Leaving Early for New Years

Somewhere next to Highway 17 going north to Flagstaff, Arizona

Why wait to start celebrating the New Year when you can get out and make an extended weekend of the holiday? That is just what we are doing. It was about 3:00 p.m. as we got underway. Flagstaff was our first stop for dinner at the Beaver Street Brewery – the fondue was pretty darn good, actually.

Jutta Engelhardt at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona

We had needed to get out of Phoenix early as the proprietor at the Wigwam Motel on old Route 66 in Holbrook prefers his guests to arrive prior to 9:00 p.m. Jutta is smiling because usually, she gets to share the same room with us when we travel, but tonight she got to sleep in her own teepee.

Bus Stop

Bus stop in Scottsdale, Arizona

A new twist on the old familiar bus stop. If you are visiting Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, or one of the other half dozen cities that define the Phoenix Metropolitan area, you will typically be hard-pressed to see anyone besides the homeless at these bus stops. More than likely this is due to the formidable heat we deal with on a regular basis, still it is a shame to see empty buses and lonely bus stops that rarely warrant recognition.

This Changes Everything

Taxidermy display of forest animals at Cabela's Sports Store in Glendale, Arizona

If you should be so lucky enough to live in a big American city where Cabela’s has opened a store and brought nature to the city, you have seen the future of retail sales. No chintzy spending going on in this chain; management has bellied up and created displays that will have visitors’ jaws hanging near the floor. Fake mountains, waterfalls, and trees are the perfect setting for stuffed antelope by the dozen, elk in herds, bounding mountain lions, leaping mountain goats, a fluffy, friendly grizzly bear, wolves on the hunt, and even a polar bear all on display in natural settings right there amongst the canoes, tents, and the world’s largest collection of camouflage hunting clothes ever assembled. Then there is the stream/aquarium display with trout, catfish, and even endangered fish, so we have an opportunity to see as much wildlife as humanly possible before they become extinct. So go visit Cabela’s as soon as you can, buy a gun, and go kill yourself – a wild animal.

Christmas on the Ocean

Jutta Engelhardt on Christmas Day in Goleta, California

This was Jutta’s first-ever American Christmas, and she, too, had a present under the tree.

Woody and Ann Burns on Christmas Day in Goleta, California

With gifts exchanged and breakfast finished, it was time to say bye to everyone who came together to share a Christmas with Tata and Woody who hadn’t had a proper Christmas get-together in years.

Caroline Wise and Jutta Engelhardt walking in the surf on Christmas day in Santa Barbara, California

We are now on our way home back to Phoenix, Arizona. But what would Christmas Day be without a quick walk in the surf? Jutta and Caroline doff their shoes and socks, flittering about in the shallow, cold waters of the Pacific.

Caroline Wise and Jutta Engelhardt walking in the surf on Christmas day in Santa Barbara, California

Like her daughter, Jutta was not about to lament things even if she thought the water was cold, I think she was surprised and delighted to be able to walk on the beach with Caroline in what is winter back home in Frankfurt, Germany.

Jutta Engelhardt and Caroline Wise in the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara, California on Christmas Day

This is the original photo accompanying this post, but it was inexplicably lost to the digital gods protecting bits and bytes. As the only version now remaining, I’ve included it as one can never have too many memories lying around that reflect happy days spent with people we love.

The Rest of the Family

Caroline Wise, Jutta Engelhardt, Jean Kneztic, Daniel, Teresa, Sam, Nancy, and me; John Wise in Santa Barbara, California

We left early this morning for the drive into the mountains to an old stagecoach road. The photo includes my cousin Nancy, her husband Sam, her mom Jean, and kids Teresa and Daniel. Of course, my Aunt Ann and Uncle Woody are with us too, but as is often their routine, they passed on being in the photo and encouraged all of us to get a photo for them.

Cold Spring Tavern in Santa Barbara, California

Our drive took us here to Cold Springs Tavern, where the proprietors have been feeding travelers for 141 years.

Cold Spring Tavern in Santa Barbara, California

A wood fire, great food, and an abundance of atmosphere made for a terrific start to Christmas Eve.

Nancy Knezetic and her son Daniel in Santa Barbara, California

On the drive back down San Marcos Pass (Highway 154), the Channel Islands in the distance were as clear as we have ever seen them.

Holiday in Santa Barbara

Woody Burns, Jutta Engelhardt, Caroline Wise, and Ann Burns in Goleta, California

We are spending Christmas in Santa Barbara with my great Uncle Woody Burns and great Aunt Ann. It is a perfect day, although it started a little on the cold side. After the usual shopping around at Costco, we enjoyed our hot dog lunch with Ted’s Hot Dogs (via Buffalo, NY).

Family at Christmas in Goleta, California

In the afternoon, my cousin Nancy, her husband Sam, and their two kids, Daniel and Teresa, along with my aunt Jean, joined us at the Burns residence. Later on, Nancy and I went on a last-minute hunt for a Christmas tree – no easy feat in Santa Barbara, I can assure you. With 77 degrees (25c) of crisp blue skies overhead, towering mountains behind us, and the ocean before us, Santa Barbara is the perfect place to celebrate Christmas and watch for birds.