Pretty Dapper

I recently spent a day back in Santa Barbara. I grabbed a friend and we ran up there for the day, indulged in breakfast at my favorite spot, Joe's; failed at finding anything worth buying at my beloved Magnolia Thrift; finally acquired the black Appache Jacket from Tiendo Ho I fell in love with years ago and have waited to acquire ever since; visited the new French Press and said hi to old friends; drank a beer and listened to live music at Cold Springs Tavern under the cool trees and golden late afternoon sunlight; basked in the sunset and delicious food at the Boathouse at Hendry's Beach on the sand. To think I lived there-- it's a paradise on earth, how fortunate one is to know such a place.

We also managed to make it to Knapp's Castle, a local haunt. The site is all that remains of an Italian stone mansion from the early part of the Twentieth Century. The house, high on the mountains overlooking Lake Cachuma and all the Santa Ynez Valley stretching before it, burned down long ago, leaving nothing but stone pillars, fireplaces, and foundations that look like the lasting footprints of some long-lost civilization. The place is a favorite among photographers (and the hippie drum circle that meets there every full moon), and maybe it's cheesy but my friend and I did our own impromptu photo shoot-- there is a reason people do that up there, it's gorgeous. It's also a hell of a lot of fun, climbing those rocks. Below are a couple shots from that perfect autumn afternoon.