The Santa Ynez Inn – A Jewel In The Wine Country near Santa Barbara, Ca. (7/05)

It’s always a pleasure to meet someone who truly

enjoys their work.  Manager Rick Segovia of the Santa

Ynez Inn is one of those people.  It’s his job to make

sure that everyone who visits this magnificent Inn

feels at home and he takes pride in facilitating that

atmosphere along with his staff.  “People enjoy it

here because it is a beautiful, comfortable, and quiet

place.  That’s why we have so many customers who

return to us year after year.  They feel at home.” 

For most, though, it will be even better than home. 

The rooms are spacious and beautifully decorated. 

Chandeliers and wall sconces abound along with great

pieces of furniture and art.  The beds are solid and

soft at the same time.  They are extremely comfortable

and don’t move when you move.  There is relaxing

classical music that plays throughout the day in each

room which is a real nice touch and just furthers the

feelings of “letting go."  You can always tell you are

in a nice place when you can’t hear any noise from the

other rooms and you can’t hear the air conditioning

when it turns on or off. The silence is delightful. 

The bathrooms are enormous, each having a huge spa tub

with powerful jets and bubbles.   The great attention

to detail through out the Inn, even on little things, 

makes you feel well taken care of.  Things like nice

shampoo and soap and good chocolate, not the waxy

stuff, which is left on your bed each day, makes a big

difference.

The breakfast at the Inn, served until 10 a.m., is

worth setting an alarm for if you are not a natural

early riser.  Fresh sliced fruit, muffins, cereal and

fresh squeezed orange juice are just some of the

choices that are already there to greet you.  Each

morning the chef will prepare sweet or savory

breakfast choices for you which will be delivered to

your table.  Choices like pancakes with fresh

blueberries or the more savory Texas toast topped with

eggs, mustard sauce, gruyere cheese and arugula are

just delicious.  Between 5 and 6 p.m. in the same room

is the wine and hors d'oeuvre hour.  Local wines are

poured and it is always a fun time speaking with the

other guests who are in the same good mood that you

will be in.  Once again, do not miss this time of the

day because the chef does a spectacular job making

gourmet hors d'oeuvres accompanied by gourmet cheeses,

dried fruits and crackers.

For dinner there are several excellent choices in the

surrounding area.  Just ask Rick and he’ll point you

in the right direction.  One such place is the Ballard

Inn Restaurant. Situated on a rural street in nearby

Ballard, this quaint restaurant with front porch

seating and light music coming from beneath the

jasmine bushes is a perfect place for a romantic

dinner. New chef Budi Kazali, who has worked with and

trained with some of the master chefs from around the

world, brings his genius to this area.  The Pacific

Rim inspired food such as the small cubes of fresh

hamachi served in a martini glass was absolutely

amazing.  The filet was cooked and seasoned to

perfection and each bite of the lamb chops seemed to

be better than the last.  Local wines pair perfectly

with your meal making it a memorable dining

experience.  Do not miss this place when in Santa

Ynez!

The Santa Ynez Inn is located in the heart of the wine

country which was recently made famous by the movie

“Sideways."  It’s a peaceful two hour drive from LAX 

along the coast and through the rolling hills.  It’s

25 minutes from Santa Barbara and just 5 minutes from

the quaint towns of Solvang and Los Olivos.  The Santa

Ynez valley is home to some of the best wines in the

country which holds their own against wines from around

the world.  Throughout most of the year the abundant

wineries in the area are open for tasting seven days

a week.  

There is no better place to stay than the Santa Ynez

Inn when visiting this amazing wine country.  It’s the

perfect getaway from L.A and a destination spot that

should be visited no matter where you live. The

elegance and top-notch friendly service of the Inn

combined with the peace, tranquility and natural

beauty of its surrounding area will touch your soul. 

It’s a place to completely unwind from the stresses of

life and rejuvenate your spirit with great wine, great

food and down to earth, friendly people.

 To book your next vacation visit

http://www.santaynezinn.com/ or call 800-643-5774.

 Special thanks to manager Rick Segovia and the

friendly staff at the Santa Ynez Inn.