bluffs and coves to mountainous shrub-covered hills to lush valley’s of dense eucalyptus groves. It’s beautiful and truly a gem on the Central Coast. (http://www.slostateparks.com/montana_de_oro/default.asp).

Beaching:

Carmel City Beach

The white sand beach at Carmel City Beach is immensely popular and within walking distance of downtown Carmel (www.Carmelcalifornia.com/). The views north are to Pebble Beach, and south you can see Point Lobos, another great hiking park. Walk, bring the dog and relax, then head back to Carmel for lunch, or wine tasting in Carmel Valley. Leadbetter Beach is one of the best beaches in Santa Barbara because it has a large grassy area with picnic tables, some shade, restroom facilities and outdoor grills. Plus you’re a short drive to State Street, Santa Barbara's main drag for shopping, outdoor dining and the SB vibe. Moonstone Beach in Cambria has long been popular due its more rugged coastline and handicap accessible boardwalk which runs the length of the low bluffs. There is also beach access, restaurants are close by, and restroom facilities are located at both ends of the beach. Plus you can find, yes, moonstones. You might also see otters.

Boating:

My whale watching boat leaving Morro Bay

Whale watching in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Morro Bay can be an awesome experience and these spots have reasonably good chances of getting pretty close to humpback and blue whales. There are numerous boats to take you around, either by sail, on a catamaran or on a traditional fishing boat. Having seen whales up close, it’s an experience you don’t want to miss. Of course, no one can promise you a whale sighting, but if nothing else, you’re floating on the Pacific, and that ain’t too bad!

Or, if you’re the more adventurous type, the Bella Monterey Bay (http://www.bellamontereybay.com/) is a great sailing boat which holds only 6 people and tours the bay and shoreline of Monterey. This is not for the faint of heart as this baby sails, which means it can get choppy on the open ocean and you will have to gingerly navigate your way around the vessel, depending on the wind, but you’ll have a blast.

Renting a surry along Santa Barbara's coastline

On Board Nautical in Morro Bay (http://www.onboardnauticalevents.com/) is for those who just need a relaxing ride on the water without spilling their cocktail. Chef-prepared foods and live entertainment on this classic 1960s yacht means you can kick back as you cruise inside Morro Bay gently and slowly, staying within the confines of the protected bay. For other great information about the Central Coast, check out all 3 of my travel books, in paperack and as a download on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Cervin/e/B004APYU4S

The Spirits of Ventura: Tequila, Beer, and Lemons, Oh My!

2011-05-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

No, this isn’t a ghost story, unless beer and tequila frightens you. This is liquid satisfaction in downtown Ventura. Located 60 miles north of Los Angeles, Ventura has long been like that middle child in every family – ignored and left behind in favor of the flamboyant kid, namely Santa Barbara. But Ventura is rapidly changing; there is a laid back vibe, easy beach access, strong arts community, and the culinary scene is taking off. But what’s really getting attention is our friend, alcohol.

Anacapa Brewing Company

Wine is booming with nearly 15 wineries from Oxnard to Ojai. But wine gets the lion’s share of attention already, so it’s time to uncover other sweet juices of joy. Micro-breweries are ubiquitous along the Central Coast, but currently in downtown Ventura there is only one: Anacapa Brewing Company. Housed in a 130 year-old building, the narrow interior is bookended by exposed brick walls. Owner Danny Saldana offers five brews on tap, and new brews coming on line all the time. You can only buy them here, or bring in your growler for a fill-up. Their hops come from Yakima, Washington, and their malts from Canada. The result is finely balanced beers; everything from porters and hoppy double IPAs to lighter lagers. They also have a large food menu and are located right on Main Street. (http://www.anacapabrewing.com/)

Dr. Adolfo Murillo

Mules haul out the agave

What does a local optometrist do when his family ranch in Mexico is up for grabs? Since the ranch was located in Jalisco, Mexico, Dr. Adolfo Murillo planted blue agave in order to produce tequila. All tequila must come from the state of Jalisco otherwise it ain’t recognized as tequila. His organic approach to the barren and difficult ranch land has resulted in better quality agave, stronger, and healthier. Adolfo has shared his organic protocol with other farmers in Mexico, regardless of the crop, and currently there are farmers growing organic in multiple states. You can find his Tequila Alquimia in restaurants and bars in Ventura. His is one of only three or four of the 1,150 different labels of tequila in the world to be certified organic by the USDA. There is the blanco, reposada, añejo, and Extra Añejo, aged six years. These are smooth tequilas, beautifully made and they make excellent margaritas. Adolfo’s recipe defies the conventional approach: One part tequila (he prefers the blanco over an aged version), one part fresh lime juice, ½ part orange juice, and ½ part agave nectar. That’s it, no need for triple sec or Grand Marnier. And the result is a fresh, crisp flavor with the fruit and tequila being balanced. Or have them at room temperature, as these are sipping tequila’s, not shooters. Does organic really matter in a tequila? Well, consider this: the average growing cycle of blue agave is 7-10 years; that’s nearly a decade an agave plant can soak up chemicals, toxins and pesticides. With Tequila Alquimia, there are no chemicals in the ground to begin with. So there. (http://www.tequilaalquimia.com/)

James Carling

Ventura is also home to vast citrus orchards, specifically lemons. So if you’re of Italian descent limoncello is customary back home along the Amalfi Coast. If you’re the husband/wife team James Carling and Manuela Zaretti-Carling, you bring Italy to California. They had been making their limoncello at home for 10 years and were eventually persuaded to move into commercial production. Ventura Limoncello has scored tremendous medals and awards at spirits competitions, even beating itself in one competition. So what is limoncello? Just the best damn lemon liqueur you’ll ever taste. Lemon peel, neutral spirits, sugar and water. There ya go. But the simplicity of ingredients should not belie the quality. James doesn’t use vodka as he believes that vodkas give the liqueur a harsher taste. Only the top layer of the lemon skin is peeled, all by hand, then it’s infused in large glass jars (metal containers leave an aftertaste) with the neutral spirits. In addition to their original version, they produce a crema, one made with milk, and an orange-cello made with blood oranges. Smooth, viscous and addictive, you need to find this when you’re in the area at local restaurants and bars, and take a bottle home with you. Leave it in the freezer and pour it directly into your glass. (www.VenturaLimoncello.com)

Lemon rinds in neutral spirits, relaxing.

All these diverse liquid refreshments can be found by simply walking Main Street in downtown Ventura, and these family-owned businesses deserve your attention, not just because they offer a local flavor to your visit, but because these are excellent beverages. For more information about Ventura/Ojai including the wines and restaurants, shopping and outdoor activities, check out my Moon travel book, Santa Barbara & The Central Coast. Salud!

http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Cervin/e/B004APYU4S

Flowers, Fauna & Fun: Lotusland - A Day in Montecito

2011-05-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

Lotusland is 37 acres of the best manicured and lovingly tended to gardens you will probably ever see. Last privately owned by Madame Ganna Walska, a Polish opera singer in the 1920s, she routinely arranged her vast collection of plants into bold color schemes and unusual shapes. For over four decades she tinkered with her gardens, shaping, creating and recreating them to suit her wishes. But the estate was made for this. The first owner had a commercial nursery on the land in the 1880s. After Walska’s death in 1984 her estate, Lotusland, so named because of the lotus flowers on the property, became a non-profit. It is one thing to visit a botanical garden, but it is another to wander through a magnificent wonderland of plants, trees and gardens.

From the moonscape barrenness of the cactus gardens, to the topiary garden and their array of animals, to the serenity of the Japanese garden, to the olive allee and formal English-styled gardens, and across the great lawn, Lotusland is that rare stop where you feel you could stay forever. In fact, one of the staff gardeners has been there for over 30 years. It is truly an awe-inspiring place. It can get brisk as many parts are so heavily wooded that you can’t see the sun. The wide walking paths easily accommodate wheelchairs and there is no elevation gain. If you love botany, horticulture, or like me you don’t know much about either but you love plants, Lotusland is a treat. Bring your camera and comfortable shoes.

This is a public garden operating in a residential neighborhood, therefore reservations are mandatory. Lotusland is located at 695 Ashley Road in Montecito, 805/969-9990, http://www.lotusland.org/. Tours are offered at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday between mid-February and mid-November only. Admission is $25, adults; $10 children age 5 to 18 and the tours last two hours.

If you do the 10 a.m. tour, when you’re done it will be lunch time. Close by in Montecito, a five minute drive away, is what is known as the Upper Village, less crowded than Coast Village Road in the lower village and there are several eateries close by. For sandwiches and salads, sweets and such, the Pierre Lafond Montecito Market, (516 San Ysidro Rd., Montecito, 805/565-1504, open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.) gives you great options to eat there, or take away. The Prosciutto and Basil Flatbread is wonderful, and their Farm Cake is terrific. They also have a coffee bar, small produce area as well as cookbooks, olive oils, chocolates and even a few wines. Or head down to trendy Coast Village Road, where there is plenty of shopping and restaurants, and try the excellent (though pricy) turkey meatballs at Trattoria Mollie (1250 Coast Village Rd., Montecito, 805/565-9381, open for lunch and dinner, closed Mondays), made uber-famous when a local resident by the name of Oprah Winfrey, plastered the meatball recipe on her TV show. From there it’s a two minute drive to Butterfly Beach for a walk on the dog friendly sand.

As it’s probably nearing later afternoon, the Four Seasons Biltmore is right there for a glass of local wine, so you can sip while you stare out to the Channel Islands and watch the sun languidly sink into the Pacific. Not a bad way to spend the day. For additional information on things to do and places to eat in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Ojai, San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, check out my Moon travel book, Santa Barbara & The Central Coast. 360 pages of really cool stuff, in paperback and on Kindle, available everywhere. For a personalized, signed copy, email me directly. http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Cervin/e/B004APYU4S

Coastal Quakes: The Reality & What You Need to Know

2011-04-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

Having lived in California all my life I’ve been through many quakes and while you’re never sure how severe one will be, panicking is a bad idea. With the recent tragedy in Japan, it makes sense to explain the major earthquakes on the Central Coast and, at the end of this post, provide practical advice should a temblor occur. Earthquakes are part of the reality in California, but be ready to respond should one hit.

Mission LaPurisima

Lompoc -1812, about 10 a.m. (7.1) No Deaths. This quake destroyed Mission La Purisima located originally near downtown Lompoc. They rebuilt it and moved the Mission several miles away.

Lompoc -1927, 5.49 a.m. (7.1) No Deaths: This earthquake, located about 10 miles offshore produced a sea-quake so violent it killed and stunned fish near Point Arguello and shook two ships in the area. No serious damage.

Downtown Paso Robles

Paso Robles - 2003, 11:15 a.m. (6.5), Two Deaths. On December 22^nd, 25 miles North-West of Paso Robles, actually near San Simeon, the earth shook. The damage was centered in downtown Paso Robles and caused two deaths when the roof slid off the clock tower building. The dormant underground sulfur springs ripped open causing flooding and a large sinkhole in the parking lot of the city hall, not to mention the town reeked of the smell of sulfur for months. Paso Robles dedicated a new clock tower in memory of the two women who died.

Santa Barbara - 1925, (6.8) 13 Deaths. At 6:44 a.m. on June 29th all was fine and quiet on the streets of Santa Barbara. Less that two minutes later a thirty square block of the downtown core had been severely damaged. The Sheffield Dam failed plunging water into the city center; a two acre parcel west of the city sunk nearly a foot; the waterfront road (now Cabrillo Blvd.) sustained cracks of 12 inches. The quake had been felt in Anaheim 130 miles south. Much of the sub-standard construction failed and parts of commercial buildings on lower State St., built on landfill, collapsed. Brick buildings and wood construction shattered. The earthquake not only gave the city a chance to reinvent itself, but forced stricter building codes.

State Street

Architect Julia Morgan (Hearst Castle, Asilomar) was in Santa Barbara that morning. She had arrived, blueprints in hand, to meet with the building committee regarding a potential project. As she waited for the streetcar the earthquake struck and she witnessed clouds of dust envelop State Street. She spent much of that morning viewing the damage, noting which buildings survived and taking copious notes. The city faced destruction totaling $8 million, a staggering sum by 1920s standards.
Had the quake struck later in the morning as people were on their way to work the death toll would have been higher. Unlike the 1906 San Francisco quake, Santa Barbara didn’t have fires to contend with therefore damage was mitigated.

The Santa Barbara Mission

What You Need to Know:

If you are Inside: Take cover by getting under a sturdy piece of furniture and wait until the shaking stops. If there isn’t a table or desk near you, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner where the building supports are the greatest. Freestanding walls fall easily. Stay away from glass, windows, anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures. Use a doorway for shelter only if it’s in close proximity, and if you know it’s a load bearing doorway. Stay inside until the shaking stops. Research shows that most injuries occur when people inside buildings attempt to move to a different location. Be aware that the electricity may go out or the sprinkler systems or fire alarms may turn on, or that a gas pipe might have broken. Never use the elevators!

If you are Outside: Stay there and move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires and wait until the shaking stops. The greatest danger exists directly outside of buildings. Many of the 120 fatalities from the 1933 Long Beach earthquake occurred when people ran outside only to be killed by falling debris from collapsing walls. Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death or injury.

If you’re Driving: Stop as quickly as safety permits and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, trees, overpasses, and utility wires. Proceed cautiously once the earthquake has stopped. Avoid roads, bridges, or ramps that might have been damaged.

Sands of Time: The Dunites of the Guadalupe Dunes

2011-03-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

The solitude of the Dunes

It requires a stunning degree of short-sightedness to build anything on shifting sands. But that is exactly what was attempted on the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes which spans both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo county lines, at the turn of the last century. The area was to be ‘the future Atlantic City of the Pacific’ with a boardwalk, a hotel and a pavilion, and venture capitalists were enthralled with the possibility of resort style living on the sand dunes facing the Pacific Ocean. But the wind blown sand wouldn’t stay put and it inevitably won. By 1917, the few foolishly grandiose and now abandoned buildings that had telegraphed a possible new existence had became used lumber which ended up being scavenged by the dune-dwellers, an eclectic group of nomads and misfits who built their own new lives in the dunes.

George Blais (L) at the Dunes

The dunes had long been the home of a drifting population of vagrants and eccentrics, but it was in the 1920s that the people who became known as The Dunites claimed the transitory area for their own; a rag tag collection of everyone who felt disenfranchised with the world. Edward St Claire a Spanish-American war veteran turned poet was one of the first to claim residence. Then came George Blais, a reformed alcoholic turned evangelist and a naturist, who dressed to go into town in a loincloth and bandana, but otherwise lived naked in the dunes, surviving off fruits and nuts. One of the most illustrious and flamboyant Dunites was astrologer, writer and socialite Gavin Arthur, grandson of United States President Chester A. Arthur and who ‘had it all’ by the standards of the day, but opted out of society. Probably the most well-known resident of the make shift dune neighborhood was the artist Elwood Decker.

The Dunites even published their own magazine which was distributed nationally called the “Dune Forum,” with contributions by photographers such as Ansel Adams. The magazine was heavy on intellectual style and expensive for the time at 35 cents. The publication ran for five issues before it too succumbed to forces greater than itself. Eventually the Dunites left their Bohemian ways, as life in the dunes simply could not be controlled and to this day, the sands shift where they will. Today a visit to the dunes is still something of an ethereal experience; it’s still relatively isolated, but the stark beauty is worth the drive. But pack a sweater, the winds can be fierce. The official visitors center is located in the town of Guadalupe and provides maps, historical information as well as schedules of ranger led hikes and photography.http://www.dunescenter.org/

The fierce winds at the Dunes create windswept trees like this

James Dean: Death on the Highway

2011-03-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

In the 1950s, James Dean was fast becoming a well-known movie star. He loved making movies, and he also loved fast cars, specifically a silver Porsche Spyder 550 he named “Little Bastard.” In the early afternoon of September 30, 1955, Dean and Porsche factory mechanic Rolf Weutherich were on their way to an auto rally in Salinas, California. Dean was pulled over for speeding in Bakersfield, issued a citation for driving 65 in a 55 zone and released. Dean and his companion continued on their way towards Paso Robles with plans to spend the night, and then head to Salinas the next morning.

Dean and "Little Bastard."

As Little Bastard climbed down toward the little town of Cholame around dusk, Donald Turnupseed, a 23-year old Cal Poly student was heading the opposite direction in his 1950 Ford Tutor. He began a left turn at the intersection of Highway 41 and what was then called State Route 466 (later named Route 46), unaware of the Spyder approaching. The two vehicles met nearly head-on. Little Bastard crumpled and spun around, throwing Weutherich out of the vehicle. The car came to rest about 15 feet off the road near a telephone pole. Weutherich suffered a broken leg and serious head injuries, though he survived. Turnupseed escaped with a bruised nose and gashed forehead. However Dean suffered fatal injuries. The Coroner listed the cause of Dean’s death as a broken neck, multiple fractures of the upper and lower jaw, fractures to the left and right arms and severe internal injuries.

Contrary to news reports of the day, Dean’s car was not going in excess of 80 MPH. California Highway Patrol Officer Ron Nelson, one of the first to arrive on the scene, wrote in his report that the wreckage and position of Dean’s body, “indicated his speed at the time of the accident was more like 55 MPH.” Nevertheless, people speculated Dean was speeding and that he was still alive shortly after the accident. Regardless, he was pronounced dead at a Paso Robles hospital. He was 24.

CHP officers Ron Nelson (L) and Ron Tripke (R)

In 1977, a James Dean memorial was erected near the site of the crash. The stylized sculpture is composed of concrete and stainless steel around a tree located next to the Jack Ranch Café in Cholame. The café is still there as is the memorial, but that’s all that’s left of the little town. Japanese artist Seita Ohnishi built the memorial in Japan and transported it to the U.S., never clearly revealing why he had done this. At the dedication Ohnishi stated, “I am only one of many who feel strongly that James Dean should not be forgotten. There are some things, like the hatred that accompanies war, that are best forgotten. There are others, like the love inspired by this young actor that should be preserved for all time.”

The memorial is not the exact spot where the crash occurred; that spot is approximately 900 feet to the northeast, before the highways were realigned. In September 2005 the intersections of highways 41 and 46 were renamed the James Dean Memorial Highway. Donald Turnupseed went on with his life, forming a fairly successful electrical contracting business and avoiding the spotlight. He refused all interviews and passed away in 1995, never talking about the crash. The site still draws visitors and curiosity seekers. James Dean made only three films: Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, and Giant, but his legacy lives on.

The Up Side of Sideways

2011-03-07T11:18:00.000-08:00

People who saw the movie Sideways became enamored with the wine country vibe and the images of lush leafy vines, clear blue skies, beautiful valleys, soft rolling mountains, sumptuous wines and amazing food. And so they came to Santa Barbara Wine Country. Many local businesses, including wineries, restaurants, lodgings and specialty stores saw a net increase in sales of 20-30 percent after the film came out. Sideways was released in 2004, nominated for five Academy Awards and it won for best-adapted screenplay. In the 30 weeks the movie was in theaters, gross domestic ticket sales topped $70 million, with worldwide sales reaching more than $100 million. Not bad for a story about two guys drinking wine. In spite of the off putting behavior of the two main characters, Miles and Jack, it showcased wine country like no film had ever done, and soon visitors showed up in Los Olivos, Solvang, Lompoc, Santa Ynez and Santa Maria clutching their Sideways maps and looking to recreate the film for their own experience.

In a now famous scene Miles tells Jack that he won’t drink any #&*% Merlot (using more colorful language than is appropriate here). He also eloquently praised the virtues of Pinot Noir. That registered in the minds of a fickle public. Sales of Pinot Noir increased approximately 15 percent, while poor maligned Merlot dropped about two percent in sales. The result of a line in a movie by a writer? Well, yes and no. Merlot had been over-planted in California to begin with and there was a surplus of inadequate Merlot already flooding the market. However Pinot Noir did see an impressive rise in sales as a direct result of the film. Merlot producers across California were frustrated by the Merlot bashing and wine writers only added fuel to the fire by dissing Merlot. Rex Pickett, author of the original novel, was the featured speaker at a “Merlot Fights Back” dinner. Merlot had an uphill battle, unlike the movie. The success of the film spawned a Japanese language remake, transporting the location to Napa rather than Santa Barbara.

The film generated huge traffic for Santa Barbara Wine County, a $360 million industry that produces more than one million cases annually. More than a quarter of those bottles come from the Santa Ynez Valley which is home to over 100 wineries and roughly 5,000 acres of vineyards. The county is best known for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and yes, there is Merlot produced here too. In 2008, nearly 17 percent of the over eight million visitors to the county said they came for the wine. Sideways produced an “up” effect and the ripples are still being felt. So explore the diversity of the wines here on the Central Coast and you’ll be moving Up.

Walkin' Ojai

2011-02-28T16:02:00.000-08:00

The Ojai Valley from Meditation Mount

Originally called Nordhoff, Ojai was mapped out in 1874, though the Chumash Indians had lived here for thousands of years prior to that. Originally part of a Spanish Land Grant the area went through a series of land owners until, after some failed oil exploration, many of the settlers decided to form an actual town and Nordhoff was born. You’ll still see the old name around town. In the early 20th century a businessman named Edward Libbey, from Toledo, Ohio came to Nordhoff and immediately fell in love with the place. In 1914 he unveiled grand plans to create a viable community, a cohesive town rather than the ramshackle stores and buildings that were congregated on the main street. In 1917 he got his chance. A fire decimated much of the town and Libbey was handed a clean slate so he financed much of the civic development to realize his dream. His work gives downtown Ojai its distinctive charm: a Spanish Colonial-style arcade along the main street, a post office tower designed after Havana’s Campanile and a pergola facing the arcade, the entrance to a civic park named, not surprisingly, Libbey Park.

Ojai Avenue and the tower of the Post Office

The name Ojai (correctly pronounced “o-hi”) is derived from the Chumash Indian word “awhai.” The word might mean “nest” or it might mean “moon” depending on whom you ask. Much of the literature about Ojai claims one meaning over the other, but frankly there is no definite proof of either. The Ojai Valley is ten miles long and three miles wide and is home to transverse mountains, meaning they lie in an east and west configuration, whereas most of California’s mountains run north and south. The surrounding mountains are capped by Topa Topa, the highest peak, which soars from near sea level to a height of 6,244 feet and occasionally gets a dusting of snow.

Ojai Avenue with the snow capped Top Topa's in the background

Ojai Avenue is the main street and the life blood of Ojai, the defining central point which allows residents and tourists alike a sense of cohesion and an introduction to what Ojai is all about. Easy to walk, here are some of the places you might want to check out. Art galleries like Primavera Gallery (214 E. Ojai Ave., 805/646-7133, http://www.primaveraart.com/) and Trowbridge Gallery (307 E. Ojai Ave., 805/646-0967, http://www.trowbridgeart.com/) will give you an idea of the visuals that local artists can produce. Stop in the wine tasting room of Casa Barranca (208 E. Ojai Ave., 805/640-1255, http://www.casabarranca.com/) which is an organic winery. Their tasting room echoes Craftsmen-styled architecture with lots of wood and Mission Stickley patterns on the furnishings and bar. There are a few gift items as well and a few tables and chairs in which to sit and relax and sample organic wines like chardonnay, pinot noir and various blends. Then there is The Hub (256 E. Ojai Ave., 805/646-9182) an old school bar from 1948. You don’t get fancy drinks here, you get beer in a can, and there’s no pretension to the Hub at all. It’s comfortable and neighborly and the last of a vanishing breed of bars. Every Sunday morning they offer a Bloody Mary bar along with biscuits and gravy.

Bart's Books

Just a block off Ojai Avenue is Bart’s Book’s (302 W. Matilija, 805/646-3755) famous for being a mostly outdoor bookstore, with 35-cent specials on a shelf outside, sold on the honor system since 1964, when the original Bart first put out a coffee can to collect his earnings when he wasn't around. A 420 year-old oak tree shades the property.

No matter how you choose to spend your time in Ojai, you’ll end up coming back. There’s much more to see and do in this little village.

Spring into Action: Spring-time Activities on California’s Central Coast

2011-02-16T15:01:00.000-08:00

There’s something about spring that makes you want to get off your couch, toss off the long johns and get outside. No where is this better expressed that being on California’s Central Coast, from Ventura through Santa Barbara and Morro Bay to San Luis Obispo, there are a litany of great spring activities. First off though, spring time on California’s Central Coast doesn’t mean summer, and the temperatures will be cooler, especially in the morning and evening, so pack a sweater. Spring has the most pristine weather and the skies are usually crystal clear, the crowds of summer haven’t arrived yet, and you pretty much have the run of the place. Here are a few suggestions:

The featured painting at the 2010 I Madonnari

Santa Barbara-

The I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival is held at the Santa Barbara Mission every Memorial Day weekend (http://www.imadonnarifestival.com/). When you were a kid you probably used chalk to deface things. As adults we don’t allow that, with the exception of this festival. The Mission parking lot is transformed from bleak black to more than 200 chalk paintings as artists, both local and from across the globe, take chalk to asphalt and create beautiful reproductions of classic works and original drawings. There are plenty of food vendors, live music, or bring a picnic and watch art in action.

Artists work dilligently to create very cool works

The International Orchid Show (www.sborchidshow.org) may seem like just flowers, but ask any lover of orchids and they will tell you passionate stories. The festival, held each March, is thousands of unique and in some cases bizarre looking plants. Experts are on hand to discuss orchids and there are a large number for sale. Santa Barbara enjoys a mild, Mediterranean climate with temperate nights and soft ocean breezes and orchids took root at the turn of the century when wealthy industrialists came to Santa Barbara’s burgeoning spas and resorts to escape harsh, Eastern winters. Many of them stayed, building estates and commissioning world-class horticulturists to design elaborate gardens.

Ventura:

Music to your ears is what the Ventura Music Festival, (http://www.venturamusicfestival.org/) held the first week of May, is all about. Diane Schuur, Pink Martini, and Herbie Hancock are just a few of the acts that have claimed center stage in a variety of unique and intimate venues throughout the county. In addition to concerts there are lectures, live talks, and interviews with the artists.

Artwalk (http://www.artwalkventura.org/) held the middle of April is a free, self-guided walking tour of 200 established and emerging artists at over 80 galleries, studios and eclectic gallery-for-a day venues in Ventura’s Downtown Cultural District. The event is held just steps from the beach and the Ventura Pier. Participating art venues include restaurants, salons, antique shops, boutiques, coffee shops, most any place with walls.

Solvang:

The Taste of Solvang (http://www.solvangusa.com/) is a food and wine event starting with a dessert reception, and considering the pastry and sweets history of the Danes, that’s enough right there. Following that is the walking smörgåsbord which features about 40 stops in town where you pop in and sample what they might be serving, usually Danish food. Ten wine tasting rooms are pouring their vintages, and this is finished off with live entertainment in the park where people bring a picnic and relax.

Solvang makes the ideal quaint backdrop for the food & wine

Pismo Beach: Each March the World of Pinot Noir, (http://www.worldofpinotnoir.com/) an all pinot noir event, is held on the bluffs overlooking the ocean. This three day event is filled with seminars about growing conditions and regions of pinot noir, there’s a vintage tasting and a chef’s challenge. The pinot noirs are not exclusive to California either; winemakers come from Oregon and Europe. It’s a focused time on one varietal; a pinot propaganda program.

Avila Bay:

So wine’s not your thing. Then hop to the California Festival of Beers, (http://www.hospiceslo.org/) held each May at the Avila Beach Resort, which is nearly 50 brewers from the West Coast and beyond who gather beachside to celebrate all things beer. Get your pretzel necklace, enjoy the live music, the golf tournament, and know that the proceeds from the event support hospice of San Luis Obispo. This event always sells out.

Paso Robles:

If you enjoy wine and food but are concerned about the toll on the environment, then the Earth Day Wine & Food Festival (held the weekend closest to Earth Day, http://www.earthdayfoodandwine.com/) is right up your carbon footprint. Food is served on, and with, recyclable and compostable plates, bowls, forks and spoons. All literature is produced using post-consumer recycled materials, and even the entertainment stage is solar-powered. About 200 producers of sustainably grown food and wine gather to let you sample dishes sourced from locally grown fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, olive oils and, of course, wine. There is live music, a silent auction, and the chance to kick back and meet the farmers and vintners who are committed to sustainability.

Kites like this one cover Morro Bay

Morro Bay:

Every April the Morro Bay Kite Festival (http://www.morrobay.org/) transforms the skies around the bay with colorful kites undulating in the breezes. Kites up to 100 feet long and of every size and shape are welcome. The festival starts off with the ceremonial Blessing of the Wind by local Chumash Indians, and there are displays, vendor booths even choreographed kite ballets. The skies never looked so colorful. It’s free to attend.

Wine and Waves & Bottles and Boards: The Central Coasts' Surfer/Winemakers

2011-02-04T15:05:00.000-08:00

Some of the Central Coasts' Surfer/Winemakers

There has long been a romantic ideal attached with winemaking; the handcrafting, the upscale image, the near rock-star status associated with being a winemaker. Conversely, there has consistently been a slacker image attached with surfing; days wasted by the ocean, a frivolous lifestyle, and the ubiquitous use of the word “dude.” But there are similarities between these two diametric opposites. The Central Coast is home to a number of winemakers who surf, or depending on your perspective, surfers who make wine. Some of them recently discussed the congruent nature of hang time and hanging ten.

Hanging out at Leadbetter Beach in Santa Barbara

From Santa Barbara, Craig Jaffurs of Jaffurs Wine Cellars, Etienne Terlinden from Summerland Winery, Seth Kunin of Kunin Wines, Mike Brown of Kalyra and Steve Clifton of Palmina, joined forces with San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles guys; Craig Shannon of Per Bacco Cellars, Steve Kroener from Silver Horse Winery, Josh Beckett of Peachy Canyon, and Eric Ogorsolka of Zenadia Cellars. They each brought their wines, their boards and their thoughts on both. Steve Clifton grew up in San Clemente and the ocean has always been a part of his life. “Both surfing and winemaking have given me a relationship with nature, to understand its cycles, seasonal changes and how the earth moves and breathes,” he says. "It’s still the one and only place I feel truly relaxed and removed from the stresses of everyday life." Etienne Terlinden has the same affection for the water. As an avid surfer and member of the

U.S.

naval reserves the sea is an integral part of his life both inside and outside the vineyard. “The oceans have a profound effect on climate which ultimately regulates our macro, mezzo and micro climates around the vineyards. Winemakers, especially those who make pinot noir and chardonnay in Santa Barbara, realize the great quality of wines grown in proximity to the coast,” he says. “I appreciate the importance of the sea to make my living as a winemaker. I live my daily life in awe of its force," Terlinden adds.

A perfect afternoon to shoot the breeze and sample each others wines

Both surfing and winemaking have their ups and downs and often there are long bouts of tedium. “Surf travels with long flat spells,” Josh Beckett says. “It's frustrating and tiring but the surfer keeps going back for more, searching out new destinations.” He admits that the similarity in winemaking is that he’ll go for weeks on end with no days off during harvest. “As a surfer I look for the perfect wave, as a winemaker I'm searching for the best fruit," he says. Craig Shannon smiles and nods. “Paddling into a wave is like tasting a wine with all your senses keyed in,” he states. There is a murmur of agreement. “During harvest," Jaffurs adds, “I'll check Jalama Point at dawn, then visit my Lompoc and Santa Maria vineyard sites before returning to the winery in Santa Barbara.” It makes for a long day, but he wouldn't trade is for anything.

For all surfers, the ocean can be fickle, creating a sense of danger as well as a natural high. But there is something more, something spiritual and grounding. “There is mostly a feeling of calm and clarity I get from surfing,” says Eric Ogorsolka. “This helps open a door into my creativity when I’m at the winery. Winemaking is hard work, but there are moments that take finesse, an artistic ability. Anyone can make wine, but it takes a little talent to put together a wine with style and grace.” He pauses and looks at the amber sun as it kisses the horizon. “When I surf I like to feel the wave beneath my feet and ride it out, not tame it or slap it into submission. It’s the same with my winemaking; I’m not attacking the grapes but guiding them along the path, riding them out," he says.

The benefits of a hard day surfing and making wine!

Craig Jaffurs is the most poetic about bottles and boards. “My best days at the winery always come after the best morning surf. The same joy I get surfing at dawn is the same joy I get walking a vineyard, tasting through barrel samples or just opening the roll up door at the winery.” Though surfing inspires and anchors each of these guys, ultimately it doesn’t pay the bills. “Look, when the surf comes up and I need to make wine, I make wine,” Jaffurs confesses. “The surf will be there another day, but the windows to success in winemaking are fleeting. You only get one chance a year to catch the perfect harvest.”

When you visit the Central Coast, be sure to check out these wineries, and toast them with a glass of wine while you’re at the beach. Wine and waves are just part of the Central Coast lifestyle. Come explore!

Cambria's Moonstone Beach

2011-01-30T15:13:00.000-08:00

Moonstone Beach is what most people associate with Cambria and certainly this nearly mile long boardwalk on the bluffs with occasional beach access is ideal for strolling.

The Low Bluffs along Moonstone Beach

This has long been one of my favorite spots, and is also wheelchair accessible. Park anywhere along the beach side of Moonstone Drive, it’s all free, and you begin to walk. This is a more rugged beach, less flat sand and more washed up wood, seaweed and yes, moonstones. At high tide there’s little to no room to walk on the beach, but at low tide there is ample room to tide pool, watch the otters and the seals, ocassionally whales, and sit on the wood benches along the boardwalk. These benches were all made by locals, carved, sanded and placed here, each with a different feel and look to them. And there is a dedicated group of locals who keep the area clean, so please dispose of your trash properly. If you look closely you’ll find some not exactly hidden places to sit, but areas removed from the boardwalk where you can rest, or simply watch the waves and wildlife, or just bask in the sun and listen to the waves.

You’ll also notice, actually you can’t help but notice, the ground squirrels who pop out from under the boardwalk hoping you’ll give them food. Feeding them is frowned upon, but they are adventurous, curious and rather unintimidated. Ocasionally surfers dot the waves, but usually it's the pelicans and cormorants who rule here. Though hotels claim the other side of the road, there are no public facilities here. The closest are at Leffingwell landing at the north end of Moontone Drive.

Plan on spending some time here. Once you arrive, it will be hard to leave.

The Sunset at Moonstone Beach

The Ventura Mission: Main Street's History Lesson

2011-01-17T08:10:00.000-08:00

The Ventura Mission on Main Street

Mission San Buenaventura (211 E. Main St., 805/643-4318, self guided tour is $2 for adults, and a mere 50 cents for kids children) was established on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1782, and it became the ninth mission founded in the total chain of 21 mission in the state. Like most missions, the first structure which lasted for 10 years, burned to the ground. There is no direct public access except through the gift shop. The interior courtyard is beautifully landscaped, with interlocking brick walkways and a very popular shrine to Mary to one side. There is a fountain in the center, surrounded by a few benches for refection. The church itself is long and narrow, a neo classical looking arch over the alter giving it a more modern feel to the interior. Carpet covers much of the original tile floors unfortunately and there’s a rather off putting sign dead center in the alter warning you that you are being videotaped. Behind the church is part of the original brick reservoir. In part, the mission prospered due to a seven mile aqueduct that was constructed from the Ventura River to the mission grounds. This allowed a wide variety of crops to grow, including orchards, gardens, fruits, vegetables, grains, and even exotic fruits such as bananas, coconuts, and figs. These helped greatly with the needed funds to support mission life.

The interior courtyard

The mission, like most of them, was built as a complete quadrangle. The church was on the southwest corner and a cemetery was on the west side on the church. A grade school now stands where the old cemetery was. In 1818, the pirate known as Bouchard, was seen off the coast of California and began terrorizing Ventura. The padres and Indians buried some of their valuables and sacred objects and literally took the rest to the mountains for about a month until the pirate and his band had gone. The church walls of tile, stone and adobe are just over six feet thick, built by Chumash Indian labor. It’s still an active church and one of the most visited sights in Ventura. To visit today you enter the gift shop first, with its miniature mission collection, spiritually oriented cards and gifts, then it’s up a few steps to their very small museum, which only holds a few items such as vestments and everyday utensils used during the mission period. The Mission is open to the public Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. but know that Sunday church services means that, while you can go inside, you can't wander around. The Mission is closed on major holidays. http://www.sanbuenaventuramission.org/

Let’s Get Physical: Seeing The Central Coast From The Outside

2011-01-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

The Central Coast means being outside. There’s far too much to do, see and explore to spend time inside all the pretty buildings. Get your game on and sweat a little bit. You don’t have to over exert yourself, but the sun, sea, mountains and islands call to you to get involved. Here are some great ideas.

At East Beach the sand is low and flat

Hiking: Santa Barbara provides the best hiking experience, in part because the views from the mountains extend throughout the city, across the ocean and out to the islands. Whether you’re hiking near the coastal bluffs or up nearly 4,000 feet to the mountain ridges, you have expansive and breathtaking views.

Kayaking: The best kayaking hands down is at the Channel Islands, off Ventura. The islands are incredibly diverse and the volcanic formations, sea caves and small coves and beaches are perfect to make you feel like an explorer yourself. Or stay inside the harbors in Ventura and Santa Barbara and watch the boats, the seals and the birds.

Sea Caves At Santa Cruz Island

Surfing: Ventura’s got it all, world class spots like the Rincon, easily accessible low breaks like C Street. Plus you can get out of the water and walk three blocks for breakfast or lunch, then get back in the water. Ease of use and you have views to the islands.

Catching a wave at Pismo Beach

Boating: Santa Barbara provides the best backdrop for getting into a sailboat, powerboat, jet ski or sunset cruise. You can hug the harbor or go full tilt all the way to the Channel Islands. And best of all, you have the city itself set against the mountains as a backdrop with its beautiful coastline. Finish you trip by simply returning to the harbor and walk to a great meal close by. Morro Bay is also fantastic for boating and getting up close with Morro Rock, whales and other sealife.

Morro Rock

Scuba Diving: If you dive, you must get to the Channel Islands. There’s no real point to beach dive. Anacapa and Santa Cruz are the closest islands and offer the best visibility and variety of things to see including sharks, seals, dolphins, lobsters and stunning kelp forests. These are day trips or you can pull an overnight.

Protected Bays Like This One At Anacapa Island Make Great Dive Spots

Biking: You can’t beat San Luis Obispo for biking. The best spot is all of Montana de Oro, yes, all 8,000 acres of it. You can bike on roads like Pecho Valley or get off road with a maze of single and double track fire roads, all of which intertwine through the last best piece of pristine land anywhere. There are great elevation gains, low flat scrub areas and coves, cliffs and trails to the water.

Where and What Exactly is the Central Coast?

2011-01-01T14:02:00.000-08:00

California has long held a mystique as being the last Western frontier. But with mega cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, that independent spirit is not as obvious anymore, well, with the exception of the Central Coast, the coastal strip of land from Ventura, through Santa Barbara and up towards Big Sur. The Central Coast, also known regionally as the Tri-Counties, includes Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties. And the area is becoming rediscovered by mainstream media and tourists who seek the idea of classic California which the major mega cities can no longer provide. The Central Coast is true California, as everyone always thought it should be.

Sunset at Avila Beach

Ventura is still that classic beach town, funky shops, surfers meandering about, and a rich history it doesn’t brag much about. From its revitalized Main Street with its cool new restaurants and even a handful of wineries, to the gateway to the stunning Channel Islands, Ventura is still kind of off the radar. Only a 15 minute drive to Ojai reveals what many people have known for a long time, the tranquil and nearly spiritual Ojai Valley is not only home to artists and a handful of well known art festivals, but it’s become a center of spiritual enlightenment.

Catching a wave at Pismo Beach

Santa Barbara continues that theme, but not so much with centers of intense reflection and spiritual awareness, but more an awareness of the land which has its own spirituality. State Street is the main artery everyone associates with Santa Barbara, and the comprehensive Spanish look and feel of the place with vine covered white washed walls and red tile roofs transports everyone to a different place. But Santa Barbara is also home to a surprisingly strong performing arts scene, as well as art galleries, sidewalk restaurants and a topography that makes nearly every county in the state envious. Sandwiched between the mountains and the sea, it is literally a small slice of gorgeous land where if you can view the Pacific Ocean from one street, you can see the Los Padres National Forest from another, and vice versa. Easily accessible by car, train and air, it is the quintessential California getaways, ocean, mountains, food, wine, art and an easy pace. Its cousin, the Santa Maria Valley, is home to Solvang, the Danish Capital of America, a village replete with Danish bakeries, wine tasting rooms, traditional Danish architecture and a town with its own unique identity. The same is true of the small Western towns of Santa Ynez, and Los Olives and they are the gateway to the wine country, lauded by the movie Sideways and wine critics the world over.

La Purismia Mission, Lompoc

San Luis Obispo and its surrounding beach towns like Morro Bay, Avila Beach and Pismo take this even further as classic towns that are truly a small town experiences. San Luis Obispo is authentically what everyone thinks California actually is; friendly, charming, unpretentious, soaked in the sunshine and a respectable way of life. And it’s true and it’s all here on the Central Coast. Paso Robles is, 30 minutes north of San Luis is the hub of the most exciting wine industry area in all of California. Yes over 200 wineries have made their home along the languid and scenic Highway 46. Paso still wants to retain its Western roots and the California Mid State Fair held here each year is part of that. But Paso Robles is growing; new stores, restaurants, trendy boutiques and land that is heritage to a Western ideal of a place of your very own.

Our Lady of Carmel Church, Montecito

The strange thing about history is that everyone often mistakenly believes that the East Coast of the

U.S.

is abundant with history whereas the West Coast is a vast wasteland where nothing occurred until the 1849 gold rush. Yes, Jamestown, the oldest colonial settlement, was founded in 1607 in Virginia. But a full 65 years before Jamestown was even settled, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, on a mission from Spain, had crossed through the Santa Barbara Channel, dropping anchor on San Miguel Island, and had noted his expedition and chronicled his journeys. Therefore, it is safe to say that the Central Coast is full of history which can be experienced today by visiting Ventura and Ojai, Santa Barbara and Solvang, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Cambria. So what's stopping you? Discover the Central Coast!

Santa Barbara - The Best Times to Visit

2010-12-31T07:23:00.000-08:00

It seems that Santa Barbara has no past. It’s idyllic setting and stunning terrain do not give clues to its history, A small shelf sandwiched between mountains and Pacific Ocean appears to be suspended in time. But this town of roughly 120,000 people is fiercely proud of its cultural heritage, and Santa Barbara has a history that extends back since the Chumash Indians inhabited this area over 10,000 years ago. To limit a visit to Santa Barbara to merely the oceanfront and State Street, the usual suspects for most tourists, would be like ignoring part of your family. Sure, the focus in on these areas, but Santa Barbara has such a wealth of cultural, architectural and historical treasures that it requires time to immerse yourself in the area.

Santa Barbara's red-tiled roofs

Yes, there is the shopping, the wine industry, the Spanish architecture that dominates the region and a laid back vibe inspired by endless waves and eternal sunshine. But there is also a vast sense of physical activity and communal well being. No less than five farmers markets each and every week make healthy produce abundant and accessible, for example. The Rincon is a favorite surf spot, but eager surfers dot the waters everywhere. Santa Barbara can be adequately covered in three days, but even then there is so much to discover and each turn of a corner brings something new. It’s no surprise that the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Santa Barbara as a Distinctive Destination in 2009. There is much to absorb in Santa Barbara and if you stay long enough, like most of us, you won’t want to leave.

At the popular Solstice Parade

Santa Barbara, being fairly compact, can easily be enjoyed over a weekend. That doesn’t mean you can do everything you may want to do, but a weekend will give a great overview. It’s best to consider how active you are. If you want water activities, hiking and cycling, more time will be needed. If you are the meandering type, the waterfront and State Street will suite you fine. To fully explore, three or four days are needed to do justice. The best time to visit is not in the summer months. The idea time is from March to May, where everything is pristine after the mild winter rains. Summer gets the June gloom, lots of fog that sometimes doesn’t burn off until early afternoon. October through December is also a great time. There are more chances of rain, but I can’t tell you the number of Thanksgivings I’d had where the family has been at the beach playing in the water, burning off the turkey. So come visit and consider using my book Santa Barbara & The Central Coast as a roadmap to uncover the Central Coast!

Kick back on Moonstone Drive in Cambria