CALIFORNIA OR BUST!!!..........PART 1 Santa Barbara.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WOKE UP ON A COAST TO COAST FLIGHT
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO FIND YOUR "AGING" MOTHER (ME)
SITTING NEXT TO YOU (DAUGHTER)BLEEDING ALL OVER A WASHCLOTH SAYING.....
"I HAD A NOSE BLEED WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING".....
ONLY MY POOR DAUGHTER WOULD FIND HERSELF IN SUCH A
SITUATION TWO WEEKS AGO ON OUR LONG AWAITED
BIRTHDAY TRIP TO LOS ANGELES.....
LEAVE IT TO ME TO GET A GUSHER 4 HOURS IN TO THE FLIGHT
AND FIND MYSELF WITH TWO MALE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WHO
HALF PANICKED AND JUST KEPT TELLING ME TO
"PUT YOUR HEAD BACK"......
I MUST SAY THAT'S THE WORST THING YOU CAN TELL SOMEONE WITH A NOSEBLEED...
WHAT KIND OF TRAINING DO JETBLUE PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNING MEDICAL ISSUES??
BUT FORGET THE NOSEBLEED LET'S TALK ABOUT JETBLUE'S "MINT" EXPERIENCE FIRST...

SEE THIS MAGNIFICENT SEAT.....
PLENTY OF ROOM RIGHT???...
NOT EXACTLY WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU BOARD THE PLANE....
TALK ABOUT FALSE ADVERTISING....
GRANTED SOME PEOPLE LUCKY ENOUGH TO KNOW JETBLUES "SNEAKY
SEATING CHART KNOW HOW TO GET THESE SEATS....
BUT NOT ME.....
THEIR SEATING CHART SHOW "AISLES" BETWEEN ALL THEIR "BUSINESS"
CLASS SEATS....ON THE PLANE....NO SUCH THING...ONLY CERTAIN ROWS
HAVE THESE GLORIOUS SEATS....AND OF COURSE WITH MY LUCK
WE DID NOT GET THEM....
SO NOT BEING ONE TO COMPLAIN....AND I SAY THAT JOKINGLY....
I WAS NOT HAPPY THE MINUTE I GOT ON BOARD....
SUE LIKES A LOT OF ROOM TO MOVE AROUND...
PUT ME 5 HOURS IN A SEAT I CAN'T MOVE AROUND IN.... AND WELL....
I GOT A NOSE BLEED....
AND LET ME REPEAT....
POOR DAUGHTER....I THINK SHE HAD SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT TAKING ME AWAY
THE MINUTE WE WERE TAXING DOWN THE RUNWAY AT JFK....
GOD BLESS HER...
WE GOT IN TO L.A. AT 1:00 A.M. AND BY 2:00 WERE SOUND ASLEEP AT THE
W HOTEL IN "WESTWOOD"....
UP EARLY THE NEXT MORNING WE DROVE UP THE COAST TO
OUR FIRST STOP ON OUR WHIRLWIND LONG WEEKEND...
SANTA BARBARA...

HEAVEN WITH PALM TREES.....THE WEATHER WAS FABULOUS.....

 THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT WAS DIVINE.....

LOOKING A BIT LIKE A FANCY "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN"
WE DID EXPECT TO... AT SOME POINT.... SEE A WAX FIGURE OF
JOHNNY DEPP
WE WERE SURPRISED THAT ALL THE ROOMS APPEARED TO BE OUTSIDE
SPREAD AMONG LOT'S OF PALMS AND FANCY FLOWERS....
I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL JOYCE MENTIONED THAT WAY BACK
WHEN IT WAS BUILT IT WAS A MOTOR LODGE....
OR IN TODAYS LANGUAGE A "CHEAP MOTEL"
THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THE OUTDOOR ROOMS...
UNHAPPY WITH THE FIRST ROOM THEY HAD US IN....SURPRISE SURPRISE....
BUT FOR WHAT DAUGHTER WAS PAYING WE WANTED SOMETHING PRETTY
SPECIAL.....
SO THEY HAPPILY MOVED US TO.....

A LOVELY LARGE KING SIZE ROOM WITH A PERFECT FIREPLACE.....
IT WAS A BIT CHILLY OUT AND THIS WAS THE PERFECT THING TO TAKE
THE NIP OUT OF THE AIR AND MAKE FOR A VERY COZY ROOM....
I ALSO HAVE TO ADD THAT THE BED WAS AMAZING....
I HAVE NEVER SLEPT IN SOMETHING SO COMFORTABLE....

THEY KNEW IT WAS SOME ONE'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!
WE DIDN'T MAKE A POINT OF TELLING THEM WE SHARE THE SAME
BIRTHDAY SO WE JUST SHARED THE LITTLE MUFFIN....

WE HAD A SPIFFY LITTLE CONVERTIBLE TO DRIVE UP THE COAST...
YOU KNOW THE CAR THAT THE "OBNOXIOUS HERTZ GUY" SAID WE WOULD
NEVER GET ALL OUR LUGGAGE IN AND TRIED TO DOWNGRADE OUR
RIDE....
NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE TWO WOMEN WITH TOO MUCH LUGGAGE....
A TWO SEATER MERCEDES WILL INDEED FIT 2 PILOTS BAGS
 TWO CARRY ON'S AND TWO OVER SIZED PURSES.....

WE SAW BEAUTIFUL SPANISH STYLE CHURCHES ALONG THE WAY.....

AND A FABULOUS CAROUSEL......

AFTER THE COLD WEATHER ON THE EAST COAST IS WAS WONDERFUL
TO SEE SUCH BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND FERNS....
THE FOUR SEASONS LANDSCAPING WAS BREATHTAKING....

 WE RAN INTO THE WORLDS LARGEST ITALIAN POTTERY SHOP
ON EARTH.....NO PURCHASES....THE PRICES WERE OUTRAGEOUS...

I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPING IN  MY LIFE....
AND WE MISSED ALL THE MUDSLIDES AND
FIRES....WHICH LUCKILY HAPPENED THE WEEK EARLIER!

VERY HAPPY WITH MY NEW LEICA CAMERA THE BOSS GOT ME FOR
CHRISTMAS.....USING IT'S 400MM LENS I CAUGHT THIS SURFER ON TOP OF A WAVE....

AND THIS BEAUTIFUL SUNSET.....

MORNING TWO WE FOUND OURSELVES WITH
ROOM SERVICE....BECAUSE NOTHING IS BETTER THEN
ROOM SERVICE!!

FRESH SQUEEZED JUICE AND CROISSANTS OUT ON THE PATIO...
WHAT COULD BE A NICER WAY TO START THE MORNING!

TWO LADIES IN OUR FANCY ROBES....
AND DID I MENTION WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR TWO
FABULOUS SWEDISH MASSAGES...
WHY DID I HAVE TO MARRY AN ITALIAN INSTEAD OF A SWEDE....??

FIRST STOP OF THE DAY ON SATURDAY WAS THE HEAVENLY
"SAN YSIDRO RANCH"
http://www.lhw.com/hotel/San-Ysidro-Ranch-Santa-Barbara-CA

JUST SOUTH OF SANTA BARBARA IT WAS OUR OTHER CHOICE FOR
ACCOMMODATIONS
BUT WE DECIDED ON LUNCHING UP IN THE MOUNTAINS AND
SLEEPING BY THE SHORE....
SO GLAD WE DIDN'T MISS OUT ON VISITING THIS AMAZING
PROPERTY....
NAMED THE #1 RESORT IN THE WORLD BY TRAVEL AND LEISURE
MAGAZINE AND FORBES TRAVEL...
THIS WAS THE HONEYMOON SPOT FOR JACK AND JACKIE KENNEDY......
AND HERE WE ARE JUST TWO "JERSEY GIRLS"
LUNCHING WHERE
FAMOUS STARS OF THE 30'S AND 40'S HAVE MARRIED....
NAMELY
VIVIEN LEIGH AND LAURENCE OLIVIER.......

THE STONE HOUSE RESTAURANT ON THE GROUNDS OF THE HOTEL...
WE HAD A NOON RESERVATION FOR LUNCH....
WE OPTED TO SIT OUTSIDE ON THE PATIO AND SOME SORT OF EVENT WAS
HAPPENING BENEATH US AND TO ADD TO THE
AMBIENCE OF THE DINING AREA WE WERE SERENADED 
BY FRENCH ACCORDION MUSIC...
WE FELT LIKE WE WERE BACK IN PARIS...
TO QUOTE INA GARTEN
"WHAT COULD BE BETTER!!"
 

I TRIED TO SWEET TALK MY WAY WITH OUR WAITER INTO LETTING ME
SWIPE THE MENU BUT HE WASN'T BUYING WHAT I WAS SELLING....
I WISH THEY SOLD THEM IN THEIR GIFT SHOP...
IT WAS SO PRETTY ....

I GOT THE SWISS BURGER WITH SAUTÉED ONIONS AND A WONDERFUL
SIDE SALAD WITH MY ALL TIME FAVORITES BEETS AND PEARS...
IT WAS AS GOOD AS IT LOOKED!

 

DAUGHTER GOT A TUNA MELT ON RYE WITH PARMESAN FRIES AND
SAID IT WAS VERY GOOD....

WE SHARED A FABULOUS LEMON TART.....
THE RANCH PROPERTY AT ONE TIME WAS A CITRUS GROVE...
AND THERE WERE LEMON TREES EVERYWHERE....
I WAS TEMPTED TO PLUCK A FEW BUT THOUGHT BETTER OF IT....
I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP MY BAD REPUTATION
FROM SPREADING FROM THE EAST COAST TO THE WEST COAST :)

HERE'S MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER STANDING IN FRONT OF ONE OF
THE MANY MANY LEMON TREES....
WE ASKED IF AFTER LUNCH WE COULD WALK THE PROPERTY AND
THE FOLKS HAPPILY SAID YES.....
THERE ARE 41 INDIVIDUAL COTTAGES YOU CAN RENT....
EACH ONE CUTER THEN THE NEXT....
I GUESS FOR A RESORT THAT'S #1 IN THE WORLD I SHOULD CALL THEM
SOMETHING A LITTLE BETTER THEN "CUTE" !!

EVERYWHERE YOU WALKED WAS EYE CANDY......

PICTURE PERFECT!!

BEAUTIFUL POOL AREA.....

WE WERE ALSO VERY TEMPTED TO SNIP AND CLIP SOME OF THIS
BEAUTIFULLY SMELLING LAVENDER.....

BIGGEST LEMONS I HAVE EVER SEEN.....

I'LL STAND BY MY FIRST COMMENT.....
THESE ARE "CUTE" COTTAGES.....
WITH THEIR BLACKBIRDS ON DUTY......

INSIDE THE MAIN LOBBY OF THE RESORT.....
HOW COZY DOES THIS LOOK.....

THE OUTSIDE OF THE MAIN LOBBY.....
AND BACK IN ATLANTA I'M LUCKY IF I CAN KEEP THE 
SEA GRASS ALIVE!!

LOOK WHAT I RAN ACROSS.....ESPECIALLY FOR THE BOSS....
HOW FITTING....THIS IS A FERRARI "CALIFORNIA"
PARKED AT ONE OF THE COTTAGES....
LUCKY THEM!

AND THEN IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE FOR L.A.
WATCH FOR!!

PART 2.....LOS ANGELES.....AND SUE'S CHIMPS....
UP NEXT!!