Why Santa Barbara?
Well, there are a few reasons... First off, since we will have so many people traveling from out of state, Santa Barbara, to us, is the quintessential California beach town and has the perfect weather all year round (hope we didn’t just jinx it for the big day! haha).
The other reason why Santa Barbara is so special to us is that each year, we drive down to San Diego to visit Blair’s parents for Christmas and we started a tradition to make a 1-2 day stop in Santa Barbara to break up the trip. On our 7th trip down to San Diego we got engaged at the fabulous San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito (small town right outside of Santa Barbara) so what was already a special place got a whole lot more special at the end of 2016. We’re looking forward to sharing this place with you and thought we would share our favorite places to visit.
Sightseeing
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THE SANTA BARBARA MISSION: Even though you will be seeing this first hand on Saturday and spending plenty of time there since this is where the ceremony will be held, there are still a lot of beautiful areas at the Mission to check out. There are tours daily for $9/adult.
SANTA BARBARA COURTHOUSE: Hands down the most beautiful courthouse we’ve ever been to. Highly recommend visiting the sunken gardens to see how pretty this building is and you cannot miss the view from the Clock Tower - it is a 360 degree view of the city all the way to the ocean - and the best part - it’s free!
SANTA BARBARA ZOO: This is walking distance from the hotel. One of our favorite zoos and was actually a top contender for the reception site but since they don’t close the zoo to the public, we wanted something more private so we decided to choose Butterfly Lane Estate. The zoo is awesome and has a great giraffe exhibit - Blair’s favorite animal!
THE FUNK ZONE: About 10 walkable blocks that is home to the Urban Wine Trail (see below), great restaurants (some of Blair’s favorites like The Lark!) and cute shops/art galleries. Highly recommend stopping into some of the wine tasting rooms like the Santa Barbara Wine Collective.
THE URBAN WINE TRAIL: A self-guided walking wine tasting adventure right in downtown Santa Barbara with close to 30 wineries to visit.
STATE STREET: The main drag in Santa Barbara. Palm tree-lined street with shops, restaurants and beautiful buildings. It is all flat so easy to explore by foot or bicycle.
BUTTERFLY BEACH: This beach is Blair’s favorite in Santa Barbara. It is also the beach that is right next to the reception so if you don’t see it before Saturday, you will see it then!
CASA DEL HERRERO: House of the Blacksmith - Take a step back into 1920s Santa Barbara by visiting this historic home. Tours are on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10am & 2pm for $25/adult.
SANTA YNEZ WINE COUNTRY: If time permits, Santa Ynez is a vintage western town about 40 minutes from Santa Barbara with some great wineries like Bridlewood Estate, Sunstone Vineyards and Rusack Winery.
SOLVANG: If you’ve never been to Solvang before it is not to be missed. It is a small Danish-style city that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into another country. It has great bakeries, restaurants and funky shops. Would be a fun day trip from Santa Barbara since it is about 45 minutes away.
RESTaURANT RECOMMENDATIONS
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THE LARK (American): $$-$$$ One of Blair’s favorite dinner spots. Reservations are recommended.
BOUCHON (French): $$$$ Arguably one of the best and nicest restaurants in Santa Barbara. Reservations are recommended.
WINE CASK (American Wine Bar): $$$ Another nice restaurant in Santa Barbara right in downtown.
CONVIVO (American): $$ Located in the Santa Barbara Inn and has a great outdoor patio overlooking the ocean. Happy Hour from 3-6pm!
LA SUPER-RICA TAQUERIA (Mexican): $-$$ Santa Barbara’s most famous hole in the wall Mexican Joint. Julia Child’s favorite restaurant so this place is popular. Line is usually around the corner but moves pretty quickly.
LOQUITA (Spanish): $$-$$$ Great authentic spanish food. Reservations recommended.
WILDWOOD KITCHEN AT THE MILL (BBQ): $-$$ The Mill is an all around great spot to check out with a brewery, cute shops and this restaurant. Good West Coast Barbecue.
THE BOATHOUSE AT HENDRY'S BEACH (American): $$ Blair's favorite beachfront restaurant in Santa Barbara. Make sure to sit outside!
THE HONOR BAR (American): $$ Great outdoor patio in Montecito. Cruise the shops in Montecito and stop for lunch at The Honor Bar.