We had driven by it several times but we were finally stopping and going on a guided tour.
You can see all the way to the ocean!
Here is the mission.
There is a chalk drawing event each year and due to the lack of summer rain these images are safe for awhile.
As usual, our docent, was a fund of information and interesting stories.
The Spanish Franciscans trained the Chumash natives how to do the many tasks needed to build and maintain the mission originally.
The walls here are not marble and gold but painted.
This Giovanni Della Robbia relief sculpture from 1522, which had been bought by a local doctor who died before it was unpacked in his home and then was discarded,almost ended up in the trash. Fortunately it's value was realized by a monk who just happened to pass by us as we saw it today.
We were now on our way to the museum.
We learned about how the mission functioned and was self-sufficient.
Our next stop was to see a bit more of toney Montecito, but we didn't spot Oprah when we stopped for lunch at a neat restaurant, Cava.
We were actually on our way to Summerland Beach. This was one of Nancy's beach picks. I admit I was curious to see it, having watched the TV show, Summerland.
It was absolutely beautiful but we could really smell oil and even see it in the water! Originally founded as a Spiritualist retreat, it later was discovered to have much oil and the first off shore oil well was here but oil production stopped here in the 30's but the smell seems to persist and you can see all the off shore oil rigs now. This made us think twice about this paradise and of course made us think of oil tankers and pipelines in B.C.
Highway 101 took us quickly "home". Later we went out for our final dinner at La Cielta in our favourite La Arcada. note-blackberry Margarita.
We will miss you, Santa Barbara!
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Location:Santa Barbara
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