Santa Barbara has been our real introduction to the cruising life. Instead of making long passages in cold water, we've been hanging around warm and friendly Santa Barbara for a whole week. After motoring all day from Cojo Anchorage--there was not a lick of wind for forty miles--we got to Stearns Wharf just as the sun went down and a wet fog settled in. We anchored off for a night, and in the morning came into the marina to go exploring. What a strange, uncomfortable pleasure it was to walk on land after being on the boat for five days! There were people everywhere, and the ground crunched underfoot. Food of all kinds was available at every restaurant. And most peculiarly, nobody knew how far we'd come. They sold us lunch as if we'd driven there! Little did they know that we'd come almost 400 nautical miles by boat to eat their crab salad sandwiches.

We tied up right alongside a long walkway where many marina residents go, so it was a very social spot. Many people dropped by to comment on our varnish, or how nice the boat looked, or how was the ride from San Francisco? It got a little much, truth be told, but we enjoyed it and we met some very nice people. Bear Kramer seems to be the alcalde of the docks, and invited us to brunch at the yacht club (which we very much enjoyed). Chris _______ came over for a glass of wine; he and his girlfriend are on their way south from Victoria, BC aboard a Cal 29 called Ladybug, with a black-spotted red-painted dinghy called Little Bugger. I look forward to seeing them again.

The socializing got to the point where, when we finally tried to leave, we just kept running into people we knew. One thing led to another so that our 1100 departure for Santa Cruz Island turned into a 1400 departure, and after a few miles' sailing in very light winds we realized we would be anchoring on an unknown shore in the pitch dark by the time we arrived. So we turned back, calling it a "day sail", and spent two more nights in the marina in Santa Barbara.

It was extremely pleasant to spend time in Santa Barbara. Every day we would make the walk into town--despite the availability of the 25-cent electric trolley--and visit lavish State Street with its glorious Spanish Revival architecture, abundant shopping, and lively atmosphere. They have a terrific farmer's market on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings: We bought all sorts of fresh things which we thoroughly enjoyed.

One exceptional highlight was the evening we moseyed up to the Arlington Theatre, built in the 1920s. The vast, single-screen auditorium itself is designed to feel as though one is seated in a plaza in a sort of Moorish or Mediterranean town, with balconies and doorways and lamps and plants in planter boxes. The dark-blue ceiling has a few stars and a single bulb simulates the moon when you walk in. The movie (Oliver Stone's "W.") was forgettable but the theater was fabulous. I could go there every week...what a gem!

The weather when we arrived was really beautiful--summery and warm with hints of fall in the air. As the week wore on, the wind picked up and the rain began to fall. Thunderstorms and waterspouts were predicted, but the weather reports on the radio were all confused, the forecasters changing their minds from hour to hour. The clouds were wonderful, full of swooping whorls and restless streaks. Perhaps winter is setting in and we need to move south like the birds, but it's tough: Santa Barbara is easy, friendly and inviting.