2397 Janin Place, Solvang

As you might be learning, The Santa Ynez Valley is made up of 5 little towns; Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, Ballard, Solvang and Buellton. Each of these cities has it's "staple neighborhood," like the "cool older sibling" of neighborhoods, and by far the most favorable.
Each neighborhood is special for different reasons, however, if I had to choose only one to tell you about, it would have to be Janin Acres. Janin Acres was developed in the early to mid 60's with each home on approximately 1 acre or more. The neighborhood is a perfect balance of country living with a neighborhood feel. The homes are beautiful and original. No two houses in Janin Acres look alike, some are large and luxurious and others are more simple farm style with class.  With county zoning  and The Janin Acres HOA regulations allowing for 2 large animals per acre, many of the homes come standard with horse facilities too!

The ideal location of Janin Acres places it's residents in the center of the Santa Ynez Valley, on the border of Santa Ynez and Solvang, you have access to all The Valley has to offer. With easy access to both highway 154 and 101 you will find it a breeze to get North or South.

It's easy to see why this neighborhood is, and has been, at the top of it's class since the beginning and why our 3 bed 2 bath listing at 2397 Janin Place is one of our favorite homes.

This impeccably maintained farm style home sits on just over an acre on a quiet cul-de-sac in the center of this wonderful neighborhood.  It's difficult to not fall in love with this home just from looking at it from the front. The semi-circular driveway and white roses welcome you with a warm greeting while inviting you in.

Upon entry, you are embraced with a perfect balance of dark and light with the warm dark wood floors and crisp white walls your design opportunities are endless.

 The two living areas meet each other through a retro style open brick fireplace, warming both rooms at the same time and allowing the space to feel connected while being separate.

With a large open kitchen with a European AGA 3-oven cooker and Sub Zero refrigerator  overlooking the manicured backyard and horse stalls you'll find yourself looking forward to making breakfast  for the family or hosting a dinner party for your closest friends.

 The fresh new backyard landscaping out your kitchen window invites you go out and enjoy your views of Alamo Pintado Corridor and to easily access your horse facilities with minimal effort. 3 horse stalls await you on the other side of you backyard fence, so your favorite hoofed friends are never too far away.

With all that is offered in this dream home, it's hard to believe that it is only listed for $949,000. 

It's definitely an opportunity that does not come around often in this area. 

If you love this home as much as we do, give us a call and set up your appointment to see it in person! 

We look forward to helping you find your dream home in

The Santa Ynez Valley.

*update as of 2/20/17- This beautiful listing is currently pending sale, however, we have similar listings available, to see them, please visit:

 www.santaynezvalleyhorseproperties.com 

or

www.santaynezvalley.com

www.santaynezvalley.com

Let's learn something!

We've all heard it before, "You should try to learn something new, everyday". But why? I mean, of course that would be great, but everyday? Don't you feel like some days you are following the same routine, seeing the same people, talking about the same things? How can you really learn anything new on one of those days, and why is is such a big deal?

Research shows that learning something new everyday can:

1. Enhance your quality of life. Learning provides you with an escape when you need it, knowledge when you seek it, and a great pastime.
2. Reduce stress. A new hobby can be a great stress reliever. It helps us break out of our normal patterns of behavior  It gives our brains something to think about other than our daily worries.
3. Gain confidence. When we succeed in learning something we feel better, more confident in ourselves and our ability to tackle all sorts of new tasks.
4. Knowledge is power. When you have knowledge, you have the power to achieve many things. One of the most crucial reasons to learn something new is that you gain power when you do.
5. Improve your mental health. One reason why learning has a positive impact on our mental well-being is that it is often about setting goals or targets and achieving these. This sense of achievement is an important part of ‘doing well’.
6. Socializing. Often learning is a social activity and it can help us connect with other people, which is sometimes difficult to do on a meaningful level in today’s electronic world. Social connections are vital to our mental well-being.
7. Be selfish. Learning something new might be the excuse you need for some “me time”. Time away from work or family. An appointment with yourself. It might just keep you sane.
8. Have fun. Resolving to learn something new is exciting: the world is full of fascinating skills and talents. And the process of discovering them, not just the end result, is enjoyable and rewarding.
9. Set an example. There’s nothing that gets children interested like observing their parents expressing excitement about learning. Inspire your kids to want to learn, too. Better still, learn together and share a common interest for life.
10. Rediscover. Many of us have given up on something with were once enthusiastic about in order to focus on a more secure career path. But doesn’t it niggle? Wouldn’t you like to know if you still have the skill and the passion for your long neglected hobby?

Ok, so how can I seek out new learning opportunities, everyday?

You could search Google: Learn something new...

Here's what you'll get:

Now, that's all fascinating, however, I'm not sure if that's the type of learning something new the studies were talking about.

I believe one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is visiting local museums, galleries, monuments... anything that you can see, touch, smell... that's the type of "learning something new" I envision the studies focusing on.

Wherever you are in the world, your home town, a vacation destination, business trip.. take some time to find something real to learn about. You don't have to spend hours pondering over a gallery of abstract art, but go inside, look around, read a few descriptions of the pieces and I guarantee you will learn something, and it will stick.

Ok, so if I visit, or live in The Santa Ynez Valley, do I go to Santa Barbara for a little education?

It's true, Santa Barbara is a beacon of history. I grew up going to every museum in the city and loved every minute of it. I still venture down there from time to time to see new exhibits and bring back all of that sense of nostalgia from my childhood. However, a lot of people are unaware that The Santa Ynez Valley is bursting with history, museums, nature centers, you name it! You just have to know where to look!

In the town of Santa Ynez we have an entire museum dedicated to to the history of this Valley and it's settlers. Everything from Native American history to our Pioneer Settlers and the original Santa Ynez Jail (1885 – 1913). They even have an entire room full of one of the finest authentic carriage collections of its kind in the United States. It contains more than 36 carriages!

 The museum is located at 3596 Sagunto Street in downtown Santa Ynez

Then, as you make your way from Santa Ynez into the rest of the valley, if you take Baseline Avenue, you will find yourself in the first town of Santa Ynez Valley. 

Welcome to Ballard, California. Careful! If you blink you'll miss it! 

When you reach the first stop sign in town, take a right down the first of 2 streets in Ballard, and you'll end up at Ballard School. Founded in 1882 this school is still in daily use and is ranked one of the top in the nation. You can learn more on the Ballard School website here.

After you leave Ballard, you can either turn right and go to Los Olivos where you will find the Historical Mattei's Tavern....

Built in 1886 as a stage coach stop by a Swiss-American named Felix Mattei, Mattei’s Tavern (previously known as The Central Hotel, Los Olivos Hotel, and then Stage Coach Inn) is one of the oldest wooden structures in California.

Or you can turn left and end up in Solvang.

Here you can just park and walk. I recommend parking at The  Old Mission Santa Inés,

  

 then from there you walk (or drive) to Elverhoy Museum. This museum is a beacon of history of all things Danish in our little town.

Down the street from the Elverhoy you will find a wonderful art museum called Wildling Museum.

The exhibits and themes here vary which is great beause you always have something new! Be be sure to check their website here to see what's happening! 

So, there you have it. We may be small but we are mighty! Our history and our passion for it, makes our town rich in information! Yet another reason why we love The Santa Ynez Valley.

Other museums and historical sights include (but not limited to):

• Hans Christian Anderson Museum
• Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Museum
•  Mendenhall Museum
• Cachuma Lake Nature Center

More resources:

http://www.losolivosca.com/about/

http://santaynezchamber.org/welcome-to-santa-ynez/history-of-santa-ynez/

http://www.solvangusa.com/getting-to-solvang/about-solvang/

http://www.santaynezchumash.org/history.html

http://www.cityofbuellton.com/history.php

If you are interested making The Santa Ynez Valley your home and becoming a part of it's history, give our office a call! 

We would love to help you!

What's for dinner?

Considering we are such a small community, we are bursting at the seams with amazing restaurants! I've heard people say, "sure, it's a beautiful place to live, but what do you do there?" It's true, when you come visit for the day, it might seem that all the fun is to be had during the day; hiking, wine tasting, shopping, horse back riding... but what do you do when the sun goes down?

Well... we eat... really, really good food.
We are blessed beyond measure that the greatest chefs from all around the world want to live in The Santa Ynez Valley, so therefore, we end up with top notch eateries!

Ok, so you have great food... how do you find your favorites?

Well, you have to try them all! But that can get expensive... bring in,
Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Week!

www.dinesyv.com

This incredible opportunity only comes around once per year, and it really is fantastic. We highly recommend that you try them all to really get the full experience, each participating restaurant is unique from the next and you cannot go wrong.

1st and Oak

Cecco Ristorante

 

Route 246

However, if you only had time to visit a couple and you had to choose, our favorites on the list would have to be:

Bell Street Farm in Los Alamos

Bell Street Farm is an essential culinary destination in Santa Barbara County wine country. This cozy and delicious eatery & market is located in Los Alamos, California and is surrounded by gorgeous vineyards and farmland. With the freshest cuisine and sophisticated yet comfortable design, Bell Street Farm offers a distinct environment to enjoy a meal, snack or a wine tasting for residents and visitors alike. Hang out in the market and dining room or eat and drink outside on the big patio.

Trattoria Grapolo in Santa Ynez

Trattoria Grappolo is an informal, friendly Italian bistro in Santa Ynez, California founded in 1997.
Enjoy the bucolic atmosphere of the Valley while appreciating an authentic Italian meal. Abandon yourself to the scent of freshly baked pizza or the aroma of real espresso coffee.




Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos

This production bakery opens each weekend as a restaurant, allowing the community to gather around the stone hearth and enjoying only the freshest of local ingredients. The handmade pizzas are
incredible and the atmosphere is even better.







Like I said, any of the restaurants will exceed all of your expectations, but these are a few of our favorites, not just because the food is wonderful, but the  atmosphere in which you are seated is cozy and personal.

We hope that you will take advantage of such a wonderful opportunity to become more acquainted with what this valley has to offer.

For menus and more information on Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Week visit www.dinesyv.com

If you ever have any questions about "Santa Ynez Valley Living" or you are interested in seeing what properties this valley be sure to give us a call, we're happy to help.

New Year, New...?

2017 is going to be a big year and we are anticipating big things will be happening.

A new year brings so much hope and opportunity for change. We all have a resolution or two, whether you are the type of person that declares it to the world, or you keep it privately stored away in your mind.
2017 brings a fresh start, a new beginning and encourages us to strive for something better, whether it's health, wealth or happiness, we all have something that we hope to do better.

If you're New Years Resolution is getting healthy, we'd love to share with you some of our favorite places to get fit.  Did you know that our little quaint Valley has an abundance of fantastic gyms and fitness studios? We have everything from Cross Fit gyms, Pilates studios, Adult Dance classes, Yoga studios and your good old fashion Gym or YMCA.

We also have a a few large handfuls of incredible personal trainers as well, to help customize your workout and fit in with any lifestyle.

However, if you're not into structured fitness, how about a nice, free workout for you?

Get out and hike one of the many incredible trails in our area.
There's the easy ones, for beginners or parents bringing kids.
And then there's the more advanced, higher intensity hikes
for those really looking for a challenge. 

Whichever you choose, they are all incredibly beautiful,
from beginning to end.

Here are just a few of our favorites:

Nojoqui Falls

 Nojoqui Falls Parks is located just off the 101 Freeway north of the Gaviota Tunnel between Santa Barbara and Buellton. In addition to picnic tables and playing fields, the park offers a short hike to an eighty-foot waterfall. This two-thirds of a mile round trip trail ascends 175 feet up a shaded canyon to the enchanting Nojoqui Falls.

To get to the trailhead: From Santa Barbara, take the 101 Freeway north. Drive 5.4 miles past the Gaviota Rest Area and turn right on La Lata Place, following signs for Nojoqui Park. Take La Lata Place for one mile and make the first left on Alisal Road. After 0.8 miles, turn right into Nojoqui Falls Park. Follow the road through the park to the left and toward the mountains. There are restrooms just in front of the cul-de-sac at the trailhead.  The park is free to the public an dogs are welcome on leash.

         

Grass Mountain

The hike begins not at the mountain’s base, however, but at Midland School just off Figueroa Mountain Road, where you must pick up a free permit for your hike. Grass Mountain is private property, and without the very easy-to-obtain permit you will be technically trespassing. Midland School utilizes Grass Mountain as an educational backyard, and in the spring, students take to its slopes to summit its slanting sides. 

To get to trailhead: From the city of Santa Barbara on the southern California coastline 101 (or from 192), take Highway 154 and drive north for seven miles to and over San Marcos Pass. Drop down the back side and drive 14.6 miles to the junction with "Figueroa Mountain Road in the town" of Los Olivos. Take a right here and drive five miles to "Midland School" sign on your right.     

Gaviota Wind Caves 

 

The Gaviota Wind Caves are a sandstone formation located a mile from the Pacific Ocean in the Santa Ynez Mountains west of Santa Barbara. The hike to the wind-swept caves is 2.5 miles round

trip with 600 feet of elevation gain.

To get to trailhead: From Buellton take 101 South to Gaviota State Beach. After exiting the road at Gaviota Campground you will keep right to go up the hill from the campground entrance. When you reach the top of the hill you will immediately park on the right hand side right next to the mountain lions sign and the above gate.

All of these trails and workout facilities will take less than 10 minutes to get to, no matter where you live in the Santa Ynez Valley, it's almost difficult to find a reason not to get out and be healthy.

However, if you are a more private person, that prefers to workout in the comforts of your own home, why not consider a home that provides all the luxuries of a gym?

 Private pool maybe?

Start your day off with a morning swim?

Then move inside to your indoor spa and perhaps gym?







Check out our listing at 756 Alisal Road in Solvang


I'm just saying, whatever you're looking for... we have it.

How about adding: Move to Santa Ynez Valley to the top of your New Years Resolutions?

If you would like to learn more about our favorite spots, why we LOVE the valley or how you can make the SYV your home too, give us a call, we love to help!