Back at the Rancho
Despite a particularly unpleasant attack of hay
fever, I spent yet another fabulous weekend at the
parents' heavenly Rancho del
Cielo on the Central Coast. This time, I took a
friend along, so I got to vicariously experience it
anew. True to form, the wild turkeys were there to
greet us as we arrived. Grey squirrels and stellar
jays performed every morning, and curious deer
watched us as we drove by to feed the neighbors'
cows. The rolling hills did not glow emerald green
like they did earlier in the year, but the golden
waves of grass had a beauty all their own.
The hospitality, too, was as generous as always.
Chuck entertained with winemaking stories while
Peggy cooked up her customary magic in the kitchen.
The guest room bed enveloped me like a feathery
womb. And the Strickland
Cellars "Patriots" vintage viognier has come a
long way since I last tried it.
This was a research trip of sorts for me. We
visited Pine Mountain Club (a tiny mountain hamlet
above Frazier Park) and Solvang, in addition to
exploring the caves of Eberle and Robert Hall
wineries in Paso Robles. I took copious notes, and
plan to distill most of them down into a travel
article or two that I can hopefully sell to a
magazine or newspaper. Working vacation though it
may have been, it felt like all play and no work.
Jack was definitely not a dull boy.
Now it's time to get back into the daily grind
of scuba diving and swimming with dolphins.
Talk about all work and no play.
©2003 Michael
Strickland ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
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