That year a bumper crop of wheat sent us to Europe where we lived in France for two years, in the city of Montpellier, chosen by my father because no one there spoke a word of English! On our return we lived at the Alamo Pintado Ranch, also owned by my father, as Rancho Los Olivos was still rented to the man who farmed it in our absence. The Alamo Pintado had been owned by British remittance men, among them Harry D’Urban and Daniel Basil William Alexander. A beautiful little stained glass window made by Mr. Alexander is still in the Ballard Presbyterian Church. Mr. D’Urban’s grave is in the unusually attractive Ballard cemetery. When guests came to visit us, one of my father’s favorite drives was to take them to Paradise Valley on the Foxen Canyon Road, on the way to the Zaca Ranch—a beautiful valley, stretching to the west below the grade in shades of misty blue. He was always extremely disgusted when these guests (mostly women) kept on talking in the back seat instead of exclaim ing with delight at the view. What I loved most of all was our camping trips to Fir Canyon and to the Davy Brown with old friends and cousins. The only time an old friend did not go, I became engaged in the moonlight in Sunset Valley to the stranger who had joined us! And so I left my sunny Santa Ynez Valley with a bit of my heart left
behind!
Notes on the Upper Santo Ynez Valley and the Kelly Brothers By Dr. Irving Wills As one reaches the floor of the Santa Ynez Valley after traversing High way 154, which almost everyone calls San Marcos Pass road, he is offered two choices of direction . . . he may either proceed down the valley toward Santa Ynez, Solvang and Los Olivos, or by making a right turn, he may lake the Paradise Road to Paradise Camp, Los Prietos Ranger Station, and Gibraltar Dam. The region of this junction represents more or less the dividing line between the Upper and Lower Santa Ynez. If one wishes to be more definite the “line” should probably be drawn at “Windy Gap”, just west of the old San Marcos Ranch headquarters. Below this point, which marks the head of Lake Cachuma, the valley widens markedly, the land lends to level out and there is a sharp difference both in average rainfall and in both summer and winter climate. Near the junction of the above mentioned roads lies a somewhat his toric spot known as China Camp or El Campo Chino, as it was called by the “paisanos” of the valley. This lovely area consists of several acres of level ground through which beautiful Los Laureles Creek courses. It is shaded by huge oaks ... both Encino or “live oaks” and several magnificent specimens of Valley or “White Oaks”. In addition, there are Laurels (from which the creek gets its name), huge Sycamores, Alders, Willows and a variety of mountain shrubs. A tiny open meadow lies in more or less the center of the area. This formed a natural playground for the children of the many Santa Barbara families who camped there through the earlier summers. 30