Mezzanine revisited

The famous Mezzanine at the Hotel Corque. I think last year we just called it the "lobby". Now we know better. Still a great place to read and do crosswords.

Craft House 2026

 

I remember being in a pizza mood and this Pizza Bianca with multiple kinds of cheese plus roasted garlic and herbs seemed to be a winner. The crispy-thin gluten free crust was perfect in my book and the flavor was good but could have had a touch more umph. Side salads and a Strawberries Wild mocktail rounded out the meal.

an excellent balcony

 

The only flaw with this otherwise excellent balcony was the near total lack of privacy if your neighbor chose to enjoy it at the same time. But I guess if you were eager to meet others that could be a good thing. Can't argue with the scenery though...

an excellent pool revisited

 

The second best pool of 2025, the way it looked in 2026. Hotel Corque in Solvang, CA.

Dean 2026

We hadn't been here in quite a few years so when an investigation of Goleta's new Cajé Coffee location didn't pan out, this was a good solution. One of us had a giant mocha.

Mendocino Farms

This popular food chain opened their 100th location in Santa Barbara so we just had to see what all the shouting was about... In a nutshell it's about good food.

a late summer's night Quiddler

A rousing game of Quiddler. Or maybe a quiet game of Quiddler. Perhaps it was a bit of both. We both "played to win" and as a result there was some pretty fierce competition.