The Danes who founded Solvang in 1910 reshaped the landscape with their architecture and social institutions. While their windmills and quaint shops continue to draw visitors and serve residents nearly a century later, it’s not only the cityscape that commands passionate allegiance, but the town’s pastries, those irresistible confections that perfume the air with cinnamon, [...]
Want your wedding to be unforgettable, a never-to-be forgotten memory? The beautiful Santa Ynez Valley offers a multitude of options for wedding sites, all unique. Escaping the hustle and bustle of the big city for an ideal wedding location in the countryside makes perfect sense. With the Valley’s small town hospitality, a year-round mild climate [...]
When Gaspar de Portola led the first Spanish land expedition north from San Diego in 1769 and reached the sheer mountain range near Santa Barbara, he opted to follow the coastline around Point Conception, rather than brave travel over the steep mountain range. The Santa Ynez mountain range is a striking geological landmark as seen [...]
Nothinsays, “It’s the start of a new year!” like the simple little gems known as Milkmaids. These beauties germinate & blossom from late-December beginning at Birbent Creek into mid-March as far as a quarter-mile up the mountain. Typically, Milkmaids prefer cool shaded areas under oak trees; however, they can be easily viewed along the side [...]
Wherever Michelle Mitchell goes, camera in hand, she turns ordinary scenes into magical moments. Editors praise her stylish layouts, and new brides treasure her subtle presence as she documents their nuptials. “My specialty is capturing personalities,” Mitchell says, “grabbing those in-between moments that evoke an emotion and not just a memory. I move around a [...]
A young man with an ambitious plan, Ian Palmer has built a business that takes him from churches to beaches to horse arenas. Armed with a video camera, he shoots weddings, sports events and lively Internet spots, as well as short films fueled by his wide-ranging imagination. An accomplished videographer, Palmer founded Palmer Creative Productions [...]
Amber Giorgi tells about raising and training horses and about growing up on a cattle ranch. Many times when we think of horse-training, we assume that the confinement of an arena is where it all takes place. However, it is in riding your horse out into the countryside and away from the confinement of an [...]
From Moscow to Los Angeles, from the Bay Area to the Santa Ynez Valley, Karina Rizzo is a woman on the move. Having fled the political turmoil of Soviet Russia in the early nineties, and paid her dues as a city dweller, Karina has found that the relaxed environment of the Santa Ynez Valley nurtures [...]
