Real Estate Tasting Room

Andy Griffith Remembered: When Los Olivos Became Mayberry

The sad news today of the passing of Andy Griffith, the legendary television actor, director and producer, reminded me of the 1986 television movie, Andy Griffith:Return to Mayberry, which was filmed in Los Olivos.

The Appeal of Small Town Living. The massive appeal of the Andy Griffith Show had a lot to do with the appeal of small town living, where everyone knows and cares for everyone else and there is a shared a sense of belonging. The richness of life in Mayberry had nothing to do with money; it had all to do with the special bonds between people. We saw in each episode, Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) carrying out his duties with much more discretion than is possible in big city life, where rules play a more significant role.

The lack of pretension, the community as family and local pride seemed to be as essential to Mayberry as they are today in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley.

I assume that the small town, dusty feel of Los Olivos played a big part in its selection as the location for Return to Mayberry.  That makes me wonder, as the town is now wall-to-wall wine tasting rooms, whether it would have been selected today. Fancy cars aside, it is still a small town, with community as family and local pride. So maybe the answer is “yes”.

Thank you Andy Griffith for bringing the joy of small town life to our living rooms each week; for some of us, it became a dream.

Want to know what its like to live in this small town? Please get in touch with me and I would be happy to share my experience with you. You can call or text me at 805 588-3616, or email me at [email protected]