First Halloween in Santa Maria 2025 and Checking out the Santa Ynez Mission in Solvang

 The day before Halloween, Sarah and I were travelling home from me teaching in Santa Ynez school and Sarah hanging out in Santa Ynez. We decided to take the Solvang route home and Sarah asked me what I wanted to do and on our way we saw the Santa Ynez Mission. We decided to stop and visit. The Views were beautiful from the mission parking lot.

We also went into the gift shop and looked around. Then we walked around the premises.

We found a Christus statue which we took great halo looking pictures. Then we found out that they had the Stations of the Cross walk that ended in Resurrection. We read about the Stations of the Cross, which turns out is believed to be thought up as a way that Mother Mary remembered 14 things that happened as Christ was being taken up on the Cross. In the mission, they have a pathway that has 14 crosses with different pictures and descriptions of what happened to Christ on the Cross.

We then went to Solvang for a little treat. We also walked around the shops looking at different things.

The next day, even though it was Friday, it was Halloween. My school at a Halloween Parade that I was a part of. I dressed up in my Hawaiian garb and helped TK and Kinder keep together as they paraded down the Santa Ynez downtown area and received candy from people that were giving it out. It was rather cool.

Then that evening, Sarah and I went to our Ward's Trunk or Treat. Besides eating Chili and Cornbread and getting candy from all the cars. I think the highlight of the night was Bishop Banks reading the story The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything. It was good seeing all our friends in their costumes. Made me think of all the Summit Point Halloween Trunk or Treats. One last highlight was seeing Kirsten dressed up as the Louvre Jewel Thief. I thought it was very clever.