Stacy loves Santa Barbara and I love the central coast in general. It is our usual get-away spot whenever we get a rare away. Since our anniversary was last weekend we naturally wanted to spend some time up there, but overnight stays are just not the romantic idylls they used to be. Something about the all-night screaming from the pack-and-play at the foot of the bed, and the not-so-gentle early morning aroma of fresh diapers tends to bludgeon any remaining warm, cuddly romanticism. And, most unfortunately, we’re not quite to the place where we can dump the progeny with the in-laws and disappear with a clear conscience. So our get-aways are taking on a more “family” focus. (Sigh. The truth can be quite painful to reflect upon.)
This year we took a family day trip by train up to SB and back. The family even expanded to include L and N’s beloved Aunt Claudia, who is for our children what massive quantities of sugar and caffeine are for many others. It was a beautiful day for a trip. We left the Glendale station right on time at 7:41 and arrived in SB about two and a half hours later. L and N were in a constant state of ecstasy/rapture. N echoed every “whooo whooooooo” and L managed to prattle and chat Aunt Claudia’s ear off – a considerable feat since Claudia is no wallflower herself.
We walked around State Street for a bit (the train station is right on State) and had lunch al fresco on the pier. Thanks to N and his French fries, no Santa Barbara pigeon will know want this winter.
After lunch we headed for the only logical place to confine our animals, the Santa Barbara zoo. All our trekking about was via the really cool downtown shuttles that cost only 25c a ride. On the way a lady on the bus thought L was so cute she gave her her straw flowered hat! I could immediately see Stacy’s mommy-brain reeling through the list of all possible communicable diseases transmitted via chapeau-sharing, but as of this writing L has maintained her glossy locks and general good health.
The zoo is always a big hit with L. She gets into all the animals, but her heart-felt favorite are the penguins. She was quite thrilled to see them well and honking contentedly in those near-Antarctic conditions of Santa Barbara. There was the general menagerie of usual suspects. L loved it all; N couldn’t have cared less.
One of the great things about telephoto lenses is that you can get some really silly pictures of people before they realize what you're doing... For example, Stacy's super-model hair tossing.
This year we took a family day trip by train up to SB and back. The family even expanded to include L and N’s beloved Aunt Claudia, who is for our children what massive quantities of sugar and caffeine are for many others. It was a beautiful day for a trip. We left the Glendale station right on time at 7:41 and arrived in SB about two and a half hours later. L and N were in a constant state of ecstasy/rapture. N echoed every “whooo whooooooo” and L managed to prattle and chat Aunt Claudia’s ear off – a considerable feat since Claudia is no wallflower herself.
We walked around State Street for a bit (the train station is right on State) and had lunch al fresco on the pier. Thanks to N and his French fries, no Santa Barbara pigeon will know want this winter.
After lunch we headed for the only logical place to confine our animals, the Santa Barbara zoo. All our trekking about was via the really cool downtown shuttles that cost only 25c a ride. On the way a lady on the bus thought L was so cute she gave her her straw flowered hat! I could immediately see Stacy’s mommy-brain reeling through the list of all possible communicable diseases transmitted via chapeau-sharing, but as of this writing L has maintained her glossy locks and general good health.
The zoo is always a big hit with L. She gets into all the animals, but her heart-felt favorite are the penguins. She was quite thrilled to see them well and honking contentedly in those near-Antarctic conditions of Santa Barbara. There was the general menagerie of usual suspects. L loved it all; N couldn’t have cared less.
One of the great things about telephoto lenses is that you can get some really silly pictures of people before they realize what you're doing... For example, Stacy's super-model hair tossing.
By the time we’d “done” the zoo we were all pretty wiped, so we hustled back to the station via the super shuttles and caught an earlier train home than we’d originally planned. N was out like a light on Mommy’s lap within 20 minutes, but L proceeded to work off Claudia’s other ear in the row behind us for the next two and a half hours. That allowed Stacy and I to pretend for an oh-so-short time that we were young, in love, and childfree. And our little mini-fantasy was blessed by one of the most beautiful starboard sunsets of all time.
1 comment:
You are a talented photographer (as well as painter, gardener, writer, elder, husband, father, not necessarily in that order) and I enjoyed seeing and reading about your SB trip. We love the central coast as well and SB zoo is our favorite of zoos so far. We just went to Birmingham zoo on Friday where the kids and I passed some time while Paul was at a conference. On the drive from here to there, we went through ATL and because of you, Georgia Tech got a pointing out as we drove by. "Mr. Perkins went to school there!", Paul cried out as we sped past at the fastest speed allowed by law. Then I see you wearing The Shirt in your blog pic at the pier. Too funny! Say hi to esposa for me.
Sylvia
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