48 Hours in Santa Barbara

After being back for a few days, I thought I would share with you a bit of what we did in Santa Barbara. TPS had visited when he was a youngster, but I had never made the trip. It has been on my list forever, so a quick 2 day visit after my conference was over in Los Angeles would be the ticket. We drove the Pacific Coast Highway to get there, which was an amazing treat. The ocean views and activity along the way made for such an enjoyable ride over.

With just 2 days, we had quite a bit to cover that was on our list of things to do. I was a bit worn out from a busy, few days at the conference, so both mornings I slept in a bit and read the above book. More on that later. Mister Sive is much more outdoorsy than moi, so he went on a hike up Rattlesnake Canyon. Yes, there are rattlesnake. I found that out later. He did not encounter any, but it certainly would have stopped me going. I guess that is why I am not a hiker. He also spent time wandering around the Old Mission & the Santa Barbara County Courthouse to feed his love of architecture. When we later drove by the building, I could see why he had wanted to see it–stunning.

Extraordinary Mexican food was a big highlight of the visit, and a stop at La Super Rica was a must. Made famous by Julia Child being a fan, we knew we were in for a treat. A dinner at Los Agaves was so good we went back the next day for lunch.

Shopping is of course, always on the list. Fun to finally see Pierre La Fond & Co.

We spent an afternoon wine tasting in the town of Los Olivos. It is about 45 minutes from SB, but so worth the drive. The little town is filled with quaint tasting rooms. It was fun to try wines from the area, many of which are exceptional.

It is always such a treat to see someone you know on a trip. We popped in to see my friend Liberty. For those of you from the Seattle area, Liberty and her mom had a fab shop in Kirkland, called Liberty 123. She is now living in SB, and working with a lovely jewelry designer. Adesso is in a charming old house where there is a workroom, the studio, and a retail space. Very worth stopping in. It was so fun to see her!

And of course, we had to sniff out a cool coffee place. Santa Barbara is such a special place. Walks on the beach, walks around town, and just hanging out. The relaxed vibe made our 2 days there so enjoyable. We caught a late, late flight back to Seattle, but not before another glorious drive along the PCH.