Taj Mahal Carpinteria

You just can't miss the white "Taj Mahal" house behind the old Santa Claus Lane Candy Kitchen. Santa is long gone but this compound of middle eastern style homes keeps expanding. A nice low tide gave me ample time to walk around the coastline and better view this intriguing architecture up close. Easily seen as a landmark from the 101 fwy, boat, plane, or distant beach shore, this mansion always leaves me wondering... who lives there?

Aerial view

Photo by John Wiley

Avocado Festival

This weekends 25th Avocado Festival in Carpinteria, CA was a fun guacamole filled three day event! We treated our taste buds to the many food booths which make tasty pie's or ice cream treats out of the strange looking fruit. You can even sample the "World's Largest Guacamole" dip right here! Three stages entertained crowds with live music while the craft and knick-knack collectors went wild at the outdoor bazaar. Fun competitions included: the best dressed avocado, largest avocado and a guacamole competition. I think I'm seeing GREEN!!!

Avocado Festival

California Avocados

Toro Canyon Park

Toro Canyon Park is 74 heavily wooded acres of secluded beauty located above Summerland in the foothills between Montecito and Carpinteria. Kids will be tempted by the tadpole filled creek which meanders through an oak shaded playground. Great park for a company picnic or wedding reception with several large group BBQ areas, an off-lease dog park, horse trails, hiking trails and even a sand volleyball court. Try climbing up the huge sandstone rocks and enjoy the view from the top. An easy hike takes you 1 mile up to a gazebo at the top of a hill with sweeping 360-degree vistas. Stay on the well maintained trails as mountain lions have been seen in this area. Still it's a great spot for a picnic, some photo ops or just a short break from driving between LA and Santa Barbara.

Where is Toro Canyon?

Rods and Roses

It's an unlikely combination but beautiful classic cars and beautiful flowers do go together very nicely. There are also crafts and food for sale. Linden Avenue in Carpinteria is shut down and the most common site (next to cars and roses, of course) is neighbors meeting over (or under) open hoods and a bouquet of flowers.

http://www.carpinteria.com/events/vintage_car_show/

Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park

This 230-acre reserve is one of the only places left where the land meets the ocean, providing an essential environment for numerous plants and wildlife. The Carpinteria Salt Marsh is one of the largest and most ecologically important coastal estuaries in California. Over 35 species of fish have been reported from the marsh, including the Leopard Shark, Diamond Turbot and the Longjaw Mudsucker. Waterfowl such as the Snowy Egret, Osprey and Horned Grebe also make use of this habitat. Level walking trails allow people to easily visit and learn about the coastal environment.

http://www.carpinteriacoast.com/salt_marsh.html