Santa Barbara



Sunset in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara had been on my travel wish list for years so it's ironic that I went twice within a four month period of time.  One was for a work trip with my husband (a.k.a. boondoggle) in the spring and the other was for a girl's getaway in late summer. 

Getting there

On my first trip, I flew in and out of LAX and drove to Santa Barbara.  Driving from LAX to Santa Barbara takes about an hour and a half on a good day.  If you have been to Southern California, you know that good days don't come along that often.

We took the scenic route up the Pacific Coast Highway through Santa Monica, Malibu and Oxnard.  There are lots of great little places to stop and have lunch on the way like Gladstones and Duke's but on this trip we stopped at Paradise Cove.  It's your garden variety beachfront restaurant where you can get a cold beer and put your feet in the sand.  It seems to be just as popular with the seagulls through so if you order something you really like, watch out because they are aggressive.

It's good to be a dog in SoCal

I chose to fly for the second trip.  The plan was perfect.  I was going to leave DFW in the morning, make a quick connection at LAX and I would be in Santa Barbara in time for lunch.  After a scorching Texas summer, I could not wait to get to 75 degree weather and an ocean.

Unfortunately,I learned one very important lesson on this trip.  If your flight to LAX is delayed and you miss your connection, you are screwed.  American Eagle flies smaller planes on this popular route which means it is often overbooked.  So instead of lunch with the girls, I spent five hours in the LAX airport (actually the trailer that AA calls it's "satellite terminal") waiting to get on a plane.

Santa Barbara is less than 100 miles from LA so I could have driven there and back in the time I spent at the airport.  You may ask "Well, why didn't you just rent a car and drive" but I was in a no win situation.  If you don't travel much or make many connections, you may not realize that if you cancel or don't show up for one leg of your travel plans, the airline will typically cancel the rest of your itinerary.  If you actually do the right thing and call them to let them know you are not going to make a certain flight, they will charge you a change fee which is usually around $150 depending on the airline.  

Where We Stayed

The Four Seasons



On the first trip, we stayed at the Four Seasons the night before the conference began and it lived up to every bit of its reputation.  It is really in Montecito and the hotel is located across the street from the water.  There is a beach club and restaurant located on the water.  The hotel is comprised mainly of cottages and the walkways that wind around the property instill a sense of complete privacy. 



Four Seasons entrance

The main building and the bar are Spanish inspired and are very warm and inviting.  There is an outside area with a view of the water where you can enjoy cocktails on the veranda.  They also have bikes you can rent to ride into Montecito or down to the waterfront of Santa Barbara.

The hotel is a ten minute walk from downtown Montecito which is home to great little art galleries and stores.  For breakfast, check out Jeannine's bakery.  It has a great selection of breakfast items ranging from homemade pastries to healthy, organic omelets.  It's quite the hot spot on weekend mornings so be prepared to wait a few minutes to be seated.

If you choose to eat off property, it is a ten or fifteen minute car ride to downtown Santa Barbara.  We ate dinner at Bouchon which was amazing.  It is a very intimate restaurant the features amazing locally grown food.  If the weather is nice, try and snag a seat outside on the patio.

A couple of interesting and quirky tidbits about the Four Seasons.  First, Christopher Lloyd of Back to the Future and Taxi fame apparently eats there everyday.  Second, the owner of the property (it is managed by Four Seasons) is Ty Warner the guy who founded Beanie Babies.  If you are a collector of Beanie Babies, then the gift shop at the Four Seasons is your mecca.

Bacara

We stayed at Bacara for both the conference and the girls trip so it was interesting to experience it from two different perspectives.  It is a beautiful property that truly feels like a resort.  The buildings are set on rolling hills so you definitely get your exercise walking back and forth from the pool to the restaurants to your room.



View from main building at Bacara

There are several pools to choose from.  The main pool is where all of the families congregate and it can be difficult to find a chair on the weekend.  Also, don't sit right next to the pool unless you mind being the recipient of the "cannonball splash".  You aren't in the south so good manners by kids or their parents are not as prevalent. 

Up one level is the area where the cabanas are and is a little more reserved.  If you are looking for true peace and quiet your best bet is the pool at the spa at the top of the resort.  The only downside (and it's a big one!) is that there is no drink or food service at the spa pool.

You can also walk down to and along the beach and walking trails around the entire property take you up into the hills for some great views.  Unfortunately, the view of the water from the property is marred by oil platforms located several miles directly offshore but it is still spectacular.



View of water from walking
path at Bacara

The spa is nice and offers some great treatments.  It had all of the things you usually find in a spa; steam room, sauna, hot tub, etc.  There is also an upstairs sun deck where you can relax as well as a spacious interior area. Overall, it's a bit smaller than I would have thought so I would have to rate it a B+. 

There are a couple of restaurants on property that are good.  Miro is the main restaurant and is located just off of the main building.  There is also a restaurant down by the pool that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The Spa Cafe is great if you are looking for a quick muffin or cup of coffee in the morning.   If you are here for more than a weekend though, you will likely tire of the resort offerings. Bacara is even further from Santa Barbara than the Four Seasons so be prepared for a pricey cab ride each way to and from town.

Things We Did



Mission Santa Barbara

A few things I would recommend during a visit to Santa Barbara.

Check out the Old Mission Santa Barbara.  It is a five minute ride into the hills above downtown and is beautiful.  It also does not take long to see and enjoy.  

Visit the Santa Barbara Courthouse (voluntarily of course...please don't ruin a perfectly good trip by getting arrested).  There are some amazing murals and tile work that you would not expect to find in a courthouse.  

Wine Country

Wine, wine, wine.  There are some great wineries located within an hour of downtown.  Hwy. 154 is the scenic route which takes you high up into the mountains and offers some spectacular views.  The roads wind around and are narrow at times so it is definitely advisable to take this route before you start tasting the wines!  

We visited the following:

Gainey Vineyards

Gainey Vineyards - the grounds were beautiful and the staff in the tasting room was great.

• Fess Parker - yes, of Davey Crockett fame. While the tasting room is somewhat commercial, the wines were surprisingly good 
• Foley Estates - they are known mainly for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir



Foley Estates

• Zaca Mesa - they have lots of picnic tables and outdoor areas in case you want to take a picnic 

Good friends + good wine =
Good Times!

There are lots of cute towns to stop in as you wind your way through the different wineries.  If you don't have time to go to the wineries, there are also several tasting rooms in Santa Barbara which you can visit. 

Take Highway 101 (Pacific Coast Highway) for your trip back into town.  It's a straight shot and will get you back to the resort in time for cocktails at sunset.   Better yet, hire a driver and enjoy cocktails on your way back!

These are just some suggestions on things to do.  Downtown Santa Barbara spans several blocks and has a lot of mainstream and independent stores to visit.  The marina is also beautiful and worth taking a walk around. From what I saw, you really can't go wrong with any of it. 



Having held a place on my "bucket list" for many years, Santa Barbara does not disappoint and I look forward to returning soon.