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What an amazing long weekend! It was our first trip without our son and, while we missed him like crazy, we were definitely able to unwind and relax. This trip was centered around a friend’s wedding so the weekend was filled with friends, festivities and most importantly wine!
Where We Stayed
We stayed at the Harbor View Inn and it was lovely. The hotel room had this modern/ tribal/ costal vibe (is that a thing?), was clean and very comfortable. The pool was so great as well. With a view of the ocean right across the street and it. was. heavenly! There was also this super cute bridge that connected the hotel directly to State Street where all the shops and restaurants are.
While we didn’t stay at the Hotel Californian, that’s where the wedding took place and we had some friends that stayed there so we got to see some of the property. Holy shit that place is beautiful. You definitely pay for the beauty- almost double the price of our hotel!!- but if you’re going for a luxury vacation it might be worth it for you. And the tile. Oh my gawd, the tile!
What We Ate & Drank
I’m going to do a whole separate post on just the wine… stay tuned!
Pali Wine Co.– On Thursday, the bride and groom hosted a welcome party at the Pali Wine Co. Funk Zone Wine Garden. The wine was flowing and it was the best way to welcome us to SB. The vibe was cute with market lights and outdoor tables. The staff was kind and very knowledgable steering me away from anything remotely buttery.
The Red Piano– Thursday was also St. Patrick’s Day soooooo naturally we had to get at least one Irish Car Bomb. And by one, I mean 1 sip of one because mom and dad can’t hang anymore lol. This place was super fun though and exactly what you’d want for a piano bar on St. Paddy’s Day. Good music, awesome vibes, and not many UCSB kids getting sloppy 😝.
Helena Avenue Bakery– Yum. yum. yum. After a night of (ok, maybe too much) wine tasting, a thick slice of avocado toast was just what the doctor ordered. I also had a strawberry rhubarb pastry and a cortado; Brandon had a ham and cheese hand pie and a breakfast taco. Everything was to die for. On top of that, the location was suuuuper cute. We ate outside amongst the beautiful abutilon flowering maple aka Chinese lantern flowers (yes, we looked them up because they were sooooo gorg).
Margerum Wines– Such a cute location. I had the yummiest charcuterie board and a delicious wine flight. I went with the $20 flight, The Main Tasting, which was delicious. Wanna know everything I drank? Come drink with me!
Goat Tree– This is the cafe attached to the Hotel Californian. We went for brunch on Saturday and ate inside because it was chilly. I enjoyed a vanilla almond latte, complete with latte art, and lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberries and bacon. My hubs had the Monte Cristo which was not deep fried like usual making it so much better in our opinion.
McConnell’s Ice Cream– If you only eat one thing in Santa Barbara it must be McConnell’s. They have the best flavors and everything is so fresh. This time I had the sweet cream caramel brownie, but, literally, all the flavors are amazing.
Rusty’s Pizza Parlor– Look. I really like this place. Brandon makes fun of me because I like this place so much. It’s a classic pizza/ arcade kind of place that you would go to after you just won a soccer game but I don’t care. It’s good pizza and it was perfect to bring back to the hotel and munch on while we got ready for the wedding. Bonus! It paired well with the Pali Pinot we bought.
What We Did
As I said, a lot of the weekend was consumed with wedding festivities but we were able to do a few classic Santa Barbara things. We walked in and out of some shops on State Street, my favorite being The Blue Door. I’m still obsessing and trying to convince myself that I have a place for and can afford this painting. We also took advantage of not having any responsibilities and spent a few hours laying out by the pool. #dreams While this time we didn’t go down the pier we have before and that’s always a good view if you’re visiting!
Have you been to Santa Barbara? What should we do next time?
