Looking for Starfish

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

It didn’t take long after Jutta came to visit from the old country before we dragged her off to other far away places.

Shoreline Park Beach in Santa Barbara, California

We are in Santa Barbara, California, at Shoreline Park Beach.

Shoreline Park Beach in Santa Barbara, California

Our primary reason to be here is to visit with family, but on occasion, we must make a pilgrimage to the ocean to dunk a toe in the sea during the fierce winter storm front that bombards the West every January – har har.

Jutta Engelhardt and Caroline at Shoreline Park Beach in Santa Barbara, California

Couldn’t find Britney Spears, so we looked for starfish instead. The tide wasn’t out very far; as a matter of fact, it was probably shortly after high tide that we were walking along this stretch of rocky, sandy shore.

Shoreline Park Beach in Santa Barbara, California

No sea life to speak of, nor were there any other visitors.

Jutta Engelhardt and Caroline at Shoreline Park Beach in Santa Barbara, California

I suppose that is a good deal for us that most people want to visit Santa Barbara in the heat of the summer when the fog and rains are never far away, and these winter sunny days with 72-degree temperatures just don’t measure up – silly fools.

Jutta Engelhardt, Caroline and John Wise at Shoreline Park Beach in Santa Barbara, California

It’s nice to share what would otherwise be a bitter cold dark winter in Frankfurt with Jutta here oceanside with us on a sunny day.

Jutta Engelhardt and Caroline at Shoreline Park Beach in Santa Barbara, California

I’d swear this 73-year-old lady looks like a kid at times; it must be that she is enjoying these moments with her daughter.

Solvang

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Village Spinning & Weaving in Solvang, California

On the way back to Arizona today, we detoured north to the Danish Village of Solvang for a stop at the Village Spinning & Weaving Shop. Caroline wanted to visit the shop where a few of her birthday gifts had come from and pick up a couple of things. One thing led to another, and soon Caroline had many things she was going to buy. Lucky for her, her godmother Helga Hennemann had sent over a crisp new $100 bill that helped with the splurge for more stuff. We left with more books about dying, knitting lace, making socks, and some new sock yarn. All this shopping made me hungry, and as I hadn’t been to a smorgasbord in 30 years, we stopped at the Red Viking Restaurant on Copenhagen Drive and had lunch. Not too full, a stop next door at Solvang Restaurant for Arne’s Famous Aebleskivers – ball-shaped pancakes topped with raspberry jam and powdered sugar.

Village Spinning & Weaving in Solvang, California

The shop is fantastic, well, if you are into this sort of thing, as there are a hundred different little corners to peak at. You’ll find fibers of all kinds, some beautiful yarns, and books about every subject regarding this craft you might imagine; as a matter of fact, we picked up a mushroom dyeing book that has been long out of print from the woman who perfected the method. Solvang, California, makes for a great day trip if you are in Los Angeles, unfortunately, Caroline and I have never taken more than a few minutes here, and on this visit, we stayed all of two hours. Maybe on a warmer, windy day, we can come back and do a lot more exploring.

Christmas on the Ocean 2

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Caroline Wise on the shoreline of the Pacific ocean in Santa Barbara, California

A year ago, on this day, Caroline and her mother stood on a beach just a few miles south of here. Shoes off, standing in the water, Christmas day. In less than a month, Caroline’s mom will return but it won’t be until February that she has the opportunity to stand in the Pacific again. So this year, it was just my wife and I wandering along the tide pools looking for starfish, anemones, crabs, and shells. Not a bad way to enjoy Christmas Day.

Santa Barbara, California

Years after posting the above text, I was working on something and decided to add a few more images to this post, as when I was creating this post back in 2007 (it is currently 2022), we couldn’t afford to include so many photos.

Santa Barbara, California

The resolution of our old photos isn’t always very good, but they still managed to capture our time.

Santa Barbara, California

It isn’t always only the sea that grabs our attention but also those things close to shore and often just walked over.

Santa Barbara, California

Besides eating too much on our visits to California, maybe we visit the ocean too often. After all, we have seen thousands of starfish, anemones, and shorebirds. Honestly, though, we never tire of visiting the Pacific. Nor do we tire of visiting Disneyland, which is due for a visit early in January. Tickets are already in hand.