one perfect day in santa barbara (vol. 1)
the quintessential santa barbara view atop the santa barbara courthouse. never, ever gets old.
how would you spend a perfect day in your own town? sometimes I think I could write a million versions of that perfect day here. there is so much to see, soak in and enjoy, and at the same time I could easily wing it completely and know that in this town you are never too far away from natural and architectural beauty, delicious california cuisine, or a dang good cocktail. and whether you live here or visit, that’s pretty incredible.
so when the opportunity arises, and fate gifts me a blissful eight hours to experience this town to my heart’s desire, I try to spend it weaving through this city’s gems one beach, one walk, one sunny patio at a time.
here’s an itinerary I would dream up first…
morning
coffee at the dart coffee garden
a cup of coffee from dart coffee co. is a delectable start to any day, but luxuriating the morning away with your oat milk cortado under the picturesque citrus trees in the dart coffee garden across the street is what takes an already awesome morning to chef’s kiss. if you need a little nosh with your coffee, dart has a fun selection of pastry and donuts, as well as empanadas from locally-loved buena onda — try the breakfast version.
morning walk on butterfly beach
there are many great times to walk along montecito’s best not-so-hidden gem, butterfly beach. as one of the few west-facing local beaches, butterfly at sunset is particularly amazing. but I am partial to the mornings, when the water is calm, the sky’s reflection shimmers off the water’s surface and very often you can catch a playful seal peeking its head out of the water or even dolphins swimming out on the horizon. often in the morning, even on the weekends, you will feel as if you have the beach entirely to yourself.
afternoon
lunch / afternoon snack at palihouse santa barbara
one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon in town is on the patio of one of santa barbara’s newer boutique hotels, the palihouse. their sun-drenched patio offers a charming courtyard oasis steps from and yet tucked away from the busyness of state street, a selection of solid cocktails (including an excellent fruit-packed white sangria), and a tasty menu of light lunch fare that runs through 3pm.
explore francheschi park
the road to francheschi park necessitates one of my favorite drives in town — the drive along alameda padre serra (APS, to locals) which moves along the scenic riviera neighborhood full of gorgeous houses overlooking all of santa barbara below. once at francheschi, you merely need to park your car and walk down a few steps to see one of the most sweeping views of all of santa barbara, as far out as the waterfront and stearns wharf and the pacific ocean beyond. it is also a prime spot to bring a picnic, grab a bench, and enjoy a million-dollar-view with your rosé and sammies.
evening
dinner at loquita
when I think of the quintessential santa barbara dinner out, the place I take every visitor who comes to town, and where I truly think of as a treat everytime, even as a local, I think of loquita. it distinctly captures the romance of santa barbara, from the expansive heated outdoor patio adorned in bougainvillea, to the authentic spanish menu and inspired cocktails (including an impressive rotating array of spanish gin tonicas). a wonderful place to spend a magical evening al fresco with friends over tapas and paella.
nightcap at test pilot
just a few steps away from loquita is test pilot, the cheekiest of bars under good lion hospitality, a group that knows its way brilliantly around a handcrafted cocktail menu. a modern tiki bar offering fresh, inventive takes far beyond the mai tai (though theirs is, naturally, perfection), test pilot offers a sweet way to end the evening amidst the energy and buzz of santa barbara’s funk zone. my favorite cocktail here is the ken-tiki kentucky, a deliciously harmonious blend of bourbon, navel orange, madagascar vanilla, lemon, citrus bitters, and nutmeg.
