labyrinth at st. mark's-in-the-valley episcopal church

Fun for little ones, but not a challenge. I walked the whole labyrinth just to say I did. Difficult to take a photo unless you're tall with a wide lens.

As a budding student in landscape architecture with two small children, I embraced creating the courtyard and labryrinth of my home church, St. Mark's in the Valley more than twenty years ago. It is has become a place of peace for people of all faiths or none, as we like to say. I hope many will enjoy for years to come and find it a portal of peace and understanding in their lives.

We accidently came upon this labyrinth walking around the church grounds after having lunch in Los Olivos , what a beautiful and peaceful area ,the church and grounds are beautiful and well kept.

I have walked a few labyrinths in my day, all of them unique and profound, and this one was no different. If you have not walked a labyrinth before, here is a quick link to give you some tips on how to do it.: http://www.wikihow.com/Meditate-in-a-LabyrinthIt took me a few minutes to find the labyrinth, which is located behind the church sanctuary. You get there by walking through the courtyard, past the offices and restrooms. Don't be shy walking through, no matter what your faith or lack-thereof, because this place is really quite unassuming. There are beautiful sculptures and roses in the labyrinth area, that really added to the atmosphere. I also opted to sit in the sanctuary after walking the labyrinth to get away from the summer heat for a few minutes. This is one of those places that is hard to describe, you must see it for yourself, and I recommend that you do. It's a quick stop, and very refreshing.Thank you to the Tripadvisor members who wrote reviews of this place, or else I never would have known it was there!

We love finding and walking labyrinths, and finding this one tucked behind so many tasting rooms and gift shops was a real treat. Adjacent the garden is a beautifully landscaped churchyard cemetery and also on the grounds is a lovely church. We love their posted welcome sign that says people of all faiths, and those with none are all welcomed there. A very peaceful place. We have also walked the labyrinth at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Cambria, which is also quite peaceful. St. Mark's is very accommodating and welcoming to out of town visitors and even leave their restrooms open for the public during the day. We had a great experience.

I am a labyrinth lover and seek them out wherever I go. I was in this delightful little village August 29-30 and didn't know it was there. I cannot believe I missed it. It looks delightful and I will have to make sure I seek it out the next time I am in this area.

If you find yourself in wine country outside of Santa Barbara and you wander into the tiny town of Los Olivos, a mecca of wine tasting rooms and darling cafes and shops, you will also find yourself close to a beautiful tract of sacred space. St. Mark's-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church is the home of an outdoor labryinth, a replica of the labryinth in Chartes Cathedral in France. Labryinths provide an opportunity for anyone to go on a "holy journey," and people of all faiths, traditions, and experiences are welcome to engage this contemplative plot of sacred space. Fr. Randall Day, the priest of the Church, was so generous with his time, welcoming us into the experience with a handout describing the process of walking a labryinth and some suggestions for "how to" for the novice. He graciously allowed us time to experience this centuries-old form of spiritual discipline, then checked on us again when he saw us resting on one of the church's decorative benches (they have created little oases of beauty throughout their courtyard to welcome the community). We felt so blessed by the experience, and by Fr. Day's kindness.On a humorous note, there's one thing you won't find in Los Olivos -- alot of public bathrooms. This little village doesn't have public water/sewer (or stoplights, or postal service, or streetlights, for that matter), so you may find that you need to use porta-potties if nature is calling. Thanks to some forward thinking planners and a zealous zoning board, St. Mark's-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church happens to be the home of several working restrooms -- each hospitabily open to travelers. The church doors are open, too...in case you feel a yen to pray. Hallelujah for the ministry of hospitality!