By  LPJ

Magic in Sensorio. It seemed that way in a multi-acre property in  wine country of Paso Robles, CA where technology blends with imagination, nature and art to produce an astoundingly beautiful lights show.  Created and designed by British artist Bruce Munro, Sensorio is sectioned into various artistically designed installations some of which feature fine orchestral and vocal music.

Sensorio’s brilliance, only enjoyed at night, made me feel like I was in fairyland. Solar-powered lights on fiber optics, arranged on the ground and on intricately designed metal structures offer a compelling feast for the eyes. On the Saturday we were there, the magnificence was further enhanced with the enchanting half moon hovering in the sky.  Every time I looked up, it seemed like the golden crescent was winking at me. But that was only whenever a feathery cloud haze glided beneath it.

Strange. It was an eerie kind of beauty; but perhaps, that was just the creative kink in my imagination.

(Sensorio — Photo by Ronee Cagampan)

Sensorio is not all flat land. Rolling hills and light inclines jot the scenery, adding to the charm of the show site, not to mention the fun challenge of walking the entire premise. Two seniors in our small group were privileged to be pushed on wheelchairs, and that’s myself included. My nephew-in-law very patiently and efficiently toured me around all the installations while entertaining me continually with stories about his and my niece’s Alaska cruise. He also is quite a joker with witty dry humor that actually perked up the conversation. Three hours of touring Sensorio on a wheelchair was a fun experience peppered with  “royal” treatment.

My favorite of the spectacle was the 3-dimensional section that features complicated patterns on the ground and magical illusions that jump out of the lighted triangular and hexagonal structures. But the most soothing were the tall mushroom-like fixtures that changed light hues to the mild rhythm of a symphonic piece that almost lulled me to sleep. The bottled towers were just as fascinating especially when colors dramatically switched with the melodic waves of a dreamy aria. Our friends’ favorite at Sensorio was the expanse of vast rolling hills and valleys that emanated multi-colors of lights embedded on the ground. That was where we sat for half an hour before braving the dark path back to the parking lot.

From the dreamy fairyland to driving back home — and performed the mundane task of feeding ourselves. While eating, the topic was not the magic of the lights, but food. Why do we find ourselves talking about food we’d like to eat when we’re in the middle of feasting over what we wanted to have in the first place? Couldn’t we just concentrate on what’s in front of us? While gobbling up our mushu pork and slurping  broth with wanton and long thin noodles, we started to discuss an all-you-can-eat restaurant in Newark called World. My friend took out her cell phone and googled the restaurant. She said, it got a 5 star review. I ate there once, and found the food displays to be extensive, abundant and excellent. Discussing the buffet did whet our appetite for the fabulous seafood that we imagined to be there. Well then, I said, we definitely have to go there next month. All this planning, while seriously finishing our soup and mushu pork. Exactly my point.

From experiencing the fairyland magic of a light show — to the imagined magic of all-you-can-eat buffet. Quite delightful, wouldn’t you think?

Linda P. Jacob