Our
trip was fun … even though it was very short. I came back
feeling very refreshed. Now, three days later, I feel just as
stressed as ever. 
Time to plan another trip, perhaps?
Well, as promised, here are pictures and our trip in a nutshell …
Friday:
We left around 3:00 in the
afternoon. Lots of traffic, but we finally arrived in Buellton,
where our hotel was, around 7:00. On the way, we stopped at this
old stagecoach stop called Cold Springs Tavern from the 1800’s that is
still operating as a restaurant.
Very cool, but we didn’t eat
there because it was pricey, served gamey food (buffalo, venison,
etc.), and as you know, I had already planned out dinner at
Andersen’s. 
After checking in at the
hotel, we ate dinner at aforementioned Andersen’s … pot roast,
meatloaf, and of course, split pea soup. Unfortunately, it was
kind of disappointing. Sometimes our memories get romanticized;
what is really fantastic when you’re ten, might not be as fantastic
when you’re thirty-three. 
Anyway, we were starving and scarfed down our food, but later we found
that we should have taken our time because other than dinner there was
NOTHING to do in Buellton at night. We ended up going back to the
hotel with a couple of slices of pie. Toshi fell asleep and I
boohooed by way through “Three Wishes.” Those sappy shows get me
every time.
Saturday:
We got up early, figuring
that any place that closes at 5:00 must open pretty early.
Nope. We drove into Solvang and had pastries for breakfast and
then ended up wandering around waiting for things to open.
We left Solvang and headed for Santa Barbara. Next stop was
Stearn’s Wharf where we ate lunch on the pier at Moby Dick’s.
Clams and shrimp … yum!
lunch we took a few pictures, and then headed off to the Santa Barbara
Mission. It was a gorgeous day, and the mission was beautiful. We
took a self-guided tour, and Toshi took lots of “artistic” photos.
history is very interesting. If you ever meet a 4th grader from
California, they can give you the scoop. They all have the do
mission reports and projects. Yep … I did one too … many
moons ago. I think my mission, Mission San Gabriel, actually has
more charm than the mission in Santa Barbara. Anywho …
After leaving the mission, we
headed for Camarillo to go outlet shopping. We shopped ’til we
dropped, and found lots of great bargains.
Our
final stop was for Thai food in a part of Hollywood called Thai
Town. It’s a seedy area and the restaurant is none too clean, but
the food is spectacular and cheap. We were tired and hungry, so
it was especially heavenly.
Finally back home, I realized
that there’s nothing like being away to make you appreciate home.
It was great to collapse in my own bed with a whole day left before
having to return to work.
Quote of the Day:
“There’s no place like home.” — Dorothy, Wizard of Oz
Poisoned by Fairy Tales 