Note: Though we’ve printed quarterly issues since 1999, we’ve digitized from the current issue back to Spring 2008. Older issues have not been digitized for display on our site.
Sharing a Vision for the Arts
Long ago, Chumash artists daubed colorful pigments on cave walls, creating evocative images that continue to inspire lively debate. Intending to ignite a similar dialogue about the power of contemporary art, last fall former Santa Ynez Valley High School art teacher Connie Rohde-Stanchfield opened The C Gallery, an airy, innovative space located in Los Alamos. … Continue Reading
The San Rafael Mountain Range
The Santa Ynez Valley would be a very different place without its two surrounding mountain ranges. We enjoy awe-inspiring views of the Santa Ynez Mountains to our south and the San Rafael Mountains to our northeast. Both ranges provide nearby wild and scenic areas. But their most vital purpose—that which makes life pleasant and farming… Continue Reading
Rhythms Coffee & Smoothies
Sunrise cues the rhythm of the day and rouses sleepers, while Solvang’s Rhythms Coffee offers a different kind of stimulation. Open every morning at 6:30, this neighborhood coffee house serves up energizing drinks and thick smoothies amid the irresistible beat of jazz music. Proprietor David Esdaile, a working percussionist and former publican who once owned… Continue Reading
The Legendary Maverick Saloon
From rowdy bar to concert venue to unlikely wedding chapel, the Maverick Saloon serves Santa Ynez in a variety of colorful guises. Perched at the east end of town, this neighborhood hangout with the rough-hewn facade welcomes imbibers with the lively spirit of a Wild West watering hole. “We’re the only bar in town,” declares… Continue Reading
Home Design & Consign
Shoppers beware! Home Design & Consign is not a place where you can drop in for a quick look around and then move on. This is a high-end consignment store that’s chockfull of hard-to-find home décor items—a treasure trove for anyone in search of quality home furnishings at exceptional prices. There are magnificent cupboards, hutches,… Continue Reading
Finley Organic Farm
Firmly committed to organic practices, Chris and Johanna Finley have been farming in the Santa Ynez Valley for six years. On 30 acres, they grow over 70 different kinds of fruits and vegetables, as well as specialty items, such as raspberries, sugar snap peas and a variety of heirloom tomatoes. “We’ve always lived amongst our… Continue Reading
Atterdag kids
A long time local, Laura Healey arrived in the Santa Ynez Valley in 1974 and attended high school here. In 1991, she opened a store in Solvang, where she continues to do business today, stocking top quality baby and children’s clothes in a friendly boutique called Atterdag Kids. “I just love the kids’ stuff,” Healey… Continue Reading
On the Road to Dakar
COVER STORY Life as an international motorcycle racer. Whether riding a motorcycle or cranking the pedals of a mountain bike, Quinn Cody prefers his forward motion at a high rate of speed. Tall and athletic, he has parlayed a zest for confronting danger along dusty desert tracks into a colorful career as a motorcycle racer.… Continue Reading
Rudy’s Mexican Restaurants
Living a classic American success story, the Alvaro family is reaping the rewards of over thirty-three years of long hours and hard work. In 1976, Rudy Alvaro, Sr., founded the first of his Rudy’s Mexican Restaurants, and today the family operates six of the popular eateries, all renowned for fast, friendly service and savory dishes… Continue Reading
Family School
Tucked into the foothills along a beautiful stretch of Figueroa Mountain Road, Family School stands as a living symbol of every parent’s desire to provide quality education for his or her children, even if it means taking matters into one’s own hands. Started in 1974 by a group of local moms and dads, the school… Continue Reading