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What to eat, see, and do in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is located on the central California coast, about an hour and a half north of Los Angeles. To the east you have a beautiful mountain backdrop and to the west you have the coastline. This was my second trip to Santa Barbara, but first trip exploring all the town has to offer.

Santa Barbara has a small town feel and gorgeous architecture. The architecture reflects the city’s Spanish colonial heritage and every single restaurant and shop is so chic and trendy.

We decided to make a trip up to Santa Barbara for my 30th birthday and it did not disappoint. We brought the girls with us and there was plenty for all of us to see and do, even in the midst of a pandemic. With a smaller population, there’s less crowds and it makes social distancing and enjoying the scenery a lot more peaceful.

We stayed at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. The location could not have been more perfect as we were across the street from the ocean and walking distance to Funk Town and State Street. Plus, the hotel offered complimentary bike rentals (kids bikes and baby seats too), making it super easy to get around.

Day 1

We started our day off in Santa Barbara around 1 p.m. and went to lunch at Oku Sushi. The food was delicious and I highly recommend the tempura shrimp appetizer and the edamame- they came with a special sauce that was really tasty and very unique.

Following lunch, we walked over to the Funk Zone- a popular district in Santa Barbara that’s filled with shops, restaurants, wineries and breweries. Prior to coming to Santa Barbara, I did not realize that it was such a wine town but it was a nice surprise to come into. Practically all of the wineries and breweries are family and pet friendly which is a major plus for those traveling with kids.

After doing some shopping in some of the local stores, we went wine tasting at Kunin and it was delicious. We ended up walking out with several bottles to take home. If you make your way out there- I highly recommend the rose.

We walked back to the hotel around sunset time and caught the views near Stearns Wharf Pier. The pier also has several restaurant options with amazing views- most of the restaurants serve seafood, but you can also grab burgers, breakfast, etc.

Day 2– Solvang

I knew I wanted to make it out to Solvang during our trip and I am so happy that we did. It’s about an hour from Santa Barbara but very much worth the drive. It’s a tiny little town filled with Danish-style architecture, plenty of wineries and such a “cozy feel.” It feels like you are right smack in the middle of a Hallmark movie (you’ll want to bring your camera here).

We drove out from Santa Barbara in the morning and had breakfast at a little spot called Brekkie’s. They had traditional American breakfast items and some fun Danish options too. Ari and I both got Danish-style pancakes topped with Nutella and bananas that I highly recommend.

We spent some time walking around the little town- window shopping at the shops, purchased some really delicious homemade bread at a bakery, and picked up a few other souvenirs. The town is only a few blocks of shops but come hungry for all of the Danish treats you’ll find at every corner.

OstrichLand

After we finished sightseeing in Solvang, we took the girls to OstrichLand. It’s technically located in the next town over but it was about a 5 minute drive from Solvang so don’t miss this in your itinerary.

They have over 100 ostriches and emus and you can purchase food to feed them. It’s amazing seeing these animals close up and the girls were amazed that they were able to feed these prehistoric animals. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for kids. You can purchase the feed for an additional $5. It’s worth the trip in my opinion!

Wineries

We didn’t make it out to the wineries in Santa Ynez but I heard wonderful things about all of the wineries out there and did get to try several of the wines at local wine bars in Santa Barbara. We drove by and they look beautiful so I would recommend adding this to your itinerary!

Day 3

Traveling in November, we always risk the chance of rain in California. While we usually spend most of our vacations laying out at the pool or beach, I was really trying to get some more sightseeing in on this trip. Nevertheless, it sprinkled on our third day until about 11 a.m. but it didn’t ruin any of our plans.

We took the girls to get their nails done at the Hilton in the morning and called in the most delicious açaí bowls from Backyard Bowls for breakfast in bed in our room. Once the rain cleared up, we headed over to State Street which I think might be their downtown area but not completely sure (oops).

State Street is filled with wineries, breweries, and heads into Paseo Nuevo- they’re local mall. To be completely honest, I wasn’t very impressed with Paseo Nuevo but did love State Street. We walked around and had amazing pizza at a place called Rusty’s that we were recommended by a local, we also stopped for some smoothies and did a little shopping. The crowds are light and so many people get around on their bikes.

I would highly recommend choosing a hotel that is walking/biking distance to State Street for easy access to dining, wine bars, etc.

Other things to do:

While I felt like 3 nights was the perfect amount of time for our Santa Barbara trip, I still didn’t make it to do all the things I wanted to during our time. Traveling with kids, you need to plan and be patient as fitting too many things in one day can get pretty overwhelming for everyone.

Here’s some of the things we had on our list, but didn’t get around to:
  • Children’s Museum (currently only open to members)
  • Zoo
  • Butterfly Beach
  • Fishing charter (Danny’s pick)
  • Wineries in Santa Ynez
  • Ride a bike through the town

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