Oh, we are! Except for the four hours to get through LA on the freeway at 5mph last night, it's been amazing.
Saw the world's largest Torrey Pine, then sat across the street for a while and had chocolate-dipped cones from the Tasty Freeze and contemplated the tree. It is massive, and has been there for 100 years. It's obviously well-loved by the locals, as it sits in a vacant lot overrun with Lady's Mantle and seems happy and cared for. We also visited the orchid farm in Carpenteria. The place didn't burn, but nearby we could see where the fire had hit the palm trees as it jumped the highway. They said that the mudslides barely missed them, and that the only way they could get to Santa Barbara for quite some time was by boat or train, as the highway was washed out. I'm really glad that place was still there - you can go in and there's these huge, really huge greenhouses, filled in every direction with flowering orchids packed in literally pot-to-pot. The smell is amazing, and it's really beautiful to see, too. It's the first time we've visited when we didn't leave with orchids. But we got some pots to put our UK orchids in when we get home.
Got back on Highway 101 and headed south. Couldn't take the usual road over to the PCH, mudslides, so we took the one through Malibu Canyon instead. It's been raining enough here that there's new green growth everywhere, so you had to look carefully to see that the whole place had burned recently. It was a really pretty drive. I can certainly understand why anyone would want to live there, even with the fire risks. It's really lovely.
Got to the Getty Villa, went and saw the Palmyra artifacts. So sad what happened to Palmyra.... If you have a chance, the Getty Villa is pretty amazing. They have precisely re-created ancient gardens you can spend time in, and their collection of artifacts is world-class. And, aside from the parking fee, it's free to enter. You just have to have reservations. Most people seem to go to the Getty proper (the ivory tower up on the hill), and I've never been to the Villa when it was crowded. Then again, the entrance is via timed tickets so they kind of keep it from being crowded.
Got back on the PCH, through Malibu, caught the 10 over to the 405. Made it to Randy's Donuts and had amazing donuts and coffee. They had painted the Donut on top in Ram's colors (too bad they lost....) Then traffic, now in our new hotel.
This morning we had a light breakfast of pastries we had bought in Solvang yesterday. (The best bakeries in Cali in that town.) Out for errands and some appointments. Lunch was at our favorite surfer burger joint on the 101 - had an excellent hamburger with a huge basket of salty fries and a banana milkshake. Both of us out of there for about $8. More shopping in the afternoon, scored big at a resale shop on the 101 and am bringing home some good Levi's 501 button-fly jeans in mint condition for pretty much what the burgers cost.
Just finished supper of a burrito bowl. (My lips are still burning. It was reeeeally good.)
Don't think it's made it over there, but there's this new show on TV here - The Masked Singer. Never heard of it before. But they have people dressed up in the most creative and outlandish costumes come on stage and sing. Their voices are disguised, except when they are singing, and there's a panel who has to try to sort out who they are. It's puzzlingly entertaining - we are beating feet back to the hotel at night to catch it. They had Tommy Chong dressed up as a pineapple, apparently, in a previous episode, singing "I Will Survive"! This show is gonna be big, I think, if it's not already. It's completely upbeat, and positive, no snark, no putting anyone down. It's, well, actually entertaining and even grandma can watch it without wincing! (I personally think that "The Alien" is Paula Abdul. We'll see.) I believe it's on Fox, if you can get it. Some of the performances are on YouTube already. I can't place who is "Rabbit." And "Monster" is, I think, a blac singer that I know I know but for the life of me cannot put a name to.
Tomorrow is more formal appointments to deal with, and then we're going to brave the Big Mall. I was kind of twitching when we went to Target this afternoon. There. Is. So. Much. Stuff. In. There! I'd gotten desensitized, living in Glasgow, to the chaos and sensory overload that is a US discount store. Whoooo.
Have never been into it personally, but it's tempting to avail of the cannabis-laced honey one can buy down at the corner store, for putting in one's tea in the evening to help "mellow out". Tomorrow includes a trip to Walmart. Perhaps that honey might be a good investment!
Toodling around SoCalif in a loaded full-sized vehicle with the windows down, blue skies and sunny, with the palm trees and flowers blooming everywhere. It ain't a bad way to spend a vacation, ya know? All the way down the 101 yesterday we had great road music, too. Lynard Skynard, The Dead, The Doors, Tom Petty, Grace Slick, etc. The stations out of Santa Barbara are way better than LA stations, but Kay-Earth-101 took over once we got to LA and we spent hours listening (by default - it was on every station) old hair-band music. When we didn't have it blasting the taco-shop music station.
Oh, Tommy Automatic seems to have taught me how to parallel park! That was cool....
You guys stay safe and warm!
