Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara has the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen.  The town itself is also lovely, but the beaches are superlative!  We arrived via Amtrak and walked the short distance to our hotel.  After checking in, we took a walk around town looking for an interesting restaurant–which we found a few blocks away.  Great Italian food, wonderful service!

The next day we walked to the beach (which was nearby).  The beach (I am calling it a beach but really it was a cove).  The water was absolutely smooth with boats of all sizes:  kayaks, canoes, fishing boats and chartered tours.  It was a bit cool for swimming but there were a couple of hardy souls wading around!  The beach itself was quite different from the beaches I generally frequent in the southeast.  There is no gulf stream warming it up so the water is COLD.   The palm trees were a different species of palm than I am used to.  The bright blue water silhouetted against the green of the palms, with the mountains in the background was simply stunning. 

After walking awhile we took a walk on Stearn’s Wharf. Quite large, it had sections for walking as well as for cars.  The people passing us were speaking multiple languages, which added an interesting dimension.  All types of shops and restaurants lined the wharf, so I spent a bit of time selecting gifts.  Eventually we had lunch at a seafood restaurant.  I busied myself snapping pictures out of its window!

At some point, we want to return and explore Santa Barbara more in depth.  This fantastically beautiful town deserves more than the cursory tour it received from us!