a memorable beverage

A memorably pleasant beverage in Fillmore, CA.

Fillmore Library

To the credit of Roan Mills, they suggested that the public library a few blocks down would be a nice place to have our lunch. They were 100% correct. Shady tables, squeaky clean restrooms, perfect weather - what more could we ask for?

Historic Downtown Fillmore

Our purpose was the check out Roan Mills Bakery but since there was nowhere to sit it turned into a mini tour of the downtown. Both the bakery and the historic downtown were great.

some Finney's beverages

mega-crossword

top o' Seneca

The way it looks in the late afternoon.

vultures relocated

For those wondering where the local vultures went, they seem to have relocated to this eucalyptus grove at the top of Seneca. The more I looked, the more I saw. A group of perching vultures is called a committee (whereas when flying they are known as a kettle).

Singing Sun xeriscaping

The new Singing Sun Coffee on the Avenue is beautifully designed and landscaped - although xeriscaped is the more accurate term for this kind of drought-tolerant landscaping. 

Magritte cards

The overlooked Magritte cards.

21st century hummingbird

Probably the closest I have ever gotten photographing a hummingbird. I'm convinced that these 21st century hummingbirds are tamer than their 20th century counterparts. Today's hummingbirds spend more time perching and chilling out.

game medley

a lovely image

Whether you focus on the bike path or the "Yes on 50" sign, this is to me a lovely image. 

Ficelle BYOM era

This blog post honors the brief period when we actually did "bring our own mugs" to Cafe Ficelle so as to enjoy the drinks better and get a miniature discount. Now they are serving drinks in real mugs, so this is just a quaint memory.

Annie Chun's repackaged

After a brief absence the famous Annie Chun's noodles resurfaced with a new package and a supposedly new recipe. They tasted fine to me, but now I can't find it again. What with the growing concern about microplastics and processed foods in general, it may well be that the golden age of Annie Chun's is behind us. Time will tell.

more vinegar weed

Roaming around Ojai Meadows I was struck by the amount of vinegar weed I saw - not just in a few isolated spots but all throughout the meadow (probably how nature intended this native plant to grow). Previously I had always encountered them in isolation.

Krishnamurti on nature

Basil Thai

 

Another good Paso pit stop.

Phoebe's

Phoebe's, the cafe in the Phoebe Hearst Social Hall, is not surprisingly named after Phoebe Hearst - matriarch of the Hearst dynasty. Her story is seen here on the wall of the cafe.

Henry Miller art exhibit

We hadn't realized it, but it soon became apparent that Asilomar was hosting a conference on the famous Big Sur author Henry Miller along with an exhibit of his artwork. Well you don't see that every day so we made a point of popping into the exhibit, which was in a part of Asilomar that I had never seen.

 

Grill at Point Pinos finale

We were shocked to learn the the Grill at Point Pinos, which proved to be such a success, was set to close for no other reason than a rent increase. So we made a point of going there for breakfast as a bittersweet swan song to what was a great golf course dining experience. 

Victorian Corner revisited

We had been here for breakfast and possibly lunch, but this was - to the best of my knowledge - the first time we came here for dinner and had ravioli. It worked.

California Seltzer Co. revisited

Loved our first visit here, especially the well designed interior. For some reason the inside wasn't available due to a "special event", so we were left to contend with the hopelessly fickle weather - too hot and bright in the sun, too cold and windy in the shade. The view was nice though.

Crocker Dining Hall

I had seen the inside of this dining hall on Huell Howser and wanted to have the actual experience of eating here. It has the atmosphere of a school cafeteria or National Park lodge. It is a magnificent wooden space, stately but casual. The breakfast was decent but nothing fancy.

Red House Café

We had been here for breakfast and possibly for lunch, but this was definitely our first time here for dinner and absolutely the first time we ever had their apple pie. As an apple pie enthusiast, I was happy. 

another wooden hotel key

This was only the second time I'd encountered a wooden hotel key card. The first was at the Royal York in Toronto. They're made from some fast-growing, renewable wood like balsa or bamboo. Hopefully this environmentally friendly practice goes mainstream.

Asilomar boardwalk

The boardwalk down to the beach is a nice feature of this place.

the "Lodge" at Asilomar

Above, the lobby of "Lodge". The old building belongs to the golden era of American lodges, when so many great ones were built in the National and State Parks. The buildings back then were sometimes smaller but had more character.

Asilomar lodging

Mrs. had the original idea of staying at Asilomar, which was interesting, cost effective and spartan. These photos perfectly capture the blend of natural beauty and austerity that Asilomar famously embodies. The building we stayed in, called "Lodge", was designed by Julia Morgan and built around 1918.