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86 Moguls and Mansions
The Fithians were an entrepreneurial family that believed in
Santa Barbara. Just four years after they came to the area, they
had founded a country club in Montecito, bought a ranch in
Carpinteria, and constructed a four-story State Street building.
This enterprising family, led by patriarch Joel Adams Fithian,
undoubtedly had a major effect on the development of the
county, but their story is not without drama, love, fraud, and war.
The saga came to an end in 1966 when the remaining estate
sold a Fithian-held ranch and entrusted horse-drawn vehicles to
the Santa Barbara Historical Museum.
102 Landmarks
This final installment of a two-part series on Santa Rosa traces
the island’s history from its early human inhabitants to present
day. Only tourists visit now, but remnants of its recent past
remain: The ranch buildings tell the story of a longstanding
business relationship between two families. An old barn still
bears the markings of late nineteenth century workers. A
stone inscribed with the initials “JRC” was enough to make
adventurer Clive Cussler mount an expedition in search of Juan
Cabrillo’s burial site.
110 Far Flung Travel
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is 19,286,722 acres of
federally protected land in the North Slope region of Alaska.
There aren’t any roads leading into it, so if you want to take in
the pristine wilderness there, you can boat or simply walk in,
but most of the refuge’s 1,500 annual visitors use a bush plane.
Golden eagles, Dall sheep, grizzlies, and caribou await you
there, but you might be more likely to run into the “state bird” of
Alaska, the mosquito.
118 Art & Architecture
Cusco is the elegant city in Peru that, for most, is the gateway
to Machu Picchu. Over two million travelers fly in every year
and catch a train or drive out to more popular attractions, but
Cusco has plenty to offer in its own right and deserves more
than a brief stopover. Once the capital of the Inca Empire, the
city offers layers of culture and history to anyone up for a little
exploration.
126 Montecito Matrimony
For reasons readily apparent to anyone who walks outside and
looks around, Montecito is a premier place for weddings. In this
issue, we get the inside scoop on just a few of the proposals,
ceremonies, receptions, and after-parties that transpired in
our enclave. From Joy and Zachary’s intimate affair at the
San Ysidro Ranch to Clea and Dan’s surprise-laden blowout
that started at the Coral Casino, love is in the cool, clean,
Montecito air.
CONTENTS
26 Conversations
He was born Arthur Kelm, but he became known to the world as Tab
Hunter when he was the number-one box-office draw for Warner
Brothers in the late ‘50s. He shared the screen with stars like John
Wayne, Natalie Wood, Sophia Loren, Clint Eastwood, and many
others. Since the 1980s, he’s called Montecito his home. In this
sprawling conversation, Montecito Journal founder James Buckley
sits with Tab and covers a wide range of subjects from the actor’s
start in Hollywood to his ideal day in Montecito.
56 Old Hollywood
This tour of Old Hollywood starts at Musso & Frank, the oldest
restaurant in Tinseltown, where stars like Charlie Chaplin and
Greta Garbo used to dine. From there, we head to the Parva-
Sed Apartments, the now grittier locale where Nathanael West
conceived of the idea for his novel The Day of the Locust. We
then go to the iconic Paramount Gate, which shares a wall with
the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the final resting place for many
celebrities of the silver screen. After a stop at the Formosa Café,
once a favorite spot of folks like Frank Sinatra and Clark Gable, we
end the tour at the Hollywood Roosevelt, the grand location of the
first-ever Academy Awards.
68 In the Studio
When Luke Ebbin isn’t watching his sons play baseball, hanging
out at Miramar Beach, or dabbling in real estate, he has to do his
job: producing hit records. He’s produced and written songs for
the likes of Melissa Etheridge, Alicia Keys, and Santa Barbara’s own
Plain White T’s, but he might be known best for his work on Bon
Jovi’s comeback album, Crush. This look at Luke, a musician himself,
details a crucial phone conversation he had with Jon Bon Jovi, his
move to Montecito, and how he got his start.
70 Profiles
Before her move to Montecito in 1996, Cheri Steinkellner was a
writer of high-profile television. She’s best known, perhaps, for her
work on the Emmy-winning sitcom Cheers. Before her time in TV,
she was an actress, making her way in Hollywood and improvising
with the troupe at Groundlings. Now a Montecito mom, she
continues to create, write, and produce for the stage and screen.
She tells Montecito Journal all about her path from improv to the
writers’ room to Hello! My Baby, her musical that’s now taking off as
a commercial project.
80 Behind the Bottle
Richard Torin is the owner of Clarets, a shop that specializes in wine
“where demand exceeds supply.” He’s been in the wine business
since 1980, in Santa Barbara with Clarets since 1992, and in Montecito
for one year. He recently hired Jessica Garver to create a “business
within the business,” Clarets Club, which has her staging speakeasy
events with clients in-the-know. In our interview, Richard explained his
niche in the wine trade, made a list of his “desert island” bottles, and
told us all about a rare find that he cherishes. Cheers!
Cover:
Tab Hunter