20230806_140803On Stearns Wharf (August 2023)

Last August, my partner and I had an extended weekend in Santa Barbara. We visited to celebrate my partner’s birthday, and we spent a few nights exploring this coastal city in central California. Our visit was short and packed, but fun overall, as it was also a way to get out of town and enjoy the last of the summer holidays.

Santa Barbara is a small, but popular city located along the coast in central California. It’s situated 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, about a two-hour drive along the 101 Highway. The city is bounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, between land and sea– its location has cultivated an ideal spot for growing wine grapes, and has given rise to many wineries that are popular with tourists and locals to try and enjoy.

Originally the land of the Chumash people, Santa Barbara first had European contact in 1542 with the arrival of Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, but later settled by Spanish missionaries (under Felipe de Neve) in 1782. The Chumash people were decimated due to smallpox during Spanish rule, before the land turned to Mexican government following the Mexican War of Independence in 1822. The city became a part of the United States in 1848 under the state of California, and has seen a growing and thriving community in the past century and a half.

I’ve visited Santa Barbara a small handful of times over the years, beginning with a stopover in 2010 while road-tripping along the California coast with my family to as recently as 2022 with another brief stop en-route to Big Sur. Despite visiting several times, I never stayed the night until last summer’s trip– my partner and I booked our hotel accommodation for three nights, as well as our transportation over, and we were on our way.

While one can simply drive to Santa Barbara, my partner and I decided to do something different and take the Amtrak, the national railroad service. I had never taken the Amtrak before, so it was a first for me. We boarded at Union Station and settled into our two-and-a-half-hour journey. The trains were spacious and comfortable, and it was especially lovely going along the coast with the ocean welcoming us right outside.

20230806_093232All aboard!


20230806_114351Views of the ocean during the journey

We arrived into Santa Barbara just after 12h00, and it was just a short walk to our hotel, which was also only a few blocks away from the beach. We were a bit early to check in, so we dropped off our belongings to return later and check in. When I had booked the hotel, I’d requested if the hotel could do something nice for my partner’s birthday, and it was surprising, but hilarious, to discover that the hotel arranged a honeymoon-style room filled with rose petals and kissing swan towels– while it wasn’t quite birthday-themed, I appreciated the effort made for us!

20230806_144438A birthday celebration, or a honeymoon?

My partner and I first got a late lunch at a café near Stearns Wharf. The café was absolutely packed, and apparently even more so, as we arrived at the tail-end of the weekend-long Old Spanish Days Fiesta. Nevertheless, we got our food and enjoyed them on the outside patio. I ordered the egg scramble with a biscuit, and the portions were enormous! Very hearty and filling, as we were hungry following a long train ride over.

20230806_132349Egg scramble with biscuit

After lunch, we took a stroll on the historic Stearns Wharf, which dates back to 1872, as well as wandered along the esplanade filled with small tents and kiosks that sold local arts and crafts. Compared to my last, rainy visit to Santa Barbara the previous March, it was bright and sunny with the slightest ocean breeze that August, which was absolutely lovely. Made all the difference in terms of enjoying the visit!

20230806_135105Strolling Stearns Wharf

We were able to return to our hotel to check in afterwards and had a bit of rest before taking an Uber to Montecito, a small, unincorporated town about 5 miles (8 km) east of Santa Barbara. Montecito has a small-town feel, and it’s home to many celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and even Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex! The town has that beautiful and secluded look to it, and we explored the quiet, residential streets and the stunning Butterfly Beach.

20230806_164637Butterfly Beach

The two of us had an early dinner at a fancy, vegan restaurant– even though we weren’t super hungry, we still enjoyed the vegan crab cakes and pasta there. Stomachs full, we caught a Lyft back to our hotel in Santa Barbara, ready to rest after a long day of traveling and exploring.

20230806_173529Vegan crab cakes

More of our time in Santa Barbara to come soon. Until then! 🙂

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

51 thoughts on “Destination: Santa Barbara, California (PART 1)”

  1. Looks like a lovely getaway! And how romantic to take the train! I’d like to visit California one day… I must confess, I’ve only been in the airports, LAX and SFO. I’d like to explore the coastal towns and wine country.

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    1. Believe me! Santa Barbara was PACKED that day! We happened to visit at the tail-end of a weekend festival, so the city was absolutely crowded. But the days after that were a lot calmer!

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    1. I didn’t know there was a show named after SB– how interesting! I don’t know how much the show features the eponymous city, but I’ll have to look this up now. Thanks for sharing and reading!

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      1. Actually I just looked it up, it was made in 1984, we watched it in early 90s after the Soviet Union fell apart and we got access to all kinds of things. The song that just blew my mind was Lambada, not just the tune but also the music video. It blew me away …

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    1. Interesting! Were you just passing through town? In my previous visits to SB, I only passed through for a couple of hours (an overnight, at most) before I continued heading north to places like SLO or SF.

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  7. This is exciting news! I’ve long wanted to visit Santa Barbara, but the thought of renting a car from LAX (where Delta lands) and driving to SB is daunting to me. It never dawned on me to take an Amtrak (being such an under-trained country). Hmmmm . . . thanks for breathing new life into this idea.

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    1. Honestly, renting a car isn’t such a huge hassle from LAX, as there are so many options to do so. The Amtrak hub for LA is at Union Station in Downtown, which is not close to LAX, but a viable option for those already in LA. I enjoyed the Amtrak experience; if my partner and I had kept going on that particular route, we could’ve gone all the way to Seattle!

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    1. Haha, I know! When I put in the request for something special for my partner’s birthday, I didn’t expect a honeymoon-like surprise! Santa Barbara was a lovely getaway from home, beaches and all!

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  9. Santa Barbara looks like a wonderful place to celebrate one’s birthday as it is located on a pristine stretch of California’s central coastline and has stunning sea views and beautiful sandy beaches! I love how you can skip the hassle of traffic altogether and hop on the train where you can put your feet up, and relax as you watch California’s coast pass you by. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Absolutely! It’s unbelievable that I’d never taken the Amtrak until that trip! Although it’s a slower alternative to driving, the train does pass through gorgeous parts of the US, including along the Pacific Ocean. And with the particular train we took, we could’ve gone up all the way to Seattle if we’d kept going! Would love to do more Amtraks in the future; thanks for reading, Aiva!

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      2. I’ve never taken an Amtrak train, but only because Amtrak wasn’t even founded until 1971, by which time I was already living in Germany. But in earlier years I often took trains in the US and Canada, for instance on the Chicago and Northwestern, the Santa Fe, the Chesapeake and Ohio, the New York Central, the Canadian Pacific, the Milwaukee Road, the Western Pacific, etc. It was a fine way to travel back then, and I’m sure it still is today.  

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      3. I had no idea that Amtrak was a more-recent thing! From what I gathered after a quick Internet search, the Amtrak was used to consolidate all the different train routes (and trains themselves) throughout the US. It was my first time taking the Amtrak during that visit to Santa Barbara, and I only traveled within the state! I hope to take the Amtrak again some day, perhaps across state lines!

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  10. I hadn’t realised you could catch a train between LA and Santa Barbara – I’m used to using trains here in the UK but it’s not something I would have thought about in the US. The view looks lovely!

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    1. The US is far from having such a robust railway system as the UK, but it does exist! The Amtrak has limited routes and it’s slow, but it offers a unique experience seeing the beauty and changes in geography wherever you go. Thanks for reading, Sarah!

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  11. I love Santa Barbara. So sweet of your hotel to set up your room so nicely. I’ve always wondered how they make the towels into cute animal shapes. Taking Amtrak to Santa Barbara is a great way to travel along the coast, too. Looking forward to reading more about your visit!

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    1. Yes, indeed! Animal towel-making is a skill in itself. The Amtrak was a fun (albeit a slow) experience, and you can’t beat views of the Pacific Ocean right outside the window! More of SB is coming soon!

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    1. Thanks, Rebecca! The Amtrak was a fun experience. We enjoyed plenty of delicious food and drink in SB; we also had a good laugh at the swan towels in the hotel room. Not what we’d envisioned for my partner’s birthday, but a kind gesture nonetheless!

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  15. Fun! My sister and I had a great time in Santa Barbara a couple years ago, though we had much less pleasant weather and the views from the train certainly did not look like yours. I’m glad you two were able to plan this getaway, and I’m looking forward to reading more about SB in your next post!

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  17. A belated happy birthday to your partner Rebecca (or should I make that a double belated happy birthday at this point?!). Santa Barbara looks like the perfect place to celebrate a special day. The train ride there looked lovely, I love how you seem to be virtually on the sea from your window. The wharf… the beach.. the food… it all looks so chilled.

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  18. I remember reading horrible things about the Amtrak trains many years ago. Good to hear that things seem to have improved a lot since then. This sounds like a really nice, calming, and romantic trip, Rebecca. The beach, the weather, the food, and those cute swan towels, they all made me smile and imagine how blissful it must have been for both of you.

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    1. I didn’t hear about the Amtrak problem, but I didn’t have any issues with our train ride over; if anything, it was a smooth and pretty ride! Santa Barbara was lovely, and we had a good time. More to come soon!

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  22. It all looks lovely. The photo from the train makes it looks like it’s chugging along on the beach! Training is a good way to avoid the stress of driving, especially when you are trying to relax on vacation.

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