Holiday Traditions

There are many things to like and dislike about the holidays.   For some those are one in the same, some people love shopping, some people hate it, some love travel, some hate travel and so on.  For me, one of my favorite things about the holidays in getting to connect with dear friends.   I love the traditions I have with them.   It's those friends that have been in your life through the good times, the celebrations, the bad times, the heart breaks, the ones you did some crazy things you probably shouldn't have done.   They are the friends that you don't see or talk to everyday.  In fact  you may go weeks or even months without catching up.  But when you do finally get together, you pick up like it was yesterday.  They take you back to a different time, a different place.

It all started on Tuesday 12/22.  I met a group of friends for dinner.   We ate, we drank, we ate some more, we reminisced and as always, they made me laugh til my stomach hurt!   After three hours of fun, I so hated to say goodbye, especially knowing all of us would probably not be together again as a group until this time next year.  Gathering for a meal with this crazy group is one of my favorite holiday traditions.

 The only that made leaving this crazy group easier was knowing I was hopping in the car for a road trip the next morning to see another great group to keep up yet another holiday tradition.   As I type this, I'm sitting in a "cabin" nestled in the Russian River Valley waiting for the rest of my friends to awake.  

Our holiday tradition is to "get away" and celebrate the holidays together.   Our get away shave been anywhere from South America, to Finland or even just a few days in some of the most beautiful locations California has to offer.  I look forward to eating, drinking and catching up with this group as well.

We all have holiday traditions, but spending time with dear friends is truly one of Traveling Hillbilly's favorites!   What's your favorite tradition?

Finally time to reflect...

These few days away meant a lot to me.  I got to spend time with my best pal, Lucy Grace.   I got to relax poolside and even got in time for some writing.  It was nice not having an agenda or having to run from one place to another, but the time off just wasn't enough.

Ojai is a special place for me.    We took my Mom here for a few days the first time she ever came to visit me in LA.   She loved the place and we had such a great time.  It was great to come back to a place where I have such fond memories of my Mom and I thought of her often.   I know she was here with me, enjoying the peace and calm that is Ojai.  From the early morning walks around the grounds to the time spent at the spa, I could feel her presence.   It really made it hard to leave.   I can't wait to go back again.  Maybe a long weekend in the fall Mom? 

Finding some peace, still seeking the calm...

I have several friends who say it always takes them 3 or 4 days to unwind when they go on vacation.  I’ve never been one of those people.   I’m usually in vacation mode, as soon as I’m at the gate at the airport.  However, for some reason on this trip, I have not been able to get in vacation mode and let go.  As much as I was counting down the days, I still haven’t been able to completely relax.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying my time here but I arrived in Ojai on Sunday and it’s already Wednesday.   I can’t believe how fast time has gone by.  I need a few more days. 

While I’ve had no real agenda and have not been running at a hectic pace, my days still feel a little too structured.   I enjoy being able to take a workout class in the middle of the day, or even at 10am but somehow it makes me feel scheduled.   My mind is not truly at rest, I still don't feel the sense of calm I was so desperately seeking.

Maybe I should spend the day in bed tomorrow or maybe I should have planned for 2 weeks!

When Does the Relaxation Actually Begin?

The Traveling Hillbilly needed a little quiet time to relax and recharge.  The plan was to head to Ojai for several days with no agenda, no to do list!   I couldn't wait to get on the road first thing Saturday get to Ojai and spend the next several days doing nothing, but hiking, lounging by the pool, taking the dog for some long walks.   My planned relaxation would be a little longer coming.  First, the hotel was sold out on Saturday.  Not to be deterred, I booked a room at the Four Seasons Westlake Village.  I made plans to meet some friends for dinner in the area and thought this will be a great start to my time off.   Unfortunately this Four Seasons isn't truly pet friendly.  I'd say it's more like pet tolerant.  While small pets are allowed in the hotel, you must remain in the room with them at all times.  So my dinner plans for that Saturday night had to be adjusted.   After brunch on Sunday morning, it was time to get on the road.   I wanted to get to Ojai in time to take advantage of one the great benefits of booking with Am Ex, NOON check in.

I was disappointed to hear the room they had ready for us was not exactly a "pet friendly" room.  It was on the 2nd floor and not near any grassy areas to walk the dog. I asked if there was another room available that might be more appropriate for a dog.  While there was another option, it wasn't ready yet.  I decided to wait for the room and headed to the store to pick up some supplies and walked my hound around the little downtown area for bit. After almost two hours, I decided to head back to the hotel assuming the room had to be ready by now.  It wasn't and now I had food in the car and a dog ready to pass out from the heat.  Lucy Grace, just plopped down on the lobby floor and refused to take another step.  I asked if the front desk if they could just put me in any room at this point, downgrade my room, whatever it took to get me in a room, so I could get my dog some water and let  both of us just relax.  After all that was the point of this whole trip and I had been waiting counting down the hours to my trip since late Friday.

Finally almost 36 hours after my journey of rest and relaxation was to begin, it started!  I had the chance to settle in and relax.   While things didn't exactly start out as planned, I did get to have dinner with some dear friends and brunch with another one before evening arriving in Ojai. 

Now that I'm finally settled, I hope the days ahead bring me the calm and peace I'm a seeking.

Dogs Really Are Man's Best Friend

My friend and I decided to do a last minted road trip.  My only requirement, was that I had to be able to take the hound.  I've been traveling so much lately my four legged best buddy has spent more time in a kennel than at home with me.   For a quick getaway we wanted something close, no more than a 2-3 hour drive.  We settled on Santa Ynez area and found a great pet friendly Marriott in the area.   It's amazing how relaxing just getting a couple hours outside of town can be.  This was no major adventure, but a great trip none the less.  

It was nice to walk around Solvang, with the hound in tow. So many places were dog friendly, Lucy Grace felt very welcome and loved all the attention she got!  After a couple of hours walking around the quaint little town of Solvang, it was time to head to Dierberg for a little anniversary party.   My friend is a wine club member there, so we got to taste for free and spent the afternoon, sitting on the lawn, listening to music and chowing down on some wood-fired pizza.  The pizza was made www.fireandwinecatering.com and it was delicious!   What a great way to spend a Saturday. 

We followed this chill Saturday afternoon with dinner at Sides Hardware and Shoes.  Lucy Grace was thrilled to see she wasn't the only hound out on the patio.   She got to meet some new four legged friends and so did we.    All in all a nice relaxing weekend, made all the better by sharing not only with one of my good friends, but with my best buddy, the amazing Lucy Grace!

There's beauty in the everyday...you just have to open your eyes

It's amazing how much beauty you find in the world when you just open your eyes and pay attention...

The weekend goes by too fast...

So the Traveling Hillbilly arrived at that beautiful house on Friday and now here it is Sunday night already.  Where did the long weekend go?  I'm just not ready to leave and get back into the hustle and bustle of my normal day to day.   We had an amazing experience at the J Bubble Room yesterday.   A five course tasting of delicious food, paired with wonderful wines was an amazing way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon. 












And what better way to spend a Sunday than by having a great brunch at the BarnDiva, followed by a lazy afternoon and then a great home cooked dinner? 

Great time, catching up with great friends and to top it all off, Die Hard just happens to be on tonight!

My new home....at least for the next few days

I hope to enjoy some good wine, spend time with good friends, relax and get centered over the next few days.   And where better to do it than at this beautiful place?

A Tough Year

Sorry there haven't been post in the past year, but last year was a tough year for the Traveling Hillbilly.   Given some serious family health issues, the Traveling Hillbilly was not able to travel for most of last year.  However, the goal for this year is to change that and make 2015, a year full of adventure.  

What better way to start that than a road trip to northern California to catch up with dear friends?   The drive from LA to Healdsburg was absolutely beautiful.   It was surprisingly quite green.  When I travel to foreign places, I'm often in awe of the beauty that exists in this world.  But the drive yesterday, reminded me just how beautiful California truly is.  The rolling greens hills, against the back drop of a stunningly blue sky made the long drive quite enjoyable.  

The Scenic Wineries and then some..

Today we started out at Calcareous Vineyard calcareous.com.   What a beautiful, panoramic view they have! It has to be one the best views I've seen in Paso.   Plus they have a lot of great outdoor seating to enjoy the view.   They have wine and food pairings on the weekend, but not during the week so I can't speak for the food.   However, the Traveling Hillbilly thinks this might be a great place to grab lunch or a snack.

After that we headed to Chateau Margene chateaumargene.com.  Given it was not on a hilltop the view was not quite as spectacular as Calcareous, but was still a beautiful place.  Wines were pricey, but good.

For lunch we headed to Aron Hill Vineyards aronhillvineyards.com.   They have delicious salads and paninis.   We didn't do a tasting here, but I did order a glass of their Chardonnay with my lunch.  It was delicious.


We had time for one more stop before calling it a day.  We headed to Herman Story hermanstorywines.com.   They are typically only open Thursday-Sunday, but thanks to our friend Edgar, of Bodega de Edgar, bodegadeedgar.com we were able to get an appointment.  They treated us so well and we got to try a lot of great wines!   Russell and his team seem to truly enjoy what they do and you can tell they have a lot of fun there.   Hank, Russell's dog, was also on sight and he was a lot of fun too!

The Traveling Hillbilly Will not Be Deterred by the 405 Closing!

What better way to spend the long holiday weekend than wine tasting in Paso Robles?   Actually heading up on Sunday to go wine tasting Mon-Wed is better, this way you beat the crowds.   Traffic on the 405 wasn't too bad heading out Sunday morning, however we figured why run the risk of getting stuck and headed up PCH.  Plus, it's much more scenic drive.  

We had a great day driving up the coast and stopped at one of my favorite wineries, Zaca Mesa zacamesa.com on the way to Paso.  With Monday being a holiday, it was packed on Sunday.  It's not nearly as much fun to do a tasting when it's so crowded.  The staff is just so busy pouring they do not really have time to talk to you and share information about the wines.  Despite the crowds, the wines of course were delicious and we got to meet Cheeseburger, commonly know as Cheese, a boxer/great Dane mix!   He was a pretty cool dog.

We figured we could make one more stop before heading to the hotel, so we stopped at Fess Parker fessparker.com They also make some great wines, but their wines are little on the pricier side, so it's usually not the best place to try and buy and everyday red.  However, they had quite the deal on one of their blends.   Unfortunately it wasn't on the tasting menu so we bought a bottle to try and then wound up buying a whole case.   The price was just too good to pass up.

Mom - this post is for you....

It's truly hard to capture the feeling and emotion in a blog or a photo, but I had to share this video with my mom.

Do We Have to Leave?

I have called the Villa Los Padres home for the last few days but now it's time to say goodbye and I'm really sad to go.  I know Lucy Grace is sad too. Neither of us is ready to leave.

We started the day with a morning stretch class @ 7:30am and then took a long walk into "downtown Ojai."  It is really nice to be up and about when the world is still such a quiet and peaceful place.   Plus the heat is not yet bearing down on us so we could walk and enjoy the cool morning air.

I must say the Traveling Hillbilly truly did shut down but is not ready to reboot!!!  Just one more day, please!  Don't make us go!    But we leave with a renewed sense of self and a commitment to wake up early and enjoy some "me" time before we go off and running into the day ahead.    Not sure we'll get to see deer while sipping coffee on the patio, but one can dream.

You Don't Realize How Fast You're Moving Until You Stop and Slow Down

In the yoga class, we focus on our chakras.   It wasn't exactly the class I was expecting but was quite an experience for me.   I never thought I'd be told to "do my kegels" in a class of mixed company.  Plus it reminded me how truly inflexible I am and how bad my old creaky knees are getting.    Our instructor told us to close our eyes and we might see colors.   When we were working on our 4th Chakra (heart), she said we might see green colors.  I saw black, wonder what that means?

It was an interesting experience to say the least, but one thing I did learn, is you don't realize how fast you're moving until you stop and slow down!

Why Doesn't Every Day Start This Way?

Lucy Grace and I wake up and head out for our morning walk.  We are barely out the door when we come across some deer grazing on the golf course.  We stop to admire them for a bit before we continue on.  We just turn the corner and run into a bunny rabbit!  Surprisingly, Miss Lucy Grace pays it no mind.   On our walk, we run into several other dogs and each time, they stop to greet one another, tails wagging and but sniffing abounds.  I think Lucy Grace's (and mine too) was a big old beast named, Mulligan.  I'm not sure what breed Mulligan really was, but he looked like a mix of chocolate lab and a great dane.

After our walk, I take a yoga class and wonder, why doesn't every day start this way?

The Traveling Hillbilly Recharges in Ojai

As you all can see from the lack of blog postings, the Traveling Hillbilly hasn't been traveling much lately, well at least not for fun.   As we all know, all work and no travel makes for a grumpy hillbilly!  So it was time to plan some "shut down and reboot" trips.  The first one, a quick get away to Ojai, California, The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa to be exact.  It's just a couple of hours from LA, it's absolutely beautiful and best of all, it's pet friendly so the hound could come along.  The original plan was a quick Sun-Tue trip but after getting such a great rate at the resort, I decided last minute to add an extra night on and headed up on Saturday afternoon.

After two hours in the car, Miss Lucy Grace and I were ready to stretch our legs.   From the moment we pulled up in front of the resort to check in, we were welcomed with friendly greetings!   Everyone was just so pleasant and welcoming.  I have not been to the resort in a long time and it quickly made me think, "Why have I waited so long to come back?"

We get to the room and there waiting in the corner, is a dog bed, 2 bowls (one with treats, one with a bottled water).   Lucy Grace is instantly in love and I realize she's never going to want to leave!

After we get unpacked and settled in, we decide to sit on the patio outside our room and admire the view.

As I sit with my glass of wine and enjoy the cool breeze, I wonder (as I often do when I'm on vacation), "Why don't I do this more often?"  Why do I let myself get so caught up in the day to day, that I don't stop and enjoy this amazingly beautiful planet?!   We are lucky to live surrounded by such beauty and often don't appreciate it.  We should.  I pick up my book, begin reading and just enjoy a truly peaceful moment.

Healing in Palm Springs

One of my hounds, Sir Chadwick, passed away last week so it's been a sad time for the Traveling Hillbilly.  My other hound and I are doing okay but we miss our buddy terribly.  After a few days of mourning, I thought a change of scenery might do both me and my other hound some good.  Palm Springs seemed like a great place for us to heal.  So loaded up the car and we headed out.  Palm Springs truly is a beautiful place and like Arizona, I feel at peace the moment I arrive.  There's just something about the desert that brings peace to my soul.  We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Spa & Resort in Indian Wells, a beautiful and pet friendly resort. 

As I sit in Palm Springs with thoughts of Chadwick close to my heart, I realize the many things I miss about him.   I miss his independent spirit.  I miss his spunk and sometimes grumpy attitude.  He was an old soul and had the personality of a crotchety old man, but he also had a very sweet and loving side.  He had a playful side that enjoyed chasing and teasing my other hound.  I miss his walrus like nature, his need to "waller and holler."  He was a very vocal hound and let you know when he wanted to be petted and when he wanted to be left alone.  He was a wise old man, with a big heart and even bigger ears.   These thoughts of him make me realize he was also a great teacher.  There are many things we could all learn from him.  He was always true to who he was.  He was not a people pleaser.  He wasn't afraid to speak up and let his opinion be known. He was a strong and independent hound.  Now Chadwick had no eyes, so he was completely blind but he never let his blindness stop him from living his life.  He just accepted it was part of who he was but he wasn't defined by it.  He was Sir Chadwick.  He was not, "the blind dog."   He was my Sir Chadwick, my Chaddy Paddy, my boo, my teacher and my friend.  He was one hell of a hound and he will be missed.   Sir Chadwick, know that we love you, we miss you and we will never forget you!

Carmel for the Holidays?

As most of you know, the last couple of holidays have been truly amazing adventures, Amsterdam, London, Peru, Chile, all with good friends.   I was hoping to make this year another great adventure with the same friends.  Unfortunately a global adventure was not in the cards for a couple of my friends this year.   They suggested something more local.   I have to say I was a little disappointed at first.   With all this time off, it seems a waste not to make a big trip! 

We decided on meeting up in Carmel and staying at the Carmel Valley Ranch.  I have to say as the trip got closer, my disappointment at not traveling the globe was quickly becoming excitement about having some quiet time to relax with good friends.   I was truly looking forward to a few stress free days.   Once I arrived at the Ranch, I was instantly relaxed and looking forward to our time together. 

My friends arrived a couple of hours after me and after everyone was settled we met in the bar for a drink and toasted our "adventure" filled with calm and relaxation.  All in all, we had a great few days together.   We took a mixology class, spent some time at the spa, played some games and had some great meals.   At the end of the trip, I realized it's not where we spend the holidays that's important, but the fact that we got to spend it together.   There was even talk of next year's holiday plans and it looks like New Zealand is a strong contender.   All  I know is that whatever the plan turns out to be, I have truly enjoyed spending the holidays with this crew for the last three years and I hope the trend continues.  This is a truly great group of people and I am blessed to have them in my life.
 
The Traveling Hillbilly's Thoughts on The Carmel Valley Ranch?
I truly loved the plan and would recommend it to anyone wanting a nice cozy place to spend the holidays.   There are plenty of activities to keep you busy if you want to stay busy or great ways to just relax.  The grounds are beautiful, it's very pet friendly and the staff is amazing.   They go above and beyond to ensure you enjoy your stay.

The Traveling Hillbilly Makes Wine?

The Traveling Hillbilly was offered the chance to work (volunteer) at a ranch in Santa Ynez for a couple of days and see first- hand what goes in the wine making process.   First, I could have not had a more beautiful day for the drive up.   The 2 ½ drive from Los Angeles was absolutely beautiful.  Blue skies above, clear blue waters on the left and beautiful mountains on the right, all made for a truly scenic drive.  Plus it was about 70 degrees and with minimal traffic, the drive went quickly.

I arrived at the ranch and it is quite charming.   As I park and get out of my car, I see an older gentleman and ask if Mike is around.  He says, follow me.  It turns out, he’s Mike’s dad and the one who bought the ranch over 30 years ago.   It started at as a horse and cattle ranch and they started planting grapes about 10 years ago.    He’s 89 years old and is quite the charmer!

After settling in, Mike starts giving me some background on the process and teaching me some of the terminology.  It’s a lot to take in but all very interesting.  We do a quick tour of the vineyard and he explains the different theories about planting the vines.   There is a reason or theory for everything from how far apart to plant the vines, to what the right length of each vine should be.   He tells me there’s a common saying, “there are a 1,000 decisions in making a bottle of wine” and I believe it.   Given all the work that goes into making one bottle of wine, it’s amazing every bottle isn’t at least $100 each. 

The Traveling Hillbilly Get's Locked Up!

The Traveling Hillbilly has been to San Francisco many times.   Many times, I've tried to go to Alcatraz, but it's always sold out.  I was determined to go this time, and was smart enough to make reservations in advance.  For those who have never been, it is worth the trip.   Aside from getting the chance to see one of the most well known and mythical prisons, you get some of the best views of the city!

I also recommend the audio tour.  I don't normally like audio tours.  I find they tend to slow the tour down and provide a little too much information.  But this one was very interesting.   Who knew that many of the families of those who worked at the prison actually lived on the island?  I also did not know about the occupation of Alcatraz by a group of Indian tribes in 1969 and last for 19 months.   There were also close to 80 kids that lived on the island, right along with the prisoners.  We actually got to meet one of those kids, Ernest Lageson.   His dad was a guard at the prison and was one of the nine hostages taken in one of the most well know escape attempts.  The escape attempt failed but it turned into a 3 day siege at the prison which resulted in two dead guards and three dead prisoners.  The other three "escapees" where later tried in court, two were sentenced to death and died in the gas chamber a couple of years later and one was given a life sentence.  Aside from this drama,  Lageson claimed it was an idyllic life and was like living in a small town.  

Approaching the island from the ferry

Being inside the prison was actually a little eerie.  I can't image what life must have been like there or what it would be like in any prison for that matter.   The cells were so small, only 5 feet wide by 9 feet deep.  There was just enough room for a small cot, toilet and sink.  Each cell had one small shelf, along with a very small metal table and stool built into the wall.   The days and nights must have passed achingly slowly.  I think the most torturous things for the prisoners was knowing that the vibrant life in San Francisco was so close by.   From the island, the city looks so close and I can see why many prisoners thought they could just swim to freedom.