I took my boy to the Palm Springs Air museum. What a great place to see some fantastic old war birds. Boy has that time passed. America… when we used to build things.
Ah Fathers Day and the glory of being the patriarch. I receive beautiful gifts. A Rolling Stones towel for the beach and a large mouth bass tee shirt and the love of my children.
We finally leave the desert and continue our tour as we head to coastal California. Off to Santa Barbara. As we travel the beauty of this part of California is stunning. Mountains and water. We are staying near the State Street Pier in Santa Barbara itself. It is a tourist mecca. But the scenery is beautiful. I had a Fathers Day bottle of champagne out on our deck with my bride and watched the people go by. The kids are playing in the room. Between sips of champagne we have to tell them to settle down. My son is demanding we go to the beach now.
As we head out to State Street to check out our favorite Italian Pottery store, the panhandlers are out in full force. There was one guy with an old dog. I wanted to give him a buck but I don’t think my wife would have liked it. So i waited until she started walking away then gave it to him. There are many empty stores on State Street; there seems to be too much money here to become another Arnoldville. But I have to say, Governor Arnold has been spreading the pain everywhere.
We dined at an Indian restaurant and walked the State Street Pier at dusk. My wife and daughter went back to the hotel room and my son and I took a walk along the beach. All the years I look back and how many strolls along the ocean I had taken with my Father, and now as a Father to my own kids. The endless circles of life.
The sun is setting and it is Fathers Day to boot. I meet a nice couple from Alameda on the beach. They both appear to be in their 60’s and they just got married three days ago. It is funny this state is so big you could be in a different country.
Monday we have breakfast at Sambo’s restaurant. (this is the original and last one with the name Sambo in California) and head for the beach. The day is glorious the water is warm.
After building numerous sand castles we head back to our room but we are not done wit swimming yet. We spend an hour at the hotel pool then off to dinner at Rose’s Mexican Restaurant. Then we head over to Barnes and Noble on State street. My wife picks up a copy of the latest Oprah magazine and discovers some pictures of one of her girl friends in the magazine. Last year they attended an Oprah event in San Francisco in the picture there was my neighbor’s elbow and my wife’s hand and arm with the watch I purchased for her.
This was too funny. I tried to set up a signing for the next day at the Barnes and Noble but they wanted a DNA test first. So the kids and I decided to put this glorious event into song. Lets see. how about a take off on an old gospel tune, Brewer and Shipley style.
Put your hand in the hand of the hand that was in Oprah’s.
Put your hand in the hand of the hand in the magazine.
Pick up the hand and you will read Oprah everyday
By putting your hand in the hand of the hand in the magazine!!
And the song rang out as we moved down State street.
We head out the coast on Highways 101 and 1 to Cambria. It is a quaint little town. We walked the tide pools and the beach with the kids. We had a terrible Italian meal at some restaurant called Moustache Pete’s. Minestrone soup that was like crank case oil and lasagna that was frozen solid. But we had a nice room and we are by the water. A great view makes up for a lot. Tomorrow we are head home by way of Big Sur; it should be beautiful.
The Big Sur coast is fantastic, rugged and beautiful. The highlight of the trip was at a road side pullout, where a California Condor was entertaining the folks who pulled over. This was incredible. Here was this giant bird with a tag on it (#68) just standing there letting people take its picture.
When we pulled over and got out of the car the Condor flew off across the canyon and over the beach. Interestingly the Condor was being harassed by some seagulls. Then the bird flew back across the canyon and landed right in front of us. I got it on video and snapped a few good pictures before we left. We continued on to Monterey and Bubba Gump’s seafood and finally home.
Ain’t no place like home!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDh221eKj6s