We awoke at FLYING FLAGS RV RESORT at a little after 9:00am. Checkout is not until noon, so we weren’t in any big rush. This place is beautiful and picturesque, and we were so convenient to the laundry and restrooms, but there were some things I wasn’t happy about. First of all, for some reason, they keep the doors to the men’s and women’s room propped open, and it’s unusually chilly this week, so it was FREEZING in the bathroom. Even if it’s 65 degrees, that’s still a cold toilet seat!!!!!
I also wash up every night (Eric takes a shower; I just wash up and take my showers in the morning) and the water in the sinks wouldn’t get hot no matter how long I let it run. I’ve noticed that problem in some campgrounds. I guess they save money by keeping the thermostat really low on the sinks, and just give you hot water in the showers. It’s no fun washing your face with cold water, while standing in a cold bathroom, so I wasn’t thrilled.
I found out this morning that the showers were nice, and they have paper towels, which is very important to me, so they get a “thumbs up” in that regard, but I still didn’t want to stay another day.
You may be wondering why I love paper towels in the bathroom so much. It’s because I like to put them down on the floor when I take a shower, so I don’t step out of the shower onto a dirty floor. I step on the paper towels, dry off my feet and put my shoes back on. Also, I like to dry off all my accoutrements (shampoo, conditioner, etc.) before putting them back in my little green plastic basket, so if I have paper towels, I don’t have to use my own bath towel. Okay, I’m fussy, I admit it!
I feel like after 10,000 miles and 90 days I could write a book called “Campgrounds We have Known,” but I’m sure any RV’er could do the same. I know we’ve stayed in at least 40 different campgrounds, but I will do a final count when we’re settled in San Diego. Some campgrounds are fabulous – luxurious and with wonderful amenities; some are nice – clean and friendly; some are okay; some leave a LOT to be desired. This one was REALLY nice except for the freezing cold bathrooms and lack of hot water in the sinks!
Since I wasn’t thrilled with the amenities at this place and I thought it was a waste of time and gas to go 42 miles to Santa Barbara and then go 42 miles back up to Buellton, just to go 42 miles back down tomorrow (on our way to Los Angeles), I found us another place to stay tonight, which is 46 miles south of Santa Barbara.
When we were in Santa Barbara on our honeymoon, 23 years ago, we had the BEST time. It was so beautiful, so quaint, so lovely and clean, so luxurious. We were very curious to see how it would be so many years later.
Eric still had a very bad headache this morning, so I made him an appointment for a massage in Santa Barbara at CAMILLE, the day spa and salon, right on State Street. That’s the main strip in Santa Barbara and the street where they hold the annual Summer Solstice Parade, which is VERY popular.
When Eric and I arrived here 23 years ago, it was Summer Solstice and we got to see the parade, which is a very big deal here. It was really fun. We had perfect timing in so many ways on our Honeymoon.
For instance, the day we left San Francisco, the cable cars were coming back after being renovated for 2 years. They had a big celebration in Union Square Park, which was right across the street from the St. Francis Hotel, where we were staying. We got to enjoy the whole celebration, including Tony Bennett singing “I Left My Heart in San Francisco!”
While Eric gets his massage, I’m getting a cut and color. I’m VERY jealous that I’m not getting a massage, but I don’t need it the way he does, and at least I’m getting something accomplished! I just hope this helps him, as this is his third day with the headache, and he’s no fun at all when he feels this bad (don’t tell him I said that).
Eric agreed to let me drive to Santa Barbara, since his head was really hurting, and it’s just 42 miles on 101 South, so he relaxed in the back while I drove. It was really a beautiful drive. Mountains on the left; ocean on the right – but far enough away that I wasn’t afraid I’d drive off a cliff. It was smooth sailing, and we arrived by 1:30pm. I immediately found a Starbucks and then we parked on a side street and Eric rested while I went shopping! I window shopped at some clothing stores, art galleries, book stores and children’s stores.
Then, just my luck – I found a fabulous vintage shop right on State Street around the corner from where we parked! VICTORIAN VOGUE & COSTUME is a huge store that not only sells costumes, clothing, shoes, purses, jewelry, accessories and wigs, but also rents them!
I spoke to the two young girls running the shop and they told me that they are moving within a few weeks to another location further up on State Street. I know it will be a HUGE job to move all their merchandise, because this place is packed from floor to ceiling and the store is really big.
You can imagine my shock when I saw they had a giant leopard shoe chair -- just like the one I had in MY shop (see photo, above, of the one I owned)! I told them about mine and said it was such a great conversation piece. I sometimes regret that I sold it, but knew it really wasn't the kind of thing I would have shipped to San Diego!
Their store is really organized and everything is beautifully displayed. There are racks and racks of clothing, and each rack is organized by decade. I found an adorable dress on the ‘50s rack, which was only $24. I tried it on and it doesn’t quite fit, but I know it will as soon as I lose a few pounds, so I bought it. I figured $24 isn’t a big investment, even if I stay fat!!
They had costume jewelry that had me drooling – a really beautiful collection – but I resisted. I don’t know how I managed to be so strong, but I was!!! I told them about my shop and gave them my business card. I don’t know if they’ll check me out, but I’m proud of what I accomplished in PEPPY’S DREAM and love my website (my friend, Katie, does such a wonderful job), so I’m happy to show off!
At 4:00pm we went to CAMILLE. They started Eric off with a sauna (which he didn’t like) and I got my roots touched up. Marie, who did my hair, was adorable and we talked about life in New York, Santa Barbara, San Diego and thereabouts. I told her that Eric and I honeymooned here 23 years ago. I asked her if "Litte Audrey's" was still on State Street and she laughed, because she remembered it well, but said it closed about 12 years ago and there was an Indian restaurant there now. I was so disappointed. I told her we stood in front of that restaurant when we watched the Summer Solstice Parade. Alas, time marches on.
After his sauna, Eric took a fast shower and then had an hour massage. After my touch-up I got a trim, and read magazines for a while until he came out. He felt better, but not much. I was hoping for a miraculous recovery, like he had when Rosemary gave him a massage in New York. She’s the only one so far who really had an impact on his condition.
I had found out from Marie that the restaurant we ate at 23 years ago (Chuck’s Waterfront Grill) was still open, so I was hoping Eric would feel well enough to go there for dinner. Unfortunately, he didn’t and we had a 45 mile drive to Santa Paula to FAR WEST RESORTS, so we just got back in the RV and headed south on 101.
This campground sits on 70 acres and includes tent camping and RVs. It is one of those campgrounds in the middle of nowhere, which I don’t like at all. I much prefer the ones in urban settings, some of which are a block off the highway or freeway (even if they’re around the corner from the railroad).
This one was about 6 miles off the highway, on roads that had no lights at all – just reflectors on the ground. If there weren’t good signs we would have been sunk because, for some reason, Betty told us to go left when the signs pointed right. Although we usually have all the faith in the world in our GPS system, we ignored her and followed the signs (which, of course, were right).
There was no one in the office when we pulled up, but there was a sign that said to push the red button and speak into the intercom. Believe it or not, someone spoke back and they soon appeared. I registered and we drove to our site. The first thing we did was go to the bathrooms. It was so dark we EACH had to hold a flashlight.
The building was only about 200 feet away, but you had to climb up about 30 cement steps (no exaggeration) to get to the “clubhouse” where there were two private bathrooms, each with a sink, toilet and shower, and a big room where some old ladies were playing cards. Thank goodness Eric was with me, because the faucet in the bathroom was the kind that you have to hold down to get water to come out. It’s almost impossible to wash your face with one hand, while the other is keeping the water going, so he held it down while I washed up, and then I did the same for him.
Oh, I forgot to mention. I was going to take a shower (I like to take a shower after getting my hair cut, because I feel all “hairy”), but the showers require quarters and, since we didn’t know in advance, we didn’t bring any money with us. Eric offered to go all the way back to the RV to get some, but I figured I could just wait until morning. He’s so good, even when he’s in pain!
We walked back to the RV and heated up leftovers for dinner. My leftovers were from breakfast in Gilroy. His were from dinner at Pea Soup Anderson’s last night in Buellton. It’s funny how we sometimes have leftovers from different towns, and even different states! Knock wood, the fridge has been working lately!
Now, if I just had something for dessert…
We have no cable, so Eric just went straight to sleep. We’re both hoping and praying that he feels a lot better in the morning. If he does, we may go back to Santa Barbara to walk around State Street and have lunch or dinner at that restaurant. If not, we will just head south and I will drive.
If this place was closer to civilization, and it wasn’t so far to the bathrooms, we might have stayed another day, but this is one of those places where you go to “get away from it all,” and that’s not what we’re looking for.
I told Eric I think this place would be a good setting for a horror movie. He said it was just because it was dark, but it’s more than that. It’s the fact that you have to go so far just to tinkle! I could just see some poor girl returning from the bathrooms in the middle of the night, walking down the cement steps, when suddenly she senses someone behind her. She turns to see a madman rushing at her with a knife (or hatchet or ax or something sharp and menacing). She starts to run down the steps, but they’re very steep and she’s wearing flip-flops. She trips and falls. I haven’t thought beyond that, but you have to admit – it’s scary!
Now, Eric’s sleeping and I’ve creeped myself out. I have to go lock the back door. Help me!!