20230808_124652Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden (August 2023)

My partner and I took it easy on our last day in Santa Barbara: our train back to Los Angeles wasn’t until 16h45, so we had almost the full day to see a bit more in town. We had another delicious, freshly-cooked breakfast at the hotel before we checked out and dropped off our luggage at the train station before heading out to see the last of Santa Barbara.

I had seen a gorgeous shop that sold Turkish delights and baklava on State Street the day prior, and I’d made a mental note to check it out. That said, we headed there to enjoy a mid-morning treat, ordering a few baklavas and Turkish delights (regular and cream-filled), accompanied by Turkish black tea. The baklavas were just-okay, but the Turkish delights were outstanding: I really liked the cream-filled ones, including a chocolate-hazelnut one that was absolutely decadent. I hadn’t been back to Turkey since 2019, and I dearly missed it– therefore, having a slice of Turkish dessert in Santa Barbara was truly a (Turkish) delight!

20230808_110723Turkish delight, baklava, and tea

Next, we headed to the Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden just a bit outside of Downtown Santa Barbara. It’s a massive park that encompasses an entire city block, with a massive manmade pond filled with koi and turtles in the center. There are a few pathways that weave throughout the park, along with a few smaller gardens which actually are used for wedding venues– a great way to get married outdoors in such beautiful scenery! We took a stroll through the Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden, even sitting underneath some awnings to read and otherwise enjoy the tranquil space (and to get away from the hot summer sun).

20230808_121542Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden

After an hour or two, we headed back into Downtown Santa Barbara for a late lunch/early dinner at a combined Japanese-Vietnamese restaurant that served both ramen and pho. My partner got the former and I got the latter, and they did the trick to keep us satiated until our journey home. I also grabbed a smoothie at Blenders in the Grass, a local smoothie chain, to try– honestly, I found it just-average, and I’d gotten it with chia seeds, which wasn’t really my thing. Plus, it cost $10 USD, which was a bit excessive just for a smoothie. At least I gave it a try!

20230808_151338Rare beef pho


20230808_155846Blenders in the Grass smoothie…in the grass!

It was soon time for us to leave: we headed to the train station to retrieve our luggage and boarded the Amtrak, which arrived and promptly left on time. Compared to our journey to Santa Barbara, our ride back was slower, with more stops along the way. Eventually, we reached Los Angeles Union Station by 19h30, where we caught a taxi back home, arriving home by 20h15. We were exhausted, but happy we had a good time away from home.

20230808_165008Views of the ocean on our way back

Overall, Santa Barbara was a nice little weekend getaway for the two of us. Not only did we have a fun time celebrating my partner’s birthday, but we also got to travel and explore together. Weather was warm and gorgeous during our stay, and we enjoyed checking out the beach, historic sites, and of course, eating lots of good food. It was nice to chill and have a laidback trip, as a way to send off the last of summer.

Thanks for reading, and more adventures to come soon. Until then! 🙂

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

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

40 thoughts on “Destination: Santa Barbara, California (PART 3)”

  8. Yay! What a fun ending to your weekend. I’m glad your train was on time too; ours was over an hour late if I recall correctly, maybe even closer to two. It’s always so much nicer when you can end your trip with smooth transportation home.

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    1. Yes, I was worried about the Amtrak being on time, since it’s notorious for delays. We were very lucky it arrived and departed on time, so it was a smooth journey home. Thanks for reading, Diana!

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    1. Absolutely! The gardens were a lovely respite from the sun that day, very tranquil. This Amtrak route along the Pacific Ocean is perhaps one of the prettiest in the US! Thanks for reading, Sarah 🙂

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  11. All in all this trip looks like a success! The first time I learned about Turkish delight was also from the Chronicles of Narnia. I tried it in Istanbul, but I have to say I’m not a big fan of it.

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  12. Yummy yummy Turkish delight! I remember enjoying that on a trip to Istanbul, and also on trips to Sarajevo, Bosnia. It sounds like you were able to have a variety of experiences on your trip! Those are the best kinds of trips 😊

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  14. That beef pho looks yummy! I’ve been to Santa Barbara a few times, but unfortunately, have never been to Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden. It does look like a nice place to take a break (maybe after a day of shopping along State Street!) I’d love to see the koi!

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    1. I’ve been to SB several times prior, but I hadn’t been to Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden until my most-recent visit. Very tranquil and a perfect place to sit back, relax, and enjoy the sunny summer day. The rare beef pho was pretty good, and overall lots of good eats in town. Thanks for reading, Darlene!

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  15. Don’t blame you for pigging out on Turkish sweets, we also fell for them during our two week stay in Istanbul a few years back. Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden looks lovely. I did a bit of Googling, there’s some cool and curious history behind the park. Looks like you guys had a blasting Santa Barbara.

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    1. Turkish delights are an acquired taste, but I personally like them! It was my partner’s first time having them, but she enjoyed them, especially the cream-filled ones! SB was a fun little getaway last summer; we hope to do more in the near future!

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