Field Trip: Santa Barbara (alternate title: I Need a Nap)

Eric and I went with the high school's reading club down to Santa Barbara on Wednesday in order to attend a lecture by the author Neil Gaiman. We had read his book "The Graveyard Book" earlier in the school year.

After 3-3 1/2 hours of sleep, we got up at 3 am and were on the road at about 4 am. We drove through Bishop, California (I had never been there before) and stopped at the famous Erik Schat's Bakkery. Eric bought a loaf of sheepherder's bread. I bought some sea salt. Can't wait to try it and see if I can tell the difference.

We arrived in Santa Barbara around 2 pm and so we had a little time to play at the beach before getting ready for our big evening.

 

  

Eric, Grace, Gary, Meghan, Eco, Tyler

Aaron, Esther

We ate dinner at a nice seafood restaurant before the lecture. I know it looks like Eric is kissing his shrimp, but he really was eating it.

  

Then we went to the campus of UCSB where the lecture was to be held. Neil was very funny...except I was so tired that I napped a bit here and there. He talked a bit and he read us 2 stories he had written...one of them he was presenting to an audience for the first time...and I'm still not sure about how it ended since I was half-asleep. We then stood in line for 2 1/2 hours so he could autograph our books. Insanity.

Jason, Tyler, Eco, Gary, Meghan, Eric, Beth, Grace,

Aaron, Nicole, Esther, Neil Gaiman, and Lisa at about 12:30 am. 

We were all so tired that it's amazing we all look so good. (I need to say here that all by myself --the kids weren't even here to help me-- I saved this photo Nicole had posted on facebook, copied it to my picture files and was able to find it to post it here...sometimes I just amaze myself because this old dog is learning new tricks)

So, we got to bed just after 1 am...and had to get up at 6 am to get ready to leave. We ate breakfast and got on the road about 8 am. We drove up to Pismo Beach (I napped much of the 2 hours it took to get there). We walked around on the beach and ate lunch.

OK, Hannah thinks this photo is fake, but it's not. Eric is standing next to a real, live pelican.

 

 Underneath the pier.

We got back on the road. Drove past the monument to James Dean on highway 41 at the spot where he died. Didn't take the time to get out and look so there aren't any photos to prove it, but I saw it. 

We ran into rain and traffic in Sacramento and it really slowed us down. By the time we got near Donner it was snowing and that slowed us down, too. Luckily we didn't have to use our chains. 

Nicole, Grace, Jason, and I had a great time in our car (discussing movies, books, music, solving the world's problems, etc)...Aaron was with all the students in the school van. Don't know if he had as much fun as we did. 

It was a long day. Finally arrived at my house just after 11 pm and didn't make it to bed until midnight. Got up at 6. Needless to say that I am dragging...glad I can sleep in tomorrow.

It really was a neat trip.

p.s. Glen had his Biggest Loser weigh-in while I was gone...he lost another 2 lbs... :)