I decided to celebrate my birthday with a trip down to Santa Barbara. Truth be told, I was kind of running away. It was going to be my first birthday without Sharon and I did not feel like celebrating. If I stayed home, my friends would probably want to go out and I was not in the mood for that. Given how busy work was, what I really wanted was just some quiet time for reflection. So Santa Barbara by myself it was.
I decided I was going to fly myself there, and I was going to do it IFR, not because the weather called for it, but because I wanted to have my first trip doing such a trip solo using the system. So I went out, bought the charts and spent an evening pouring over them, figuring out the route and studying the approaches. Fifteen minutes with DUATS showed that the weather was ok so we packed and went to the airport, eager to be on our way.
Alas, things did not go as planned. The airplane had a problem with its attitude indicator, which made flying IFR a no-no. So we tried to change planes, which took some time; there was no plane available for the time period I wanted, so the front desk people had to make some calls to see if other members were willing to change planes. Two hours later things were sorted out and I got the keys to the new plane and off we went again.
And again, we were not able to go. This time the problem was a bad contact with one of the GPS buttons which made it impossible to enter flight plans. Technically I could have flown with a faulty GPS, but I was already several hours late and this last little problem was enough to put me in the wrong state of mind for flying. So I cancelled the flight, went back home and scheduled a plane for the next day.
The next day, things worked like a charm. The plane was there, all the systems were working fine and we embarked on our first IFR trip. As usual, or so I am told, the route we filed has nothing to do with the route that we get. ATC (Air Traffic Control, for the non-pilots), had me fly almost into California's Central Valley before turning me towards Santa Barbara. This made a two hour trip take almost three hours, but the air was smooth, visibility was great and I just enjoyed the experience.
Arrival at Santa Barbara was straightforward. I was asked to use the VOR approach, which involved going a few miles away from the shore. This would have delighted my friend Alan; he knows how uncomfortable I get flying over open water and I could hear his voice making fun of me. But the approach was uneventful and soon I landed, parked the plane and was ready for the next step of my Santa Barbara adventure., renting the car.
The FBO people dropped me off at the car rental agency where I just walked in and asked for a car. I did not have a reservation, but the agent was very helpful and soon I left the place with the keys to a Ford Explorer, a map, hotel recommendations, suggestions of things to do and wishes for a happy birthday.
I found downtown Santa Barbara easily and drove along the beach until I found a hotel I liked. They had rooms available and I decided to splurge and treat myself to a room with an ocean view. It was, after all, my birthday! The room was nice, clean, and when I opened the windows I could see sand, palm trees and the Pacific Ocean.
Having secured accommodations, I was off to do some tourism, which in this case meant a visit to Mission Santa Barbara. It looked like most any other mission I have visited, an adobe building forming a rectangle, with a garden in the center and a church on one of the sides. A quiet, peaceful place, though, and I enjoyed hanging out there. As a bonus I got to light a candle for Sharon, something I've been meaning to for a long, long time.
After that it was off to pier (with a stop on the way for some coffee) to enjoy the view, listen to the ocean sounds and enjoy the solitude. I made my way to the edge, sat on a log and spent the rest of the afternoon there, until the sun disappeared behind the mountains. I just sat and thought, remembering the good times with my wife, missing her very much and trying to figure out what I want do with my life. No big insights, but it was good to have time to think about it.
When the sun set, and it became too cold I was off to a seafood restaurant recommended by the hotel for dinner. I had their clam chowder and a tuna fillet with coleslaw and almonds. The food was decent, but not exceptional. The place was bustling, though, and while waiting for my table I got to meet a musician from Argentina that had come to the U.S. for the music scene.
After that it was time to go back to the hotel, check the weather and get a good night's sleep in preparation for the trip back. And sleep well I did, waking up to a hazy day and going downstairs for my continental breakfast. I don't know why, but most hotels offering continental breakfasts consisting of assorted pastries, while I keep always expecting it to be bread, jam and cold cuts. Apparently I am incapable of learning from experience.
Then it was off to the airport. I parked the car at the FBO, dropped off the key and went to preflight the plane. Thirty minutes later I was on my way back to Palo Alto. The air was smooth, the flight was uneventful and in two hours I was landing back home. The only interesting thing about the flight was that ATC gave me direct to DOCAL, the initial approach fix for Palo Alto when I was over Paso Robles, still over 100 miles away.
And that was it for this adventure, or almost. Two days after I got home I got a call from the car rental agency, politely asking me if I was enjoying the car and when was I planning to return it. Apparently the FBO people had forgotten to call them to come and pick it up. I explained that I had returned it and they promptly told me not to worry, there would be no extra charges. So, a happy ending when all is said and done.
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