Mark your Calendars. DEADLINE for Room Reservations at the Quester Rate is before December 15, 2017. Room reservations must be made much earlier than usual because Solvang is a tourist destination.

The 2018 Spring Council Meeting of the California Questers will be held in the charming fairytale like town of Solvang, March 22-25, 2018. Solvang is nestled in in the rolling hills of the Santa Ynez Valley. The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Express. Solvang has a rich history that starts by traveling back to the first residents, the Chumash Indians, and the Santa Ines Mission, one of the original 21 missions founded along the California coast by the Spanish in the early 18th century.  Some of the original adobe building materials are still visible. The Questers will tour the Elverhoj Museum and art gallery where the history of the early Danish settlers will be on display. Other points of interest include The Amber Museum for those who love fine jewelry, the Hans Christian Anderson Museum where you can live your own fairytale, and the Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Museum.  Many of these sites are within walking distance of the hotel for attendees.

Fine food in Solvang’s many restaurants is available and no one should leave the area without indulging in an aebleskiver that is a Danish ball of pancake served with berry jam (Brings up a childhood memory of delightfully happy taste buds!). Danish pasty bakeries abound in downtown Solvang.

Wine tasting shops can be found along Alisal St. within walking distance of our hotel.  Several wineries in the surrounding countryside can be visited for wine tasting too.

There are antique stores for everyone to indulge in the joy of finding just the right item.

As a different and unique opportunity, our meeting planners have devised an activity to make your drive fun and interesting. Plan to participate in the Fairy Flight Car Rally. Whether driving Highway 101 from the North or traveling from the South, you will be given instructions for stopping at checkpoints and completing simple tasks. From the south as you arrive in Santa Barbara take the exit for Highway 154, the historic Chumash Highway and historic stagecoach route past Lake Cachuma. You can use modern day tools like GPS and your smart phone to travel along your planned route. You will be mailed simple written instructions after you mail in your registration that will make your trip both enjoyable and educational-- and you may even win a prize!

This spring we are honored to welcome our International President Lorraine Jeffus, who will join us for our meeting.

AGAIN,Room reservations must be made much earlier than usual because Solvang is a tourist destination.

Mark your Calendars and make your Room Reservations before December 15, 2017.

For over 200 years Monterey has been a trading and fishing port, a military garrison, a religious center, a land grant business center, a political and regional capital, and home to many peoples. And from the beginning of the Spanish settlements, everyone took part in building and occupying these wonderful dwellings called ADOBES. The mud bricks are made of clay, some straw, molded, dried, placed, plastered and whitewashed to a fine brilliance. As far as we know, there are no professional adobe brick makers in our state. Volunteers make repairs now!

As Questers and guests of Monterey, we stayed at the site of one of the first residences built outside the walls of the old Presidio garrison in 1824. The Casa Munras was home to Don Esteban Munras, an owner of a very large and productive land grant, and a social and political leader in Monterey. converted into lodging and guest rooms.

For our first adobe tour, we visited the Royal Presidio Chapel, San Carlos Cathedral. It is the oldest building on the Monterey Peninsula and the oldest church in continuous use in California.

Quester Patty Barret and member of the Historic Garden League led an exterior tour of the Monterey State Historic Park.

Other sites to visit on your own included: Casa Soberanes, Larkin House, Stevenson House, Colton Hall and jail (California’s first Capitol), Presidio Historic Military Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, Cannery Row, and the Aquarium.

The Spring Council meeting was held in historic Sonoma in the storied Valley of the Moon, 45 miles north of San Francisco. The meet­ing’s host chapters are Don Castro, Valley Har­vesters, and Valley of the Moon.

The highlight of our Council meeting was the private Questers’ tour of Jack London State Park, including the House of Happy Walls museum and the London Cottage.

RECAP: Spring 2015 in Walnut Creek/Concord: In the Shadow of Mount Diablo

Members were able to visit the John Muir home in Martinez. The town of Martinez had an abundance of antique stores and the Contra Costa County History Museum. Members were also able to visit the National Historic Site of Eugene O’Neill’s Tao house or the elegant Blackhawk Museum in Danville.

RECAP: Fall 2014 in Union City: The Train and the Tramp

On Friday, members had the opportunity to visit the Shinn Historic Park and tour the 1876 Victorian farmhouse with Bavarian accents.

The McConaghy Estate, in San Lorenzo,was another tour option. Niles was the Saturday destination.

The Hilton Hotel in Pasadena was the venue for the 2014 Spring Council Meeting in March, Hidden in Plain Sight - Pasadena Treasures.

For those Questers arriving early, Friday was taken up browsing the local antique shops or the Bustamante Antiques Show, taking a tour of the Tournament of Roses House or visiting the USC Pacific Asia Museum.

The Friday night reception and dinner was at the Pacific Asia Museum.

On Saturday afternoon members could choose a tour of the Fenyes Mansion or Gene Autry Museum.

For those Questers with energy - and money - left, the following day was the monthly Sunday Rose Bowl Flea Market, a real opportunity to shop.

The Live Oak, Sleeping Indian, and Rancho Monserate chapters planned an assortment of events. They toured two local homes: one with rare antique spool cabinets, vintage mini-sewing machines, and doll collection; the other is the home of a recognized authority on Terri Lee dolls.Each evening,showcased collections from members,They also visited the Rancho Guajome Adobe (below), which all three of our chapters were active in furnishing.

Live Oak chapter respectfully dedicated this Fall Council to the memory of Gloria Rowe.  Her contributions to our chapter were many and her friendship irreplaceable. We miss her.

We toured the Gamble House, an outstanding example of American Arts and Crafts, built in 1908.
Also available was a visit to the Huntington Library

Council attendees visited the Santa Clara Mission and the the Harris-Lass House.

“Think Pink!” On Friday evening, all gathered in the Garden Room of the Madonna Inn.

Two historic house tours were on the agenda for Friday afternoon.The Hays-Latimer-Leichter Adobe and the The Avila House.
Saturday afternoon featured a tour of the Dallidet Adobe and gardens.

A visit with “Abraham Lincoln,” a tour of the Forestiere Underground Gardens, and wine tasting at California’s premier producer of Portuguese-style port wine highlighted the activities for the Fall Council Meeting in Fresno.