When I need to get away and think, while ashore, there is a perfect place for me, and I’m happy to share.
It’s only about a 20-minute drive, up Highway 154 to Camino Cielo. Once there, sometimes I hang a right and sometimes I hang a left. I find just what I need in either direction — spots where I can park, walk out onto the rim, find a good sitting spot and get into my thoughts while looking over our town, the beach, ocean and Channel Islands.
It is perfect, and I recommend it when you need a break.
West Camino Cielo looks out over the airport, Goleta and beyond toward Point Conception. East Camino Cielo overlooks Santa Barbara, the harbor area and all the way down the coast toward Point Dume. Both directions offer expansive views of chaparral, city, beach, the Santa Barbara Channel and, of course, the islands. You can’t go wrong, no matter which way you turn.
A canteen of water and a sandwich provide the staples for this quick trip. I’ve made the trip in a little more than an hour, but ideally it is good to allow a few hours so that the sitting and thinking part can run its natural course.
That bird’s-eye perspective somehow helps clear my head and my thoughts. The scope of the issues I have to deal with are put in perspective by the grandiose viewscape. Nonetheless, that view and that solitude help me think and help me make important decisions. Some of my most important decisions have been made on that mountain and others have been made at sea, well away from shore.
Secluded spots along the rim of the mountain are my favorites. It helps to be away from the road and people when there is some deep thinking and soul-searching to do. So I’ll walk a ways to find the right spot.
Once I sit quietly for a while, the local wildlife get accustomed to me and decide I’m not an immediate threat, so the critters go on about their business. I hear them scurrying through the brush, or flitting between the bushes and trees. Watching the critters live their lives is a wonderful bonus. I love it when hawks soar silently, sometimes below my level on the mountain and I can watch them from above.
Next time you have some thinking, prioritizing or decision-making to do, I highly recommend Camino Cielo. Even if you are limited to your vehicle, there are wonderful places to park and over our wonderful home. But if you can take a walk, it gets even better.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
