About a month ago, we decided it was time for a much needed weekend getaway. Hubby mentioned Santa Barbara several times, but we never got around to going. So, SB was the perfect destination for our little trip.

Day 1: When we arrived in downtown SB, we drove up and down State Street to take in all the restaurants and stores before deciding on a good place to park and walk around. Ultimately, we decided to park near Stearns Wharf and walk aroud that area.

While walking along the pier, Longboards Grill caught our attention for some grub. The restaurant is upstairs with a bar area and an outdoor deck area. The great thing was that it had a fantastic 360 degree view, but the food was just alright. We ordered clam chowder in a bread bowl and fried calamari.

After an enjoyable time in SB, we headed to the Camarillo Premium Outlets to get our shop on. We hit up a few stores, tried on some clothes and shoes, and spent some money. Tired from the day’s events, we grabbed delicious In-n-Out cheeseburgers and pigged out in our hotel room.

Day 2: My brother “S” and his girlfriend “C” drove up to our hotel to spend the day with us. Our hotel was across the street from San Buenaventura State Beach, so we spent the morning on the sand. I have always wanted to take a photo on the lifeguard tower, so I took advantage of the opportunity.

S and C played a few games of beach volleyball, while Hubby and I threw around a football.

After we had our fill of the beach, we drove north to Nojoqui Falls. It was an extremely short and easy hike (less than 1 mile roundtrip). Too bad it was the wrong season, so the fall wasn’t flowing. There were a few droplets of water and quite a few pleasant hikers along the path. 

Next stop – Solvang. The quaint little town was bustling with tourists. The lines in the bakeries were so long that we had to pass up buying any Danish cookies. We did try the Aebleskiver which was like a giant donut hole covered in raspberry sauce.

Our last adventure for the day was Kalyra Winery from the movie Sideways. The tasting menu consisted of eight different wines. I’m definitely not a wine connoisseur nor a wine fan, so I can’t say much about the wines. But, the best tasting option by far was the Kalyra NV Black Muscat. It was a dessert wine with a very sweet and tasty flavor.

It was a packed weekend of fun, new points of interest, yummy food, and great company.

Highlights: Stearns Wharf, State Street, Camarillo Premium Outlets, San Buenaventure State Beach, Nojoqui Falls, Solvang, Kalyra Winery
Food: Longboards Grill, In-n-Out, Subway, Outback Steakhouse
Lodging: Ventura Beach Marriott