Once it was another world. East Camino Cielo earlier in the last century was a place to get some R&R - and to get above Santa Barbara's fog.

Branching east from Highway 154 at the top of San Marcos Pass, the road appears little changed.

Near the intersection is the long-empty Cielo Store. “It used to be the community center,” mourned Jim Blakley, backcountry historian who is writing a book on East Camino Cielo.

The road rises through a mini-forest created by fog that funnels through the pass, making this one of the county's wettest spots.

To the left is the Fremont Trail, taken by Lt. Col. John Fremont in his 1846 takeover of California.

At the intersection with Painted Cave Road, a spinning windmill marks Laurel Springs Ranch, once owned by Jane Fonda.

Here East Camino Cielo is closed when weather grows inclement.

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The road loses its center stripe. Potholes are common.

Three miles from 154 is the trail to Knapp's Castle, unmarked except for a metal gate with a sign, “Right to pass revocable by owner.”

A short walk leads to the ruins of George Owen Knapp's lodge, destroyed in a 1940 wildfire except for some picturesque rocks that remain, creating a small Stonehenge.

Meandering at 3,000 to 3,500 feet, the road offers extraordinary views. To the north are Cachuma Lake, the upper Santa Ynez River, Gibraltar Reservoir and a stunning backdrop - Madulce, Big Pine, San Rafael and McKinley mountains.

South is Santa Barbara and the sparkling waters of the channel, with offshore islands looking like ships at sea.

The road reaches its highest point - 3,985 feet - at La Cumbre Peak.

Called the Ocean View Trail when it opened in 1899, the road was envisioned to go all the way to Ojai, but funds fizzled, Blakley said. Past Romero Saddle, the road fades to a trail.

“It dead-ends right at the (Ventura) county line,” he said.

Roadside Attractions is a weekly chronicle of sights along the

Central Coast's main commuter routes. This feature originally appeared Jan. 9, 2007. Sally Cappon can be reached at sjcappon@aol.com.

October 14, 2008