Day 4, Monterey & Back to Santa Barbara

Woak up this morning and went for a drive threw Pacific Grove. My Mom would absolutely love this place! It was the most enchanting, mystical and charming little place I've ever seen. The asphalt was paved over the roots of some of the huge trees so you could see the bumps on the ribbony roads. The town was on a hill leading down to the ocean below guarded by a noble lighthouse. The sidewalks are walkway stones with huge pebbles, on the front steps of the homes there was soft green moss with cobblestone pathways. Each little home had something about it that captured your imagination. It poured out it's solice on us as we walked a few streets mesmerized by the blooming gardens around us. Gnomes could have walked out the front doors and I wouldn't have batted an eyelash. The fragrant smells taunted our senses, there were eucalyptus trees, cedar and many other varieties, not to mention the sweet smell that remind me of home that being the salt misty ocean air. It was an amazing peaceful retreat. It was so incredibly quaint and quiet. I felt invited to pray, yes this place seemed to invite me to pray thankful prayers for the comfort and joy that accompanied us while we were there. We went from little shop to little shop. Shane really liked the Bubba Gump outlet and restaurant.
The next thing I tell you isn't going to come as a surprise to you at all. We visited one of Thomas Kinkade's signature gallery's. There is a National Archive on Lighthouse Avenue of his original works. Seems this place was a huge inspiration to him.....and we know why! I got to touch his latest painting that was selling for a whopping 4000.00!!! It was called "A New Day At Cinderella Castle."
Thomas Kinkade signes the bottom of all of his paintings John 3:16. As a tribute to his wife Thom hides the letter "N" in all of his paintings. His daughters also find messages of love in his art as names and images ofter appear.
Monterey Country has played a role in almost 200 movies. They have a 2 hour tour of the filming sights but we didn't hear about it until much too late. Some of the movies filmed there included, The Adventures of Robin Hood, A Summer Place, The Voyage Home, Turner and Hooch, The Love Bug, (we seen alot of old buggies there) Cannery Row, The Count of Monte Christo and Treasure Island just to name a few.
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Dara, you would love the decorating schemes they have in some of the hotel rooms! So how about a Southern Pacific flair to one of your rooms? The room we are in right now is Blue aqua and chocolate latte!!!! It's beautiful!
Lori, We went for a beautiful walk to the Monarch Conservatory and they have migrated to a warmer spot farther south for the rest of the fall and winter months. I was so disappointed! They have butterflies on houses and flags all over the place.
We arrived in Santa Barbabra after a 4 hour drive and decided to stay here for the night. Shane had a shower and either the detergent they used on their towels or the soap irritated the sunburn he got on Long Beach. He was near crawling out of his skin so I had to soak towels in cold water to sooth it but it wasn't enough so I googled burn remedies and it said try shaving cream which didn't much help then I went to the front desk to ask if they happened to have and vinegar which of course they didn't but she pointed me toward a 7/11 down the road....so I ran outside my heart pounding in my throat with fear of running to a store 2 blocks away in the dark in the middle of Santa Barbara...I literally stopped and turned around at one point then prayed for safety as I ran for the store for a bottle of vinegar. I came back and soaked facecloths in it and it soothed his burn. He said it felt as if there were bugs crawling all over him. I felt so bad for the poor guy who is now sleeping like a baby! Dare I say....in total respect of Forest Gump, that when we were at Bubba Gump today he would agree he should have bought the t-shirt that said..."stupid is as stupid does"....lol SPF 45 anyone? Actually if they have 60 I'll take that!
Hope you enjoy today's pictures, they really don't do justice to what it really was like. The one other cool thing we seen a lot of was eagles flying over the fields of grapes. I could never get my camera out fast enough when we were driving to capture one.
See you back here tomorrow with the continuation of "Sugar and Spice on a Holiday...while waiting for their little Rice."