A Walk in the Clouds in Cielito

During a stretch of gray weather, I thought I might find sunshine up in the Cielito neighborhood—where else, if not in “little heaven”? Alas, it too was gray. I parked on El Cielito Road, next to wide open area that feels very Western, especially when you factor in the barbed wire.

I’ve driven the neighborhood more than a few times, but I’ll forever find the streets confusing—particularly the way Las Canoas Road appears to turn into El Cielito, but actually splits off and heads north. I’m not sure there’s an optimal exploration route; thinking of Cielito as a stack of four loops, which I tackled one at a time from the top downward, helped minimize having to look at Google Maps. Related: when I’m in charge of street signs, I will insist on one for each street at all significant intersections. Do the people on Rockwood Drive not want a sign at the street’s eastern end?

Many of the houses in Cielito are hidden, but you do get some satisfying glimpses.

I recognized this one on Fairwood Lane—and its amazing collection of boulders in the front yard—from when it sold for $3.36 million at the end of 2023.

I walked on a weekend, so I was spared the ever-present noise of construction. This is presumably the house underway on Rockwood Drive.

Are visitors actively discouraged? Approaching the front door is like walking a gantlet.

This house has an octagonal pergola to match the octagonal tower.

The stone-and-wire barriers are called gabions, which derives from gabbione, Italian for “big cage.”

If Cielito has a predominant architecture style, at least of the houses you can see from the street, it’s midcentury (or midcentury-adjacent).

Look at how the carport incorporates an outcropping! The property has a neat location, below the road and without (as far as I could tell) neighbors right nearby. I was also taken with the stone retaining wall along the street.

Occasionally, you get a dramatic view of a house from a distance.

The thing about a neighborhood where the houses aren’t super visible is that you spend an inordinate amount of time appreciating the stuff you can see—such as gates. I wondered whether the owners of the second one regret the cut-outs, because they also have a transparent front door, judging from the dogs inside barking as I walked by.

Two properties included thumbnail images of the houses within. Who did it first?

Cielito’s pedestrian gates are good, too. The first one has a devilish air (which is a compliment).

And then there are a lot of gateposts without gates—something I don’t recall seeing so much of in other parts of town.

Cielito’s fence/wall game is also strong. I do love one that cascades down a slope.

This one starts out horizontal and then turns vertical.

Mixing styles is a thing.

And who doesn’t love when fences and walls make way for nature?

I’m guessing that a branch used to exist in the first fence. The gap in the second photo is more of a mystery.

The winningest fence/wall in Cielito has to be the one at 60 El Cielito (which also earns points for its marvelous address signage). Check out how some of the lower part is mesh, to allow plants to grow through.

If we’re going to be honest, the least winningest wall involves breeze blocks. It’s a tough look to pull off.

A couple other interesting choices….

Meanwhile, I thought it clever to embed the utility meters in the landing.

Beyond gates, fences, and walls, Cielito also has some worthwhile address markers.

Intentional? Or was one color out of stock?

I almost stole this sign because my own house happens to have entrances on two streets, and a previous owner labeled one “service,” which is pretentious in the context of a small house. This bent, vintage number would set a more appropriate tone.

Directly related to street addresses are mailboxes. The first one looks like a big toe. The second one is notable for the red “flag”—on my street, that would be an invitation to thievery. And the third one sure looks like it got added after the wall was built.

Hubba hubba! And hubba hubba again!

This belongs in a folk art museum. Dig the windows.

Give me a row of mailboxes and I will investigate them all. The best one: a steampunk metal tube that calls to mind submarines and pneumatic tubes.

As if gates, fences, walls, address markers, and mailboxes aren’t entertaining enough, we also get the occasional yardifact. I’m always delighted by ones that look like the detritus of pioneers who didn’t make it.

Am I the only one who sees a body?

Perhaps I shouldn’t have given all my CDs away—LOL, not really.

The glasses take this dog sculpture to the next level.

I get a little uneasy about taking photos of people’s houses on these walks—not because I don’t have the right to do it, but because I’d rather not get into an argument about it. So I’m grateful for the iPhone’s 5x zoom, which lets me take photos of stuff without people realizing what I’m focusing on. Exhibit A: the massive streetlight on Tierra Cielo Lane, a spur off Las Canoas Road.

And, on Las Canoas, the intriguing fenestration at the end of a private lane.

And an ingenious method for storing tools.

And this arc of chairs off Las Canoas Lane. I’m still not sure why they’re positioned there.

And what looks like it might be a path, also on Las Canoas Lane. (Las Canoas Lane, by the way, added at least a half hour to my walk. It goes on forever.)

And this yurt, which somehow conjures up thoughts of both breasts and pencils.

I even zoomed to get a better view of the islands. The sky was blue over yonder.

No need to zoom for these views from El Cielito Road, though.

There are plenty of cyclists around here, most of whom appear to be making their long, slow way up Gibraltar Road.

And naturally there are cars, none as delightful as this little number in the middle of a U-turn.

I did come across an occasional pedestrian. The woman below passed by as I was taking a photo of a folded-over road sign—locked so I couldn’t tell what it says—and when she asked what I was doing, I started to answer and gave up by saying, “I’m being weird.”

It’s a good thing she didn’t ask me about this one, because it had me thinking of 36-24-36 hourglass figures, and in particular, of corsetmaker Mr. Pearl. Why do we know the things we know?

Don’t get me started about “thru,” which I don’t find an acceptable spelling in any circumstance…

…especially when there’s clearly enough space to spell the word correctly.

I always thought that the reason for “blind drive” signs was to warn cars that another car could be popping out. But this one implies that pedestrians are in danger of being hit by a car. How fast would you have to be walking for a car to not see you?

The neighborhood is understandably concerned about fire. CalFire explains what Firewise USA is: “The Firewise USA program, led by the National Fire Protection Association, offers a structured approach for communities to enhance their wildfire resilience in California. This initiative promotes collaborative efforts among residents, local fire departments, and other key stakeholders to bolster the fire resistance of homes and surroundings.” Among the benefits: possible insurance discounts.

Who on earth would bother removing the sign?

This house has signs about Fire Pool: “With Fire Pool integrated into your pool’s existing filtration system, you will have access to all of the pool’s water and fire fighting power. […] Fire Pool enables you to effectively deliver thousands of gallons of water to incredible distance without relying on or affecting city water pressure.”

If you’ve ever wondered why “USA” gets written on certain streets, here’s the answer.

As for unsolved mysteries, why are there always so many cars parked at the intersection of Las Canoas Road, Gibraltar Road, and Mountain Drive?

What’s up with the four-foot-tall “no parking” sign?

Does this fellow have a name? It’s giving me E.T.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I have never set foot in Parma Park, which I will rectify soon (if not necessarily from the trailhead on El Cielito Road).

But I can now say that I have explored the Sheffield Reservoir at the corner of Mountain Drive and Mission Ridge Road. Well, not the reservoir itself, which is underground: “The 2003 Sheffield Reservoir Water Quality Project undergrounded the original reservoir and constructed a 20-acre passive open space above that returns the site to its oak woodland and native grasses landscape, incorporating bioswales and walking trails.” The building has marvelous WPA energy, and the walking is pleasant if not remarkable; I’d enjoy it more if I had a dog.

A sobering memorial stands in the middle of the open space. According to these reports, another employee, Myron Hoover, also drowned during the project; there may very well be a memorial to him, too, even if I didn’t come across it.

I’d be remiss not to mention the terrific vegetation all around Cielito. Among the many plants that caught my eye were some sculptural variegated agaves and a gorgeous tree that I did not recognize.

And you have to love a volunteer tomato plant by the side of the road.

If that whets your appetite, there’s an organic produce stand on Las Canoas Lane. I probably should’ve investigated, but the driveway is rather long.

While admiring the landscaping in Rockwood Drive’s wide median…

…and the matching landscaping of a nearby house…

…I realized that someone has created many vignettes with animal figurines all over the garden. It tickled me, and it was yet another reminder of why walking in Santa Barbara is so much fun.

Real animals are a treat, too.

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Walk With Me…

Downtown Santa Barbara
• The Manifold Pleasures of Mid-State
• The Arty Heart of Downtown Santa Barbara
↓↓↓ Downtown and a Little to the Left
• The Gritty Glamour of the Funk Zone
• The Upper Upper East Is Busting Out All Over
• The Presidio: In the Footsteps of Old Santa Barbara
• Brinkerhoff, Bradley, and Beyond
• Mixing Business and Pleasure in East Beach
• It’s Only Milpas Street (But I Like It)
• The Haley Corridor Is Keeping It Real
• The Small Pleasures of Bungalow Haven
• Is There a Better Neighborhood for a Stroll Than West Beach?
• E. Canon Perdido, One of Downtown’s Best Strolling Streets

Eastside
• Old Coast Highway Revisited
• Where the Eastside Meets the Lower Riviera

Oak Park / Samarkand
• The Side Streets and Alleyways of Upper Oak Park
• The Small-Town Charms of Samarkand

The Riviera
• The Ferrelo-Garcia Loop
• Scaling the Heights of Las Alturas
• High on the Lower Riviera

Eucalyptus Hill
• On the Golden Slope of Eucalyptus Hill
• Climbing the Back of Eucalyptus Hill

San Roque / Hope
• Where One School Leads to Another
• Amid the Saints of South San Roque
• Voyage to the Heart of the San Roque Spider Web

TV Hill / The Mesa
• Higher Education on the Mesa
• The Metamorphosis of East Mesa
• The Highs and Lows of Harbor Hills
• Walking in Circles in Alta Mesa
• West Mesa Is Still Funky After All These Years
• A Close-Up Look at TV Hill

Hidden Valley / Yankee Farm / Campanil
• Campanil is a Neighborhood in Flux
• An Aimless Wander Through Hidden Valley
• The Unvarnished Appeal of Yankee Farm

Hope Ranch / Hope Ranch Annex / Etc.
• A Country Stroll on El Sueno Road

Montecito
• The Westmontish Region of Montecito
• East Meets West on Mountain Drive
• A Relatively Modest Montecito Enclave
• Strolling Under a Canopy of Oaks
↓↓↓ Out and Back on Ortega Ridge
• The Heart of Montecito Is in Coast Village
• Quintessential Montecito at Butterfly Beach
• Once Upon a Time in the Hedgerow
• Where Montecito Gets Down to Business
• In the Heart of the Golden Quadrangle
• Up, Down, and All Around Montecito’s Pepper Hill
• Montecito’s Prestigious Picacho Lane
• School House Road and Camphor Place

Summerland / Carpinteria
• On Summerland’s Western Fringe
• A Stroll in the Summerland Countryside
• Admiring the Backsides of Beachfront Houses on Padaro Lane
• Whitney Avenue in Summerland

Goleta / Isla Vista
• In the Shadow of Magnolia Center
• A Tough Nut to Crack in Goleta
• Where the Streets Have Full Names
• The Past Is Still Present in Old Town Goleta
• Social Distancing Made Easy at UCSB

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