• Large roofed pavilion with full kitchen for club activities; two smaller rooms also available

• Hot showers and restrooms (however, much like the camping, the showers are also "open"...more accurately, there is no roof on the building and you will no doubt be reminded of those beloved high school locker room showers...need we say more?)

• Excellent bird watching...Western Bluebirds will clamor for a tour of your Lazy Daze!

• Fresh water and a large dump station (at no charge to Live Oak Campers) are located at Cachuma Lake, 5.2 miles northwest of Live Oak

• Also at Cachuma Lake, a small general store, a gas station, a coin laundry and propane

PLEASE NOTE!

Please remember that in acccordance with Santa Barbara County regulations, there can be NO EARLY ARRIVALS at LIve Oak! The gate will open at 8:00 A.M. on Wednesday, May 14th.

In addition, please leave a lane open for our check-in helpers...
...they will be arriving around 7:30 A.M. to help check in the early birds.

Many thanks for your cooperation in this!

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Fire Extinguisher Recharge and Demonstration!

"Dan Doran, the Fire Extinguisher Man" will once again be recharging fire extinguishers from 9:00 to 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, May 17th. The recharging fee is $10.00 and a new extinguisher can be purchased for $45.00. Please remember to label your extinguishers with your name and rig number before dropping them off. At 11:00 A.M., there will be a hands-on demonstration on the proper use of a fire extinguisher. The location will be given during Morning Announcements. This will be Dan's 16th year servicing this vital equipment for our Lazy Daze Caravan Club, so let's show our appreciation with a great turnout at this important program.

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If we're at Live Oak, then that means we're having a...
A couple of things to keep in mind: 1) Our bi-annual raffle is the Caravan Club's ONLY fundraiser. 2) The raffle prizes are generously donated by Caravan Club members. For those interested in donating a prize, please remember that it MUST BE NEW! 3) The raffle will be held AFTER the General Meeting on Saturday so folks who are not participating won't have to sit through it! If you're participating, good luck and we thank you for your support! :-D

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And while we're on the subject of traditional Live Oak activities... ...if we're at Live Oak, then that means we're also having a...
Join us at the Live Oak Pavilion from 9:00 to 11:00 on Saturday morning to see (and buy!) all the wonderful and varied things our fellow Caravaners have created! Please Note: If you want a table at the Craft Sale, please contact Rosie Reeder #1397 to reserve table space (check the roster for her e-mail address and telephone number). And please remember: items MUST be MADE AND SOLD by a member of the Caravan Club.

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But perhaps the most exciting news of all is... On Saturday, dress in your Hawaiian best (or at least a flower in your ear) and join us for a Live Oak Luau! Your admittance to this special event will be the aforementioned Hawaiian attire and a Hawaiian-inspired side dish (check the March Caravaner for ideas). Along with those tasty side dishes, be prepared to feast on the following, provided by the Caravan Club: But wait! There's more! How would you like to be entertained by ten Hawaiian dancers? Then please say yes to our palapala kono (invitation) and come and enjoy some great Lazy Daze ho`okipa (hospitality)! Aloha!

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Good Places To Know About

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Santa Ynez Valley Hospital (17 miles from the Live Oak Camp entrance on Highway 154)
700 Alamo Pintado Road
Solvang, CA
805-686-6431

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Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital (15.5 miles)
351 So. Patterson Avenue
Goleta, CA
805-4967-3411

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Longs Drug (13 miles)
3939 State Street
Santa Barbara, CA
805-681-8288

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Foothill Pet Hospital (12 miles)
675 Cieneguitas Road
Santa Barbara, CA
805-967-0119

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El Rancho Market (15 miles)
2886 Mission Drive
Santa Ynez, CA
805-688-4300

NOTE: Your Solvang-based webmasters LOVE this unique market!
Their tortilla chips, salsa, garlic-artichoke dip and almond croissants
(ALL made on the premises) are highly recommended! :-D

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Starbucks (13 miles plus a couple of storefronts)
3957 State Street
Santa Barbara, CA
805-964-8501

Hooray!

There is a Starbucks nearby!

Well, for some folks, 13 miles might not be considered "nearby". But for Starbucks aficionados (and our numbers are legion), there is no distance too great (well, we might draw the line at 25 miles, but only if there's another coffee house nearby).

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Sorry, folks...once again, there is no Krispy Kreme nearby.
But who cares when there are all those wonderful Danish bakeries nearby!

Keep on reading for more delicious details...

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Good Things To Know

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	For All You Weather Buffs...
Thanks to the wonderful world of technology - and our weatherman Steve Tivy - click here for the current conditions and forecast for Live Oak Camp. Yes, this forecast is for our campground. And actually, this one is specifically for the Host Tent! Ain't technology grand? Thank you, Steve! :-D

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Good Things To Do

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Where do we begin?

Here is a list of just some of the things you can do while staying at Live Oak.

Many thanks to Jane Farwell #2445 for her contributions to this list.

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Cachuma Lake



Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, a mere 5 miles down the road from Live Oak, is not only beautiful, but has lots and lots and lots of things to do: fishing, hiking, sailing (they have boat rentals), lake cruises with a naturalist, nature programs and a gem of a nature center.

Click here for their website that will give you more info about all the various activities.

Your webmasters would, however, like to give a special nod to the Cachuma Nature Center. It features an intriguing array of Native American artifacts, and plant, wildlife, historical and geological displays, and a gift shop. The Center is open year-round and admission is free.

In addition, the naturalist-guided lake cruises are worth a special mention. From March 1st through October, the 2-hour tour focuses on the area's wildlife, wildflowers and resident birds (from November through February, the focus is on Bald Eagles and other birds who make Cachuma Lake their winter home). Reservations can by made by calling 805-686-5050 ($15/adults; $7/children 12 and under). Click here for more information.

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Solvang! The Danish Capitol of America!



Bakeries, restaurants, bakeries, wineries, bakeries, gift shops...and did we mention bakeries?

If you're craving a kringle, a Seven Sisters butter ring, or a bit of kranskage (or if you don't know what any of these delectable pastries are), take a right on Highway 154, drive approximately 12 miles to the Highway 246 turn-off, turn left and follow the signs to Solvang.

If you want to do some research on Solvang first, click here for the Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau website.

On a personal note, your webmasters were married in Solvang, one of them grew up in Solvang and we now call Solvang home. So it will come as no surprise that we have a favorite bakery: Olsen's Danish Village Bakery at 1529 Mission Drive (aka Highway 246). One of your webmasters heartily recommends the Swedish Delight...we have no idea why it is not called Danish Delight, but made of whipped cream, meringue and chocolate...well, they can call it anything they want as long as they keep making it!

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Wine Tasting and Winery Tours



The Santa Ynez Valley produces some of the finest premium wines in the world...this may be the biased opinion of your webmasters (since we live in the Santa Ynez Valley), but it is also the unbiased opinion of most wine connoisseurs. From modest beginnings less than three decades ago, the Santa Barbara County wine industry is now comprised of over 21,000 acres of vineyards and 105 wineries, and the Santa Ynez Valley is home to the majority of these wineries. The region is known especially for its outstanding Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but also produces fine Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and many other varietals.

Click here for a list of Santa Ynez Valley wineries...addresses, phone numbers and tasting hours are included. Please note that the majority of wineries now charge for tastings.

Jane Farwell recommends the Firestone Vineyard, their lovely picnic area and especially their Merlot Chocolate Sauce! Your admittedly biased webmasters recommend the Koehler Winery...their syrah is wonderful and the grounds are lovely. We are biased because we were lucky enough to live at the Koehler Winery for five months. The photo above is of their vineyards.

And so, dear Caravaners, Cheers!  And Salute!  And Sante!  And Opa!  And Skål...that's Danish!

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You're In Horse Country!



If you are a horse lover, you won't want to miss a visit at the Flag Is Up Farms, home of Monty Roberts, the "Horse Whisperer." Jane tells us that the public is welcome to visit and watch Monty (if he is in town) and his staff work with horses. There is also a breeding farm, and if the season is right (usually spring and summer), you can wander about the pens with the mares and their new offspring.

Click here if you'd like to learn more about Monty Roberts and the Flag Is Up Farms. To get there (the address is 901 East Highway 246), take a right on Highway 154, drive approximately 12 miles to the Highway 246 turn-off, turn left and continue on Highway 246 through Solvang.

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Do you like waterfalls?



How about walks alongside a stream bordered by sycamores, oaks, bay laurels and even a few redwoods?

Then you might enjoy taking a drive over to Nojoqui Falls County Park (pronounced NAH-ho-wee...it's a Chumash Indian word, but no one is sure of its meaning). The drive to the park is itself very scenic, but the park, and especially the short walk along the creek up to the unique waterfall, is a special treat. The falls (pictured above) are seasonal, and given a sufficiently rainy season (which - unfortunately we have not had this year), the falls cascade over a 164-foot mossy cliff and into a pool bordered by ferns.

To get there, turn right on Highway 154 and drive approximately 12 miles to the Highway 246 turn-off. Turn left and drive about 5 miles to Alisal Road in Solvang. Turn left and drive approximately 7 very scenic miles on Alisal Road to the park.

(Rumor has it that one of your webmasters, when he was a mere 16 years old, dammed up Nojoqui Creek, which feeds the falls. He and a co-conspirator then waited until the falls were reduced to just a trickle and the folks down below were looking up and wondering what had happened to the waterfall. Then...well, I'll let you guess what happened next! ;-D )

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Cold Spring Tavern



Over one hundred years ago, dusty stagecoaches would stop at what was then known as "Cold Spring Relay Station" to change teams of horses and allow travelers to rest and enjoy a delicious meal (click here for a photo of the historical stagecoach marker, courtesy of Wells Fargo).

The stagecoaches may be gone and the name is now Cold Spring Tavern, but it is still a very popular place, especially on weekends. On Sundays, the place "belongs" to motorcyclists and it may be hard to find a parking place. Your webmasters recommend lunch or dinner on a weekday...the setting is beautiful, with the tavern nestled among trees near a pretty creek. The interior of the tavern is cozy and rustic, with lots of history displayed on the walls. And the food...whether you want a great steak or an ostrich burger or venison sausage, this wonderful little tavern is a winner.

Cold Spring Tavern is located on Stagecoach Road, which was part of the original stagecoach route from 1861 to 1901. Even after the stagecoach era ended, Stagecoach Road remained the only means of traversing the Cold Spring portion of San Marcos Pass (aka Highway 154) until 1963, when construction of the Cold Spring Arch Bridge was completed.

To get to Cold Spring Tavern, turn left at the campground entrance at Highway 154. Drive approximately 5 miles and then turn right on Stagecoach Road. Just keep driving...you can't miss it, and you may feel as if you've stepped back in time.

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Figueroa Mountain



If you have a tow car and you're willing to pack a lunch and take some time (give yourself a half a day), your webmasters most heartily recommend a drive to Figueroa Mountain. Live Oak is in the Santa Ynez Mountains, and Figueroa is in the San Rafael Mountains, on the other side of the Santa Ynez Valley.

The majority of the drive is on paved roads, through rolling oak-studded hills and then up into pines and firs, with only a very short portion on dirt...but good dirt. Click here for a page of photos showing Figueroa Mountain Road. Most of the wildflowers will probably be past their peak, but you might still see some bush poppy and bush lupine. And if views of rolling hills dotted with majestic oaks pleases you, then so will this drive.

Click here for printable detailed directions.
And if you do go, please be sure to let someone in the caravan know where you're going.