Dave gets up, unplugs and heads out, with the rest of us still asleep. We need some time to relax and getting an early start on things seems to be the best way to get some afternoon down time. I have to remind myself of this, as I fly around the motorhome getting yet another bruise and bump. I’m much nicer after a cup of coffee. I call around to a few RV parks in Santa Barbara, realizing it is a Saturday night. They’re all booked. Yikes! Finally, I find a tiny 33 site park that has room for us. This should be interesting!
We drive through Paso Robles and see all the cute wineries along the way. No…we don’t stop, but were tempted!
We stopped in Solvang, for our Danish heritage experience. It’s a cute little Danish village/ tourist trap, if you haven’t been there before. Unfortunately, it is HOT! Having spent the last two weeks trying to stay warm and the kids in sweatshirts, we’re ultra sensitive to the heat. Should make returning to AZ a lot of fun!
We have a traditional Danish lunch of meatballs, sausages and red cabbage. Mmmmm. Afterward, we get some of the local homemade ice cream, where Carter throws an all out tantrum over his rapidly melting cone. So here we are…sweaty and irritated, pushing a screaming child around in a stroller with three other grumpy kids in tow. People are beginning to stare and point. We step into a toy store to cool off. Within two minutes, the shopkeeper comes over and tells our kids to “put things back where you found them” and begins to put things away (presumably some kids before us had them out…but we’re guilty because we’re here and we’re kids). Both Dave and I’s feathers ruffle immediately. Why on earth would you open a store called The Children’s Toy Shoppe and not want children to actually come in? Homesick for the amazing toy store in downtown Coeur d’Alene called Figpickers, we announce it is time to leave.
It is time to get out of Solvang before things go from bad to worse. We’re in motion a few minutes before Carter is sleeping…well, like a baby! We drive for what seems like forever when we finally roll into Santa Barbara.
Downtown is bustling with adorable shops, cafes and street musicians. This is not the day for exploring, but I make a note to myself that this would be a wonderful mommy-daddy getaway someday.
We drive through a neighborhood with a bit of ghetto flair and find our RV park. It is a gravel lot next to the freeway. Right next to the freeway. We check in and decide to drive down to the beach area. After circling a bit, we find a spot to park our big rig and walk out to the pier. Hannah is begging to rent one of the bicycle powered carts and we finally break down and do it. It ends up being a wonderful, goofy time, with Carter and Jack screaming with delight in the front.
We find a casual restaurant overlooking the ocean called The Endless Summer Grill, with live music. They tuck us in right next to the musician, which is nice, because we don’t have to worry about the kids bugging anyone. Another little girl is dancing in front of the singer. They actually have salmon on the kid’s menu, so all three order it. It reminds us of a lovely night in Maui. Boats bob up and down in the harbor just out the window. Santa Barbara is nothing short of lovely.
Our sparse RV park, which is the reason we were forced to go hang out on the beach and have the perfect evening, is welcome respite. We tuck in and fall asleep to the sound of the highway.
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