Living in the Past
Sometimes, it can be comforting and reassuring to “live in the past.” For one, it is familiar, and we know what happened and what comes next. Best of all, there are no surprises. I wondered why do I often drift to the past? Perhaps I should go watch reruns of Three’s Company for the hundreth time. ☺
On Mama’s first departure anniversary, we honor the occasion with a trip to her favorite small town Solvang, the Danish City of California. It must have been the windmills, the attractive small houses, or the recognizable horse carriage, perhaps even the familiar shoe store and year-round-Christmas store along the main-street of Solvang.
Solvang, the Danish Town of California
This tiny town of 5,000 people in the heart of Santa Ynez surely capture Mama’s heart. Over the past 25 years, they (we) must have visited the city more than a dozen times. In recent years, we have visited the city on Feb-2013 (Pea Andersen Buellton), Jul-2013 (Embassy Suites Lompoc), Jun-2015 (Embassy Lompoc), Dec-2016 (Embassy Suite Lompoc).
This trip today, we are staying in the same Embassy Suites. Lompoc is around 18 miles west of Solvang. The drive between towns easy and smooth.
Fri. Sep-28.
Departing Arcadia at 3:30pm, we arrived Lompoc at a little past 8pm. Multiple times during our past trips with Papa and Mama, we arrived real late, sometimes past 11pm.
Sat. Sep-29.
Being a Saturday, everyone stayed late in bed. I guess it can be plain laziness ☺. If only Papa were here today, we would have had breakfast by 8am, and would have started the day by 8:30am. The Eat-all-you-can breakfast was fantastic — double eggs, french toast, bacon, sausage, cream cheese. bagels, croissant – unlimited.
We finally hit the road for for Solvang by 12noon. Walking around town for the next 2 hours, we visited all the places we have been to with Papa and Mama. Every few minutes remembering what, when, where — memories that forever embedded in my heart (in our hearts). At the Solvang Shoe Store, I remember Mama shopping in panic for shoes, and I can almost hear Papa complaining why we drove 200 miles to Solvang just to shop. 🙂 Along the Copenhagen drive, Rene remembered Mama complaining about the “long” walk, even though the stretch was less than 3 minutes! Along Main Street, we took pictures with same Horse Carriage where we once toured the city with Mama, Achi Ale, Abby, Amber, Rene, Matt, John and 503.
Finally by 3:45pm, we ended at the Paula’s Restaurant. No queue, no lines. Mama’s first visit to Paula’s was 25 years ago in 1993 and this place was our first restaurant visit back then. I remembered brunch with Papa, Mama, TonTon, Sally, Moty, Trevin, 503, Rene, Matthew and John in 2015. The same old familiar Paula’s sign seem to last forever. The same food taste, the same old wooden tables, the same servers now much older. Made me wonder if we too were much much older today.
Sun. Sep-30.
Sunday is another very relaxing morning. Huge breakfast agaom courtesy of the Embassy Suites. We then made a 30 minutes stopover at the Ostrichland USA in Buelton. We have always wondered what’s in there — so now we know. $5 per person entrance, and $5 per plate to feed the Ostrich. We made a quick stopover at Solvang to buy a shirt, and finally departed at 2pm. Thank God, we reached home safe at a little past 6pm.
Living in the Past, anyone?
Maybe I am just dazed or confused or bewildered. But living in the past trying to relived my memories with the greatest Mama ever. I loved you Mama.