California Dreaming

Posted by Will on September 20, 2011

This past weekend I had the great distinction of being Ben Trice‘s Man of Honor for his and his lovely bride’s, May, nuptials. Ben and I have been great friends the past 25 or so odd years and it was a privilege to be standing next to him on his big day.

It also afforded Brittany and I a trip out to Santa Barbara, a very picturesque town snuggled between the Santa Ynez Mountains and Pacific Ocean.

It has been probably over 10 years since I have been to California so it was nice to visit again paired with it being Brittany’s first trip to the 31st state.

On top of the travel and new locale, it was excellent to spend time with family (brother David), old hometown friends, friends from college, and of course, Brittany, sans baby (although she was missed very much – traveling with her would have been ridiculous) and put a few names to new faces. Yet, I will say, being with this collection of old ties made the trip all the more enjoyable.

First, the time with the wedding party and the wedding itself was supreme. Definitely one of the most entertaining and delightful weddings I have been to. Of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention that my record for sweating in weddings, in which I am party to, is still perfect. The Matron of Honor thought I was shedding tears. Yet, I was wiping away streams of perspiration as my glasses slowly filmed over. Apparently the groomsmen behind me were taking bets on which bead of sweat on the back of my neck would drop first. That’s what happens when you put me in a tuxedo.

Also, to add a little bit of self congratulating, I would like to say that my toast to Ben and May was an overwhelming hit (from what people told me … to my face). If you have any inkling about my personality you would probably know that I am, in general, an introvert … one who despises any form of public speaking. But, I think most of my jokes hit and my appraisal of Ben’s qualities did not fall on deaf ears.

As for the rest of the time, there were plenty of opportunities to explore.

I did some running along the shore (thanks Heather and Greg for pointing the Beach Walk out) as I’m currently training for the Baltimore Half-Marathon. Being able to run around a city is a great way to see a few sights/sites and get to know the area. Santa Barbara was no exception.

I was thinking today, as I was running around the White House and National Mall, how odd and funny that a few days prior I was running along the Pacific. I know that thought is a little out of left field but I just got a kick out of how that’s possible.

The day leading up to the wedding Brittany, David, and I tooled around Thursday morning at Old Mission Santa Barbara. Built in 1786 by Spanish Franciscans, the Mission is one of the oldest cultural landmarks in Santa Barbara. I think I was mostly impressed by the architecture, craftsmanship, and gardens … oh, and that puzzle map of California was pretty killer (Brittany and David spent the better part of our time there sussing out the geographical regions of the Golden State).

The rest of the day was spent nestled in the San Marcos Pass at a old stagecoach stop and on the shore of the Pacific. Cold Spring Tavern is where we dined on bison and venison sausage burgers and Goleta Beach is where we paced the dark sands of the ocean.

The day after the wedding Brittany, David, and our good friend Doris (the one who brought Brittany and I together, actually) drove up US 101 to Los Olivos in the Santa Ynez Valley, home of more than 80 vineyards, to sample a few of California’s best wines (or, actually, the vineyards we happened to pick at random). Now, if you know the old story, I don’t mix well with wine, or at least, have a horrid past with wine culture. I’m happy to report that no toes were lost for the duration of our trip.

After savoring samples of several iterations of vintage grape, we took a spontaneous detour to Danish Days in Solvang. To quote David, “This is what makes America special”. I don’t think I need to say anymore about this particular side trip (just look at the photos below).

Our evening ended with a short hike along the Douglas Family Preserve, looking over Arroyo Burro Beach, and finally with some time in the sand with old friends Brandon and Whitney who came up from L.A. for the wedding festivities.

David posed the question, paraphrased of course, at the end of the day, “10 years ago, did you ever think you would be sitting on a California beach, after Ben Trice’s wedding, with Doris, Brandon, Whitney, across the road from where your high school soccer coach is now employed?”

It’s funny where life takes us. If you told me 10 years ago I would be married, living in D.C., with an wee one I don’t think I would have believed you (sorry, Future Will).

But living in these moments, no matter how far you have come and who you meet, is certainly the best part, however absurd they might have seemed … 10 years ago.

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