STOATMOBILE WORLD TOUR! (all are welcome)

Anyone wishing to stay and enjoy a biplane tour is welcome to do so and join us later if you wish, but I should draw this Tour of San Juan County to a close so that another Tour Guide might take over and take everyone on a far better trip than my poor efforts have provided. I took the initiative of leading the first leg of the Tour so that people unfamiliar with stoatmobile tours might get a basic idea of what it's all about, and so that they might feel motivated to lead a Tour themselves. What makes these tours interesting is not the spectre of one person dominating the entire trip, but in multiple voices and styles contributing toward a rich and varied experience of differing prose and perspectives from all over the world. My hope is that this meager beginning might spur others to continue the trip in whatever style they may feel comfortable with (as long as the rest of the passengers are safe, happy and well-fed!). Please feel free to step right up and join the fun :-)

Leaving the Eastsound airport, we make our way to Moran State Park which is a delightful place to camp, go boating, hiking or picnicking. Within the Park is Mount Constitution, the highest peak in the San Juan Islands. The attraction of this mountain is that on clear days one has an unparalleled perspective reaching hundreds of miles in all directions and even to Canada. It's a magnificent vista that's well worth the trip and your time.






From here the next Tour Guide should be able to easily take off and fly to whatever new location you would like to start your new Tour from. The larder is stocked, the fuel tanks topped off, and Vinnie and Throkko will remain on board to address any concerns that Mafia intervention might assist in addressing. They are friendly and amenable, but are capable of getting rough work done when needed. :-)

<<< Turning off the mighty Pratt and Whitney engines, settiing the keys to the stoatmobile on the dashboard, and joining the other Passengers in the main cabin to the rear.

Osso, still wearing her aviatrix outfit, fumbles with the Stoatmobile ignition key. Drops the key. Gets out of Stoatmobile so she can get a good view of the grooves on the Stoatmobile floorcarpet. Finds gold key, tries it in ignition. Doesn't fit. Gets out of Stoatmobile again, finds platinum key. That one fits... and the Stoatmobile purrs. Osso puts gold key in Stoatmobile door pocket for possible future use.

We're heading to southern California as soon as we ascertain everybody is onboard and comfortable.

Southern California is a heavily populated region that can provide countless tour days by many Stoatmobile guides.

This map shows some of central and northern California as well. Los Angeles weathermen, er, weatherpeople, used to describe southern California weather as being from Point Conception to the Mexican border. Point Conception is a coastal feature close to Lompoc.



Point Conception lighthouse -




This particular southern California tour will feature areas selected as places of interest to Osso. There are so many places of interest to her that many will have just get a link and a promise. Chiming in by other Stoatmobilers is very welcome - even naysaying chiming in.


We will land in some but not all of these southern California counties:




As evening is approaching in California, the time is ripe for a round of h'ordeuvres and drinks while we get composed for takeoff. The aviatrix, for example, years for a Maker's Mark on ice, with some brie and crackers, to settle her nerves before figuring out which control buttons to push. She says to herself out of hearing range to the passengers - Where is Captain Stoat - will he be here to save the day if she taps the wrong button?

The Stoat-Bugatti

Tucks Bugatti into Stoatmobile storage compartment. This will be very handy when we drive in Malibu.

The Captain has reassured osso that her fumblefingers are of no concern re the security and flight pattern of the Stoatmobile, so she giggles and relaxes.

From the SMobile kitchen we have some cheese puffs by Michel Richard, recently famous in Washington, DC, but previously renown in Los Angeles for a fine restaurant and a fine bakery.



Here is the recipe All the food and drinks available on the Stoatmobile is magically sin-free, unless you like sin.

We have some sparkling wines from California -
Schug Carneros Estate 2003 Brut Rouge de Noirs Pinot Noir - Sparkling Wine
Hagafen Cellars 2001 Brut Cuveé Sparkling Wine Late Disgorge
Here's one link - http://www.schugwinery.com/html/sparkling_wine.jsp


It looks like everyone is all comfy, except Dys, who is cramped in the hold with the Bugatti. Osso sends him a nice glass of Charles Dickens, no, no, George Dickel, bourbon, neat, and a some extra cushions.


Okay, hold on, we're off to southern California, where we will touch down, with special permission, at Vandenberg Air Force Base,
which is close to Lompoc.





More on Vandenberg -

HERE


The Stoatmobile glides in the evening sky, and touches down easily in mere minutes. We sitting chatting a bit after the Smobile is parked,

while we decide where to eat dinner and stay overnight before visiting the Lompoc flower fields in the morning.

Dys is talked into leaving the Bugatti and joining the rest of us in the Mobile interior.





(Edit to see if changing spacing helps re stretched page, so you can see we mean to go to Lompoc..)

Here's a map of Santa Barbara County -



La Purisima Mission is interesting for several reasons. More on that later.
The whole Santa Inez valley is interesting..
I'm going to check for a place for us to tuck in before our ventures tomorrow. Back in a bit.

Here's a map of Santa Barbara County - more manana.

Those San Juans look fantastic - adds to list for US!

well done, your Stoatship.

Now to Cal-i-forn-i-a!

I'm on holidays at Kiama, a beach just south of Sydney - but devouring the Stoatmobile tour.

The Stoatmobile lofts - on this sunny California morning - over the Lompoc flower fields,
staying in "hover" mode until we mobiliers get our fill of the expansive color tapestry below.
Breakfast is served while folks who want to de-plane to check out the fields are helped to the MobileSlide.












More about the city of Lompoc HERE

The colours are gorgeous, osso. So all the flowers are grown for seed?

It seems like it, Tai Chi. I've driven through the area, but not stopped at the flower fields except to take photos . I seem to remember reading that some of those fields are turning into housing tracts...




Now we take out the Stoatmobile jeeps and ride over to La Purisma Concepcion Mission. I've visited it myself, and remember that the information given there is fairly straightforward about the travails brought upon the local indian population..





Info and good photos of the mission HERE


More on La Purisma Mission HERE

Time for a small repast as the Stoatmobile trundles down the lanes of the Sanford Winery vineyards and plops to a stop in the shade of some tall trees...











LINK TO THE SANFORD WINERY WEBSITE



When I've stopped there in the past, the tasting room was in these buildings -





But now there are fancy new digs - HERE




We have to rest up before we descend on the town of Solvang for dinner, as desired, or some baked goods, or some mad shopping.

My Goodness!

The rumors are true! the legendary stoat has made an appearance!

It would be an honor to join him and fellow A2k'ers on a tour.

I've just finished viewing the electronic record of your maritime travels in the great Northwest, and of the initial phase of your Southern California tour. But, as lovely as it all is to view from afar, I crave to share it 'en vivo', in the marvelous stoatmobile. Am I too late?

It is rumoured that you have a StarTrek type transporter with which you can beam up the late and laggard!

I am here in Southwest Virginia.

...hoping you might get a fix on my position, I've climbed to the summit of Buffalo Mountain.

My coordinates are:

364745N
0802837W

...can you hear me calling? Can you see me waving?

LMAO!

jjorge, it's great to see you again as well, and of course you are welcome to join us! We wouldn't have it any other way :-)




Awww...I'm delighted that you liked reading about the travels so far, but I have a suspicion that things will get better very quickly, as Osso and other more coherent people will now have an opportunity to be Tour Guides (including yourself, if you like). Stoats are known for leaving fur and an occasional flea about, but not so much known as being tour guides. Things are already getting better, as we see! You're never too late to join. :-)




jjorge, we can see you just fine (coordinating telemetry, satnav and Hubbell downlinked video, sending it to Vinnie and Throkko in the transporter room)

VINNIE (on intercom): Yo, stoat! We got da new passenger locked in, we gonna energize now

Stoat: Good work Vinnie! Be sure to offer him some of your Momma's nice cannoli when he gets on board. Nobody can resist it and he can probably use something to eat because he's been standing out on a hill, waving at us for awhile.

VINNIE: Ummmm---stoat? Dat's gonna be a problem.

Stoat: Why's that, Vinnie?

VINNIE: Ummmm...well, ya see....ummmm....me an' Throkko....ummm... we ate it already.

THROKKO: 'burp'

Stoat: I see. Well, that's okay, we still have some cheesecake on board, don't we? The ones made by those lovely Italian ladies?

VINNIE: Ummm..yeah, we sill got dat.

(a slight hum is heard throughout out the stoatmobile as the transporter cycles jjorge through, from thousands of miles away)

VINNIE: Welcome aboard jjorge! Would you'se like some cheesecake?





Stoat: (On intercom) Welcome aboard jjorge! Please make yourself at home. I think that there's a nice window seat near where Montana is sleeping on the couch right now....shes been pretty tired since she went swimming with the whales and shopping at the whale museum. You may have to move a couple of her plush whale and seal animal toys out of your seat.

Diane running toward stoatmobile, panting, as someone reaches out and gives her a hand. Ah, thanks, I took too long finding the ingredients for my famous Alice B. Toklas brownies.

How about a glass of Mum's?

Hello Diane, and welcome aboard!

You're welcoe to fill up your glass over at the champagne fountain, which runs continuously throughout the Tour :-)




I'm so sorry that you're out of breath from running. Please relax and enjoy yourself with the other Passengers.

All others will be more coherent, says Osso. I've made a record number of gross typos. Er, that's Purisima - how could I, how could I, mess that up twice?

The stoatmobiliers cheer as JJorge comes aboard, adjust to find him a comfy seat.

Solvang is our next destination. I'll admit I've hated the place for a long time. But I once adored it, and I noticed on another thread that Calamity Jane regards it well. To me, the Santa Inez valley is beautiful and Solvang is a pimple. Perhaps I don't really understand it, and its spell. Osso tears off cynical mask and looks at Solvang afresh -

A nice site about Solvang





Oh! Here's a bakery to check out -



Here's a website about the city


Solvang Restaurants


Solvang is a touristic town, and I've had a few bad meals there; touristic & bad meals is a combo that disgruntles me.


And yet, I rather like a similar town in northern California, Ferndale, a victorian village. Off and on, there have been some quite good restaurants in Ferndale, and the touristic thing there is fairly contained.
So let's assume that my inconsequential total hours in Solvang are not representative of the best of the city.


Here's a photo of a shop even Ms. Grump would like to explore...

I was in Solvang just a few of month ago, I do like it - probably because
of its great pastry shops

Ventura was the little town I fell in love with though, so much flair
and beautiful buildings. We had great Italian food there too.

I like Ventura too, though I don't know it well. (Have worked in the county, but not the city itself.) We'll have to check it out with the Smobile, eh?


The Stoatmobile gathers its wits and the not so funny, in order to leave the Santa Ynez valley





and wend its way to the Santa Barbara area.

(jjorge surfeited with cheesecake and cheer, has been napping in a window seat....yawns, stretches...content to admire the touristic village from his seat. Nearby, surrounded by stuffed animals Montana, smiling contentedly, emits tiny whale sounds in her sleep.)