20230807_170009Santa Barbara Harbor (August 2023)

After a good night’s sleep, my partner and I woke up on our second full day in Santa Barbara, ready to go out and explore some more. We had a decent breakfast in our hotel, which consisted of a freshly-made omelet and solid coffee– there was a small table for continental breakfast (e.g. fruit, yogurt, bread), but we also had the option to order hot food, cooked to order, at no extra cost. Glad we did that!

Stomachs full, we set out for Downtown Santa Barbara on foot– it was a matter of passing the train station and going under the overpass that we reached Downtown. State Street is the main artery that runs through this part of the city, all 10 blocks of it– the road is packed with all sorts of businesses, from restaurants to clothing stores to even cinemas. In essence, it’s a lively entertainment area that’s popular with tourists and locals to enjoy.

20230807_094015On State Street

As we were out fairly early (i.e. before 10h00), many of the shops and restaurants weren’t open, and State Street was fairly quiet. However, we took our time strolling the long road and admiring the architecture. In fact, State Street was constructed in Spanish Colonial Revival Style in the 1920s, following a notable earthquake that destroyed much of the city– many of the buildings were rebuilt to resemble missions, paseos, and tilework reflective of its Spanish past. It was nice to experience a bit of reconstructed history on our way to the first destination of the day.

20230807_095557Spanish Colonial Revival style on State Street

We reached our first stop, which was the Santa Barbara Courthouse. Built in 1929, it was also constructed in Spanish Colonial Revival Style and today is a historic landmark. The courthouse is still in use today, but it also offers visitors a chance to check out the inside. Admission is free, and we spent an hour or so visiting a few of the historic rooms, including the Mural Room, the Clock Gallery, and the law library. We also climbed to the top of the clock tower to get views of the city in all of its red rooftop glory. Absolutely lovely!

20230807_102750Santa Barbara Courthouse

20230807_100633Mural Room

20230807_102128Law library

20230807_101052Views from the clock tower

By the time we finished our visit, it was time for lunch. We went to a restaurant just off State Street that served an interesting combination of pho and pizza– we got both! Honestly, the pizza was just-okay, but I really enjoyed the pho: clear and flavorful broth (especially star anise) and slurpable rice noodles. Afterwards, we got dessert at McConnell’s Ice Cream, which is a local chain founded in Santa Barbara in 1949. I got two flavors: lemon-marionberry and Earl Grey shortbread cookie– both were good, but I especially loved the latter, with the floral, tea notes from the Earl Grey and texture from the shortbread cookie bits. Highly recommended!

20230807_121832Pizza and pho (the latter was so good, we ate it too quickly!)

20230807_125037McConnell’s ice cream

It was about mid-afternoon that we decided to go to the beach. Although we’d gone by the water the day before, we only visited Stearns Wharf boardwalk. Funny enough, we didn’t have an umbrella or beach towels, but our hotel was kind to let us borrow them for the day. We set out to Leadbetter Beach, stopping for me to grab some uni (sea urchin) at a fish shop along the way, and eventually made it to the beach to set up shop on the sand.

20230807_164045Leadbetter Beach

At Leadbetter Beach, it was very sunny and warm, but also a bit windy; we did struggle a bit to pitch our umbrella into the sand, but we made it work. We spent a couple of hours at the beach, where I tried the uni, which was briny and creamy. Santa Barbara is known for its sea urchin, and it’s reputed to rival those of Japan– unfortunately, we’d gone when the really-fresh uni were all sold out (and it’d be another four days until the divers would bring the next batch), but I managed to snag the last pre-packaged one in the shop. Happy to have tried it!

20230807_150148Uni (sea urchin)

My partner and I relaxed on the beach for the rest of the afternoon, enjoying the rolling waves and reading our books before packing up and returning into town. We got an early dinner at a Mexican restaurant along Cabrillo Boulevard, which was just across the street from Stearns Wharf. I ordered cauliflower tacos and a blackberry margarita: the tacos were just-okay, but I did enjoy the margarita; I also appreciated the generous portion of chips and guacamole for the table! We returned to our hotel afterwards to rest, after another busy day out and about in town.

20230807_174155Cauliflower tacos with blackberry margarita

Stay tuned for the last post of our time in Santa Barbara! 🙂

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

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

49 thoughts on “Destination: Santa Barbara, California (PART 2)”

      1. It’s a fairly recent thing (5-10yrs). I don’t recall the details re how/why it happened.
        I just quick-googled and confirmed they’re considered an invasive species (destroy kelp) and had a 10,000% increase since 2014.
        I think the increase in uni is one of the factors causing otters’ range to expand south. They may eventually return to SoCal.

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      2. How interesting! Given how abundant uni is, I can hop prices for it will decrease, since it can be quite pricey. Even better that otters might return as a result; they’re adorable! 🦦

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  3. State Street looks like my kind of place. It’s nice that the buildings’ reconstruction was true to their original architectural style. The Courthouse looks so beautiful, with those murals, the library, and the nice views from the clock tower. I have never heard of pre-packaged uni, but it makes sense.

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    1. Santa Barbara is full of Spanish Revival architecture, which is absolutely stunning. Really a beautiful sight for the eyes! The uni I bought was probably still fresh from that day, but as it was towards the end of day, it was packaged up. But still delicious!

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  7. So many beautiful photos, Rebecca, Santa Barbara truly looks just as wonderful as it seems. You know when I think of Santa Barbara I somehow imagine a place where life is easy and where life is relaxing. Where people are carefree, healthy & full of enthusiasm. Maybe it’s due to its seaside location and the soft golden light, or maybe it is because my all-time favourite movie Big Wednesday (which was released in 1978 and follows the lives of three friends who grew up surfing together in the 1960s) was filmed there, but it seems like a fantastic place to relish the sensation of the Pacific Coast breeze with your toes in the sand, while gazing at the sea and the backdrop of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Thanks, Aiva! I’ve not heard of Big Wednesday, but awesome that Santa Barbara serves as an inspiration for the film. SB is a smaller city compared to LA, and the pace of life definitely felt slower there (and a lot calmer)! It’s a place I can see myself returning to regularly in the future. I appreciate you reading, Aiva!

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  8. A nice relaxing day! I always enjoy walking the streets early before the city wakes up and taking in all the pretty buildings. The courthouse is such a unique design and the views are pretty spectacular! It’s always nice relaxing on the beach 🙂

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    1. Yes, there is something to exploring early in the morning, before the crowds are up! The courthouse was an architectural wonder, and I’m glad I finally got to visit it. Definitely a pleasant and relaxing stay 🙂

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  9. Hey, I recognize some of these places! You did say I would, after all. I’m glad you made it to the courthouse. I think we also went to that same ice cream place, but I can’t recall.

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    1. I learned from the best! 😉 Your post on the Santa Barbara Courthouse prompted me to go, and I’m glad I did! The ice cream place is McConnell’s, which originated in SB, but now has chains all over southern California. A delicious and sweet treat to enjoy in the summer! Thanks for reading, Diana 🙂

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  14. More delights from Santa Barbara Rebecca. I particularly like the Law Library and the lovely Mural Room in the courthouse. Now that we are back in central Georgia we are seriously missing the sand & the sea and Leadbetter Beach looks like a fine place for a stroll and a swim. The cauliflower tacos and blackberry margarita look excellent while I surely have to try sea urchin someday just out of curiosity.

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