Destination Guide : Santa Barbara
On our recent trip to Santa Barbara, we realized that many of our favorite destinations share one physical characteristic: mountains right next to the ocean. Hawaii, Positano, Portugal, the list goes on and on. Nothing says a beautiful place to us like green, lush mountains paired with the ocean.
As a kid, I made the two-hour drive up to Santa Barbara on most Sundays with my family. We visited our favorite spots time and time again. My sister and I would beg our parents to take us to the Zoo as we exited the freeway. (We won the debate about 50% of the time.) We ate at Longboards on the pier. We shopped along State Street. And over time Santa Barbara became like a second hometown. Many years later it was the destination for our honeymoon, 10 year anniversary celebration, and countless other favorite family day trips.
I’m so excited to share all of my favorites from this special spot in…. Destination Guide : Santa Barbara!
STAY
Our favorite spot to stay is the Hilton Beachfront Resort. We spent both our honeymoon and our recent 10 year anniversary trip there. Right across the street from the beach, this resort is made up of a collection of red tile roofed buildings and beautiful gardens. We love that we can borrow bikes from the hotel and ride into the nearby Funk Zone for a cup of coffee.
GETTING AROUND
You could see so many of the sights in Santa Barbara on foot, but ultimately a car would make your time a lot easier.
EAT
LA SUPER RICA TAQUERIA - Always a must-visit for us. This little taqueria was once a favorite of Julia Child. I always tell anyone visiting Santa Barbara to head there for lunch. If you visit, order their special (top middle picture above). It’s the best item on the menu! That plus a few tacos and a beer and you will be so happy. Make sure to bring cash!
SAMA SAMA - What a fun surprise of a restaurant on our last trip to Santa Barbara! We headed to Sama Sama once we learned that the sushi restaurant across the street was full and it ended up being my favorite meal of the trip. Southeast Asian food (our favorite!) in shareable sizes. We ordered four dishes to share and it was the perfect amount. We enjoyed Chicken Sate, Vietnamese Chicken Wings (I still think about them almost daily!), Mie Goreng, and Chinese Sausage Fried Rice. Paired with Topa Topa’s Lager and it was the perfect meal!
SUSHI - We haven’t tried either but heard amazing things about both Arigato Sushi and Sushi Bar Montecito.
DART COFFEE CO. - Another new find on our last trip. This coffee shop in the Funk Zone is too sweet but its garden across the street was really what made our time there. A beautiful space to enjoy your breakfast. We could have camped out there all day.
SANTA BARBARA SHELLFISH COMPANY - This tiny restaurant at the end of Sterns Wharf is a classic for us. Pre-covid times we loved to sit at their bar and devour a 3 lb. crab!
LONGBOARDS - Another classic on Sterns Wharf. This would be the spot that I would take the kids. I visited this restaurant countless times as a kid myself. I loved the barrel full of peanuts to enjoy while we waited for our food. Their outdoor dining overlooking Santa Barbara and the ocean makes for a great lunch spot.
LUCKY PENNY - I’m already regretting the fact that we didn’t eat at Lucky Penny during our latest trip. Their pizzas are thin crust and delicious. I love their little spot in the Funk Zone and always stop to admire their building covered in pennies!
DO
SANTA BARBARA ZOO - The most beloved zoo that I’ve ever heard of. I love watching people talking about this zoo and swoon over how wonderful it is. My sister-in-law describes it best, “It’s like a beautiful park with animals in it!” Small but mighty, this zoo is a great spot to visit with or without kids.
SEA CENTER - The aquarium on Sterns Wharf was never our first visit (that goes to the zoo) but we always loved our visits. We haven’t been in years but it looks like they’ve gone great work to the exhibits!
BEACH - Of course, there’s always a visit to the beach. Santa Barbara tends to be a bit cooler and the water is definitely chillier than LA’s beaches. But when it sunny out, this makes for a great beach! It’s always a great spot in the winter when the days tend to be clearer. Grab a sweater and enjoy a walk or a bike ride down the beachfront path.
WHALE WATCHING - For seven months out of the year, you can join a whale watching tour out of Santa Barbara. Tours usually last around four hours and make for such a fun adventure. Our kids love spending time on a boat and spotting a whale would thrill them!
SANTA BARBARA BOWL - Seeing a concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl is on my dream list. One day, when we can go to concerts again, I’m making it a priority!
SEE
COURTHOUSE - Storytime… we almost got married at the Santa Barbara courthouse. Located right in the middle of town, this historic building is wonderful to visit. We also love to go up the bell tower and look out over the city.
MUSEUM OF ART - Another spot to visit in the center of town, the Museum of Art is located on State Street (the main street in town) and makes for a great afternoon visit in between delicious meals and shopping.
PLAY
I just realized that I don’t really know any playgrounds in Santa Barbara except for the one at the zoo. But then I found myself down a rabbit hole of playgrounds and, wow, I need to speak with my parents on how they could deprive me of Kid’s World at Alameda Park. What an awesome public park! I can’t wait to take my own kids here on our next visit.
TREAT
McCONNELL’S - A Santa Barbara must-eat. The ice cream is worth the line!
There’s also a great ice cream shop and a candy store on Stern’s Wharf. Make sure to pick up some saltwater taffy!
DRINK
Brewery hopping through the Funk Zone is my favorite was to spend a day sans kids in Santa Barbara. Figueroa Mountain and Topa Topa are two of our favorites!
Have you visited San Barbara? What are your favorites?
