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In the Montecito foothills of Santa Barbara, California sits the beautiful San Ysidro Ranch.
It's not a "ranch" with cowboys and cattle, it's actually a gorgeous resort hide away for the rich and famous. John and Jackie Kennedy honeymooned here and Vivien Leigh and Sir Laurence Olivier were married here. The day I strolled around after lunch, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia diRosso were checking in.
It's easy to see why anyone would want to stay in one of their guesthouses, cabanas or villas. You can see the Pacific Ocean from your front door.
Registration is very inviting. They have fresh squeezed lemonade waiting for you as you register. I had some before they realized I wasn't actually checking in.
You can dine at one of the Ranch's restaurants on this. They have a big Chef's Garden that they pull produce from on a daily basis.
Walking the property is lovely and peaceful and no one called security on me.
The mountains are stunning too.
And the lavender.... Can you smell it? I could-- ACHOOOOOO!
How's your Sunday?
The mountains are stunning too.
And the lavender.... Can you smell it? I could-- ACHOOOOOO!
How's your Sunday?Welcome to The Fifty Factor - Joanna
Posts
OMG it's gorgeous there! So glad they did haul you away for trespassing! Have a wonderful Sunday!
ReplyDeleteI'll take a Sunday there anytime! My Sunday is not that beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt looks and sounds fab - Great for celebrity stalkers too ;0)
ReplyDeleteOh that is where I want to have a holiday - that lavender is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous place!
ReplyDeleteMy Sunday: wet, gray but full of the laughter of my kids, and a great wet walk in the woods with the dog.
Beautiful!! What a lovely place to spend a weekend! Love your pics too!
ReplyDeleteHugs
SueAnn
I was going all Zen until you mentioned Ellen and Portia. I'm such a typical voyeuristic tourist don't ya know... straining and craning to get a glimpse of a couple of American royalty. How dumb am I... I almost missed the lavender.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, Joanna... the place looks divine. I love the building (restaurant?) covered in flowers. Looks so story-booky to mee.
And the day looks like perfection. Did you visit the ranch just to get material for your blog, or were you there for other reasons? Either way... looks like a perfectly well spent day. Thank you so much for sharing!
XO
What beautiful photos! And Portia and Ellen!!! How exciting!
ReplyDeleteThe colors of the flowers are really stunning!
ReplyDeleteSuch a great tour today, Joanna, especially from the vantage point of the snowstorm that we are in the middle of. I love the Lavendar. Do you thing Portia and Ellen would mind a big group of bloggers staying in the villa next to theirs?
ReplyDeleteNo wonder they didn't question you Joanna. You look like a rich and famous star.
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful place. Thanks for the tour.
Idyllic!
ReplyDeleteIt's on my list of places to go before I, well, go!
That is gorgeous. Thank you
ReplyDeleteoh wow, the scenery looks beautiful...would love to get away there with the wifey for a weekend. and fresh squeezed lemonade too. smiles.
ReplyDeleteFANTASTIC NATURE.....yes, that is a place to go and visit.....!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
ciao
elvira
Gorgeous- I needed to be reminded why we still live in California even though it's so stinkin expensive :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous place!
ReplyDeleteHey, did you get my email?
Too beautiful! I so miss the gorgeous California landscape!
ReplyDeleteDude - you are making me so homesick.
ReplyDeleteIs this guest ranch in the same private "Ranch" just before PCH veers inland?
If it is, back in the 70's, my then boyfriend and his friends used to put in on a small boat with their surfboards so they could surf the private point.
Fabulous pics! What a charming and beautiful place! I can understand why they would flock there. And the lavender is just lovely.
ReplyDeleteMy Sunday? Dancing on the levee, of course!
Thanks Joanna, just beautiful. all of it. I love the lavender pic. Take care.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics. The place has a wonderful history!
ReplyDeleteCripes! That looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteGot an award for you at mine. Hope you like it.
Love RMxx
Wow I could really use a sunday there for sure! Beautiful place!! Have a wonderful sunday:)
ReplyDeleteThat is gorgeous. I had never heard of it. Very beautiful. Thanks for sharing all the information about it too. I learned a lot!
ReplyDeleteThat is just stunning there. One of the last books I read was set in Santa Barbara. They should have had some of these photos in the book. Wow.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, how completely beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a BEAUTIFUL place!
ReplyDeleteOMG, for a few moments I was swept away into a beautiful land of flowers and the scent of lavender off the Ponderosa. Thanks your better than Calgon!
ReplyDeleteHave a super~great week and God bless!!!
I looked at this lovely place and just say....ahhhhhh.........big, relaxed exhale...... xoxo
ReplyDeleteLavender is my favorite, and that appears to be Spanish lavender...lovely.
ReplyDeletethanks for the tour!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Chef's garden makes me want to eat what they are making and that last photo is perfection.
ReplyDeleteThese photos are just lovely. THe lavender looks just amazing. I'll bet it smells heavenly.
ReplyDeleteHAHAHA, you are totally my hero for getting away with drinking their lemonade without checking in.
ReplyDeleteThese are terrific photos, and such great "spy" work.
What a lovely looking place, and all that lavender is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI've heard so much about this incredible place, but knew I'd never be able to afford it. Thanks for the "invite" and I agree, great spying!
ReplyDeletePrays for Big Kid.
Oh, this is soooo pretty!
ReplyDeleteI can understand why people would want to stay there.
ReplyDeleteYour story shows that if you act like you belong and know what you're doing, you can slip into many places.
So did you eat there? Good thing they didn't suspect you of being paparazzi
I feel relaxed just reading your
ReplyDeletepost and looking at these photos.
Oh. My. Lord. Swooning. This is why people brave earthquakes and fires and borderline bankruptcy. California is sublime.
ReplyDeleteI wanna pretend to be a guest so I can have fresh squeezed lemonade!
ReplyDeleteOh what a lovely place! I have not been in your area in years..but remember it being so pretty!! wonderful shots!! I do miss all of the kinds of flowers that grow down there... lovely here but different!! Hugs, Sarah
ReplyDelete