Still cloudy and cool. But not raining. So, according to Shamu the Phone – who is now in charge of counting my steps and miles – Shamu says I got 19,811 steps and almost 8 miles. Not too shabby for an old woman with a sinus infection/cold/rhinovirus/whatever.
Went to breakfast and to the grocery to replenish my emergency rations kit for the next part of the trip. Then, to avoid shopping temptation (I bet that Chanel jacket was still there) – I decided to go to the Santa Barbara Zoo. It is a modest but very well endowed zoo. Exactly what you get when you have a bunch of rich people and a really good “donor development” person. Most towns with a population of 100,000 would be hard pressed to have a really nice zoo. There is no evidence that they are big time into species survival or any such thing. They just have animals that visitor like. And, nice play areas for kids. Oh and farm animals – so kids can see cows and sheep etc.
After I got back to the temporary old bat house, I was going to nap and rest and enjoy poor health. Having another dinner of granola bars, pistachios, wine, and chocolate. But, heck, I wasn’t going to feel any worse if I went to find the Mexican restaurant that James and Julia Child recommended. La Super-Rica Taqueria. According to Google, it was 1.6 miles away. It is apparently really busy – but I guessed that 4:30 might beat the rush. Off I went. To the “real” Santa Barbara.
The plates are plastic, the roof is canvas, the food is outstanding. It helps to remember how to count in Spanish. They call the number out in Spanish first when your order is ready. If you don’t show up to pick it up – they say the number in English. Fortunately, I remembered, cuarenta y seis was 46.
Now, I guess I should get things ready to go tomorrow morning. I should have time to do it in the morning – but – if this sinus infection/cold/rhinovirus/whatever gets worse overnight. Well, that is the wreckage of the future as Carlton would say. It could get better.
Next stop LA and The Sunset Limited to New Orleans.