R V having fun yet?
12 January 2008Sorry to have missed a week of travel. I thought I had posted from our previous stop, but I see I did not. I have a few mailing lists that receive postings as we travel, and sometimes I forget what we post where.
The weekend in Santa Barbara was very good, if soggy. We celebrated Shabbos, and I went to services at Chabad of S. Barbara. As usual, I enjoy Rabbi Loschak’s services. Also enjoyed meeting Rabbi Mendel Loschak, who operates the Chabad at UCSB, as well as Rabbi Zalman, who runs the preschool.
Santa Barbara is always a nice town to explore, and we got out a little on Saturday night and Sunday.
On Monday, we traveled north, with minimal planning, and wound up in Lompoc. We stayed at the Elks Lodge, as usual. Lompoc is a very nice small town. Nicer than I expected. Small business – including a nice used bookstore, independent coffee shop, some enjoyable restaurants, etc. This is also a Mural town. Like 29 Palms and others, the towns is decorated by murals on the walls of both public and private businesses. We stayed for three nights. I worked. We tried to go to the Lompoc Museum, but it was closed for two weeks due to roof repairs.
On Thursday, we traveled north to Monterey, where we are encamped in the Monterey Elks Lodge. I attended services at Cong. B’Nai Torah, a conservative affiliated shul. The shul is lay-led. No rabbi. There are a bunch of well-skilled people who can lead services, read the Torah, etc. I was made very welcome, and I highly recommend a visit, for those who are comfortable in a conservative movemen, egalitarian, setting. One thing to note: Their website says 9:15. They actually start at 10.
A few good restaurant recommendations:
- American Host Restaurant, 113 N I St # D, Lompoc, CA 93436, (805) 735-5188. We had an excellent breakfast at this hole-in-the-wall, a block off the main drag.
- There is a really good mexican place in the Safeway shopping center on Canal Street in King City. I really wish I remembered the name. It’s located right at the entrance, near the pizza place, the Rite-Aid and the coffee shop.
- La Giostra (Tuscan Italian Restaurant), 1244 Munras Ave, Monterey, CA 93940, (831) 917-2661. A fine dinner. Minestrone was done so well. The broth was thick, and almost creamy, not watery at all. The vegetables were all fresh and crisp. Roseann had Penne Pasta with Mozzarella. It was not a melted cheese dish, but rather a pasta in sauce dish with small nuggets of fresh whole milk mozzarella cheese. I had a dish with shells, chicken, roasted garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms in a white wine cream sauce. Very, very, tasty. We skipped desert, reluctantly.
Soon we’ll be back in San Jose. Thanks for riding along.
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