There’s at least one framed photo in 34-year-old Cesar Garcia’s living room that tends to elicit a physiological reaction from first-time visitors. Within days of departing from the White House, Joe Biden posed with Garcia in early 2025 for a selfie at Mission Santa Ines—where the Buellton resident has regularly attended Sunday mass since he […]
Santa Ynez Valley
Posted inNews
You can stay here: Solvang may stop new short-term rentals in suburban neighborhoods
From a zebra-themed bed and breakfast to a permitted treehouse in someone’s backyard, Solvang resident Max Hanberg has booked some pretty wild vacation getaways in his lifetime. He and his wife were already frequent users of Airbnb and Vrbo by the time they began using both platforms to list a short-term rental of their own […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series hosts its last shows of the season
To conclude its 45th season, the Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series is preparing for two more shows at St. Mark’s Church in Los Olivos. The organization’s quest is to deliver world-class music to the valley. “Our concerts enrich, educate, and inspire audiences throughout the Santa Ynez Valley and surrounding communities, with complimentary tickets available to […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A new novel takes readers on an adventure along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail
When anyone tells Patricia Mahon she can’t do something, she’ll prove them wrong. It’s happened with sexist professors and stodgy editors, becoming part of the reason she took up fiction writing. “You can’t tell people they can’t do something, especially when they’re creative because creative people can do whatever they want,” Mahon said. “That’s what […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The couple behind a new wellness company encourages humans to return to their wild states
Feeling a tad feral?For more details about Feral Future, visit feralfuture.com or @yourferalfuture on Instagram. Discover Feral Foods on shelves in San Luis Obispo, Los Olivos, Solvang, Buellton, and other communities by using the website’s store locator. Erik Steinkamp and Keri Joy Waxer eat dandelions. Steinkamp, the chef in their relationship, prepares the flowers like […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County upholds a Ballard homeowner’s permit to build new bathrooms, delayed by a neighbor’s appeal
Fire hazards. Height violations. Improper noticing. Claims tied to a Santa Ynez Valley resident’s appeal of a neighboring family’s permit to add two new ground-floor bathrooms—together totaling 150 square feet—to their home didn’t hold water during a Santa Barbara County Planning Commission review. “When I first got this, I thought, why is this even before […]