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.

A Road Trip up California's Central Coast

For the 4th of July, I took a road trip up California's central coast to Cambria, California. Cambria is one of those vacation spots that people either have never had the fortune of knowing it exists or it has become a hidden gem and family favorite destination. Until this trip, I belonged in the former. Cambria is on California's coastline tucked away between San Simeon (think Hearst Castle) and Morro Bay. For being such a small vacation beach community, you will not be wanting for activities! There is everything from Hiking to climbing to paddle boarding to seeing famous landmarks or enjoying the local eats :)

The Drive up the Central Coast!

The drive up is all wine country and farm lands until you get to the wild coast line. Having lived in Southern California my entire life, I often forget how driving north gets away from all the concrete and development (especially in Los Angeles) There's horses and cows (and even Ostriches and Emus!) running free. I find its easier to take it all in and live in the moment.

Start Your Day off Right!

The town center of Cambria is small and you can drive through on one street within 5 minutes. We made our way to Cambria Coffee Roasting and stayed dedicated to it every morning. With my Almond milk latte in hand, I was ready to take on all the active adventures we had planned!

Exploring the Mountains!

On our second day, we drove, quite a ways up to Pinnacles National Park. Pinnacles is one of the newest named National Parks. The pinnacle formations were caused by an now extinct volcano that has shifted over time to look more like an eroded caldera. Pinnacles is a hiking, rock climbing and spelunking! The biggest draw to Pinnacles this trip was the spelunking.Part of the West gate hike involved traversing through Balconies cave. Bring a headlight! because it is dark and you are climbing down rocks through the cave. There is plenty of rock climbing at Pinnacles but this time we chose not to as it was nearing 90 degree weather and the options to go kayaking and wine tasting won over :)

Exploring the Central Coast!

Cambria is just one of the many small towns up the 1. on the coast. Only a 15 minute drive north you will be in San Simeon, most famous for Hearst Castle and the Elephant Seal Beach! Hearst Castle is iconic and a must-do at least once in your life. For any film buffs out there it is the estate of the man most infamously portrayed by Orson Welles in Citizen Kane. Randolph Hearst was a vast collector of art and exotic animals. His house, if you can call it that, is a behemoth of grandeur from the Grecian Temple-like Pool overlooking the whole coastline to the gold-lined indoor pool (clearly i loved the pools the most). But even if you don't take a tour of the castle, the best part is stopping on the road to see the heard of zebras... just casually living on the central California property.In the early summer, the elephant seals all lay on the beach to molt. This is when they fast on the beach to grow new skin and hair. Elephant seals are massive and they are cute in a really ugly way, like a cross between gonzo and a large seal and I love them for that! We even got to see two juvenile males sparring out in the water, such a cool sight but I would not want to face off with one myself!The San Simeon Beach offers so much to do. Sea for yourself  is a kayak and paddle board rental shop situated on the beach. We talked to the owner Cubby and all went out on the ocean. San Simeon is the ideal locale for kayaking and paddle boarding because the coast line forms a little alcove free from the heavy tides of the ocean making the water very calm to be out on. (I even went paddle boarding without a wet suit which was risky but I didn't fall in!) During our time out there, we saw harbor seals following us around and 2 members in our group even saw sea otters! Before we left, we walked out to the end of the pier and saw a pod of gray whales breaching in the distance. My heart definitely feels at peace when I am outdoors and near the ocean.

Where to Eat!

Centrally Grown was an oasis that we discovered between Cambria and San Simeon. It truly is one-stop-shop. We pulled in looking to grab a quick bite after our long active day only to recruit the rest of our group and have a sit down dinner. Centrally grown is a restaurant/bar/cafe/market with wine tasting, a local goods shop, outdoor terrace, recreational sports that hosts live music events and promotes local and organic goods! (Whew!) We went back to Centrally Grown every day after our initial discovery (you can't quit a good thing!) and everything is delicious! They have a vast cocktail, wine/craft beer selection. The restaurant does everything well from their artisanal flat breads to their mains. And the market cannot be discounted either: gourmet sandwiches and salads filled us up between activities. We even played scrabble at the bar while waiting for the rest of our party to join us.

Exploring the Terrain!

From playing in the rock caves of pinnacles to playing in the ocean, my favorite activity was discovering Salmon Creek Falls. My dad, a semi professional rock climber, truly instilled in me a love for adventure and the outdoors and used to take my sisters and I out everywhere with him. Going to Salmon Creek Falls was such a treat because I felt like a kid again with him. The hike to Salmon Creek Falls in not that long depending on your purpose. Getting to the falls can be a direct route but we decided to hike up all the around and get to the cave at the top of the falls first. It was freakin' awesome. We climbed over boulders and through rock formations, scaling over trees. We ended our afternoon with a a quick dip in the falls. It is COLD! but following in the footsteps of my dad, I climbed behind the waterfall and slid down the moss like a water-slide right alongside him! I could do this every day.

End the Trip With Something Sweet!

As most my family knows, I am not a huge fan of ice cream (I know blasphemy!) But every once and a while I come across ice cream so good, I will ignore the intense sick-to-my-stomach feeling I get. Mojo's Village Bean is that good! I was tasked to pick up ice cream for the Fourth of July ice cream sandwich desserts we were making and I stumbled upon this shop (mostly because it was one of the only places still open in the evening on the 4th). The Salted Caramel is what sold me. (The cookies n cream cookie dough is also a top seller!) Mojo's also serves coffee and their blended iced chai lattes are so creamy I suspect they are using ice cream and espresso to make it. It was the sweetest way to end our last night in Cambria.

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We only spent a short and simple weekend up in Cambria, but jam-packed it with all these amazing outdoor activities. I cannot wait to go back. I snapped this picture in Cayucos, a little town south as we were passing through. I have fallen in love with the Central Coast.

What to do in a Summer Weekend: Eugene, Oregon

I jetted off to spend a summer weekend in Eugene, Oregon this past week. The reason: my little sister's graduation. With her as my guide this time, we got to see the town from a local's perspective. Eugene, Oregon is better known as the college town locale of University of Oregon as well as the birthplace to Nike. Its a place that values hiking and the outdoors as well as craft coffee and beer. The term yuppie has been bred out of the community that is Eugene.

WHERE TO STAY!

In true tradition of my mother, we used Airbnb to book our lodgings. With tons of family & friends flying in to watch my little sister graduate from University of Oregon (go Ducks!), we needed a spacious and homey play to stay for all of the activities.We found the quaint house off of Polk St, in a family neighborhood to meet all of our needs.

GET ENERGIZED!

Coffee Plant Roaster imports coffee beans from all around the world and freshly roasts them for a unique and wide range of flavor. They serves everything from Specialty espresso drinks, to cold brew, to loose leaf tea, to Kombucha. Their mission is to serve great coffee as well as have great baked goods and little bites so that anyone can come in for a couple hours and enjoy their time. The atmosphere is spacious and cozy with pillow lined booths along the walls and large tables, perfect for the college town of Eugene.

GET BRUNCH!

After our spa day, we headed to Noisette for a quick coffee/snack break.  Noisette is essentially the byproduct of mixing industrial-rustic with French Bakery. We sat down at a tea-table inside and ordered lattes and the Vegetable Savory Tart. The tart was so delicious that we ordered a whole pie for her graduation party we hosted back at the house. As for the lattes, My mother and I were surprised to find that the milk tasted…well different. My little went onto explain: Eugene is known for their huge farm-to-table, organic, non-gmo culture. A lot of business’ use Raw, straight from the source milk. That means, that milk comes from pasture-fed cows and have little-to-no pasteurizing or processing. I am a full supporter of this lifestyle, however, I do have to admit it took half the latte to get used to the organic milk flavor.

GET EXPLORING!

My absolute favorite thing to do in Eugene was playing in the Willamette River. There is a spot on the Western Bank of the Willammette near Autzen Stadium footbridge where you can sunbathe, picnic, and jump/swim in the river. There are small but strong rapids and riding them down tapped into my thrill seeking. Hiking may be the State-wide past time for Oregonites, but I say playing in the river is the must-do summer activity.The Saturday market is the place to go to on Saturday Morning. From Fresh fruits to curated flower bunches to high quality oils and vinegars, Everyone descends on downtown to stock up on all their local produce. According to my sister, The Downtown scene in Eugene used to be pretty shady attracting the majority of Eugene’s homeless population. With help from some new local business’ and the Saturday Market, its culture is starting to redevelop and is becoming a new hot spot in Eugene.The Fifth street Public Market is a cool place to visit. Several shops surround a small outdoor terrace for a nice peaceful place to visit, shot, and eat. We stopped into the Marché Provisions which doubles as a high-end provisions store as well as a cafe.Skinner Butte Park is in the top 3 hiking/vista points in Eugene. Because of the limited time we had, we did not hike up, but instead drove up to the vista to get a great view of the whole city.

GET EATING!

I now absolutely know how my sister managed to survive 4 years in Oregon being away from California Tacos and Mexican food in general. Tacovore does artisan tacos right. Whether you want simple beef/chicken tacos or if you’re a vegetarian like me a dressed up explosion of flavor beet/tofu tacos, you are sure to find whatever fits your desire. They also have about 8 different salsa’s, which are all amazing and some very spicy.McMenamins North Bank is a Eugene Staple. McMenamins is a business I have written about in a previous blog post here about their business in Portland. They are known for their Cajun Tater tots, which are mind blowingly amazing (even though, they are mostly likely flash-frozen hush puppies), but serve quality healthy dishes such as the kale Cesar salad i ordered. Their restaurant/bar sits right on the Willamette with gorgeous views of the river.

GET DRINKING!

The Barn Light is the hotspot in Downtown. Two friends opened it up to double as a coffee shop/bar similar to the one they both met and worked at in Kansas. It has quickly become the hotspot it is today and one of the spots that has helped bring more and more people downtown.

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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.

5 Awesome Activites to try in Santa Barbara

Having grown up in something close to paradise, I definitely needed to write a blog post about the city that so many of my Angelenos friends vacation too. Santa Barbara may be small but with the Ocean and the Mountains within a 10 mile radius of each other there are so many things to do and see. Here are my 6 must activities if you find yourself making the trip.

PICNIC AT THE SANTA BARBARA MISSION

This is the historic landmark at the epicenter of Santa Barbara’s origins. Right outside the grounds is both a (dog-friendly) park and rose garden. So grab your picnic basket and a bottle of wine and your sun hats and go relax on the lawn.

BIKE/SKATE/BOARD/SURI/WALK/ETC. CABRILLO BLVD. TO STEARN’S WHARF

Cabrillo Blvd runs up several miles of Santa Barbara’s coast line. A bike path runs alongside the beach the entire way. If you are unfamiliar with what a Suri is, it is a covered 2-8 person bicycle/vehicle and pretty fun to ride with a group of people. Check out Wheel Fun Rentals to rent any type of bike contraptions or roller blades

SHOPPING ON STATE STREET

Santa Barbara is known for the red brick everything and shopping on State Street makes an average city street even more scenic. State Street is a couple miles long and encompasses everything from boutiques to high-end fashion departments to smoke shops to everything in between. There is no shortage of things to do and see on this walk. From Arlington Theatre to Paseo Nuevo Mall to all the clubs/shops/restaurants/and coffee shops along the way.

HIKING INSPIRATION POINT

If you want to see great sights of the whole city and get your sweat on. Hike up inspiration point! It is one of the briefer hikes in Santa Barbara, which doesn’t mean its easy. Its a great way to start your morning and see the incredible “American Riviera” that is Santa Barbara. Check out here for directions and guides.

SPA DAY AT THE BACARA

While this may be a splurge in your budget, it is absolutely worth it. The Bacara is the premiere resort in Santa Barbara and booking that heavily-needed massage unlocks full access to the spa, the pool, and the bar. You can even order a glass of champagne after your massage just in case you haven’t had your fill of relaxation.

SO GO OUT THERE AND EXPLORE SANTA BARBARA!