Buying Neverland

[Zkribbler]

If you don't want to move to the Phils with Lancer, there's always the Santa Inez Valley. You'd be just down the road from horse whisperer Monty Roberts

Jackson faces Neverland auction

Pop star Michael Jackson could lose his Neverland ranch if he fails to pay nearly $25m (£12.5m) that he owes on the sprawling California property.

If Mr Jackson does not pay more than three months' arrears on the property it will go to auction on 19 March, a Santa Barbara official told the BBC.

The reclusive singer has not lived at the property since his acquittal on child molestation charges in 2005.

He bought Neverland in 1987 intending to create a fantasy-land for children.

It is named after an island in the story Peter Pan, where children never grow up.

After he purchased Neverland, Mr Jackson built a zoo and fairground on the 2,800 acre (1,100 hectare) property north-west of Santa Barbara.

It was closed in 2006 after he failed to pay his staff or maintain proper insurance.

According to court documents cited by Fox News, the auction is to include the house and everything on the estate including "all ferris wheels, carousels, merry-go-round type devices... and all amusement ride equipment and facilities of every kind or nature".

[Dinner]

I drove by it one Saturday when I was living in Santa Barbara plus I saw it from the air when I was learning to fly out of Santa Barbara air port. I can't say the people of Santa Ynez will be sorry to see him go.

[Theben]

Oh noes! Where will he molest small kiddies outside of the public spotlight now!?

[Dinner]

Santa Ynez is classic southern/central California. It's almost entirely vineyards and cattle ranches plus the Santa Ynez river has a nice salmon run. Santa Ynez BBQ is locally famous since the 19th century when American, Mexican, and native American influences all combined to make an especially tasty and unique version of picnic/BBQ.

[Zkribbler]

Ha. Those are pics taken in the springtime. Any other time of the year, the hills are brown.

[Dinner]

SoCal does have a seasonal climate though I'd note that Santa Barbara county gets considerably more rain then the rest of SoCal due to it's northern location.

[Zkribbler]

And Santa Ynez Valley is at least 10 degrees colder than the rest of the county during the winter.

[Dinner]

Here's some pictures of people fishing in the Santa Ynez river. The trout population is strong though it has been illegal to catch salmon since the late 70's due to the endangered status of Southern California salmon.





The wild fires last November resulted in huge mudslides once the winter rains came. As a result the last known population of a type of salmon in Orange County was made extinct. These salmon had lived in a small stream just north of the San Diego-Orange county line and had been prevented from returning to the sea due to the construction of a dam in the 1920's. It's a sad lose as it means salmon are now extinct in San Diego and Orange counties with only one river in LA county left and a dying run in Ventura county due to water pollution. Santa Barbara is as far south as healthy salmon runs get now days.