We set off about eleven, heading north up HWY1/FWY101. We decided to stop in Santa Barbara, about 100 miles up the coast, for lunch and were bowled over by how fantastic it was. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1929 and the great and the good came up with a rigid town plan for the rebuilding. Thanks to these rigid planning laws, downtown Santa Barbara is a stunning array of classic Spanish architecture, shady patios, tiled benches and oodles of bougainvillea. As a result it looks more like a Mediterranean village than the modern city it really is. We showed up a couple of hours after they’d celebrated the Summer Solstice with a very wacky carnival and the streets were awash with confetti and colourful characters (including several men wearing nothing but thongs made out of leaves!).
We fell in love with California all over again and decided this was one of the nicest places we’d visited on our trip.
Our overwhelming sense of good cheer was further enhanced by stumbling across an genuinely authentic fish and chip shop (yes the man cooking was truly British and the waitress understood what loo meant) where we all had proper fish ‘n’ chips complete with mushy peas, malt vinegar and British beer with Wimbledon on in the background. We decided to walk off our lunch with a stroll to the county court house which is hailed as one of the nicest state buildings in California.
A handcrafted Spanish Revival monument nestling in lush tropical gardens, in didn’t disappoint and was breathtaking in its detail. Tristan was particularly thrilled by the number of weddings taking place, especially the one we joined at the top of the clock tower, and desperately tried to muscle his way into the photos.
Back on the road, we decide to head away from the coast for a short distance and drive through California wine country to our next stop, the iconic Madonna Inn at San Luis Obispo. This hotel is one of California’s most noteworthy pop culture landmarks. Nestling in the north end of town, it is a big pink fluffy bubble of kitschness – even the fire hydrants are pink. There are over 100 rooms, each one unique and decorated along a fantasy theme; the bright pink honeymoon suite known as ‘Just Heaven’, the ‘Safari Room’ covered in fake zebra print and green shagpile and the ‘Cave Man Room’ which is pretty much just that.
We were staying in the relatively sober ‘Fox and Hound Room’ which features hunting wallpaper on just about everything, lots of dark wooden furniture and faux oil paintings of English hunting scenes. Rather out of theme was the extraordinary toilet that featured an electronic ‘bidet’ system that could be controlled by a digital panel on the wall. Depending on your needs, it could be programmed to give you either a thorough washing or gentle cleansing and directed to the front or back bottom! Unfortunately none of us were brave enough to try it.
Today’s Tune: Ventura by America (thanks to Nick Spencer for this suggestion – we passed through Ventura on our way to Santa Barbara).
Wildlife Watch: Unfortunately there were no hunting trophies on our bedroom wall to fill this spot, so I think it would have to be the extraordinarily attired men we saw on the streets of Santa Barbara.
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