Palm tree skies, indian summer sunshine. Red-tile clay roofs, Spanish architecture, and homes with a view of the sea.
A walk down State Street and all you see are stylish boutiques and bougie cafes that serve gloriously frothy chai lattes in glass mugs. The millionaires next door are getting off their morning yoga to meet friends for brunch.
So goes life in Santa Barbara, one of the most iconically California cities on the west coast and one of my favorite cities to visit for the day.
Last weekend I was visiting a friend from college and we decided to wander around Santa Barbara for the day and see what we might find. We parked near upper State Street and started our day of adventuring at one of the local landmarks, the Santa Barbara Courthouse.
One of my favorite parts of getting to know a city is to see it from the skies…or as close to a bird’s eye view as you can get. Whether it’s the London Eye or the Top of the Rock in New York City, there’s something about a skyline view that helps you understand the city.
The Santa Barbara courthouse is one of those “must see” places that I’ve never actually visited. The bell tower offers a panoramic view of Santa Barbara—from the distant rolling mountains to the ocean. It’s completely free, and the view is definitely worth the stairs.
Back down among the mortals, one of my favorite ways to spend the afternoon is to simply wander State Street. There are boutiques full of handcrafted jewelry, overpriced sweaters, and antiques. My favorite shoppe is Lewis & Clark: Antiques and Fine Things, which has a floor laid with bricks that click pleasantly as you walk across them. The Book Den, a tiny hole-in-the-wall bookstore on upper State. And even though I don’t buy anything, I love dropping by Anthropologie to see the window displays and smell the candles. Honestly though, no matter where you go, there’s something fun to explore or experience.
Santa Barbara is an artistic city, through and through. From the gardens to the beaches, nature has inspired so many painters, poets, and writers to create beautiful art. Every way you turn, there are art exhibitions and movie theaters. Even the illuminated theater marquees are inscribed with what my mom and I fondly call “movie theater poetry” made up of all the titles they’re showing at the time.
The two ritziest local landmarks are the Granada Theatre and the Arlington Theatre, which regularly host concerts, speakers, and performances. Not too long ago, I got to attend a concert by Switchfoot, one of my favorite bands, at the Arlington.
My friend needed to visit a local art exhibition for a project, so when she finished, we were feeling a bit peckish and decided to drop by a gluten-free bakery, Lilac Patisserie, to share a slice of cheesecake and savor some delicious oat milk lattes (oat milk is apparently the new almond milk. It’s very hipster).
By now, the sun was setting and the day had reached that delicious blue hour when live music begins to play at the local restaurants and all the well-dressed locals come out for dinner. On our way back to the car, we passed so many fine restaurants, bedazzled with twinkly lights and candlelit tables.
Unfortunately, being poor broke college students, we opted not to join them at their fine dining establishments and instead made a beeline for Trader Joe’s, where we picked up ingredients to make our own autumnal-themed three-course meal: pumpkin bisque, butternut squash ravioli, and chicken picatta. Still sounds fancy enough for the likes of Santa Barbara, right?
Sunday morning, we went out to breakfast at Jeannine’s (my favorite spot to pretend I’m a millionaire). After my friend and I finished our morning lattes, we drove down to Butterfly Beach for a walk along the shore. The foggy morning cleared up to a beautiful sunny day…but can you expect anything less from a city in paradise?
Thus concluded my Santa Barbara adventures… at least, for now. I know this week’s entry was short and sweet, but thanks for coming along!
<3 Olivia Grace
