Rob and Lupe's Mystery Escapes: My Christmas Vacation Road Trips

I knew it had been a while between posts, however I didn't realize that it had been over two years. Happy New Year to all. I ended my year with a Thanksgiving to New Year's vacation. It was great to spend time with family and friends during the Christmas holiday season and also to catch up on sleep and home projects. The first part of my vacation was, for the most part, uneventful until around midnight, Christmas morning. As I was saying Merry Christmas to my wife, my phone goes off with a page for a 2nd Alarm structure fire at a furniture manufacturing plant in Carson. I could not resist going out there being that I was only about 20 minutes away in the city of Bell. After the New Year, we took my wife's nephew and his girlfriend to visit the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley. I was looking forward to seeing the California Christmas exhibit. There were many Christmas trees, each with a theme that was a representation of a particular region in California. Some of my favorites included the San Francisco Bay Area tree and the Wine Country tree. We then headed to Grant Park in Ventura. Located in the hills above the downtown area, the park is home to the Padre Serra Cross and some spectacular views of the coastline. With my wife back to work, I flew solo on the rest of my road trips. On Monday, I headed out to Montecito and spent some time with the good folks at Montecito Fire Station 91. I then visited Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Built in 1936, this beautiful mission-style church reflects the architectural patterns of the Pueblo Indians and Spanish-Colonial design. For lunch, I stopped at Tinkers Burgers in Summerland right at the Evans Avenue exit off Hwy 101. What drew me to the restaurant was the smoker sitting outside. I tried their tri-tip sandwich and Cajun fries. The tri-tip had a great smoked aroma, and the barbeque sauce added some great flavor. The Cajun fries had a great kick to them. While I was eating, I saw one of their cheeseburgers being served, and I quickly realized what they are well-known for. On Wednesday, I paid a visit to the Santa Barbara Mission. I have photographed this particular mission several times, but I never get tired of its architectural beauty. Christmas wreaths adorned the entrance as the Feast of the Three Kings had just passed the day before. My road trip was completed in Ventura County at the Meditation Mount in Ojai. Located at the end of Reeves Road, just north of Boccali's, Meditation Mount offers breath-taking views of the Ojai Valley and the orchards below. The serenity of this unique location is a perfect way to get away and detach from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. That is all for now. Have a great weekend!