••• I hadn’t realized that the 1885 mansion at 430 Hot Springs Road (corner of E. Pepper) in Montecito is renting out rooms by the night. Previously, it was “a six-resident Montecito mansion for the elderly,” in the words of the Independent. Reviews are mixed (but then they always are):
Did you love “The Shining” with Jack Nicholson? Then you will LOVE this place. Decrepit mansion with a creepy vibe from its former glory days as a home for men with dimentia and Alzheimer’s just waiting for you. Creeky soft spring mattresses with that dark dank gloomy feel awaits your presence. Grounds never taken care of, with the ghosts of the past to keep you company!! Enjoy!! We left before it got dark.
And on a more positive note:
Really like the overall feel of the old mansion, like the potential of a ghost around every corner. The people were welcoming and kind. The house is clean but smells musty like old books and furniture, but I like that sorta thing. The yards are natural looking, (let’s call it free form) we enjoyed walking around very much!
••• In honor of Kirk Douglas, the Riviera Theatre is screening Paths of Glory, the 1957 Stanley Kubrick film that he starred in, on Friday and Saturday night. Tickets.
••• Two George Washington Smith houses have entered the rental market. 1598 Ramona Lane (below), built in the Hedgerow in 1925, is a real charmer. The listing doesn’t have many interior photos, alas, but it’s definitely nice inside, having been redone by Jon Sorrell. And then there’s a 1920s house on Golf Road (second photo). The exterior looks rather like a condominium complex, but there are surely neat interior details.
••• The Cuyama Buckhorn, a revitalized motel on the other side of the Los Padres National Forest (a lovely two-plus hour drive), will be open seven days a week as of March 16. “And The Buckhorn Restaurant, Bar, and Coffee Shop will be open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. every day for breakfast and lunch, with dinner available from 4 p.m.-9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Stay tuned for midweek dinner to be announced in the near future!” (My review of the hotel and restaurant is here.) Also, the property says that wildflowers have started popping up, as you can see in the photo below, which I assume is from this season.
••• For a vastly different type of getaway, consider visiting the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation in the Holmby Hills part of L.A. It’s in what was Weisman’s house, and you can only access it via a tour, but the art is superb. (And I say that as someone who loathes most tours.) Not only are most major artists of the 20th century represented, but a lot of the works are important. Photos aren’t allowed inside, which is a blessing, in that everyone focuses on the art rather than getting a perfect shot for Instagram. Below: A Marisol sculpture of Picasso under a Fernand Léger mosaic.
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