Outside of Santa Barbara, up the San Marcos Pass, there is a former stagecoach stop. The Cold Spring Tavern, built in 1868, brings one back in time to the Old West.
Cold Spring Tavern, opened in 1868.
A scenic drive led to this now popular restaurant where reservations are needed. We had lunch reservations set for 11:30 a.m., as soon as it opened.
The Cold Spring Tavern, a Wells Fargo stagecoach stop.
It sits all by itself on this old stagecoach route, on Stagecoach Road. We found parking in the rocky, rutty unpaved parking lot that held about ten cars. After the lot is full, cars line the streets for a long way…which was the case by the time we left.
The bar portion of Cold Spring Tavern.
I love eating outdoors, and this restaurant offered outdoor seating, but I thought it would be more of a unique experience to eat inside this original tavern. It had multiple, small rooms.
There are several rooms inside this tavern. We were seated in the room with the fireplace.
We were led to a room with a stone fireplace, and the fire was blazing. It was windy and cool outside so the fire felt good, and added much to the ambiance. We had the room to ourselves for a short while. We placed our order and sat back to relax in this unique and quiet setting. The food was tasty.
This outdoor space, in the back of the tavern, is used for receptions etc. The building in this picture is a road gang house, built for the Chinese road gang who built the toll road through the San Marcos Pass.
The sign for the Road Gang House.
We know friends from Northfield who were married at the Cold Spring Tavern, back in 1973. We thought of them while we were there.
The Cold Spring Tavern.
After lunch we drove another route home, through wine country and then back to Santa Barbara, along the Pacific Ocean.
In the past we have not usually acknowledged Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, which is the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins, but we did celebrate the occasion this year. When we arrived in Dunedin, where our friends now live in Florida, a Mardi Gras parade was scheduled for that evening.
The parade route was blocks from their house so we walked over to join the fun. Our friends had a few Mardi Gras parades “under their belt” because their daughter lives in New Orleans, so Sue dug out her box of goodies labeled “Mardi Gras” and we donned some extra embellishments before we headed out.
I did not know, but at Mardi Gras parades the MO (mode of operation) is to throw out sparkly beaded necklaces…and when you catch one (or miss it and pick it up off the street) you collect them around your neck. They are plentiful, and we had accumulated a lot by the end of the parade.
The parade was at night, which meant the floats and displays were all lit up with multi-colored lights. I’m a fan of color and I really enjoyed seeing the beautiful lighted processions. It was fun to catch the jewels too.
There was a very large turnout for this parade. The parade route ended at a city park where there were plenty of concessions stands and other forms of entertainment to participate in after the parade.
We experienced some colorful adventures on our trip. One being in the “American Sign Museum” in Cincinnati, Ohio.
After seeing some neon sign pictures recently, I became intrigued. I wondered if there was a neon sign museum anywhere in the U.S. I searched the internet and found a few…the largest being The Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, California. There was also The National Sign Museum in The Dalles, Oregon, The Neon Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio and The Lost Highway Museum (a private collection in Washington).
Note: 15 cent hamburgers!
I thought if our undetermined route takes us near Cincinnati, it might be possible to check out the American Sign Museum on our way home from our recent roadtrip…and we did. The museum is small (it’s hoping to expand) but it was full of fun signs (not all neon) and signage history.
We enjoyed our time looking at all the different types and styles of signs and we felt it was worth the stop. I would consider going to other sign museums, if there was an opportunity to do so.
I was impressed by all the figures neon signs could portray. They are truly works of art. Each one unique.
Color, color… wonderful, bright color.
Who knew it would be so interesting to see a collection of old signs, but it was!
It is great to know neon signs continue to be crafted.
On our way out of town, we drove past this old Dairy Queen with its own antique signage.
Color, color… so much color. This was one of two colorful adventures on this trip. Stay tuned for another one.
On our February road trip through the southeastern states, we met up with a lot of friends and family. We pre-planned, or made last minute plans, to connect with folks that either lived in the areas we visited, or they were visiting the same areas in the south where we were. Our two intended sightseeing destinations were Charleston, South Carolina and St. Augustine, Florida.
The historic Inn where we stayed in the carriage house, out back.
We stayed in a beautiful carriage house in the historic district of Charleston, South Carolina. It rained the first day we were there, but the inn provided umbrellas so we went on our merry way, walking around the city, and to the Charleston Museum which was very interesting.
Our lovely Bed & Breakfast room on the second floor of a restored carriage house in Charleston, South Carolina.
We toured a WWII aircraft carrier (the Yorktown) in Charleston which we found intriguing and worthwhile.
USS Yorktown is an aircraft carrier built during World War II for the United States Navy. It is located on Patriot’s Point in Charleston, SC.
We went on a horse-drawn carriage ride (on a nice, sunny day).
The Belgium-draft horse, Moultrie, took us for a ride on a carriage around town.
We walked along Rainbow Row (named for a series of thirteen colorful historic row houses in Charleston), and ate some great seafood.
Rainbow Row in Charleston, SC.
Charleston is nicknamed the holy city because of its number of church spires that dot its skyline.
St. Michael’s Church, Charleston, SC.
St. Michael’s is one of the churches with a steeple, built in the 1750’s. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. George Washington worshipped there one time, as did Robert E. Lee. It continues to have an active congregation today.
Inside St. Michael’s church.
It’s a stunning white church that stands out. It is gorgeous! During the revolutionary war, the steeple was painted black for disguise. For more of its colorful history click here: St. Michael’s Church.
A friend recommended I read the book Celia Garth prior to our visit to Charleston. It is a historical fiction novel by Gwen Bristow written in 1959. The narrative takes place in Charleston during the revolutionary war. The author provided me some orientation to the town, and a lot of its history. The story was fun to envision as we walked along the cobblestone streets.
An amazing mural painted on the side a a brick building, near the stables.
The beautiful, spacious front porch of the inn where we stayed in Charleston.
Charleston is s charming city.
St. Augustine, on the northeast coast of Florida, was an exciting place to visit too. It is the oldest city in the U.S., and is known for its Spanish colonial architecture. We enjoyed walking around this city, which is our preferred mode of transportation. The beautiful buildings and quaint shops and old city gate were all fun to see.
Flager College, established in 1968 in the former, luxury Ponce De Leon Hotel.
We toured the Castillo de San Marcos fort, a 17th-century Spanish stone fortress.
Castillo de San Marcos.
The drawbridge over the moat around the fort.
We climbed up 219 steps of the historic 1874 St. Augustine Lighthouse.
St. Augustine Lighthouse.
Looking up the spiral staircase in the lighthouse.
At the top of the lighthouse….
And we ate more great seafood.
We had a delicious dinner at this restaurant on the ocean in St. Augustine.
Our long shadows on an Atlantic ocean beach in St. Augustine.
Although I had not read a book about St. Augustine before our trip (it was referred to several times in Celia Garth), we throughly enjoyed our visit to the oldest city in the United States.
I liked this fountain. The masks that decorate this fountain was a gift to the City of St. Augustine (in 2005) by its sister city in Spain, the City of Avilés, birthplace of Pedro Menéndez, founder of St. Augustine in 1565.
We have arrived safely home from our 4,690 miles road trip, through eleven states in southeastern US. We saw a lot of beauty in nature, and beauty in the many friends and family we were able to visit. We are grateful all went well, and we had a great time!
There have been unusual weather patterns all across the country. It was warm here in Minnesota during February, with little snow fall. And it was cooler than normal in the southeast, where we were.
February 26, 2024 in Iowa.
In Iowa Monday night, February 26, it was 72* and we ate dinner outside on a restaurant patio.
February 28, 2024 in Minnesota.
But our welcome home present was a cold snap. As we drove closer to Northfield the next day, the temperature kept dropping. When we arrived home we unloaded our car in 25* temperatures. It also started snowing. Sigh. We woke up to 5*!
It is predicted to remain cold for one day and then the temperatures will start climbing back up again. What a roller coaster. I wonder what kind of weather March will bring?
While visiting with our friends near Clearwater, FL they thought we would like to visit the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, and they were right.
We enjoyed seeing the beautiful coastal birds, which included owls, egrets, herons, and several other birds we see back in Minnesota.
We walked alongside this beautiful great egret.
Up close and personal with a great egret.
Bald eagles get around.
Although most of the birds in the sanctuary have been injured somehow, it was great to see them recovering and walking or flying around…some up close and personal.
A juvenile brown pelican.
A black-crowned night heron.
Many of the birds were in enclosures by themselves, or in large pens with multiple birds. Some were walking the grounds and others were flying freely.
One example of an enclosure for multiple birds.
White pelicans.
Of course, the risk is one may get bombed with a plop of bird poop. One such plop landed on our friend’s cell phone.
Two sandhill cranes.
The sandhill cranes were in an enclosed pen, but I was able to zoom in for a picture. I’ve only seen them in flight, or in a field before, so it was special to see them so close.
Some of the birds may be perfectly healthy, but they know where to find an easy, free meal. Part of the sanctuary is open to the seashore, along the intercoastal waterway.
An juvenile ibis.
A double-crested cormorant.
I’m grateful for the people who run this small, but intimate bird sanctuary that is free and open to the public (donations accepted). It’s a way to help the birds, and to introduce the birds to anyone who stops by.
Dipping our toes into the gulf waters.
A serene photo of a sailboat on the beautiful water.
One of the attractions in Charleston, South Carolina is an old, oak tree named the Angel Oak Tree. I’m not sure how it got its name…maybe because of its huge canopy of overarching branches offering protection. It is a Southern live oak, which is different than your “ordinary oak” tree.
Photo of a promotional video from the breakfast room.
“The Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana), also known simply as the live oak, gets its name from the fact that, unlike other oaks, it doesn’t lose its leaves in the autumn. Live oaks are native to the Southeastern coast of the United States.”*
The massive trunk of the Angel Oak tree.
We like trees and decided to drive the extra miles out of town, to visit this majestic tree. It did not disappoint. Surprisingly, it is down a rutty, dirt road.
Warning signs were posted many places along the chainlink fence surrounding the tree.
We knew we had arrived when we saw a high, chainlink fence outlining the circumference of the tree, with signs saying this property is protected and patrolled. We noticed the surveillance cameras too. The area is free and open to the public during the day, but closed and gated at night.
Gary standing near the Angel Oak tree.
This is all good. We contrasted this to the Sycamore Gap tree next to Hadrian’s Wall where we hiked last fall, in England. That sycamore tree stood tall and majestic also, and was 200-300 years old, standing alone in the gap, for anyone to enjoy. A national treasure, for Great Britian. Unfortunately, two weeks after we sat under that beautiful Sycamore tree, vandals came and cut it down! Hopefully that will not happen to the Angel Oak Tree in South Carolina.
Large branches touching the ground.
Looking out from the trunk at this branch on the ground.
The Angel Oak tree is a national treasure. It is 300-400 years old…some estimate even older. They say the tree is 65 feet high with a trunk circumference of 25.5 feet, shading an area of 17,000 square feet. Of course, I couldn’t capture the whole tree in one photo…but I did take several photos.
The beautiful red cardinal singing for us.
The Angel Oak tree was worth the extra effort to find. A cardinal serenaded us from a different tree, but he added extra joy to our experience. A new baby tree has been sprouted from an acorn from the Angel Oak tree. It is three years old and grows in a pot next to the trunk, under the protecting branches of its mama.
This Baby Angel was planted in 2018 from an acorn fallen from the Angel Oak Tree.
Me and the big tree and the baby tree.
A magnificent stately tree.
Think of all this tree has lived through. Ah, the stories it could tell.
I never have given much thought to farm animals before I started feeding the amazing creatures at the farm where I help out about once a month. Often when I help out at this local farm, I tag along with their primary caretaker so I can keep current on the method to remember which animal gets what, and how much. Then, when the caretaker wants time away, I am solely responsible to feed the animals and get it right.
Farm quilt from the National Quilt Museum. January 2022
I agreed to help out this week long before I knew it would be so cold outside. I started worrying about how the animals survive during these days of frigid, subzero temperatures. I didn’t realize how much I have let these animals into my heart and care a lot about their welfare.
My favorites…the two horses, in May 2023. I didn’t take any photos of the animals on the frigid day in January.
I looked up how horses survive and I learned that horses grow a “new, longer hair coat. These winter hairs stand up, trapping tiny air pockets between them. The effect is like that of a thick, down-filled comforter with tremendous insulating quality.”*
“The boys.” Photo taken March 2022.
Then I looked up how donkeys survive in the cold temps and it said donkeys should have a suitable shelter, a structure of at least three sides, and it should be free from draughts, and be waterproof.*
One of the two goats. I have a hard time telling them apart. Photo from March 2022.
Finally, I looked up goats. For goats, they need a winter shelter that is dry and waterproof and out of the wind. Inside this shelter, the goats will stay warm even during the coldest weather.*
And that is how it played out the day I went to feed the animals on my own. The temperature managed to crawl to one degree above zero, but the windchill was 19 degrees below zero. Gary drove me out to the farm and provided a warming station (the truck) for me to tuck into between chores.
Beautiful Abbey. Photo taken July 2023.
When we arrived I got out of our truck and was greeted by the farm dog, a cute little guy. He ran up to welcome me, and I gave him lots of pats and rubs, and he in turn gave me lots of excited tail wags.
Then I looked in on the cats and they were safely tucked inside an out building…I added food to their bowls and checked their water. I made sure the cat door was locked for the night.
Best buddies, and brothers. Photo taken July 2023.
When I arrived at the horse and donkey pens, sure enough, the horses were standing outside waiting for their dinner, and “the boys” (two donkeys who are brothers) were staying warm in their three-sided shelter. I petted them all, talked to them while parceling out their hay, and checked to make sure their water hadn’t frozen over.
Anita. Photo taken July 2023.
At the goat pen, the two goats were also waiting for me in their shelter. I filled their food dishes and quickly placed them apart from each other before getting in the middle of the two hungry goats.
Last, but not least, the chickens were in the chicken coop, waiting for supper.
I really enjoy this little gig…I have always loved animals, but never had the chance to be around many farm animals. I’m grateful for this opportunity to care for them and to get to know them by name, and even talk with them!
*source of info: Wikipedia
P.S. I understand that this is fun for me because I do it occasionally. I pray for the caretaker who feeds and cares for the animals morning and evening, day in and day out, and on hot, sunny days and gray, subzero days!
There are millions of lights in Bentleyville. Here strings of lights were made to look like brick!
Tucked into the middle of a string of mild November days, was one unseasonably, frigid night when the temperature dipped to 9 degrees with windchills of -11*. And that is the night we had arranged to tour Bentleyville “Tour of Lights” in Duluth, Minnesota. When planning this adventure weeks before, we had no idea we’d be walking through this spectacular Christmas light display in freezing temperatures.
The full moon and the tall, center tree of Bentleyville, which changes colors constantly. photo by ta.
We packed all our warm winter gear and headed up to northern Minnesota. We had reserved a hotel room within walking distance of Bentleyville. It was a clear night with a beautiful full moon.
The full moon rising over Lake Superior (11/27/23, 5:33 pm)
As we left our hotel, the temperatures were dropping, and the winds were picking up, and we could feel the strong, freezing wind gusts (17 miles an hour).
We entered Bentleyville through this tunnel of lights.
A tree farm light display…
But we did it! We walked to the event. We walked all around the event in the cold. And we had fun, and felt a sense of accomplishment too. Bentleyville is an impressive place. Explore Minnesota informs that Bentleyville is America’s largest free walk-through (Christmas) lighting display.
So many lights and so much to see.
Bentleyville was celebrating its 20th anniversary. Nathan Bentley started the “Tour of Lights” in 2003 at his farm outside of Duluth. Each year he added more and more lights. It grew bigger and better every year, and of course, became more popular. Duluth’s Mayor invited him to move his display to the Bayfront Festival Park in 2008, and so he did.
One of my favorite light displays…there were many!
Another favorite: This ornament was stunning.
As we walked through tunnels of lights looking at all the different theme displays, cheerful Christmas music was playing making it even more festive…we could hardly mind the frigid temperatures.
This tunnel had pretty blue icicle lights.
Free cocoa, cookies and popcorn were handed out. There were fire pits burning in different places, but because the wind was so strong it was hard to get warm, even next to the fire.
One of the many fire pits around Bentleyville.
We did snap a few pictures, but quickly put our mittens back on…the fingers got cold very fast!
Because it was so cold outside, there was no line to see Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus.
Back at the hotel we took off our many layers of jackets and scarves, hats and mittens, and made ourselves some hot chocolate and sat by fireplace in the lobby. We felt invigorated, while warming up by the cozy fire.
A Viking Ship. So many displays including: a manger scene, the Duluth lift bridge, dinosaurs, Disney characters, sea creatures, and much more. I can’t even begin to describe how many lights displays there were.
A reindeer waving from a classic car.
We can say we had merry time in spite of the freezing temps – which just made it more memorable. We’re hardy Minnesotans after all!
During our time in Scotland we were on the lookout for the Highland Cattle, affectionately called Hairy Coos. After a few days we were excited to spot several of them in a field.
A Hairy Coo
They are unique creatures, with shaggy coats and long horns, and they originated in the Scottish Highlands. They are friendly and cute. One of them ate grass from my hand.
Such a friendly face!
Harry Coos are very popular on goods in the Scottish Highlands…from tins and magnets to coasters and towels and shopping bags…they are fun!
Of course we saw sheep…they seemed to be everywhere! Thousands of them…but I didn’t grow tired of seeing them…
They usually were in settings that were pastoral and calming.
Sheep sharing the path along Hadrian’s wall.
And I always like to see horses in a field…
Horses enjoying the sunshine…
And cattle…
Silhouettes of cattle in a field along Hadrian’s Wall.
We missed the peak season for the bright purple heather on the hillsides. I saw photos of heather in their prime season and it looked stunning…just like when we see the fall color peak in Minnesota.
Heather grows all over the hills and rocks.
But we did see a lot of heather past peak, and it was still pretty. The picturesque Scottish Highlands are a perfect backdrop for the muted colors of the heather.
More than the average colorful hydrangea’s in many places…blues and pinks and deep purples.
Deep purple and pink hydrangeas
Flower pots and window boxes are a bright spot when the weather is overcast and dreary, which they say is a lot of the time.
Colorful hanging flower baskets.
A flower box with a crown on top.
Rosebay willowherb was another wildflower that was in bloom.
Rosebay Willowherb in the forefront, along Loch Ness.
We also saw many rainbows during our time in Scotland. This full rainbow was taken on our last day, before we boarded our flight home.
Scotland bids us farewell with a beautiful rainbow.
