Siteline | In the Shadow of Magnolia Center

Ever wondered what’s behind Magnolia Center on Hollister Avenue? Me neither. But I was jonesing for a walk in virgin territory, so voilà.

While taking a look at Google Maps before I headed out, I noticed Casa Rhoda #2, #3, and #4 on Santa Ana Avenue. (Casa Rhoda #1 is in a nearby neighborhood.) They’re something I’ve never seen in a residential area: “The Demonteverde family and the dedicated caregivers at each Casa Rhoda home provide what they call ‘Forever Care.’ […] Once your loved one comes to a Casa Rhoda home, the Demonteverde family and staff can, at the direction of family and doctors, continue to care for residents through hospice and end of life.” A similar endeavor, Comforts of Home Senior Care, is on San Dimas Avenue.

I started on the east side of Magnolia Center, where Thunderbird Open Space is aptly located near a liquor store that looks as if it might carry Thunderbird fortified wine. (Modern Drunkard‘s history of the product is a fascinating detour.)

This license plate must have felt like a powerful statement at the time—sort of like getting a “Winona Forever” tattoo. Somewhat relevantly, given the Thunderbird digression, Johnny Depp changed “Winona” to “Wino” after he and Winona Ryder broke up.

The neighborhood has sidewalks, but since there were very few cars driving around, I generally walked in the street, the better to see both sides…

…while occasionally stopping to smell a rose or pet a friendly cat.

Either there are more boats in this area, or I just happen to notice them.

RVs and campers abounded, too.

Having never encountered a Gobi, I looked it up and discovered a video for when it was trying to land Kickstarter funding. I think I might feel cramped in it even if I were traveling solo, but according to another website (now offline), “the Gobi offers sleeping capacity for 2-3 people on the queen-sized memory foam mattress with the ability to accommodate up to 8 people when adding the optional Rhino Roof Rack and Tepui Autana 4 rooftop tent.” Three people on a queen mattress! Eight people total! That sounds like something you’d pass on the road in India.

Elsewhere, there was this: ÜB Vans is a Bay Area–based van customizer, but there’s nothing online about Hugo Van Howl, so I assume it’s something the owner came up with.

It takes chutzpah to install a “no parking” sign to discourage people from parking in front of your camper. You’re not the decider, babe.

By this point, you won’t be surprised to learn that there were also quite a few trailers of various types.

The best vintage vehicles were two old Chevys.

And here’s a truck doing double duty as a recycling bin.

Believe it or not, given the last 25 photos, I don’t typically pay much attention to cars. I was, however, drawn to the sexy little coupe below. It’s a Mazda Miata MX-5, and I kind of want one, except I’m not sure I could get in or out without doing the middle-aged-man groan.

And I did take note of this PT Cruiser—you don’t see them around much anymore. (The Tesla Cybertruck of yesteryear?) At first, I thought the marking on the side was a subtle logo, perhaps for a nail salon, but it may have just been bird poop.

According to Wikipedia: “Christopher Chahn Bahng, known professionally as Bang Chan, is an Australian singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer based in South Korea. Signed to JYP Entertainment, he is the leader of the South Korean boy band Stray Kids.” I guess he’s as qualified as anyone to be president these days.

The architecture in these parts is not interesting, with a few exceptions, such as the stylish siding on the first house and the quirky roofline on the second. (I don’t surf, but I’m thinking a surfboard or two near my front door could be a good look.) As for the third photo, any thoughts on the raison d’être of the demi-chimney?

Don’t let the bold paint choices distract you from what appears to be an effigy of SpongeBob SquarePants.

The vast majority of the houses are single-story, but two-story ones pop up here and there, often with stairs on the side, indicating an apartment over the garage.

This one on San Simeon Drive was my favorite—the Victorian-style details and coloring were fun and refreshing. And it has a neat upstairs veranda off to the side.

The two-story houses do tend to loom over their neighbors.

Speaking of looming, the way that The Pad climbing gym at Magnolia Center is raising its roof is bad news for its neighbor to the north, which stands to lose a lot of light.

The residential neighborhood extends all the way around Magnolia Center, but I was hungry, so I headed back to the vibrantly decorated Del Pueblo Café for lunch. The shopping center is remarkable for its commitment to fitness: tenants include the aforementioned Pad climbing gym under construction, its affiliated BoardRoom gym, F45, CycleBar, Transition Ju-jitsu, and Solos pilates. And should you overdo things, you’ll also find Live Well Massage and Elite Performance & Rehabilitation Center.

The parking lot struck me as awkward and a bit dangerous, but this gentleman thought it a pleasant spot for lunch.

A Rick Dees superfan?

The street names to the north and east are heavy on saints both female (Ana, Lucia, Paula, Susana) and male (Antero, Dimas, Federico, Gonzalo, Juan, Lucas, Rodrigo, Simeon). Personally, I find it confusing that Ana and Susana show up in Avenue and Place form. Why not just enlist two more saints?

On the west side, off Lassen drive, three K names in a row—Kirk Drive, Kern Drive, and Keo Drive—led me to expect more, but instead we get Mono and Tehama. Kern, Mono, and Tehama are counties in California, but I can’t figure out how Kirk and Keo got in.

The walk ended up being much longer than it looked on paper because of the 15 culs-de-sac and the obligation I felt to explore every single one. Some were dedicated to play.

Others are all about parking, sometimes creatively.

Lassen Place butts up against the freeway—one of the few times I was aware of it—while Kirk Drive sits uneasily against the backside of Ralph’s supermarket.

Santa Lucia Avenue was notable for having no house at the end—instead, there’s a chain-link fence and a large vacant lot on the other side.

Every now and then, I get tempted to skip a street or a cul-de-sac—and then something like this happens.

Maybe it was all those culs-de-sac, but I craved porousness. At one point, pedestrians clearly used to be able to get from Walnut Lane to Magnolia Center, although the way the shopping center is designed—with parking and freight entrances around the perimeter—taking the long way via Hollister Avenue might be preferable. The second photo below is of a cut-through between Hollister and San Gonzalo Avenue, presumably to shorten the trip to and from San Marcos High School.

I got more porousness than I expected at the northern end of Lassen Drive, where the Lassen Open Space is bordered by the Maria Ignacio Route, a paved path that runs from Goleta Beach Park to just below Foothill Elementary School. I never bike anywhere that far from home, so it was entirely new to me. I always get a kick out of walking under the freeway.

There are a couple of magnolia trees in the area around Magnolia Center, but not as many as you might expect.

One is home to a gnome.

Occasionally, a yard is devoted to a single variety of plant—citrus, figs, Spanish moss….

I always admire rigorous pruning. The last tree below appears to have a bald spot, judging from its shadow.

And this is quite the arch, although the fake lawn nearby made me wonder—but not investigate too closely—whether it’s real.

We’re just going to assume that whatever is happening here is good for the plants, and that they’re not being tortured.

The tree of the day was this species, with its dramatic array of long, dangling seed pods. Could it be the Gold Medallion Tree?

Whoever planted this tree right by the front door probably never expected it to grow so large.

Many of the street trees on Walnut Lane have been cut down because they have severely disrupted the sidewalks. The county says it hopes to begin replanting by the middle of next year; first, decisions about curbs, gutters, and ADA-related accessibility have to be made, and then the construction has to be done. (Trees come last.) As for what type(s) of tree will be planted, the county will offer a choice of three to each resident whose property is affected.

Why did Heritage House—an assisted living facility next door to Magnolia Center—lay sod on this service driveway? I have visions of residents slowly Zorbing their way toward the street.

While we’re on the subject of things I wondered about, can just anyone put up a six-story-tall antenna?

And wherever people live, there are fascinating choices—like the statue adding a touch of grandeur to this motor court.

Or the yardifact of a peacock sitting on a chair with a frog lurking underneath. Or a dragon sconce on an otherwise conventional house. Or a table saw on the front walk.

Autumn really is the saddest season.

After I got over the urge to report this suitcase to the police—”if you see something, say something” was a common phrase in New York City during the years after 9/11—I got to thinking about Ohio, Over the Rhine’s great 2003 double album. It’s high among the albums I wish people would discover. Anyway, I think the day of my walk was a large-item-collection day in the neighborhood, because I subsequently came across other random stuff by the curb.

This Little Free Library had something new: Zombie Butts from Uranus!, a sequel to The Day My Butt Went Psycho.

Do you think this mailbox plays “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” when you open it?

This might be the largest residential mailbox I’ve ever come across.

And I had never seen a seasonal mailbox cover before—and then I spotted another one soon after! Do they have different ones for Christmas? Easter? Independence Day? Where do you draw the line?