So far 2020 has brought us all a lot of bad news….coronavirus, social unrest, so many untimely deaths, impeachment, Brexit, stock market melt downs, floods, fires and locust …..I think we all are looking for some positive relief, both globally and personally. My original Shirleyfest plans were scuttled when France said “merci, mais non” to any US visitors. This being my 10th Shirleyfest, I definitely wasn’t going to forgo my month tradition, so I needed to regroup quickly. I am so happy to announce that Shirleyfest 2020 will be in Santa Barbara, Ca. It’s a 5 hour car ( not plane) ride away with excellent September weather and loads of trails and beaches. It has a rich history that I’m looking forward to digging into as well. Did you know it has been inhabited for 13,000 years ( originally by hunter-gathers known as the Chumash people) and the oldest human remains in North America, a 10,000 year old skeleton called the Arlington Springs Man, were found there? It has been leveled twice by earthquakes (1812 and 1925) and the avocado craze started in Santa Barbara when a local judge brought in the tree from Mexico in 1871.

Please pass along any suggestions you have for this year’s adventure and let me know if you know people there that I could meet ( socially distance of course). I hope you will follow along on this blog during September!