Escape to Santa Barbara for the Weekend

Looking to escape to Santa Barbara for the weekend? Here's how to enjoy your summer by living like a local!

Spending the summer is Santa Barbara typically means spending your whole day outside whether thats walking the old spanish streets of downtown or having family bbq's on the patio. For those longer weekends like Labor Day weekend, there are so many things to do.

TRY ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION!

Mix up your getaway weekend by taking the train! I love taking Amtrak's Surfliner up and down the California Coast. It takes a little longer than driving but you don't have to worry about traffic (or infuriating drives) and you can relax, read, write, take 1000 pictures and enjoy a bottle of wine ;)

VISIT OUR LOCAL CRUSH!

I cannot get enough of Crush Cakes! In the last 4 years, Crush Cakes has had a meteoric expansion as being the place to go for brunch and cupcakes now with not 1 but 4 locations!  Every time I visit Santa Barbara I have to stop by for either brunch or for their killer dirty Chai's. Hands down the best velvety Chai I've ever had (For all you LA peeps, they use Intelligentsia). Their cupcakes are a work of art, from their "Red Velvet" to "Peace Cake" you almost don't want to have your cake and eat it too! Lastly, Crush Cakes kills it in the brunching department. My go-to is the Lucky Goat Burrito. They jam pack it goat cheese awesomeness and it is everything. 

EXPERIENCE THE SB WELLNESS SCENE!

Santa Barbara leads the pack when it comes to living a health-centric life and The Juice Ranch is Santa Barbara's locally owned cold-pressed juice shop. Whether you swear by your detox juicing regime or you simply want a refreshing pick-me-up in the summer holiday, Juice Ranch offers a variety of col-pressed juice flavors as well as wellness shots. I love fresh ginger so I always get Johnny 5 Alive,it hits the spot and is a great way to boost your immue system if you are sick! Its made from apple . lemon . ginger . cayenne.

FEELING LUCKY?!

Lucky Penny is part of a restaurant group that is taking over Santa Barbara and are part of the reason that The Funk Zone is what it is today. It is a cafe that serves great food and even greater coffee. They have a small interior where you order, but their patio has school yard styled picnic tables with a hanging succulent garden and umbrellas. Lucky Penny's parent restaurant is the Lark, which it backs up to. Their business model is based on locally sourced farm-to-table which an emphasis on the food. If you are out for lunch or want to meet up with friends, Lucky Penny is great to chat over a cup of coffee or order their delicious pizza or sandwiches.

FEED THE GIRAFFES AT THE SANTA BARBARA ZOO!

Giraffes are my favorite animals and for a whopping $15 YOU can feed them too! Having grown up choosing the SB zoo for almost every birthday party activity, I love it but the Giraffe Feeding Experience is new and worth it! We got to feed George, the alpha male of the group who, according to the zookeeper, has a bottomless stomach. As my sister, boyfriend, and I stood in line behind a mother and her 3 year old daughter, it was fantastic to see the focus George had on the handful of lettuce in the little girl's hands. She kept waving the lettuce just out of reach of George's massive tongue both in timidness and excitement. George, you are truly a patient one and I love you!FUN FACT: Santa Barbara Zoo was famous for housing the Crooked Necked Giraffe: Gemina. Born that way, she lived a long and healthy life and gained national attention for her birth defect.

A GOOD OLE FASHIONED MONTECITO BBQ!

What I love most about Montecito, is that is tucked up into the Riviera hillside and feels like a retreat with all the sycamore trees and plant life around. This past weekend, my sister came to visit and we decided to have a good 'ole fashioned family BBQ. My mother and sister are known for their entertaining and hosting skills down to the last fork and candle. No detail is ever overlooked, not to mention my sister rocks it as a grill master.

WANT TO EAT OUT ON THE TOWN? CHECK OUT MY FAVORITE GRINDS!

Zaytoon

Zaytoons is my favorite restaurant in Santa Barbara (Voted Best Mediterranean Restaurant by John Dickson's Santa Barbara Restaurant Guide) The have among the best outdoor patios in all of SB. The restaurant doubles as a hookah lounge and the patio is filled with large round tables, each with a gorgeous fire pit in the center. As a vegetarian, I always go for the Vegetarian Feast (too much food for one person, you will need a buddy to share with) and get a bunch of tapas style Mediterranean dishes. For all you meat lovers out there, I hear the lamb shawarma is excellent :)

CHECK OUT THE FAMOUS TURTLES OF LA ARCADA

La Arcada is a charing historic Spanish tile-lined arcade. It is most famous for the statutes that have been there since before I was born. You have your iconic Santa Barbara Dolphins, the bronze Ben Franklin, the window washer still trying to get out the pesky stain, and the large courtyard fountain that houses a dozen turtles. Many boutique shops also fill the arcade with lots of local and classic Santa Barbara memorabilia.

FINISH OFF YOUR NIGHT WITH A WALK!

I spent a lot of my life living in Romero Canyon and walking "up the road" leads to peaceful and scenic views of Montecito. Romero Canyon Hike is on of the more well-known hiking spots in Santa Barbara, and I absolutely recommend it but when you don't have the time for the 3 hour hike up and down the mountain, walking to the base of the trail is a relaxing post-dinner activity. There are gorgeous vista views but mostly it just reminds me that I'm home.

Silver Lake like a Local

Before moving to LA, the only thing I knew about Silver Lake was that it was hipster central. Then I happened to find my very first LA apartment 2 blocks away from the hippest corner-block and I understood immediately the appeal. I love to wander around Silver Lake because it is more than just Sunset Junction with all the eateries, intelligentsia and shops. You can walk a couple blocks through the neighborhood hills and be looking at gorgeous views of the city. Its so easy to feel like you’ve escaped the concrete jungle that is LA by walking through the lush hillside neighborhoods or hidden staircases (more about that!)

Get Energized!

 Love it or hate it, it has risen to be one of the most iconic spots in Silverlake, from the grenada tile floor to the Carrera Marble Coffee bar, it is a hot spot to sit and see and be seen. It is also really great coffee. My favorite drink is a Dirty Chai and intelligentsia does it well 

Get Brunch!

  A brunch spot tucked between the store fronts on Hoover st. that roots its philosophy in seasonally-driven dishes. It is a true farm-to-table brunch spot to end all brunch spots. If you go anytime between 11-1 on weekends, you will meet a line around the building. It is absolutely worth the wait, especially because it is completely vegan/vegetarian friendly. 

Get Exploring!

 A must do is walk up and down Sunset Blvd. There is such a wide variety of things to do and see and eat. From the cool graffiti to the hole-in-wall restaurants to the hidden silver lake public staircases.  The whole reservoir may be fenced around for security reasons but it doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a great place to get outside and get active. It is about 2.2 miles around the whole lake. There is also a dog park, basketball court, and Picnic Park attached to southern point of the reservoir. From Silver Lake reservoir and if you hike up the roads you can get a better views as well as explore the lush green holly neighborhoods.  The Sunset Triangle was a pedestrian experiment turned permanent fixture that has existed for 3 years now. The pedestrian square has tables, a public piano, a grassy lawn and even a basketball hoop. The space is used for weekly markets as well as summer movie screenings. The space is encouraging community hang out places, which is needed in a city such as Los Angeles.  Riddled all throughout the hills of Los Angeles, you can find public staircases (often referred to as the “hidden staircases”). They were just meant for pedestrians to easily traverse through the hilly landscape easily before cars became a requirement to survive in the city. These almost forgotten gems now gain attraction when people started creating fun walking tours incorporating all the stairs in a region. Check out Secret Stairs for their curated walks around the city. They even published a book! 

Get Eating!

 Forage is my #1 Restaurant on the list. It is quality food made deli-style and if you ADORE gourmet mac n’ cheese, then this is a necessity! Forage has a great balance between pre-made deli item dishes and made to order entrees consisting of specials, rice bowls and sandwiches. I prefer to order their 3-item deli case meals getting mac ‘n cheese, kale salad and whatever market-veggie dish they have that day (Their specials change daily based on market-available produce), but you can always get the Avocado Sandwich!!!  Silver Lake Ramen is one of those places that you will always be waiting in line for but it is always worth it. I’ve even gone at 3 in the afternoon and there was still a line! Pro-tip, just do take out! No wait, and they always give you so much, you can save it for the next day.  El Condor is one of those places I stumbled upon because it was so close to where I lived. It is Mexican-Californian hybrid cuisine that takes classic Mexican dishes and spins them to include items such as Kale. Their home made salsa is delicious with just enough kick to spice up your meals in a good way. They are also popular for their margaritas and their beautiful (secluded) patio.  Hyperion Public falls into the category of rustic-industrial upscale pub meets swanky nightclub.. Think rod iron and wood decor meets tufted leather walls. The food is delicious, the drinks are craft beer (They even sell my favorite beer Einstock!), crafted cocktails, and the it’s an overall great vibe 

Get drinking!

 The Thirsty Crow is owned by the same people as Sassafras and Bigfoot Lodge: The 1933 Group. Their general mission is create spaces/drinkeries that transport you to a different era, specifically the 1930’s Wild Wild West. They also have a killer Happy hour with 5$ drinks from 5pm-8pm. Even though the Thirsty Crow is small, they still have live music. SIDE-FACT! Father John Misty wrote a song about this place “Nothing Good Ever Happens at the Goddamn Thirsty Crow” Check it out here!  One of LA’s oldest German “Gasthouse” or taverns. You can get traditional german food or Das Boot! (think Beerfest!) It is a split level building with the lower level catering more to sit-down style tavern and the top level beings a hybrid bar/beer garden. Even if authentic German food isn’t your thing, the space alone is crazy awesome. Also did i mention the DAS BOOT!????? with craft German beer!  4100 was another one of my local bars because of the close location. The atmosphere feels secluded and a bit off the beaten path. (It is on Sunset blvd in between a jiffy lube and some businesses.) From the outside, it looks like a shoe box building but inside, you will find a dimly-lit bar decorated similarly to an Armenian Hookah lounge without the Armenians or the hookah. The whole back section of 4100 is comprised of spacious lounge seats and coffee tables. Great for when you want to go out with your lady group! 

Bonus!

 So Taco zone is technically in Echo Park in the Alameda Vons parking lot but they are the absolute BEST tacos in LA and I stand by that statement 100% I like the mulitas best, they are a cross between tacos and mini-quesadillas and they are divine.