On Friday, we left after work and headed up to Santa Barbara on the Pacific Coast Highway. The drive was beautiful and it took only 3 1/2 hours from San Diego. We arrived in time for a game of chess and the extra large board game at the Hilton Beachfront, sunset, and then a scooter ride to dinner. We had a nice sushi dinner at Oku, though we quickly found out that you need to have reservations for dinner in Santa Barbara on the weekend. I made reservations every night except for Friday since I did not know what time we would arrive.
We were very lucky and the Chromatic Gate was steps from the Hilton. This is the creation of Herbert Bayer, an Austrian-American artist who was educated at Bauhaus and spent over a decade living and working in the Santa Barbara area.
Saturday morning we headed to Montecito for breakfast at Bree’Osh. It was delicious. I highly recommend the egg and cheese sandwich. After breakfast we went up to Lotusland a beautiful garden in the Montecito Hills. Unfortunately, I did not know that you needed to make a reservations, so we did not get to visit. So just a note if you plan to visit Lotusland make a reservation. Lotusland is a 37-acre garden, designed and developed with loving care by Polish opera singer Madame Ganna Walska. Lotusland is one of California’s most beautiful botanic gardens and I am told amazing to wander through. Other than the signature lotuses and water lilies in season, there are many themed gardens to enjoy, as well as architectural elements and water features. Must do next time we are up there.
Since we didn’t have a reservation we headed over to Funk Zone, claimed to be Santa Barbara’s hippest neighborhood. Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone is a colorful 10-block mix of trendy restaurants, cafes, tasting rooms, and a few shops.
After exploring Funk Zone we walked down State Street and rented a couple of bike carts. The kids absolutely loved this and asked to do it again on Sunday and Monday. We rode the bikes along the coast from end to end and it took about 1.5 hours with stops.
After our bike ride we were hungry for lunch and we went to the famous La Super Rica. Julia Child was partial to La Super Rica, a tiny taqueria with a permanent huge line that's also name-dropped in a Katy Perry song. The freshly made tortillas were amazing. If you visit get the La Super Rica Especial. If you do not like your tacos plain you should note that a chicken taco for example is just that chicken and tortilla without any accompaniments. That said the tortillas were delicious and so were the specials we ordered.
Once our bellies were full, it was time to go back to the hotel and enjoy the pool before dinner.
After a little relaxing by the pool we headed to Paseo Nuevo, an open-air shopping center in downtown Santa Barbara, famous for its Spanish architecture and colorful tiled steps. It reminded me of a Spanish style Horton Plaza (if you have been to San Diego). Sadly, so many stores had closed down due to COVID. That said, this shopping center was still beautiful, lit with string lights after dark it was a fun place to stroll, even if you do not do any shopping. Admire the graceful arches and the details in the pastel facades. Sit outside in one of the plant-filled courtyards and enjoy a drink. Pose for a photo at the colorful butterfly mural or on one of the flights of tile-decorated stairs.
After we explored Paseo Nuevo we walked a couple of blocks to dinner at Barbareño. Barbareño specializes in casual California cuisine, though the experience is anything but informal. The beautifully designed dishes are presented so elegantly, each looks like a tiny work of art. The restaurant does a fantastic job and letting healthy, local ingredients speak for themselves.
On Sunday, we decided to get out of Santa Barbara and explore a little of Santa Ynez Valley. We started the day with a visit to Renaud’s Patisserie. the raspberry tart was one of the best I have had and could easily compete with those I have eaten at the best places in France.
The pain au chocolat and the almond croissant were also amazing. You cant miss a stop here. We actually made two it was so good.
After it was time to burn off some of those pastries with a small but beautiful hike up to the waterfalls at Nojoqui Falls. This was a very easy family hike with my older parents and 6 and 7 year olds. For a more challenging hike try to explore the caves at Gaviota Wind Tunnel.
On the way we ran into a cute winery, Folded Hills, that had a ton of animals (pigs, goats, cows, donkey, llama) that the children could feed. The baby pig was my favorite. We didn’t try the wine so I cannot opine on it. But such a great stop with the kids and one of their highlights.
Santa Ynez Valley encompasses six communities clustered together like the Syrah grapes the area grows in abundance: Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, Los Alamos, Buellton, and Solvang, plus the emerging Ballard area. Los Alamos, Los Olivos and Solvang are the most developed of the bunch. Our first stop was Sloveng where we had lunch and then walked around the stores and got ice cream.
Then we went to Los Olivios for a little wine tasting. The town was cute but we didn’t find any winery we truly love. I would love recommendations for our next visit! Though the wine was not our favorite we still had a great time.
After a little wine it was time to head back to Santa Barbara but first we stopped at the lavender farm, Claremont Farms, where we found the best lavender honey a long with some awesome lotions. Unfortunately the lavender fields were bit in bloom but the visit was great nonetheless.
When we got back to Santa Barbara we had dinner at The Lark. This was the best dinner we had while in Santa Barbara. Every dish, even the dessert was spectacular. When it comes time to order, the Crispy Brussels Sprouts must make an appearance on the table (your waiter won’t be surprised if you place another order). Everything here is approachable but is carefully curated, prepared and presented to elevate your experience.
Monday morning we took a stroll on the beach , collecting sand dollars, one last time before we had to say good bye to Santa Barbara.
We walked to Stern Wharf where we grabbed a quick snack at Santa Barbara’s Shellfish Co. I was hoping to eat a dozen oysters, but unfortunately they were out. Luckily they still had their live uni scallop sashimi special. It was amazing. Unfortunately, my six-year-old thought so too so I had to share.
After our visit of the Wharf, we grabbed a quick bite in Funk Zone and headed back home.
Due to COVID a few places we would have visit were closed like the Mission, the Natural History Museum on the Wharf, and Moxi. Exhibits at MOXI cover science, technology, engineering, arts and math. I have heard that it is not only amazing for children but adults as well. The building was beautiful. Cannot wait to visit again to visit these spots that were closed this time around.
Comments