Outings

Last Saturday was spent outdoors.  I know, amazing, right?  My mom and I went to a BBQ for charter members of a botanical gardens project in the hills above our downtown.  We parked our car behind city hall and were shuttled up into the hills.  Our driver was an old friend so we chatted and laughed on the way up.

It was a bit hazy but there was no wind and it was a perfectly comfortable 70 degrees. This is looking south towards L.A.  That  mountain range in the distance is the Santa Monica Mountains (you can just make it out on the left middle portion of the photo.  I told you it was hazy!). 

We lunched on tri tip, chili, salad and garlic bread prepared by the Rotary Club, amid a colonnade of Peruvian pepper trees.

You hopefully can see the end of the pier sticking out, to the left of the tall building in the photo.  I showed you the pier up close here last week.

The Anacapa Islands are in the distance, about 13 miles off the coast.  The breaking waves seen beyond the palm trees in the foreground are at Surfer's Point, and there are always boards in the water.  See how steep this road is!

From the garden BBQ we walked down to view a new rock wall that is being built by master stonecrafters.  Someone had created this really cool balanced sculpture, which is about 3 feet high.

My mom and I couldn't help creating one of our own.  A bit less impressive, eh?

This is a dry stacked stone wall about 8 feet high and probably 60 feet long.  It is just beautiful.

The road leads to the Serra Cross Park.  Grant and I were married here 26 years ago.  Mom and I chatted with a couple who were at the cross planning their own wedding.  Father Serra, a Spanish Missionary who founded multiple missions in the state in the late 1700's, placed the original cross at this site.  It has since been replaced several times.  The city was forced to sell the property due to a lawsuit for separation of church and state, and now it will become part of an ambitious botanical gardens plan.

Mom and I decided to walk back to our car, down the very steep, narrow road.  We enjoyed vistas like this the whole way.

This archway is the entrance to Grant Park and sometime in the future the botanical gardens.

The plan covers a very large area of the hillside and has many hiking trails.  Proposals also include a cafe and picnic areas.  

My hiking partner.  Today is her birthday.  Happy Birthday, Mom!

We both loved this Craftsman style house at the bottom of the steepest part of the road.  Wish my photos were better.

 I had fun with Picasa making this shot look like a tinted postcard.  Hope you enjoyed the tour!