Places, Earth
Taking It Slow in SLO, Again. 2022
Taking It Slow in SLO, Again. 2022
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Places, Earth
Taking It Slow in SLO, Again. 2022 |
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We had planned this trip for a few months but adopted a stray cat a month earlier who had four kitten the next morning. The kittens were a month old and my wife was reluctant to leave them for the weekend. After fierce negotiations and a lot of begging, my wife reluctantly agreed to come along. We headed west on Highway 118, then north on Highway 101 to San Luis Obispo. There is a popular short cut along Highway CA-154 from Santa Barbara to north of Buellton. I got confused at a traffic circle and drove west through Solvang which rejoined Highway 101 at Buellton. We still saved a little time, just not as much. When we arrived in San Luis Obispo, parking wasn't the same as when we had visited several years earlier. Parking meters and permit required signs had grown up around Mission San Luis Obispo since our previous visit. We parked four blocks from the Mission and got some exercise. The area in front of the Mission was filled with booths pertaining to an Alzheimer event that was just packing up. |
| First we visited History Center San Luis Obispo County which is housed in a former Carnegie Library. I had seen the outside several times before, but it was always closed. Today it was open and we enjoyed a visit. The museum isn't large but it is filled with exhibits and a short film on the history of the County. |
| The Mission is across the street from the Museum so it was a short walk. There was a wedding in an hour so we had to start with the church. This is the only 'L' shaped church I have seen with the altar at the corner of the 'L'. We then toured the Museum which was the only area of the Mission for which I had no photographs. After a few more photos of the exterior of the Mission, just as the wedding was starting, we trudged back to the car. |
| The next stop was the Dallidet Adobe We had tried to visit several years earlier, but it was closed that day. Today this too was open and we toured the gardens and the house. Originally built as a one large room adobe, it is the only adobe in California with a wine cellar. Wooden rooms were added when docks were built to allow for the importation of lumber. We stayed here a little over an hour but were ahead of schedule and it was too early to check into our hotel. |
| I killed time (not very much) photographing a Frank Lloyd Wright commercial building just a block away. I am told Wright didn't oversee the construction, but it still has many Wright design motifs. |
| It took about eight minutes to reach Madonna Inn and check in. We had stayed here twice before, but this was the first time we arrived early enough to enjoy the evening. Most people familiar with the hotel know that every room is designed in a different theme, this time we got the Yahoo Room, a cowboy themed room. The bed is made as a buckboard wagon so high there was a two-step ladder to reach it. I laughed at the cowboy boot waste basket and the blacksmith bellows |
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shaped coffee table was cute. There is western art and other western themes. The bathroom is
mostly rock. My wife liked the sinks which have a pattern of small flowers. We enjoyed dinner at Madonna Inn and returned to our room. While the room was whimsical, the bed was so high my wife was scared to sleep on it. She spent the night on the sofa. I slept well. All of the electrical sockets were connected to the light switches and before I went to bed, I connected all the phone chargers, camera battery chargers, tablet, and computer to an extension cord I always pack, leading from the bathroom. |
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Day Two. I arose early and got ready. I wanted to leave at 6:20 for the 7:00 AM Mass at Mission San Luis Obispo. At 6:30 I followed the MapQuest directions and after a mile going the wrong way, I threw the directions away and turned around. Then the Maps on the phone told me where to exit Highway 101 and then it told me the wrong way. It was still dark and I thought I saw the Mission to the right but the phone said turn left. The moment I saw that I was passing Ah Louis Store, I knew the instruction was wrong and I turned around and found the Mission 30 seconds later. I was early but that was alright. |
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After the Mass, I hurried back to the hotel, finished packing and loading, and checked out. I had
one last quick stop before leaving town, the Octagon Barn. The barn was in sad shape before
being restored and is now used for special events. I took a few photos, my wife grumbled, and we
headed south. This time I got the west end of Highway CA 154, got messed up at the traffic circle again, A quick stop for gas in Santa Barbara, and we arrived home a little after Noon. The cats were fine. |
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| Note:This is not the official site for any of the places shown in Places Earth. Places Earth is not responsible for accuracy of the information. Hours of operations, prices, exhibits, and sometimes locations are subject to change without notice. |
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Support this Web Site I hope that you find this web site helpful. It started because of my love for Architecture and interest in History and a desire to share my photographs and tales of my adventures. I don't allow paid advertising. This web site is for your benefit and enjoyment and I make no profit on it. For twenty years it has been supported primarily from my regular paycheck as a Set Designer. If you are in the need of a designer, please see my Set Designer portfolio site Set Design Portfolio. |
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