Santa Barbara is a great place for a couples trip, girls trip, or any other type of trip as it has something for everyone. From Carpenteria up to Isla Vista, this area has so much to offer – from hiking/surfing/biking to great restaurants to wonderful shopping. Santa Barbara and Monetecito have lots of hidden gems and there is a ton to do.
Friday:
Drove from LA up the coast, stopping at the Malibu Country Mart for lunch. Lots of upscale shopping there as well as various casual dining choices. Didn’t have time for a longer stop, with lunch on the pier. Picked up a friend at the Santa Barbara airport which is so convenient and small.
Checked into the Santa Barbara Hotel on State Street. Great downtown location with everything in walking distance – from the beach to restaurants and shopping. Yummy free coffee in the am and delicious big cookies in the afternoon. Still good to have a car to visit other areas but it’s a good central option with large rooms and reasonable prices.
Afternoon shopping in Summerland. Beautiful, upscale home and design stores in a quaint small shopping area. Don’t miss Field & Fort (you can also grab a coffee here and sit outside in their garden), The Well, Porch and Botanik. Even had an Ellen sighting at Field & Fort 🙂
Drinks at the Rosewood on the water – BEAUTIFUL and definitely worth the price of a beer or cocktail at sunset! You sit right on the water, after walking through the amazing hotel with old-world charm and gorgeous grounds. Great way to kick off the weekend!
Dinner at Loquita on State Street – wonderful Spanish cuisine. Don’t miss the paella.
Saturday:
Breakfast at Pierre Lafond in Monticito (grab and go coffees and pastries etc at the market in upscale small neighborhood shopping area) before heading out for a hike. Hiked starting at the Romero Canyon Trailhead which takes you up the mountains behind Moneticito. Popular mountain bike area as well. Terrific views of the water and all of the area. Had a Gwenyth Paltrow sighting driving down from the trailhead.
Hike was followed by some shopping at Wendy Foster next to Pierre LaFond in Montecito and lunch at Brophy’s on the pier in Santa Barbara. Seafood and other dishes on the water.
After lunch we headed to the Funk Zone area of downtown Santa Barbara. We grabbed a coffee at Dart coffeeshop next door to Mollusk surf shop (soft tshirts with great designs and other surf inspired wear) and wandered down to The Blue Door, 3 floors of fun vintage home finds. This area of downtown is very trendy and hopping!
Dinner at Black Sheep, followed by ice cream at McConnell’s. Opted out of having cocktails at Joe’s on State Street across from the hotel, known for their powerful martini, amongst other things.
Sunday:
Breakfast at Allessia and at the Handlebar coffee shop (next door to each other), with a quick pop in Jack & Jones clothing store (also next door to Allessia). The Three Pickles is also on this stretch, known for their pickle martinis. These are all across the street from El Presidio which you can tour.
eBikes from 9:30-11:30, rented ahead of time from Cal Coast adventures. They have a wide range of bikes and they were $20/hr. Book ahead. Cal Coast is located a couple blocks from the beach and we rode up the coast past Santa Barbara City College and the Mesa and then down the coast past the zoo and to the Rosewood in Montecito. Great bike paths that take you along the coast – beautiful and fun. You can also rent mountain bikes as well. Highly recommend.
Shopping at Diani Living (great hats, body products, home products, gifts), Diani (clothing and shoes), Rooms and Gardens (home decor), and Wendy Foster on State street.
Lunch was fabulous pizza and salad at Bettina in the Montecito Country Mart which has great stores like ClareV, Mast Gallery, Clic, Hudson/Grace, and James Perse. The bread at Bettina is also to die for.
Beach walk at Pedaro lane just south of Summerland. Beautiful long beach with gorgeous homes on it.
AMAZING dinner at San Ysidro Ranch. Save this one for a special night – it’s a magical place up in the hills with a wonderful bar and restaurant. You can stay there as well ($$$) – really really beautiful and full of history.
Monday:
Drive by of Santa Barbara’s ‘famous fig tree’- one of the oldest in the country.
Great breakfast at Jeannies in Monticito (there are several locations). Wandered down Coast Village Road (where Jeannies is located) and stopped in for some shopping at Maison K, Angel, j. McLaughlin, and Whistle Club.
Shopping at KMJ, a tiny workroom/shop that features ‘ ReWorked ReConstructed ReVived One-of-A-Kind Pieces’. Kate takes old mens button down shirts and reworks them into one of a few modern women’s styles. She can rework a shirt you provide as well. www.shopkmj.com
Drive through the University of Santa Barbara/ Isla Vista.
