2024 Best Sights Around Santa Barbara California
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
Intro
Los Angeles maybe the city of dreams, but sometimes living that grind day in and day out can be exhausting. Less than 100 miles north, you can exhale a sigh of relief and have a little rest and relaxation in Santa Barbara County. The weather and views in Santa Barbara County are nothing short of spectacular. There is a reason that the likes of Oprah and Ellen Degeneres moved up to the area.
Unfortunately this post isn’t about Oprah or Ellen. With that said I did fill it will beautiful sights, fun activities, and amazing restaurants.
Santa Barbara, CA
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Past local road trips, I have only been back to New Jersey and Florida in the last two years. Seeing as I have lived in both of those states and was visiting friends and family, I did not feel at the time it warranted a blog post. Ultimately I want to be writing about exotic, far off places that I dream about. Local trips though, can be just as impactful and rejuvenating.
At the end of 2021 I left my job, which prompted me to take a little getaway. I have always taken the practical route as I come from a practical family. It was becoming increasingly evident that I was not content in that job. I evaluate when I need to make a life change very simply: are more days good than bad? If not, it is time to make an adjustment. When I say bad, I do not mean something awful or extreme but I also do not mean going off the deep end for the littlest thing. If I am not happy, continually and nothing I am doing changes that, I know I need to reexamine and address the situation.
I have been known to have a very stereotypical New Jersey personality, I can get agitated over little things and I did not like that about myself. Since around the time of the pandemic I was increasingly aware of that trait. Most likely because I had excess amounts of time for self-reflection and self-improvement, so I worked very hard to center myself. I exercise almost every day. I made sure to go outside and get a little vitamin D (even if just a quick walk to the local koi pond to see some turtles). I modified my diet by limiting my intake of sugar, omitting alcohol, minimizing caffeine, and eating primarily whole and natural foods. I even started therapy on a regular basis for the first time in my life. I wanted to get ahead of things instead of fixing a problem and I knew with the craziness of the pandemic it was best to get ahead of my reactions. I even started meditating frequently. I will admit, some days I am better at meditating than others. But I at least try to incorporate it as much as possible into my routine. Or at the very least step back from a situation I know might frustrate me. An added bonus to this lifestyle change is I lost almost 50 pounds.
After all of this effort in a 2 year time frame; if I still find myself being discontent, I owed it to me and everyone around me to make a shift. To clarify the stereotype of resigning without a formulated plan and job to transition into, I very much want to work and enjoy working. I love having a purpose and a mission, I love being able to support and rely on myself, I love learning new things and meeting new people. This decision to leave was not made on a whim. I by no means am rich but by no means need handouts. I moved out to Los Angeles 6.5 years ago to work in the entertainment industry. I come from a corporate type family, which has its strong points and gave me a wonderful childhood and business sense but not much insight into the world of the arts and entrepreneurship. So I lacked an understanding of how to go that route and instead built a solid career in sales. Even after all of my applying, interviewing, networking, ‘cold calling’ on LinkedIn, resume revamps, and the list goes on and on; I was still having difficulties getting offered roles in the entertainment industry that are aligned with my level. I decided I would take this next year to really work towards my goal of finding employment in the entertainment industry and if that was not accomplished before the end of my lease to then look into moving elsewhere. Sh*t or get off the pot as it is commonly known.
After my last day of work, I took a little self-care time. The very next day I went ice skating with some friends and their child. Being around people, especially people you enjoy, is always a pick-me-up. Also, experiencing something through a child's eyes and how much fun they have with everything (things we as adults see as insignificant experiences), makes it that much better. I made it five laps around the outdoor rink by the Staples Center without falling, although there were a few close calls. The last time I had gone ice skating was in 2014 for similar reasons, to try something different and active. We did not ice skate a lot as kids, but I grew up in the northeast where half the year was quite cold so hockey and iced skating were big sports in the area. I still remember the Devils winning the Stanley Cup and going to the ticker tape parade with my dad and brother.
The next steps in my transition was some solace time and a change of scenery. I needed to get out of Los Angeles, stat. One of my happy places is Santa Barbara. I am always drawn to beach vacations; even though I rarely go into the ocean, I do not like sitting on the beach for too long, and I burn easily. There is something so calming about a water location though. If you go to Butterfly Beach, just south of the Santa Barbara Pier you can find beauty and a little bit more seclusion than downtown Santa Barbara. Seems like the type of place mostly locals go to, where people smile and wave hello while walking past with their dog. Something you do not experience as much in an inner city. So the next day I was bound for Santa Barbara on the coastal train.
I usually drive up to Santa Barbara. When you grow up in the suburbs and have lived in Los Angeles and Miami, two very spread out cities with minimal public transportation, you tend to be a driver. At this point I still did not have a car and did not feel like executing the logistics of renting a car, so I hopped on the train at Union Station near downtown Los Angeles. It was nice not driving and I could do other things or zone out. With that said it took almost an additional hour with all the stops along the way than if I had driven. The 30ish minutes of riding along the coast made up for the time difference, though.
My first stop when I got to Santa Barbara around 10:30am was to grab a quick snack from Starbucks before my self-care morning began. Typically when I travel, I try to go to restaurants local to that area. This part of the day however, was more focused on the Salt Cave and Massage appointments I made, so egg bites from Starbucks sufficed. At least they are always predictable and have a bathroom.
If you had asked me a decade ago to go to a salt cave, I would have laughed. Since living in Los Angeles and especially in the last couple of years, I sing a different tune. I have been having back and foot pain so I will pretty much try anything for relaxation and healing purposes. I now regularly go to acupuncture, cupping, chiropractors and massage therapists in addition to western medicine.
For those not familiar, a salt cave is usually a large room where the walls are made out of sea salt bricks and the floor is made of looser salt. It is supposed to help with respiratory issues, clear toxins from the body and reduce inflammation. At the very least it is the most relaxing 45-minutes you will have. Some people fully recline in the zero gravity chairs scattered around the room, others lay on the salt floor or practice yoga. I felt very comfortable in this room in a Covid world. Everyone wore their masks and there was only one other lady in the room with me that was sitting at least 20 feet from me. I am sure the occupancy may vary depending on location and time of appointment, but the 11am window on a Sunday was pretty sparse.
As someone who’s phone seems permanently glued to their hand, I tried to take the time in the salt cave to just sit there, relax and meditate. Meditation means different things to different people. For me, at the very least; if I can have a few uninterrupted moments without distractions, it has done its job. From what the girl working there told me, the Santa Barbara Salt Cave is the biggest in North America. To be fair, I do not know how many salt caves are in America. They also have a pretty extensive gift shop with salt lamps, salt sprays, candles and body products. I left with a lovely room spray and a more calm demeanor.
On my walk over to get a massage at the Zen Massage Place, I stopped by Buena Onda to pick up an Empanada for the walk over. I was not sure if I could make it through the massage without eating, but no one needed to encounter me hangry. It was a cute little restaurant with a few varieties of empanadas. I took it to go as I was cutting it close before my massage appointment, but they had a nice outdoor patio.
I had been to Zen Massage Place once before when I was in Santa Barbara. They were not right in the center of town by State Street, but close enough. They do have a parking lot but as I did not have a car, I just walked. Thank goodness I was getting a message after that walk, it was about a mile and I was carrying my overnight bag. I still had my stuff with me as it was early when I got to Santa Barbara so I was unable to check into the hotel yet. I got a hot stone massage, the warmth from the stones was nice and the massage therapist was great. The only thing I will say about this location is, it is right off a busy road and/or the walls are thin so you definitely can hear the surrounding noise (at least from the room I was in).
I used to work for Hilton, so I was able to use points I had accrued for this overnight stay. I believe there is only one Hilton in the town of Santa Barbara, which used to be a DoubleTree before they rebranded to a Hilton. This hotel is not right on the water, but across the street - a little south of the Pier. I had booked a standard room, but I was staying on a Sunday night which is usually the slowest day at hotels so I asked if they had any ocean view rooms. When I was younger I was so timid about asking for anything extra or putting people out. Now my philosophy (within moderation) is nothing ventured, nothing gained. The worst that will happen is they say no and I am exactly where I started. Instead, they upgraded me to a room with a view that I got to wake up to at sunrise, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Even though I prefer staying in nicer hotels (I have had the luxury of employee rates and staying in nicer hotels for cheaper rates), when traveling I try to spend as little time in the hotel as possible. Shortly after checking in and seeing the view, I was walking back on the coastal road into Santa Barbara for dinner. I had my mind set on Mexican so after wandering around State Street and checking a few menus, I settled on El Paseo Mexican Restaurant.
I think it may be attributed to growing up in the northeast where it’s cold half of the year, but I am obsessed with soup. After much deliberation I settled on tortilla soup and a taquito. My nightcap these days is usually dessert. This time it was mint chip from McConnell’s Ice Cream while I walked around listening to the street performers playing holiday music on various instruments and checking out the town holiday lights as I was there right before Christmas. I ended the evening exhausted. A good exhausted. An exhaustion where happiness is trying to prevail.
I soaked up as much of these 24-hours in Santa Barbara as possible. The next morning I watched the sunrise from my balcony before taking an early morning walk along the coast to grab breakfast in Montecito. The concierge at the hotel recommended Jeannine’s. There are two locations, one in Santa Barbara and another in Montecito. I chose the Montecito location as I was in Santa Barbara last night but also because I wanted to go to Butterfly Beach close to Jeannine’s in Montecito. Butterfly Beach is hands down my favorite beach in the area, Santa Barbara’s beach tends to be busier. If Butterfly Beach is good enough for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, it is good enough for me.
I tried to see a bit more of Santa Barbara than just the beach, even though it is my happy place. I spent about an hour walking around the botanical garden in the hills of Santa Barbara. Did not realize there was one in the area. Not surprised though, I feel like they have botanical gardens in most places. I got through the gardens a lot quicker than I anticipated so I took a Lyft over to Sacred Space in Summerland which had a spiritual shop and meditation garden. It was refreshing sitting somewhere so calm, in silence. It was the perfect ending to my relaxing and recharging 24-hours.
On my way back to the hotel I stopped by Blenders in the Grass in Montecito to pick up a smoothie. I had gone there once before and really enjoyed it. But I also think that first time I went, I really enjoyed my conversation with the girl working there who was exceptionally friendly. Also, with my cleansing weekend I wanted something more nutritious to tide me over. I was pleasantly surprised how reasonable it was compared to Los Angeles prices, which was an added bonus.
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California was part of Mexico until 1848.
Santa Barbara is just under 100 miles north of Los Angeles. It can be accessed via car, Amtrak, or plane into Santa Barbara Airport.
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo came into Santa Barbara Channel via a boat in 1542.
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It is easy to find something fun for everyone in Santa Barbara County. The question is, how to go about not drowning in planning, while maximizing your time while in Santa Barbara.
If you stay in downtown Santa Barbara, most of the cities attractions are pretty accessible by walking or Rideshare. I'll touch on some great hotels in the area below. I stayed at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort, which was water facing and a short walk to downtown Santa Barbara.
The main road in Santa Barbara where much of the bars, restaurants, and shops are located on is called State Street.
Depending on where you are coming from, I think you only need a few days of relaxation and sightseeing around Santa Barbara. If you are a local, this would be a good long weekend getaway. If you are from farther away, you could couple a few days in Santa Barbara with hiking and wineries in the region or a short road trip to Southern California.
Be sure to check out my post on the Best Sights Around Los Angeles.
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Below are some of my favorite hotels in Santa Barbara based on my stay or proximity to the city.
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara, CA
Montecito, CA
Montecito, CA
Salt - Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens
Sacred Space - Summerland
Conclusion
I took one more walk around the beach by my hotel before heading back to the Amtrak station and down to Los Angeles. This trip was exactly what I needed at the moment I needed it. I needed a chance to relax, which this trip provided. I needed a bit of time with no obligations, which I avoided. I needed a bit of time with myself, which I had. I needed space to accept I am a work in progress and it is okay to fail and make the same mistake more than once, as long as your intentions are pure, you are trying to evolve and you keep in mind if/how you are impacting others.
Quote
“The sky is more blue. In Malibu.” Miley Cyrus
Next on the Blog…
If you are spending time in Santa Barbara, you might have flown into Los Angeles Airport or just have a little extra time. Check out my blog post on some of the Best Sights in Los Angeles.
Santa Barbara, CA