Page 38 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2021 REDISCOVERING CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST

turn more often — after all, it’s only about a three- the shaking subsided, we tried the bed stand light.
hour drive from San Diego. One deterrent is traffic No power. So we went back to sleep.
which can double the travel The next morning, we
time and create hair-on-fire luckily found a transistor
driving no matter how hard radio and flashlight at a
you try to avoid rush hour. small hardware store - one
Our most memorable visit of the few businesses
was on January 17, 1994. open. Static filled news on
We were there because KNX radio gave us details
Mary, then book editor at on the destructive 6.7
The San Diego Union-Tri- magnitude Northridge
bune, had an interview with earthquake, one of the
the remarkable Margaret costliest natural disasters
Atwood, in the spotlight re- in U.S. history.
cently for “The Handmaid’s We had planned to ex-
Tale.” Mixing pleasure with plore Santa Barbara, but
business, we spent the since it was shut down by
weekend at the Montecito the quake, we drove instead
Inn, built by Charlie Chaplin to beautiful Santa Ynez Val-
in 1928 and an upscale get- ley wine country, and the
away popular with Holly- charming historic town of
wood stars ever since. Los Olivos. We figured you
On our first night, we don’t need electricity to
were rudely awoken at 4:30 taste wine. And we were
a.m., as the room creaked, the chandelier swayed right. We filled the day visiting candle-lit wine tast-
and the headboard banged against the wall. Ron ing rooms along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail. It
first thought Charlie Chaplin’s ghost was paying a capped a most unforgettable stay in Santa Barbara.
visit. Earthquake, Mary said. A strong one. When

Photo by Jay Sinclair, Courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara

38 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2021

Photo Coutesy Montecito Inn