El Camino Real & Pea Soup

Travel 25 miles northerly from Santa Barbara on the El Camino Real and you will find Buellton.  This town was formerly known as “The Service Town” where people stopped to fill up on food and fuel as the road through Buellton came into existence.  Traveling south from San Francisco or north from San Diego, Buellton is about a halfway point along the 600 mile long El Camino Real.  Spanish for “Royal Road” (also referred to as “The Kings Highway”) the road was originally built to connect Spanish missions between these two cities.  Now travelers refer to the road as Highway 101.

Following along the coast, the views to the west from the highway are spectacular with meadows leading down to buff colored cliffs that drop dramatically to the sea.  White capped waves roll in pounding the beach along the rocky base of the cliffs.  The road treks up and down over verdant hills splashed with patches of bright yellow-a watercolor view created by a blooming wildflower.  Then the road climbs up through a dramatic rocky pass.  The original road carved through the pass required the addition of horizontal furrows to be chopped into its slippery rock surfaces.  Chinese workers created an old wash board effect in the rocks allowing horses drawing wagons to gain enough traction to climb through the pass.

We gain the summit of the pass easily and start dropping back down its north side toward the farmlands filling the deep valley to our east.  It is obvious the fields are benefiting from the moisture brought in by low-lying clouds from the Pacific.  Closer to Buellton, vineyards interspersed with cattle pastures and horse ranches replace the farm fields.

Buellton is also home to Pea Soup Andersen’s-a restaurant obviously famous for its pea soup.  The restaurant has been in business in Buellton for over 90 years.  It is a must stop for at least one meal while we are here for three nights.  We’ll get another opportunity when we get to Santa  Nella, the site of their second restaurant (located just off Interstate 5.)  The recipe is online also if you do a Google search.  It is easy to make and just as delicious as the restaurant’s version.  If you have a little ham left over from your Easter dinner, I recommend that as an additional ingredient.  Just chop it up and stir it in.  Yummy!